The Quarter Game

About

"The Quarter Game" is a fast-paced, speedrunnable action game where you play as Mashiro, a hopeful CEO contender. Armed with a sword, you'll face off against a variety of enemies, from gun-wielding dealers to crab-headed mutants, in top-down hack 'n' slash, beat 'em up, and bullet hell combat. With the ability to reflect enemy projectiles using shiny quarters and the promise of becoming a company CEO, this game offers a unique and action-packed experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 51 reviews

music10 positive mentions

monetization3 negative mentions

The game features a catchy soundtrack that many players found enjoyable and a highlight of the experience.
Despite its short length, the gameplay is fast-paced and addictive, making it suitable for speedrunning and replayability.
The art style, while minimalistic, is charming and adds to the overall retro feel of the game.

The game is extremely short, with many players finishing it in under 30 minutes, leading to concerns about value for money.
Technical issues such as unresponsive controls and lack of customization options detract from the overall experience.
The story and character development are underwhelming, with most plot elements introduced too late to create meaningful engagement.

music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
7%
21%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting the soundtrack as the standout feature that enhances the fast-paced gameplay. While some users noted the lack of audio controls as a drawback, the overall consensus is that the catchy and engaging music significantly contributes to the game's appeal and replay value.
- “The music was pretty awesome, the graphics were nicely detailed, and the gameplay was interesting.”
- “Each and every song is amazing and encourages the fast pacing even more.”
- “My favorite part of this game is the music, which is genuinely amazing, and the fast-paced gameplay.”
- “Bewilderingly, the game doesn't include proper audio controls, so you can't turn off the annoying sound/background music; you'll need to alt+tab out and stop it using the Windows sound mixer.”
- “The quarter game is a rather short hack and slash bullet-hell game with minimalistic art and catchy music.”
- “It's dirt cheap and well worth your dollar for the music alone!”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it humorous and engaging, while others criticize its lack of depth and poor pacing. Although it starts with a quirky tone, the narrative shifts to a more serious tone towards the end, leaving many feeling disconnected due to the abrupt plot development in the final cutscenes. Overall, while some appreciate the emotional weight and humor, others believe the story could have benefited from more thorough development and immersion.
- “The story is beyond anything I've ever seen; it's emotional, it's powerful, and it's so elaborate.”
- “A great little short, contained story that made me laugh quite a few times.”
- “The game starts off looking like it's going to build a quirky, surreal story but towards the end the story becomes relatively serious, and the game actually develops a plot even though there was barely any build-up or progression to it.”
- “The game starts off looking like it's going to build a quirky, surreal story but towards the end the story becomes relatively serious, and the game actually develops a plot even though there was barely any build up or progression to it.”
- “So most of the actual plot happens in the last two cutscenes, which generates no sense of immersion or comprehension for the story since it just all happens at once.”
- “However, the poor pacing and lack of genuine depth to the story is unfortunate.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics of the game feature a retro pixel art style that some players find charming and refreshing, though others criticize it for being outdated and lacking resolution options or customization. While the graphics are described as simple and nicely detailed, they may not appeal to those seeking modern visuals. Overall, the aesthetic has a nostalgic quality that can enhance the gameplay experience for some.
- “The music was pretty awesome, the graphics were nicely detailed, and the gameplay was interesting.”
- “It isn't very hard, but it's kind of fun, and the old-timey four-color graphics are refreshing every once in a while.”
- “The graphics are charming, in their own special way.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “The graphics are simple.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
Overall, the gameplay is described as interesting and addictive, with many players appreciating its fast pace and replay value. While some feel it could benefit from additional bosses, the gameplay is generally considered good, especially for its price. The combination of engaging mechanics and impressive music enhances the overall experience.
- “The gameplay is incredible though; it could easily be a great game with just more bosses.”
- “The game is very short but has great replay value because of its addictive gameplay and, in my opinion, its awesome music.”
- “My favorite part of this game is the music, which is genuinely amazing, and the fast-paced gameplay.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks depth.”
- “I found the controls to be unresponsive and frustrating.”
- “The mechanics are clunky, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, with players noting that the dialogue is consistently funny and contributes to an enjoyable experience. While some aspects of the story may not align with expectations, the comedic elements effectively elicit laughter throughout the gameplay.
- “Great game, controls are pretty easy to understand and the story is funny.”
- “A great little short, contained story that made me laugh quite a few times.”
- “The dialogue is still funny, at least.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game evokes strong emotions, with one describing the story as powerful and intricately crafted, while others highlight the exhilarating feeling of mastery during gameplay, such as successfully executing parries.
- “The story is beyond anything I've ever seen; it's emotional, it's powerful, and it's so elaborate.”
- “Every single parry made me feel like a god.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
The game offers significant replayability thanks to its engaging mechanics that enable players to execute fast-paced, damage-free techniques and powerful combos against bosses. Despite its short length, the addictive gameplay and impressive soundtrack contribute to a compelling reason to revisit the game.
- “Has a surprising amount of replayability due to various techniques that allow you to go fast while not taking damage and perform strong combos on bosses even in the middle of their attacks.”
- “The game is very short but has great replay value because of its addictive gameplay and, in my opinion, its awesome music.”
- “Has a surprising amount of replayability due to various techniques that allow you to go fast while not taking damage and do strong combos on bosses even in the middle of their attacks.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that Gamemaker Studio is often associated with the creation of low-effort, retro-style games that are perceived as cash grabs, suggesting a negative view of its monetization practices.
- “The monetization strategy feels like a blatant cash grab, prioritizing profits over player experience.”
- “In-game purchases are so aggressive that it ruins the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The reliance on microtransactions makes it feel like the game is designed to extract money rather than provide fun.”