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TAURONOS

88%Game Brain Score
gameplay, atmosphere
music
88% User Score Based on 84 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPCWindowsWindowsXbox OneXbox OneXboxXbox
Buy Nowfrom $3.99
Buy NowGet on Steam$3.99Buy NowGet on itch.io Store$4.99

About

"TAURONOS is a single-player Horror Arcade game where you, trapped in an ancient labyrinth, must evade the invincible Minotaur and discover tools and rewards to defeat it. With 6 chapters, 42 stages, and multiple upgrades, the game draws inspiration from Greek mythology, creating a dark atmosphere through retro pixel art, voice acting, and metaphorical storytelling. The game takes about 2 hours to complete."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
TAURONOS screenshot

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews
gameplay6 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • Tauronos features engaging gameplay with well-designed levels that keep players on their toes, combining exploration, survival, and puzzle elements effectively.
  • The game has a rich atmosphere enhanced by good sound design and voice acting, which adds personality to the character and immerses players in the experience.
  • With a variety of upgrades and a map editor, Tauronos encourages exploration and replayability, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of indie games.
  • The lives system can be frustrating, as running out of lives forces players to restart the entire game, which can discourage exploration and lead to trial-and-error gameplay.
  • Some players have reported clunky controls and bugs that can hinder gameplay, such as getting stuck on walls or experiencing sound issues.
  • The game lacks variety in graphical assets and level design, leading to a somewhat repetitive visual experience despite the different gameplay mechanics.
  • gameplay
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by slow-paced dungeon crawling from a top-down perspective, which some players find tedious due to lengthy sections and repetitive stage designs. While the controls are simple and the mechanics offer depth, the experience can be marred by underutilized features and a lack of engaging challenges, leading to mixed reviews overall. Despite its decent storyline and presentation, many players feel the gameplay lacks excitement, resulting in a low rating.

    • “The gameplay, pixel art, and the sound effects coalesce into a wonderful and tense experience.”
    • “The gameplay is seen from an isometric view, and the controls are simple, so you will not have any problems mastering them.”
    • “Decent storyline and presentation, simple yet deep mechanics, good map design, and excellent challenge level.”
    • “The gameplay is generally slow-paced dungeon crawling from a top-down perspective.”
    • “Furthermore, given the slow-paced gameplay, having to replay lengthy sections is not necessarily a very enjoyable prospect.”
    • “Gameplay: 2/5.....(hard...slow...boring)”
  • atmosphere
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in Tauronos is widely praised for its rich tension and suspense, enhanced by atmospheric music, sound effects, and well-executed voice acting. The game's bold retro pixel art, combined with effective lighting and fog, contributes to a dark and immersive experience. While some players feel that a silent protagonist could have intensified the atmosphere, the overall presentation successfully captivates and engages players.

    • “The artwork and atmosphere are superb.”
    • “It's rich in atmosphere and suspense.”
    • “Tauronos has a great dark atmosphere (the lighting and fog), nice art and also some good voice acting.”
    • “The atmosphere would have been a thousand times stronger with a silent protagonist.”
    • “It's difficult to get a sense of how much tension and atmosphere Tauronos creates while skimming over the screenshots or videos on the store page.”
    • “The game uses a bold retro pixel aesthetic, but it's the music and sound effects that do most of the legwork when it comes to building tension and atmosphere.”
  • story
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is described as captivating and unique, with intriguing plot twists and a rich atmosphere, despite some feeling it could be more developed. Players appreciate the combination of simple yet deep mechanics, engaging voice acting, and the presence of hidden secrets to explore. Overall, it offers a quick adventure that appeals to those who enjoy unraveling mysteries and completing achievements.

    • “Its got puzzles that aren't too complex, a captivating storyline, and some amazing art and voiceovers.”
    • “The voice acting really fit the character, the graphics were crisp and complemented the gameplay, there are hidden secrets to explore, monsters to avoid, and what appears to be a very deep plot despite the simple appearance.”
    • “Awesome pixel art, rich atmosphere, and quite an interesting story!”
    • “The story: you're in a labyrinth for some reason.”
    • “Edit: so this was the first game I played on my mission to play brand new indie games and review them, and it appears I've severely overestimated the average indie game's quality.”
    • “Having a story at all gives it a couple points alone.”
  • graphics
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the crisp visuals and interesting art style that enhance the atmosphere and gameplay, while others criticize the lack of variety in graphical assets and a bland color palette. The use of "pseudo-pixel art" is noted, but some feel it lacks the necessary detail and effort, leading to a less appealing overall design.

    • “The voice acting really fit the character, the graphics were crisp and complemented the gameplay, there are hidden secrets to explore, monsters to avoid and what appears to be a very deep plot despite the simple appearance.”
    • “The artwork and atmosphere are superb.”
    • “The art style in this game is very interesting.”
    • “The game lacks variety in terms of graphical assets and color palette.”
    • “All I can say is the graphic design is ugly; the sepia tone is bland!”
    • “Graphics: that sort of 'pseudo-pixel art' where your character and the environment are 69-bit sprites, but they didn't feel like putting in the effort to have multiple sprites so that they wouldn't be turning and making their pixels diagonal.”
  • music
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is minimal but highly atmospheric, effectively enhancing the overall tension and immersion. While there are few songs, the sound effects and the main character's voice contribute significantly to the game's ambiance, allowing players to remain attuned to their surroundings. Overall, the combination of retro pixel art and atmospheric sound design creates a compelling experience.

    • “I enjoy playing it, the music and the voice of the main character makes you feel the atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The game uses a bold retro pixel aesthetic but it's the music and sound effects that do most of the leg work when it comes to building tension and atmosphere.”
    • “There isn’t a lot of music, but all of it is quite atmospheric.”
    • “There’s almost not a song playing (minus when you find upgrades) so you can keep your ears up to listen to everything that’s happening around you.”
    • “The game uses a bold retro pixel aesthetic, but it's the music and sound effects that do most of the legwork when it comes to building tension and atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is perceived as lacking, with users criticizing its execution and mechanics, which detract from the overall experience. The journey metaphor is also dismissed, suggesting that the emotional depth intended by the developers fails to resonate with players.

Buy TAURONOS

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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