Teslagrad

About

Teslagrad is a 2D puzzle-platformer game with action elements, focusing on magnetism and other electromagnetic powers. Players explore the Tesla Tower, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets in the Kingdom of Elektropia, all through visual storytelling. With hand-made graphics, innovative gameplay, and no in-app purchases, Teslagrad offers a unique mobile gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+14

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,244 reviews

story229 positive mentions

grinding52 negative mentions

Beautiful hand-drawn art style and animations.
Clever puzzles that utilize unique magnetism mechanics.
Engaging non-verbal storytelling through environmental cues and puppet shows.

Frustrating boss battles with one-hit kills and no checkpoints.
Controls can feel imprecise and floaty, leading to cheap deaths.
Some puzzles require trial and error, which can be tedious.

story
585 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The story of *Teslagrad* is primarily conveyed through visual storytelling, utilizing puppet theaters and collectible scrolls to gradually reveal a simple yet engaging narrative about a young boy's quest against a tyrannical king. While some players appreciate the unique, wordless approach and the atmospheric art style, others find the plot to be generic and lacking depth, often feeling disconnected from the gameplay. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its creativity, though it can be challenging to piece together without actively seeking out collectibles.
- “The story is very bare-bones and there is pretty much no real investment in it, so all there is is the puzzles – and while they’re okay, it just does not excite.”
- “The story is sparse, but cute.”
- “The story is told purely visually with no dialogue or narration whatsoever.”
gameplay
546 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The gameplay of Teslagrad is characterized by its unique magnetism mechanics, which offer engaging puzzle-solving experiences and platforming challenges. While many players appreciate the innovative design and beautiful art, some express frustration with the controls, particularly during boss fights, which can feel unbalanced and overly punishing. Overall, the game provides a mix of enjoyable mechanics and challenging gameplay, though it may not appeal to those who prefer more straightforward or less demanding experiences.
- “The gameplay is engaging, and the story is pretty good.”
- “A beautiful metroidvania puzzle-platformer with creative mechanics centered around magnetic powers and a well-designed array of puzzles that test the player’s ingenuity.”
- “Fun magnetism-based gameplay and puzzle-solving.”
- “The mechanics are too sluggish for the sort of action required in the puzzles.”
- “The gameplay trends increasingly in the wrong direction as you progress further.”
- “The game falls over in three large respects, the first is notably the boss fights which are repetitive, obnoxiously long and are filled with beginners traps whilst adding no intrigue or extra mechanics as the fights progress.”
graphics
370 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
31%
1%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, hand-drawn art style that effectively conveys the game's atmosphere and storytelling without the use of dialogue. Many reviewers highlight the unique blend of steampunk and Eastern European influences, along with fluid animations that enhance the overall experience. While some mention minor graphical issues, the consensus is that the visuals are a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The graphics are beautiful, the sound is very well made, and the mechanics are somewhat innovative.”
- “The art style is beautiful, the music is done really well, the graphics and animation are pleasant to watch.”
- “The artwork is superb, plenty of 2D eye candy and interesting scenery changes.”
- “Some have praised the art style, but I found it quite bland and repetitive.”
- “Speak of graphics, the images are not very detailed (or it's just its unique art style?).”
- “Very polished graphics and reasonable base platforming, but marred by poor controls and arbitrary, inconsistent, and unrewarding level design.”
music
242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
31%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players noting its fittingness to various gameplay moments, particularly during boss fights. While some found the soundtrack to be occasionally repetitive or ambient, the majority appreciated its charm and emotional depth, contributing significantly to the game's storytelling and immersive environment. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack creates a memorable and engaging experience for players.
- “The music is fantastic, fits to the current state of the game, always.”
- “The soundtrack is engaging and charming and has its amazing moments at key points of the game.”
- “The hand-drawn art and backgrounds are all beautiful to look at, and there’s no shortage of good music, both of the catchy and atmospheric variety.”
- “The soundtrack is either incredibly dull or non-existent in some areas.”
- “Teslagrad also suffers from some very lackluster music with it being ambient to the point of it being as good as white noise while you go through the game.”
- “As for the music, while it is pretty at first, the tracks are very short loops and you'll be fed up real quick after you're respawned at the beginning of the section for the tenth time.”
atmosphere
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
23%
5%
The atmosphere in Teslagrad is widely praised for its captivating art style, haunting music, and immersive world-building, creating a mysterious and engaging environment that enhances the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to convey emotions and storytelling through its visuals and sound design, making it a standout in the puzzle-platformer genre. However, some players note occasional inconsistencies in ambient sound that can detract from the overall immersion.
- “The atmosphere is the best I've seen in a long time, and it all fits together perfectly.”
- “The atmosphere, the music, the lore, everything is perfect.”
- “The visuals are vibrant and gorgeously animated, and the atmosphere of the game struck me in a way that I haven't felt from an indie game in a long time.”
- “The game feels unfinished due to some areas having absolutely no ambient sound, leaving you with absolute silence to stand around in while solving puzzles, while others have a melodic atmosphere.”
- “Game play can be all from standing still, looking around the room thinking of possible solutions to get around in the room to the next area, to quickly do impulsive choices while being chased by things that want you as their breakfast; the atmosphere is a combination of something sad, horror, and motivating as you fight through skeleton-filled dungeons and bosses made out of the weirdest machines.”
- “There's a slightly haunting atmosphere that develops as you continue to explore and uncover the story of a twisted king and what had transpired in the past to lead up to this point.”
grinding
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized for its tediousness, particularly in boss fights and puzzle sections that require backtracking and memorization. Players frequently express frustration over the one-hit death mechanic, which leads to repetitive trial-and-error gameplay, making progress feel laborious and unfulfilling. While some appreciate the challenge, many agree that the overall experience is marred by excessive difficulty spikes and a lack of sufficient checkpoints, resulting in a frustrating and often tedious gaming experience.
- “The boss fights would have benefited from some of the same checkpointing that the rest of the game used - restarting from the beginning because of a small mistake became tedious.”
- “It's not challenging, it's just tedious, repetitive, and boring.”
- “However, as the game instantly kills your character when hit, boss fights quickly devolve into a tedious process of trial and error as you slowly learn how to dodge each attack before promptly dying to the next one.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
87%
13%
The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find the story minimalistic and lacking in depth, others appreciate its heartwarming moments and the touching narrative conveyed through art and music. The game is praised for its ability to evoke feelings despite the absence of voice acting, yet some feel that the gameplay's focus on puzzles detracts from the emotional connection to the story. Overall, it offers a blend of emotional highs and lows, with standout moments that resonate with players.
- “When I saw the old man that chased me from the start, I was emotionally moved by it.”
- “It was a real emotional journey.”
- “Much like its platform brothers, it has a silent, touching narrative told through its excellent soundtrack and beautiful art style.”
- “It's a generic, semi-walled off, boring story with nothing unique about it.”
- “You walk into a room that looks like a theater, and suddenly you are greeted with dull puppet exposition on an even more boring story.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while there are opportunities to collect additional items like scrolls and tarot cards that can enhance the experience, many players find the core gameplay short and lacking in substantial replay value. The game can be completed in about 4-6 hours, and while some enjoy the challenge of 100% completion or speedrunning, others feel that the limited content does not justify a high replayability score.
- “There are 36 scrolls in the whole game, but to finish it you only need 15. The rest is for replayability, and if you gather them all and return to the last boss, the ending is completely different.”
- “You can even increase the replay value by collecting all the tarot cards hidden in hard-to-reach places.”
- “It's a short 4-5 hour game depending on if you look for 100% completion, with lots of replayability. Because of this, I give it an 8/10.”
- “There isn't a lot of replay value in puzzle platformers.”
- “Not much to offer in terms of replayability, but that's not really a problem in my eyes.”
- “Replay value is just about absolute 0”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of clever design and unexpected physics, often leading to moments of frustration that turn into laughter. Players appreciate the funny elements intertwined with puzzle-solving and platforming, noting that the game's charm and beautiful graphics enhance the comedic experience. Overall, it successfully elicits a range of emotions, from facepalms to genuine laughter, making it a standout in its genre.
- “Funny little platform with beautiful graphics and inspired landscapes.”
- “This game made me facepalm, laugh, yell, and laugh out loud (at myself for being so stupid) and frustrated.”
- “Even though I was frustrated, I found myself laughing often, and that's not easy for any puzzle or platformer game to do.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with no glitches or lag, others have encountered intermittent bugs and technical issues that negatively impacted their gameplay. The presence of soft-locks and limited checkpoints has also been noted as frustrating elements.
- “It was consistently smooth, with no glitches, stutter, or lag at all. The game seems very solid and stable in general.”
- “Everything runs great.”
- “That isn't helped by somewhat intermittently buggy mechanics.”
- “Another annoying thing is the few bugs and glitches I encountered with the game; this sadly ruined my experience, plus the amount of checkpoints there are are very few.”
- “Fun, but buggy and teaches its mechanics with death.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing performance hitches and frame drops, particularly in graphically intensive areas. While it lacks a deep options menu, players can adjust lighting effects to improve performance, and it runs reasonably well even on lower-end systems. However, the floaty controls and occasional immersion-breaking issues detract from the overall experience.
- “Now while there's no deep options menu, the lighting effects can be toned down, which is where most of your performance issues will arise. It's also not capped at 60fps (thank you!!!) and runs fairly well even on my low-end machine.”
- “It was a delight to play through the first time, and just as fun on repeat performances.”
- “Overall, it's a puzzle platformer about magnetics, with really gorgeous art and decently moody music.”
- “Floaty, imprecise controls and weird performance hitches ruin what otherwise could have been a charming puzzle/platformer.”
- “Weird performance issues - I don't have the fastest computer, true, but still, I would not expect the game dropping down to 30 fps in a few areas.”
- “Now while there's no deep options menu, the lighting effects can be toned down, which is where most of your performance issues will arise. It's also not capped at 60 fps (thank you!!!) and runs fairly well even on my low-end machine.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted by unexpected plot twists and moments that enhance its melancholic atmosphere, contributing to a deeper emotional experience. Additionally, the distinct and beautiful character designs complement the overall tone, enriching the narrative and visual appeal.
- “At first, I admit, I didn't think there was anything particularly special about the story, but I was caught off-guard by a plot twist and a couple of moments of character development that really helped drive home the game's melancholy mood.”
- “The character designs also vary and are very beautiful and distinct from each other.”
- “The character designs are simple, cartoonish, and pleasing, while the environments and bosses have what I feel to be the perfect degree of detail and fidelity to fit in with the tone of the game.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on an emotional level.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which detracted from my overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “Despite some interesting concepts, the character development ultimately falls flat, leaving many characters feeling one-dimensional.”