The Adventures of Elena Temple

About

"The Adventures of Elena Temple" is a nostalgic, retro-inspired platformer game with pixel art graphics and a unique, changing game environment. Play as Elena, an archaeologist exploring a mysterious ancient temple, solving puzzles, and overcoming obstacles across multiple levels. The game offers a definitive edition with various updates, providing an engaging and challenging experience for fans of classic platformers.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

The Adventures of Elena Temple screenshot

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 70 reviews

story6 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game effectively captures the retro vibe and nostalgia of classic platformers, with clever design and enjoyable gameplay.
The humorous narrative and unique framing device add charm, making the experience more engaging.
Great music and solid controls enhance the overall enjoyment, making it a fun throwback to old-school gaming.

The game can be frustrating at times, especially with its challenging controls and level design that may feel overly simplistic or tedious.
Some players found the initial gameplay experience unengaging, requiring a significant time investment before it becomes enjoyable.
The various visual filters and color schemes may feel unnecessary and detract from the overall gameplay experience.

story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The story of the game is a humorous and meta narrative centered around a failed game developer and a tomb raider-esque character, serving as a framework to evoke a sense of nostalgia for retro gaming. While the plot is often seen as an excuse to enhance the gameplay experience, it adds a quirky charm that resonates with players, emphasizing that engaging gameplay can outweigh the need for a deep storyline. Overall, the lighthearted approach to storytelling complements the game's nostalgic aesthetic, making it enjoyable despite its simplicity.
- “It's got a funny meta story.”
- “So the frame plot's an excuse plot and the actual plot's also an excuse plot, but dang it, I liked this game.”
- “On top of it all though, the beginning is slapped with a story of a failed game developer - ouch.”
- “There's a sort of framework story about how this is an authentic retro game, playable on seven different systems, but it's only there to prop up the idea that this game feels old.”
- “The meta-story is told in text that describes the release of each version of the game, and why it failed.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The gameplay is widely praised for its fun and engaging platforming mechanics, reminiscent of classic retro titles, with a charming aesthetic and solid dungeon design. While some players find the controls frustrating at times, the fast-paced nature of the game compensates for these issues, making it an enjoyable experience overall. Despite some criticism regarding the focus on nostalgia over gameplay depth, it remains a recommended title for fans of the genre, especially given its affordable price.
- “Awesome and fun gameplay and platforming with good collectibles and lovely visuals.”
- “The core gameplay and the dungeons you complete are done so well!”
- “Totally solid 'old but gold' style game... beyond the graphics, the gameplay really has the retro feel of a hidden gem for Game Boy, Apple II, etc. Had a lot of fun with this.”
- “The controls are still familiar and frustrating, but the speed of gameplay (think roguelike 'deaths') makes up for the numerous slip-ups and failures you'll encounter.”
- “What's unfortunate is how more time, effort, and focus seems to have gone into the fictional history of the game and the machines it can be played on for the sake of nostalgia, rather than the gameplay.”
- “Nevertheless, if you’re into metroidvanias and don’t mind the simplistic gameplay, this is a must-buy.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
27%
17%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and period-appropriate design, evoking a nostalgic retro feel reminiscent of classic systems like the Game Boy and Apple II. While some users find the various color schemes unnecessary and not historically accurate, the overall visuals are described as lovely and enjoyable, complementing the fun gameplay. Additionally, the inclusion of different graphics options, such as an Amstrad-esque mode, adds to the game's appeal.
- “The visuals are so great.”
- “Awesome and fun gameplay and platforming with good collectibles and lovely visuals.”
- “It's got cool graphics options.”
- “My only criticism is that the different color schemes are superfluous, and worse, they don't really correspond to any graphical constraints of the time.”
- “The Amstrad-esque graphics mode.”
- “The sound/graphics are both period appropriate, and the edges that get shaved off the old gameplay are the right ones, letting you experience a challenging adventure without having to deal with limited lives or long re-treads through areas every time you die.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
8%
21%
The music in the game has received high praise for its engaging and nostalgic quality, with many players enjoying the old-school video game tunes that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack remains enjoyable even during repetitive gameplay, contributing positively to their enjoyment of the game.
- “Also, the old-school video game music is fun to listen to.”
- “I never got tired of the music, so that made it good in my mind.”
- “Music is really fun to listen to as you die to the same spikes over and over.”
- “The music.”
- “Oh man, the music.”
- “The music.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, particularly for its hilarious narrative and clever meta elements that engage players from the start. While there are some amusing bugs, they are seen as endearing quirks that add to the overall comedic experience rather than detracting from it. Overall, players find the first 20-30 minutes especially entertaining and filled with laughs.
- “The first 20-30 minutes soaking the game in is hilarious.”
- “The narrative is hilarious.”
- “It's got a funny meta story.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Reviewers express that the game's replayability is hindered by a lack of gameplay tweaks and additional content across different ports. They suggest that features like an in-game timer and local leaderboards could enhance the challenge and encourage speedrunning, ultimately improving the game's replay value.
- “I feel like there could have been some gameplay tweaks port to port to enhance the replayability and/or challenge.”
- “It’s a pity the developer didn’t just release the game in its rawest form, cutting out the excess trimmings and adding in more playable content.”
- “The only big thing this game is lacking is an in-game timer and local leaderboards to encourage speedrunning, as I feel that could help this game’s replay value just a bit more.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the intense frustration and tension players experience when faced with the high stakes of instant death from touching spikes, creating a challenging yet engaging atmosphere.

58%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

Buy The Adventures of Elena Temple

5h Median play time

5h Average play time

5-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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