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THOTH

THOTH is a blissfully difficult twin-stick shooter that challenges your reflexes and puzzle-solving skills on the fly. Never have 2D shapes been creepier.
79%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, replayability
86% User Score Based on 364 reviews
Critic Score 71%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPCSteam DeckSteam DeckWindowsWindows
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About

"THOTH is a challenging twin-stick shooter with vibrant visuals and a pulse-pounding soundtrack by electronic music pioneers. Its innovative levels demand both puzzle-solving and finesse, while its relentless gameplay induces a trance-like state. Play solo or with a friend in local multi-player, and experience a fresh take on the shoot-'em-up genre."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot
THOTH screenshot

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 372 reviews
gameplay49 positive mentions
optimization2 negative mentions
  • THOTH features a minimalist art style that is visually striking and complements its gameplay, creating an engaging atmosphere.
  • The game offers a unique challenge with its mechanics, where defeated enemies become faster and more aggressive, requiring strategic thinking.
  • The soundtrack enhances the experience, providing an unsettling yet immersive backdrop that keeps players on edge.
  • The difficulty can be frustrating, especially with the checkpoint system that forces players to replay multiple levels after dying.
  • Some players may find the lack of a tutorial or clear instructions on controls to be a barrier to entry.
  • The game can feel repetitive as players are required to replay levels frequently, which may lead to a sense of monotony.
  • gameplay
    185 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Thoth" is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, where each set of four levels introduces new challenges that keep the experience fresh and prevent monotony. Players appreciate the skill-based nature of the game, which combines elements of twin-stick shooting with puzzle-like strategies, although some find the level reset mechanic frustrating. Overall, the game is praised for its minimalist design, tight controls, and the rewarding challenge it offers, making it a standout example of effective gameplay in the genre.

    • “Keep playing and you will start to master the movement controls, learn the intricacies of the underlying mechanics, and develop strategies to keep progressing.”
    • “The gameplay in Thoth kind of iterates through each level by adding new ideas and changing previous ones, so the game doesn't get boring, and all the levels feel different in some way.”
    • “Every four stages, the game introduces a new design mechanic which affects your tactics in subtle and interesting ways.”
    • “Interesting concept but the level reset mechanics ruin the game for me.”
    • “Forced replay of levels you've beaten already is a bad game mechanic.”
    • “The gameplay in Thoth never changes; only the level consistency changes around.”
  • graphics
    101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Thoth are characterized by a minimalist art style that effectively communicates gameplay mechanics while creating an engaging atmosphere. Users appreciate the vibrant color palette and simple yet striking visuals, which complement the intense gameplay and haunting soundtrack. While some critiques mention technical limitations, the overall consensus is that the minimalist design enhances the game's addictive nature and immersive experience.

    • “Thoth is a beautifully brutal experience that somehow combines pure chaos with a minimalist art style and leaves you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.”
    • “The visuals are gorgeously minimalistic, the audio is spot on, reactive and dronely efficient, and most of all, the gameplay is swiss-clock-precise.”
    • “Minimalist graphics that work to perfection.”
    • “From a technical standpoint, the graphics are bad.”
    • “Apart from the incredibly lazy low effort minimal graphics (enough to disqualify the game), resolution is fixed as well.”
    • “It's the kind of reactive and brutal experience you'd expect from a dark souls or hotline miami but without the flare and gore, without the overemphatic bosses and over the top visuals.”
  • music
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is a polarizing aspect, with many praising its intense, unsettling, and atmospheric qualities that enhance the gameplay experience, creating a sense of urgency and immersion. However, some players find the soundtrack to be overly droning or distracting, leading them to mute it entirely. Overall, the minimalist and haunting sound design is integral to the game's aesthetic, though opinions on its effectiveness vary widely among players.

    • “The game’s soundtrack is a huge part of its appeal—intense, unnerving, and perfectly matched to the visuals, it pushes you to keep moving even when the odds feel impossible.”
    • “The ambient background sounds/music, abstract shapes, and pastel colors work well together.”
    • “The art style is minimalistic yet visually pleasing, and the haunting soundtrack keeps edging you to discover more.”
    • “The soundtrack mostly consists of droning noises that get pretty tiring on the ears, sometimes even to the point where I just mute the sound, because my head starts to hurt.”
    • “I honestly would rather just mute the game and listen to my own music while playing the game.”
    • “The music is so stifling and unsettling that it is difficult to hold on to your nerves as 6 or 7 boxes are chasing you.”
  • story
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight a stark contrast in storytelling across different games. While some emphasize a profound moral about perseverance and personal growth, others criticize the lack of narrative depth, describing certain titles as having no story at all, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics. Overall, the absence of a traditional story is noted in several games, with some players finding joy in the gameplay experience itself rather than a narrative.

    • “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
    • “Jeppe Carlsen's previous two titles by Playdead are some of the best and most important games to ever come out, and both Limbo and Inside have had an immense impact on both my life and the way I view storytelling through a narrative lens.”
    • “It doesn't need a story to leave you weeping when the credits roll... those tears are of joy, of course!”
    • “With the minimalistic design in mind, it's not surprising that it focuses solely on its gameplay, with no plot involved.”
    • “The credits screen was a little trippy, but I'd hesitate to call that sequence a story.”
    • “It has no story or even a single word is written or said, but does it need that?”
  • replayability
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability, particularly for players who enjoy challenging gameplay, with varied levels and mechanics that keep the experience fresh. However, its appeal may be limited for casual gamers, as the difficulty curve can be steep and the game is relatively short, lasting around three hours. Overall, while it excels in replay value for dedicated players, it may not attract those seeking a more accessible experience.

    • “I feel like Thoth is generally balanced and offers a lot of replay value if you like difficult challenges.”
    • “It's short (3 hours beating the whole game minus two sets on inverted levels) but at the same time it has almost endless replayability.”
    • “Other than that, the simplistic and beautiful graphics, along with its captivating soundtrack, makes for a memorable experience, and the challenges after defeating the main campaign make this game have a great replay value.”
    • “Several interesting ideas with disgusting replayability, and I have a feeling that it was made with the purpose of keeping the game from being refunded.”
    • “That's not something I'd want to put myself through, and isn't the kind of challenge most people would look for to get some replayability.”
    • “If I had to pick one notable flaw, it's that while the game is incredibly replayable, it doesn't hold much replay value for less dedicated players.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a heavy use of distortion effects and a dark ambient soundtrack, creating an unnerving and bizarre experience that enhances the visuals. Players appreciate the unsettling, almost horror-like ambiance, which complements the fun puzzles and minimalistic gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere effectively sets a tense and immersive tone throughout the game.

    • “The heavy use of distortion effects creates an unnerving, bizarre atmosphere that complements the visuals nicely.”
    • “The dark ambient styled soundtrack sets up a great running-the-gauntlet sort of atmosphere.”
    • “Highly minimalistic twin-stick shooter with an unsettling, almost horror-like atmosphere and soundtrack.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is described as fair yet demanding, particularly in the post-game content, which requires heightened performance from players. The unsettling soundtrack enhances focus and tension, contributing to the overall experience.

    • “It is definitely an aid to your performance, as the odd and disturbing soundtrack provides no comfort and keeps you on edge, closely observing your movements, all while the undulating noises add a strange augmentation of focus.”
    • “It's a fair but unforgiving game, as the post-game especially demands more and more of your performance.”
    • “It is definitely an aid to your performance, as the odd and disturbing soundtrack provides no comfort and keeps you on edge, closely observing your movements, all while the undulating noises add a strange augment of focus.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that while the grinding aspect of the game introduces new enemies and challenges every four levels, some players may still find it tedious or boring. Those who dislike twin-stick shooters or lack patience for grinding without clear progress may not enjoy this element.

    • “Some people may find it too boring or too tedious.”
    • “If you don’t like twin stick shooters, or you don’t have a tolerance for grinding without progress, then this is an easy pass.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game evokes strong emotions through its minimalist twin-stick gameplay, focusing on the core mechanics of shooting and avoiding enemies. Players find that this simplicity enhances the emotional experience, making each moment feel impactful.

    • “An emotional game.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a hilariously tense atmosphere that balances challenge and frustration with moments of genuine fun, making it both addictive and accessible. Players appreciate the blend of simplicity and depth, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.

    • “The ambience is hilariously tense.”
    • “Challenging, addictive, frustrating, funny, simple, easy to get, hard to master: wonderful!”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features appealing graphics, but users have reported occasional glitches that affect stability. Overall, while the experience is generally enjoyable, these issues may detract from the overall performance.

    • “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of graphic design is viewed as a commercial extension of art, heavily influenced by corporate practices and often focused on advertising. This approach can lead to a perception of art being overshadowed by commercial interests.

    • “The monetization strategies feel overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
    • “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, which really detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “The constant push for in-game purchases disrupts the flow of gameplay and feels more like a cash grab than a fair system.”

71%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews

Buy THOTH

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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