The Madness of Little Emma

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The Madness of Little Emma is a difficult action platformer with roguelike elements. Featuring over 250 items with insane synergies, varied enemies, and numerous secrets and mysteries to discover.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 102 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and engaging sound effects that enhance the overall experience.
It offers a variety of items and character abilities, allowing for unique playstyles and strategies in each run.
The procedural generation of levels keeps gameplay fresh and encourages replayability, with many secrets and endings to discover.

The controls can feel unresponsive and imprecise, making it difficult to navigate through challenging rooms and avoid enemy attacks.
Many items are underwhelming or detrimental, leading to frustrating runs where players feel underpowered and unable to progress.
The game suffers from a lack of polish, with technical issues and design choices that can lead to unfair deaths and a steep difficulty curve.

gameplay
32 mentions
16 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this title is heavily influenced by "The Binding of Isaac," featuring solid platforming and shooter mechanics, but suffers from repetitiveness and some frustrating mechanics, such as the ladder scoring system and the potential negative effects of certain items. While the game offers a good learning curve and an engaging atmosphere, players may find the gameplay experience marred by a lack of variety in boss encounters and the challenge of navigating its mechanics. Overall, it presents a fresh take on the roguelite genre, though it may not appeal to those sensitive to its more punishing elements.
- “The gameplay is really engaging; it's a fresh experience.”
- “I recommend it 100%, without giving too much away; the gameplay is exciting and challenging, the art and music are fantastic, there's a wonderfully done eerie atmosphere, the controls are spot-on, and overall this is a really nice hidden gem on the Steam store.”
- “Despite the striking resemblance to Isaac, the platformer aspect helps to keep the gameplay fresh.”
- “Cool concepts, but gameplay is slippery and too repetitive.”
- “I'm not sure how exactly the difficulty increase works; I'm not sure if it scales with your madness level or just increases the difficulty once you hit a certain threshold, but this mechanic encourages the player to pass up on most items due not only to their unhelpful effects, but due to the negative consequences of picking up a large number of items over time.”
- “What's particularly cruel to me is the ladder mechanic; dying early in the game can make my ladder score go down by thousands of points, which is a serious rage quitter. It discourages experimentation and induces rage.”
music
19 mentions
63 % positive mentions
21 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to complement the mood and atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its quality and fitting nature. While some note that it may not be groundbreaking, it effectively enhances the game's dark and eerie aesthetic. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing to its immersive experience.
- “The art style is fitting, and the music fits the mood of the game really well.”
- “The music is good, and the pixel graphics work pretty well.”
- “I recommend it 100%, without giving too much away; the gameplay is exciting and challenging, the art and music are fantastic, there's a wonderfully done eerie atmosphere, the controls are spot-on, and overall this is a really nice hidden gem on the Steam store.”
- “First of all, yes, this game is a shameless rip-off of Binding of Isaac, even down to things such as music style, boss names, and shooting 'spit' instead of tears.”
- “Though there is some humor in the game, most of it seems pretty straight-faced and grim, and the music, which is mostly subdued and atmospheric, adds to that aesthetic.”
- “The visuals are a touch drab and the soundtrack recycles itself like it's trying to distill compost, but the game itself has a curiously addictive gimmick to be found in the mystery of which Frankenstein's monster of a character build it'll cobble together for you next.”
graphics
13 mentions
23 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique and consistent art style, which effectively complements the dark and atmospheric tone. While the pixel art is generally well-received, some users note that it can appear drab at times, and the soundtrack may feel repetitive. Overall, the visuals contribute to an engaging experience, with a mix of charm and challenge in the character designs and level aesthetics.
- “The art style is fitting, and the music fits the mood of the game really well.”
- “Unique and consistent, distinct art style.”
- “The pixel art style is excellent, and there's a ton of collectibles and secrets.”
- “If you're rocking older graphics cards, avoid running the game in fullscreen, it'll crash like no tomorrow.”
- “The visuals are a touch drab and the soundtrack recycles itself like it's trying to distill compost, but the game itself has a curiously addictive gimmick to be found in the mystery of which Frankenstein's monster of a character build it'll cobble together for you next.”
- “The art style is quite dark and lacks the silly gross-out humor found in The Binding of Isaac.”
story
13 mentions
23 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The game's story features a mix of original and familiar elements, drawing comparisons to "The Binding of Isaac" with its tragic backstories and character-driven narrative. While some players appreciate the unique plot and atmospheric details, others find it lacking in coherence and originality, particularly criticizing the overall strength of the story and its execution. The narrative revolves around two siblings, Emma and Timmy, navigating a dark world, but opinions vary on its depth and engagement.
- “There are a lot of brilliant and original ideas that made me like this game even more than The Binding of Isaac, like secret stages, a lot of details and fluff, and obviously the plot itself.”
- “The way the story unfolds is amazing and for those who say it's a knockoff of The Binding of Isaac, I think it's much better; however, it needs more work done, as a lot of things don't make any sense.”
- “The story involves two children, Emma (the oldest) and her little brother Timmy, who survive pretty much on their own.”
- “The bosses seem to be well designed but the rooms themselves hardly and the story from what I've seen--hardly original or curious.”
- “As far as story, it's not strong.”
- “I mean it holds a very similar take of the Isaac story that people have accustomed themselves to, but instead of a hateful mother, you're the loving big sister.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
83 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a seedy, cartoonish aesthetic that blends humor with a grim undertone, enhanced by subdued and atmospheric music. Players appreciate the fast-paced gameplay and the eerie environment, which contribute to a compelling and immersive experience, making it a standout title with high replayability. Overall, the atmosphere is well-crafted, adding depth to the game's engaging mechanics and unlockable content.
- “Though there is some humor in the game, most of it seems pretty straight-faced and grim, and the music, which is mostly subdued and atmospheric, adds to that aesthetic.”
- “I recommend it 100%. The gameplay is exciting and challenging, the art and music are fantastic, there's a wonderfully done eerie atmosphere, the controls are spot-on, and overall this is a really nice hidden gem on the Steam store.”
- “I'm still gonna give it a thumbs up because the game's setting is very atmospheric and it definitely is replayable.”
- “The game has a seedy cartoon atmosphere that feels more distracting than immersive.”
- “While the unlockables are plentiful, the overall atmosphere lacks depth and cohesion.”
- “The roguelite elements are overshadowed by an inconsistent and jarring atmosphere.”
replayability
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
Overall, players find "Madness of Little Emma" to have significant replayability, with a wealth of content and unlockables that encourage multiple playthroughs. While some compare it unfavorably to other highly replayable games like "Binding of Isaac," many still appreciate its challenging gameplay and atmospheric setting, suggesting it remains engaging for repeated sessions.
- “I greatly recommend the Madness of Little Emma for anyone who likes rogue-lites and challenging games with tons of replayability.”
- “There is a surprising amount of content and a great deal of replay value.”
- “I enjoy it immensely, the game having huge replayability, and a ton of unlockables (with more to come, hopefully).”
- “That being said, I don't feel like the replay value is anywhere near that of Binding of Isaac - but maybe that doesn't really say much, since I have about a thousand hours in that game across the original, Rebirth, and Afterbirth.”
- “I'm still gonna give it a thumbs up because the game's setting is very atmospheric and it definitely is replayable... maybe I should give it another shot soon.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report experiencing a range of emotions while playing Tmole, including moments of joy and frustration, ultimately leading to a sense of satisfaction. The inclusion of a "casual mode" allows for a more relaxed experience, but some feel it detracts from the excitement of striving for high scores and experimenting with gameplay.
- “Tmole made me feel three separate emotions during different periods of my playing it: good, bad, and good about feeling good.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is described as subdued and grim, lacking the silly gross-out elements found in similar titles like The Binding of Isaac. While there are moments of humor, they are overshadowed by the dark art style and atmospheric music, contributing to an overall serious tone.
- “The art style is quite dark, and lacks the silly gross-out humor found in The Binding of Isaac.”
- “Though there is some humor in the game, most of it seems pretty straight-faced and grim, and the music, which is mostly subdued and atmospheric, adds to that aesthetic.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is well-received, particularly in how leaderboards effectively and intelligently track and measure player performance.
- “The optimization features in the game really enhance the overall experience, allowing for smoother gameplay and better performance.”
- “I appreciate how the game allows for customization and optimization of settings to suit my playstyle.”
- “The leaderboard system is well-designed and effectively measures player performance, adding a competitive edge to the game.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively slow and tedious, drawing unfavorable comparisons to "The Binding of Isaac."
- “Like Binding of Isaac, but extremely slow and tedious.”
- “The grinding feels endless and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
- “Progression is painfully slow, making it hard to stay engaged.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability aspect is designed to ensure that no single item becomes overly powerful, preventing gameplay imbalances such as freezing all enemies or reversing time significantly. This balance contributes to a fair and engaging gaming experience.