The Cursed Tower

About

The Cursed Tower is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by Mohsin Rizvi and was released on February 5, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Cursed Tower" is a story-driven platformer game where you are a dutiful postal worker. Armed with only a letter opener and graceful jumping skills, you must embark on a quest and fulfill your duty. Along the way, you will encounter many dangers and uncover a dark secret. Do you have what it takes?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews

gameplay3 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The Cursed Tower features a charming visual style reminiscent of classic fairy tales, enhancing the overall experience.
The game offers a satisfying progression system with increasing difficulty, encouraging players to experiment with strategies and abilities.
Despite being free, the game provides a decent amount of entertainment with creative level design and engaging puzzles.

The controls are awkward and lack customization options, making gameplay frustrating for some players, especially those with different keyboard layouts.
The game suffers from technical issues, including glitches and inconsistent hitboxes, which detract from the overall experience.
Some players found the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth towards the end, leading to a diminished sense of challenge.

story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's story is noted for its unique premise of a delivery boy navigating a cursed tower, with some players appreciating the effort put into its design compared to typical low-effort platformers. However, many found the narrative to be simplistic and lacking clarity, with insufficient explanations that left some players confused despite engaging elements like letters and hints. Overall, while the story has potential, it could benefit from deeper development and clearer communication.
- “Some effort went into level design and story design here, which is welcome and differentiates this from most platformers on Steam that are usually just low-effort GameMaker Studio cash grabs.”
- “The storyline is unique, being about a delivery boy whose quest is to deliver to the top of a cursed tower, and the 'letters' and little hints from people along the way are entertaining!”
- “Just so it's not all negative, the premise is okay and the music is suitably atmospheric, at least from what I've heard, and there is some intriguing story in there somewhere.”
- “The story of the game is not too bad but could use a little bit more explanation.”
- “Even when I read all the letters, I still didn't understand the story.”
- “To figure the puzzles out, you can't even use the letters they used in the game to explain the storyline because the letters don't tell you what to do.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its atmospheric quality and find it enjoyable, others criticize specific tracks for being overly high-pitched and headache-inducing, particularly on the first floor. Additionally, there are complaints about the lack of volume control options, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered decent but could benefit from more variety and length.
- “Just so it's not all negative, the premise is okay and the music is suitably atmospheric, at least what I've heard, and there is some intriguing story in there somewhere.”
- “The actual game's soundtrack is not annoying and something I won't mind listening to for hours.”
- “Either way, the music was nice, though it could be longer.”
- “However, there is a downside to this review for the first floor in particular. I found the music to be way too high-pitched and painful, to the point of getting a headache. I looked in the settings and didn't see anything for turning down the in-game volume, which is a shame since sometimes the music makes a game even better.”
- “For example, you don't have any kind of music in the tutorial level.”
- “I do not recommend playing this game; it is barely original, the fighting is bad, the platforming is cheap, there is no invisibility after taking a hit system, you can die in the air and the animation would play out as if you were on the ground. The only thing good about this game is that it is free and the music is okay.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
The gameplay is a unique blend of adventure and puzzle platforming, where players navigate a spooky castle as a postman using a letter opener to overcome traps. While the niche mechanics are praised, the platforming controls feel somewhat loose, and technical issues may affect the overall experience.
- “The niche mechanics prove it to be one of the best escape room/puzzle games I have ever played.”
- “Gameplay here is a blend of adventure game and puzzle platformer as you take on the role of a postman armed with a letter opener, and you must negotiate a spooky castle full of traps to deliver a letter.”
- “From a gameplay perspective, the game works; platforming is a little loose but reasonable, so it's down to the flawed technical implementation when considering a recommendation.”
- “Anyway, gameplay here is a blend of adventure game and puzzle platformer as you take on the role of a postman armed with a letter opener, and you must negotiate a spooky castle full of traps to deliver a letter or something.”
- “From a gameplay perspective, the game 'works'; platforming is a little loose but reasonable, so it's down to the flawed technical implementation when considering a recommendation.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the charming crisp pixel art style, others criticize the use of outdated retro graphics and the lack of options for resolution and customization, leaving no room for improvement in visual quality.
- “It looks delightful with its crisp pixel art style.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There are no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
- “There is no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is viewed positively, as it reflects a commitment to quality in level and story design, setting it apart from many low-effort platformers on Steam that prioritize profit over gameplay experience.
- “The monetization model feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The in-game purchases are not just cosmetic; they significantly impact gameplay, which feels unfair to players who don't want to spend more.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is generally viewed positively, with an engaging premise and suitably atmospheric music contributing to the overall experience, despite some criticisms. Additionally, there are hints of an intriguing story that adds depth to the atmosphere.
- “The music is suitably atmospheric, and there is some intriguing story in there somewhere.”
- “The game's atmosphere draws you in, creating an immersive experience that keeps you engaged.”
- “The visuals and sound design work together beautifully to create a hauntingly captivating atmosphere.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report occasional glitches and clunky movement, indicating that the game's stability could be improved.
- “There were a few glitches, and at times some platforms and movement felt a bit clunky.”
- “The game frequently crashes, making it frustrating to progress.”
- “I experienced several bugs that disrupted the gameplay experience.”