The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest

About

The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest is a single player platformer game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Elden Pixels and was released on February 10, 2026. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Created by the team behind Alwa’s Legacy and A Void Hope, The Prisoning invites players to step into the fractured mind of Fletcher Howie Jr., a developer on the brink of a mental breakdown at the final stages of a massive project. During a post-crunch therapy session, Fletcher becomes trapped in his subconscious and is forced to confront his fears and anxieties in a comedic Metroidvania adventure…

The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest screenshot

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 49 reviews

humor13 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Challenging and fun gameplay that tests platforming skills and patience, providing a satisfying experience.
Well-crafted pixel art, fluid animations, and catchy chiptune soundtrack that evoke nostalgic 16-bit and retro vibes.
Creative and humorous writing with quirky characters and meta/self-aware humor that adds unique personality to the game.

The game is short with limited content, lacking depth in exploration, metroidvania elements, and enemy variety, which may reduce replayability.
Some design and gameplay issues including repetitive room layouts, unclear hitboxes, damage sponge bosses, and occasional frustrating difficulty spikes.
Narrative and character development are uneven; humor can be crude or off-putting for some, and the story or progression can feel thin or disconnected.

humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by clever, self-aware, and often cheeky writing that enhances the storytelling and gameplay, with a mix of meta jokes and occasional crude or potty humor that may not appeal to everyone. Many players appreciate its infectious wit and laugh-out-loud moments, contributing to an engaging and relatable narrative within a well-designed metroidvania framework.
- “As a Metroidvania fan, I love that the humor plays a huge part in the storytelling.”
- “It is a standard platforming Metroidvania with meta humor and often self-deprecating jokes.”
- “A smart, self-aware Metroidvania with tight platforming, creative boss fights, and genuinely funny writing.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The music features a distinct and engaging 16-bit chiptune soundtrack that appeals to retro game enthusiasts, with high production value and catchy tunes, including some vocal tracks. While most find the soundtrack immersive and enjoyable, a few noted that the main theme can become repetitive. Overall, the music significantly enhances the game's atmosphere and player experience.
- “The music has that distinct 16-bit tone that old players can definitely enjoy.”
- “The soundtracks were spot-on too, headphones is a must while playing.”
- “I love the infectious chiptune soundtrack, laugh-out-loud hilarious writing, and demanding precision platforming.”
- “Meh: cosmos: stella returns | prehistoric gal | vongarland castle | quarion | escape zolstar | dispersio 2 | hollow floor | aldoria | you have to win the game | psycron | aqua boy* | absence of light | grizzland | a song in elyel nalore | awita | an untitled story”
- “Along with the depression song platforming.”
- “Also, a couple musical numbers (although not my genre of choice) have some considerable production values behind them.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay offers a retro 2D platforming experience that is challenging and engaging once players grasp the mechanics, though early sections can feel repetitive and rooms somewhat indistinct due to randomized layouts. While some find it fun and humorous with occasional gameplay twists, others note it can be tedious and frustrating because of limited character durability. Overall, it delivers a classic, serviceable gameplay loop that appeals to fans of the genre.
- “The game is quite challenging in the beginning, but you'll get to understand the pattern and mechanics of the game along the way.”
- “The first main section can feel repetitive, but once you unlock your first ability, everything clicks into place and the gameplay opens up.”
- “A fresh 2D retro pixel game that gives challenging gameplay on each map.”
- “The gameplay is serviceable but never feels like it evolves, and the art is clean but rooms feel so samey that everything blends together. The randomized rooms contribute greatly to this issue.”
- “The gameplay is rather tedious and frustrating, given that your character can only be hit twice.”
- “Gameplay consists of moving down a corridor through 7 rooms to reach a save and warp point.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The story is often humorous and engaging, with a strong emphasis on quirky or crude humor that appeals to fans of the genre, though it can feel confusing or overly self-parodic at times. While some find the narrative weird and intriguing enough to keep them curious, others feel it lacks clear connection or context. Overall, the story's charm and humor are key highlights, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “As a Metroidvania fan, I love that the humor plays a huge part in the storytelling.”
- “The story is humorous, though the humor may border on crude a few times (nothing beyond South Park levels, though).”
- “The story overindulged in self-parody and didn't really connect.”
- “The story is rather confusing without more context, but you can learn about your character as you reach certain points.”
- “Story is weird but keeps me curious as to what's next.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
The game features polished, fluid, and colorful pixel graphics with a well-executed art style that enhances the overall experience. Boss designs stand out, and the visuals complement the puzzle-solving and gameplay elements effectively. Overall, the graphics are well-received and contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The graphics are very polished; the bosses in particular are well done.”
- “Fluid and colorful pixel graphics.”
- “A nice, quick game with great graphics and soundtrack.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect tedious and frustrating, largely due to the game's punishing mechanics that limit the character to only two hits, making progression slow and challenging.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers limited replayability, lacking the fresh and varied experiences each playthrough provides in titles like "A Robot Named Fight" or "Weapon Hacker."
- “The replayability is certainly very limited and can't lead to a real new adventure each time like games such as 'A Robot Named Fight' or 'Weapon Hacker' do.”

Skip Critic Reviews

70%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

Skip Game Offers

Buy The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest

The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest
€11.09
See offer on Steam

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest

90%8.1kreviews

The Messenger

2018

Arcade Platformer

95%398reviews

Turbo Kid

2024

Platformer

92%1.3kreviews

Lakeview Cabin Collection

2015

Survival Role Playing

88%3kreviews

30XX

2021

Arcade Platformer

88%816reviews

La-Mulana 2

2018

Open World Role Playing

More games like The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest

Skip Game News