The Basement Collection

About

The Basement Collection is a single player action adventure game with fantasy and comedy themes. It was developed by Tyler Glaiel and was released on August 31, 2012. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"The Basement Collection" is a compilation of various games and prototypes created by Edmund McMillen. It includes popular titles like "Aether," "Grey-Matter," and "Spewer," as well as unreleased games and additional content. This collection offers a unique insight into the developer's creative process and provides hours of entertainment through its eclectic mix of games.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,030 reviews

music35 positive mentions

optimization9 negative mentions

The Basement Collection offers a fascinating insight into the creative mind of Edmund McMillen, showcasing his earlier works and evolution as a game designer.
The collection includes a variety of unique games, each with its own charm, ranging from puzzle-platformers like Time Fcuk to the physics-based Spewer.
The additional content, such as concept art, interviews, and behind-the-scenes materials, adds significant value and context to the games, making it a worthwhile purchase for fans.

Many of the games suffer from performance issues, including lag and unresponsive controls, which can detract from the overall experience.
Some players may find the games frustratingly difficult, with certain mechanics feeling clunky or outdated compared to modern standards.
While the collection is nostalgic for fans, newcomers may find the games lacking in polish and depth, as they are primarily early flash projects.

music
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The music in this collection is widely praised for its haunting and immersive quality, featuring contributions from notable composers like Danny Baranowsky and Tin Hat. Players appreciate the extensive soundtracks included with the games, which enhance the overall experience and provide a nostalgic connection to Edmund McMillen's work. While some users found the music to be hit or miss, the majority agree that it significantly adds to the charm and atmosphere of the games.
- “The minimalist art style, coupled with haunting music by collaborators like Danny Baranowsky, imbues the collection with a melancholy, introspective tone.”
- “The soundtrack that comes with the collection is amazingly generous, with audio from every game but one of them, and a selection of unofficial fan-made tracks as well.”
- “The music is amazing.”
- “For me, it helped to turn off the music or play in windowed mode.”
- “The music in this is pretty shit.”
- “Also, the music is really annoying.”
gameplay
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
53%
8%
The gameplay across the collection is a mix of innovative mechanics and frustrating design choices, with standout titles like "Time fcuk" praised for its deep puzzle-platforming and unique dimension-shifting mechanics. While some games, such as "Spewer" and "Triachnid," offer engaging experiences, they also suffer from clunky controls and steep difficulty spikes. Overall, the collection showcases a range of creative ideas, but many games feel rough around the edges, making it a mixed bag for players seeking polished gameplay.
- “Time fcuk stands out as a particularly sophisticated work, blending puzzle-platform mechanics with a disturbing narrative about mental collapse and time distortion.”
- “Time fcuk is a puzzle platformer with surprisingly deep mechanics; the game holds up the best out of the bunch.”
- “The basement collection is an excellent selection of games, showcasing Edmund McMillen's inventiveness with a variety of mechanics, aesthetics, gameplay, proposals, and styles.”
- “The collection as a whole unfortunately I cannot recommend because of its performance issues, gameplay mediocrity, and price tag.”
- “The basement collection is certainly a fascinating insight into the works that came before Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac, but from a gameplay perspective, it is completely primitive and tiresome.”
- “Gameplay wise, they are all rough prototypes, so each game in this collection is relatively short in content, but a few can really be a pleasant time suck.”
story
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The collection showcases a variety of games by Edmund McMillen, each with unique stories ranging from cryptic and open to interpretation, like "Coil," to more straightforward narratives in titles like "Triachnid" and "Time FCUK." While some games focus heavily on gameplay rather than story, others offer intriguing backstories and character development, reflecting McMillen's evolution as a designer and storyteller. Overall, the collection is praised for its engaging storytelling, quirky themes, and the emotional depth found within its narratives.
- “Each game has a story behind it, and each of them is special, regardless of difficulty or 'unfairness'.”
- “Time FCUK is truly an amazing game; the levels have you thinking the whole time about your next move, and even the story is interesting for a game like this.”
- “A beautiful story of a little boy who, with a monster, goes through planets, exploring space and helping each other out.”
- “Coil is a very weird game meant to be entirely based on intuition and tell a cryptic story, but it's not as bad as some people make it out to be.”
- “There is no real story to it besides the fact you can play a lot of games.”
- “Meat Boy and Spewer barely even have one for example, whereas Coil is really story-driven, even if its story is not really clear, and it requires your own interpretation of the game.”
graphics
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
62%
8%
The graphics in this collection of Edmund McMillen's games are characterized by a distinctive minimalist art style that resonates with fans of indie games, offering a blend of creativity and nostalgia. While some titles exhibit minor graphical glitches and varying visual quality, the overall aesthetic is praised for its charm and coherence, reflecting McMillen's unique artistic vision. The inclusion of unlockable artwork and behind-the-scenes content further enriches the visual experience, making it a worthwhile package for both newcomers and long-time fans.
- “The minimalist art style, coupled with haunting music by collaborators like Danny Baranowsky, imbues the collection with a melancholy, introspective tone.”
- “This collection stands as a reflection of this, with a collection of awesome artwork and unique indie games that are addictive as ever!”
- “The graphic design is simple, which works.”
- “All games of the collection require little graphical demand to run, and I have a top-of-the-line CPU and GPU, but still found games running at a frame rate as low as 10.”
- “The games are pretty bland and boring, not to say that the graphics are horrible.”
- “The problem is that it's hard to the point where it's discouraging and turns you off, and graphically and audio-wise it's bland as hell.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
91%
9%
The humor in the collection is characterized by a blend of dark, surreal, and often grotesque elements, reflecting creator Edmund McMillen's unique style that combines introspection with absurdity. Players appreciate the crude and bizarre comedic moments, such as playing as a sperm or encountering taunting NPCs, which contribute to the overall enjoyment and replayability of the games. While some find the humor hit-or-miss, the collection is generally praised for its ability to evoke laughter through its unconventional storytelling and quirky gameplay.
- “The collection includes nine playable games, ranging from surreal puzzles to grotesque platformers, all unified by McMillen’s signature mix of dark humor, introspection, and emotional honesty.”
- “Great levels, mechanics, music, and an NPC that constantly taunts you with annoying humorous remarks.”
- “Game made me laugh like crazy because you get to play as a sperm for that one level, and that was just literally the best thing ever.”
- “You're not funny!”
- “Too confusing or unfunny.”
optimization
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
47%
43%
The optimization of the game collection is widely criticized, with many users reporting significant performance issues, lag, and unresponsive controls, primarily due to the reliance on outdated Flash technology. While some games are playable, the overall experience is marred by glitches and a lack of polish, leading to a general recommendation against the collection unless specific criteria are met.
- “However, since these are essentially older projects made with Flash, there are performance issues and glitches with some of the games, namely the Meat Boy prototype.”
- “If not a huge fan of Edmund, maybe not, and there's some optimization issues, but overall it's a solid 7/10 experience.”
- “The collection as a whole unfortunately I cannot recommend because of its performance issues, gameplay mediocrity, and price tag.”
- “Some of the games work better, some of the games work worse, but unfortunately I cannot recommend this collection because it is not optimized enough.”
- “My only complaint is that since they are coded in Flash, there seems to be some optimization issues in some games.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the collection is highlighted by its blend of dark humor and introspection, showcasing McMillen's ability to convey deep emotional themes through imperfect yet charming gameplay. Each game offers a unique emotional journey, from touching narratives to raw experimentation, making it a significant contribution to the indie gaming landscape. Overall, the collection resonates with players, emphasizing the emotional connections that can be forged through gaming.
- “The collection includes nine playable games, ranging from surreal puzzles to grotesque platformers, all unified by McMillen’s signature mix of dark humor, introspection, and emotional honesty.”
- “Beyond its mechanical imperfections, the Basement Collection carries an emotional weight that most anthologies lack.”
- “This is how indie games are born... kudos to McMillen for his ability to imbue his titles with his emotional genius... a genius that society has kicked out of the majority of us.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game collection is notably poor, with frequent glitches, lag, and issues such as lost save files and unearned achievements. Users report that the games, originally designed in a pseudo Flash format, suffer from performance problems, making the experience frustrating despite some enjoyable content. Overall, the collection is deemed buggy and not recommended for those seeking a smooth gameplay experience.
- “I am not recommending this only because the games are in a weird pseudo flash format, which leads to lag, glitches, save files getting lost, and achievements not unlocking even after spending hours trying to get them.”
- “However, since these are essentially older projects made with flash, there are performance issues and glitches with some of the games, namely the meat boy prototype.”
- “I did enjoy some of the games in this collection, and the extra content that can be unlocked by finishing games/getting achievements, but I'm not recommending this collection because it's buggy and lags often/really badly.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
43%
Overall, the replayability of the Basement Collection is mixed; while many games offer solid replay value and unique challenges, some indie and experimental titles may lack depth and polish, resulting in limited replayability. However, the collection is praised for its artistic merit and the abundance of secrets and bonus content that enhance the replay experience.
- “Basement collection is an archive of exactly that, the ideas and projects that began a creative process, the classics which offer hours of replay value and solid, unique challenge.”
- “The games themselves are also very good, most of them have plenty of replay value as well.”
- “There are many fun little games wrapped up together, tons of secrets and bonus content, and high replay value.”
- “Being indie and/or experimental games, not all of the content has a high amount of replay value, and some of the content is understandably rough in feel.”
- “The game lacks the depth and variety needed to encourage multiple playthroughs, making it feel repetitive after the first run.”
- “Once you've experienced the main storyline, there isn't much incentive to return, as the side quests feel uninspired and lack meaningful rewards.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in both Triachnid and Aether is highly praised, with Triachnid noted for its moody ambiance and engaging physics, while Aether is celebrated for its chilling music and unique storytelling through exploration. Both games create immersive environments that enhance the overall experience.
- “Triachnid is my personal favorite, with a moody atmosphere and engaging physics.”
- “Personally, I liked playing Aether; its chilling music and atmosphere are delightful and can work as a good and cheap sedative.”
- “Aether – an atmospheric game where the player explores planets using the protagonist's long tongue for movement.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and detracting from the overall enjoyment, with many describing the experience as monotonous and lacking excitement.
- “It was just tedious and took the fun out of the game in the end.”
- “Well, that was tedious.”
- “It's tedious to say the least.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the monetization model of the Basement Collection, highlighting the absence of ads and intrusive trailers, which enhances the overall gaming experience compared to free alternatives on platforms like Newgrounds. This approach allows players to enjoy the games without interruptions or technical issues.
- “Don't let people say 'oh, you can go to Newgrounds and play them for free.' In the Basement Collection, there are no ads, annoying trailers, and sometimes broken gameplay.”

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

The Basement Collection Review
Eurogamer.net
80%

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15h Median play time

15h Average play time

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*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Basement Collection is a action adventure game with fantasy and comedy themes.

The Basement Collection is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 15 hours playing The Basement Collection.

The Basement Collection was released on August 31, 2012.

The Basement Collection was developed by Tyler Glaiel.

The Basement Collection has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its optimization.

The Basement Collection is a single player game.

Similar games include Rayman Legends, The Binding of Isaac, BEEP, Gish, Epic Battle Fantasy 4 and others.

The Basement Collection

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