The Deadly Tower of Monsters

The Deadly Tower of Monsters is one of the strangest games I've played in some time. It goes for a 1950's B-movie scifi aesthetic and completely nails it, it's just a shame that the gameplay is so simple making the overall package underwhelming.

Starting at $3.70Buy now

Get on Steam

"The Deadly Tower of Monsters" is a humorous action-packed game that pays homage to classic sci-fi B-movies. Players climb a procedurally generated tower while battling an array of absurd enemies, from dinosaurs with laser guns to giant robots. The game features witty commentary from a director and crew, adding to its campy charm.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 580 reviews

humor226 positive mentions

replayability6 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and humorous take on classic B-movie sci-fi, complete with a hilarious director's commentary.
Beautiful graphics and a charming retro aesthetic that captures the essence of 50s and 60s sci-fi films.
Engaging gameplay with a variety of weapons and character abilities, allowing for exploration and fun combat mechanics.

The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 4-6 hours, which may leave some players wanting more.
Some players found the controls and camera angles to be clunky and frustrating, particularly during platforming sections.
The humor and commentary can become repetitive and may not appeal to everyone, potentially detracting from the overall experience.

humor
230 mentions
98 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The humor in "The Deadly Tower of Monsters" is widely praised for its clever satire of classic B-movie sci-fi films, featuring a continuous and entertaining director's commentary that adds a unique layer of comedy throughout the gameplay. While some players found the humor to be hit-or-miss, many appreciated the witty dialogue, quirky character designs, and nostalgic references that evoke a sense of campy charm. Overall, the game is considered a delightful experience for fans of retro cinema and those who enjoy lighthearted, self-referential humor.
- “The deadly tower of monsters is a hilarious send-up to the sci-fi B-movies of classic Hollywood, with an appropriately all-encompassing retro vibe.”
- “The whole thing plays like you're in a DVD remaster of an old sci-fi classic complete with funny 'DVD commentary' by the director and producer that lasts through the entire game, while you're playing.”
- “The humor is great and details/references are so much fun to behold.”
- “The permanent narration of the 'director' is as forced and unfunny as can be.”
- “But as for the game itself, it was cheesy, not funny, not bad, just cheesy.”
- “He's just not funny.”
gameplay
198 mentions
31 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Deadly Tower of Monsters" is characterized by its blend of simple mechanics and humorous narrative, offering a mix of action-platforming and twin-stick shooter elements. While some players find the controls clunky and the combat repetitive, many appreciate the unique verticality of the tower-climbing experience and the engaging art style that pays homage to classic sci-fi films. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable and entertaining, though it may not offer groundbreaking innovations or high difficulty.
- “Gameplay-wise, the idea of climbing up a tower and defeating monsters, bosses, and progressing through the story is just amazing. It feels like a breath of fresh air playing something like this; it shows us the beauty of what video games always have been: a simple idea but very well elaborated.”
- “The gameplay is simple, enjoyable, and the controls are tight.”
- “The gameplay is very well executed and fresh.”
- “The gameplay is nothing special; a shame the controller configuration can't be remapped because it sucks for a twin-stick shooter!”
- “A great idea for a game, but largely undermined by clunky controls, poor camera angles, and sketchy combat mechanics.”
- “The gameplay gets stale pretty quickly, but thankfully the game doesn't overstay its welcome, lasting only about 4 hours.”
graphics
128 mentions
49 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant, retro sci-fi aesthetic, effectively emulating the charm of 1950s and 60s B-movies with stylized animations and clever visual effects like stop-motion and visible strings. While some reviewers noted that the graphics may appear dated, the overall artistic direction and attention to detail create a nostalgic and enjoyable experience that complements the game's humor and gameplay. The visuals are described as beautiful and quirky, enhancing the game's unique atmosphere and making it a standout title for fans of the genre.
- “The graphics are top notch, but more subtly, the colors, especially in the ape village, remind me of the b-movies, afternoon movies, and toys I watched and played with as a youngin' back in the halcyon days of the 70's.”
- “The visuals are stunning.”
- “The art style is wonderful (along with all the little touches like visible strings and rigs to make it look like a badly done movie), the characters are wonderfully cliched and cheesy and the writing is genuinely funny.”
- “I understand the b-movie aesthetic, but the models, textures, and animations that are meant to be genuine are awful.”
- “The game is good, very fun actually; but even though my computer has a little better specs than recommended, I cannot play the game smoothly even on the lowest graphics.”
- “Graphics and performance or graphics vs performance is not great.”
story
96 mentions
41 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a comedic homage to classic sci-fi films, featuring engaging narration and a unique premise that blends humor with action. While some players found the plot to be simplistic or poorly written, many appreciated its entertaining twists and the clever commentary that enhances the experience. Overall, the narrative is described as fun and innovative, making it a highlight of the gameplay despite its linearity and brevity.
- “It's a comedic love letter to the genre and well worth the play-through for the story.”
- “The story is great and engaging.”
- “The director commentary was honestly fun; I thought it was just something they did for the trailer, and didn't realize it was like the premise of the entire game: the way it tells both the game's story, and the story of the movie's production is really neat and creative.”
- “I'm still not sure what to think of this, but I did have a lot of fun while playing it, so I can recommend it, even though it was one of the worst written storylines I have ever seen.”
- “The story itself is a linear one as to be expected; three heroes climb a tower to take down the villain to save the innocent populace below.”
- “Unfortunately, once you finish the story, there really isn't anything else to do unless you want to go chase achievements.”
music
77 mentions
48 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its nostalgic and campy quality, effectively capturing the essence of classic sci-fi films with a mix of orchestral and retro sounds. While many players found the soundtrack to be enjoyable and fitting, some noted that it can become repetitive over time, with a limited number of tracks. Overall, the music enhances the game's atmosphere and complements its humorous and lighthearted tone.
- “The music is surprisingly good, using bombastic retro space music cues from movies back in the day.”
- “The OST is easily another one of this game's very strong points; the tracks are very 'spooky, space' themed but have a hint of heroism that lends itself well to the overall feel.”
- “The music is fantastic, nailing the old sci-fi sound.”
- “Within the first 30 minutes of starting the game, I found the background music to be annoying and shut that off.”
- “My biggest complaint is that it could've used more music on the soundtrack as you tend to hear the same themes a lot after playing for a while.”
- “And you will hear those songs for the entirety of this short game, except when the music seemingly breaks or perhaps just randomly stops playing for whatever reason, which makes the game really uncomfortably silent.”
replayability
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the unique experiences and character variations that enhance enjoyment, many express disappointment in the lack of significant replay value after completing the main campaign. Some features, like survival mode and co-op options, do offer additional playability, but several reviewers note that the absence of new game plus or expansions limits long-term engagement.
- “9/10 I really like this game; it's semi-short but replayable and offers a unique experience.”
- “Character and weapon variation increase enjoyment and replayability.”
- “Despite being a more story-driven game, it still boasts some replayability with all of its little secrets.”
- “I wish it had more replayability, but it doesn't.”
- “So there is no replay value once you have completed the main game.”
- “If I have any regret about it, it's that there's basically no replay value (the game doesn't change at all, and there's no new game plus), and it doesn't appear there will ever be expansions.”
atmosphere
11 mentions
55 % positive mentions
18 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by the nostalgic charm of 80s and 90s sci-fi films, effectively immersing players in a unique world that combines humor, a fitting soundtrack, and engaging visuals. The design captures the essence of old CRT monitors and B-movie aesthetics, enhancing the overall experience without sacrificing quality. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke nostalgia while providing a fun and immersive environment.
- “A unique game with good humor, good soundtrack, and great atmosphere.”
- “In 'VHS', it coats the experience in a veneer of nostalgia, conjuring the atmosphere of an old CRT monitor.”
- “The 80s/90s movie atmosphere is simply neat.”
- “+ atmosphere and style of old sci-fi movies.”
grinding
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some appreciate the lack of tedious repetition in gameplay and the engaging challenges, others note that grinding for resources can become monotonous, especially towards the end. The game balances fun mechanics and humor with occasional tedium, but its relatively short length helps mitigate the grind.
- “Gameplay was plenty of fun, and the progression wasn't tedious.”
- “The grinding aspect felt rewarding and kept me engaged throughout.”
- “I enjoyed the grind because it allowed me to develop my character and explore new strategies.”
- “The game is fun from a writing and gameplay perspective, but it does get a little tedious by the end, so I am glad it's not longer than 3-4 hours to complete it.”
- “Some of the level design can be tedious and there is not much for the game outside of combat and the story.”
- “Extremely dry humor and tedious gameplay.”
optimization
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with users noting significant performance issues even on high-end hardware, leading to a subpar visual experience. While it remains playable on lower-end systems, many players feel that the graphics do not meet expectations, often resembling poorly optimized visuals rather than a realistic portrayal.
- “The game has some optimization issues, but it's still entirely playable even on lower-end hardware. However, high-end systems like mine shouldn't be suffering as much as they do in certain areas.”
- “Graphics and performance, or graphics vs performance, is not great.”
- “Despite the NVIDIA logo on loading, and me turning all performance sliders down, this runs like a bad claymation video.”
- “It should feel 'real world', not... 'modern poorly optimized'.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is described as enjoyable yet plagued by bugs, particularly in its skydiving mechanics, which can lead to a frustrating lack of control and inconsistent gameplay experiences.
- “The skydiving, which seemed to be this game's draw that made it different, is buggy. Diving for hoops, I know I went through them, but nothing happened, not even close. It felt like I had no control at all.”
- “Buggy but fun mindless button smasher.”
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Character development is noted for its effective design that captures the essence of a low-budget sci-fi film, combining charm with a stereotypical aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
- “The character design and enemy design nails a stereotypical low-budget sci-fi film perfectly while being aesthetically charming.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with any of the protagonists.”
- “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they followed every cliché in the book.”
- “The dialogue is often cringeworthy, which detracts from the overall character development and immersion.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its clever and witty writing, which combines heartfelt moments with a sense of fun, creating a rich and engaging experience for players.
- “It's clever, witty, heartfelt, and fun.”