Toby: The Secret Mine

There is no denying that Toby: The Secret Mine from Lukas Navratil owes a lot to the success of Limbo.

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"Toby: The Secret Mine" is a puzzle platformer reminiscent of Limbo, set in a dark and creepy world. Join Toby on his journey to rescue his friends, navigating through dangerous traps, enemies, and challenging puzzles. The game boasts handcrafted environments, controller support, and received positive reviews for its immersive atmosphere and gameplay. | 283 characters.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 187 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

story8 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a charming art style, reminiscent of Limbo.
The puzzles are reasonably challenging and provide a decent level of engagement.
The game has a nice atmosphere and a lovely soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.

Gameplay is often frustrating due to trial-and-error mechanics and poorly designed puzzles that rely on hidden elements.
The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, leading to many cheap deaths.
The game is short and lacks depth, making it feel less rewarding compared to its inspirations.

gameplay
45 mentions
27 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its clunky mechanics, trial-and-error design, and frustrating elements such as obscure puzzles and collision bugs. While some appreciate the atmospheric graphics and variety in levels, others find the gameplay lacking compared to similar titles like Limbo, describing it as a "sloppier clone" with limited engagement. Overall, the game offers a simple and relaxing experience but is marred by significant gameplay issues that detract from its potential.
- “Fun little game, real nice atmospheric graphics like Limbo, and the levels and gameplay have a lot of variety.”
- “The install size is tiny by modern standards yet the amount of artistic vision and mechanics it manages to cram into the game is fantastic.”
- “Beautiful art together with the music makes an amazing gameplay experience against logic puzzles.”
- “There is some variety in game mechanics but they often make a short appearance and aren't really communicated well, leading to a lot of unforeseeable deaths which gets quite old.”
- “Gameplay is mostly trial and error; you constantly die from things you can only avoid if you already know they're there.”
- “It's just a sloppier clone with some frustrating gameplay mechanics.”
graphics
41 mentions
44 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their simplistic yet beautiful aesthetic, featuring striking silhouettes and a thoughtful use of color reminiscent of titles like Limbo. While many players appreciate the atmospheric visuals and art style, some criticize the lack of polish and depth compared to its inspirations, noting that the graphics alone do not compensate for shortcomings in gameplay and design. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, though opinions vary on their effectiveness in enhancing the overall experience.
- “The art style is simplistic but beautiful, with striking silhouettes and thoughtful use of color.”
- “Fun little game, real nice atmospheric graphics like Limbo, and the levels and gameplay have a lot of variety.”
- “The graphics are enjoyable (colors), no lag whatsoever, and I don't have a gaming PC, very basic.”
- “The visuals do a terrible job showing what is and is not physical.”
- “The addition of color is nice, but it doesn't save the visuals from lacking the polish, weight, depth, and subtleties that 'Limbo' has.”
- “I really wanted to like this game, a spiritual successor to 'Limbo' seemed like exactly my cup of tea, but it's just too awkward to play and lacks enough story to be any more than a standard platformer puzzler with the same art style and a few more colors added in.”
story
33 mentions
21 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as weak and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its minimalistic approach and lack of engaging narrative elements. While some appreciate the atmospheric design and non-verbal storytelling, the overall consensus is that the plot is simplistic and fails to enhance the gameplay experience, often feeling like an afterthought. Players seeking a compelling story may find this aspect disappointing compared to other titles in the genre.
- “The plot is a simple one; Toby must rescue the kidnapped residents of his village. However, there are 21 short levels in which to do so, spread across a number of different environments, adding variety and color.”
- “A beautiful design, great soundtrack, and silent story make this game very immersive and really enjoyable.”
- “The non-verbal story is also attractive as you can decide on your own what really happens in Toby's world.”
- “The story is pretty weak and adds nothing to the game.”
- “The story is boring and shows a lack of inspiration.”
- “One thing that confused me when starting off is that there is no story... you jump right into the game, without any guidance, you just play.”
music
20 mentions
50 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and atmospheric, with some comparisons to iconic soundtracks like that of Final Fantasy VII. However, many reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive and lacks depth, with some feeling it doesn't stand out in comparison to other games in the genre. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, it may not be memorable or innovative enough to leave a lasting impression.
- “The soundtrack is lovely.”
- “Very good game with beautiful peaceful music and nicely colored background!”
- “A beautiful design, great soundtrack and silent story make this game very immersive and really enjoyable.”
- “The music is always the same and noisy.”
- “No good depth nor soundtrack...”
- “A decent soundtrack enhances the mood, but gets interrupted here and there when going through certain zones within the level.”
atmosphere
13 mentions
77 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally appreciated for its cute graphics and enjoyable soundtrack, drawing comparisons to titles like Limbo. However, some reviewers note a lack of depth and consistency in the atmosphere, suggesting it doesn't reach the memorable heights of its inspirations. Overall, while the atmosphere is considered good and friendly, it varies in impact among players, with some finding it lacking compared to more atmospheric indie games.
- “Fun little game, real nice atmospheric graphics like Limbo, and the levels and gameplay have a lot of variety.”
- “I did however really like the atmosphere, and the soundtrack was pretty cool... some of it reminded me of Final Fantasy VII for some reason :)”
- “This game is very cool, friendly atmosphere and gameplay.”
- “But unlike Limbo, there's no atmosphere or consistent theme.”
- “As you can probably tell from other reviewers, it is a blatant Limbo rip-off, without any of the ambience, mystery, or atmosphere of Limbo.”
- “They are somewhere between easy and tedious, with none of the atmosphere but an extra helping of 'do it again, stupid!'.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
83 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game features enjoyable pacing and convenient checkpoints, the grinding aspect can become tedious due to the need for repeated attempts to overcome traps and puzzles that lack challenge. Some players appreciate the shorter playtime, preferring it over unnecessarily prolonged gameplay, but the trial-and-error nature of certain elements can detract from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “They are somewhere between easy and tedious, with none of the atmosphere but an extra helping of 'do it again, stupid!'.”
- “Most of the 'puzzles' aren't challenging or interesting, but require a lot of tedious trial and error.”
replayability
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers solid replayability due to its engaging level design and enjoyable jump-and-run mechanics, making it a fun casual experience. While some players note that the replay value may not be exceptional, the presence of collectibles adds to the incentive for multiple playthroughs.
- “The collectibles make it replayable.”
- “It's definitely worth a playthrough; although it may not have amazing replay value.”
- “The level design and nice jump & run action contribute to the replay value, ensuring the fun factor remains.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its lighthearted and whimsical elements, such as the cute and funny-looking main character, cartoonish enemies reminiscent of Looney Tunes, and amusing sound effects that evoke nostalgia. Additionally, the death counters add a comedic touch by humorously tracking player failures and successes throughout the game.
- “What's kind of funny to me are the noises you sometimes make when using the action button; they sound like the character from the Neighbors from Hell game series.”
- “However, Toby uses lots of happy, shiny colors in the background. The main character, Toby, is actually quite cute and funny-looking, and the enemies are not scary (they're more like Looney Tunes).”
- “Death counters also provide the player with a hilarious reminder of all your endeavors throughout the game, along with a counter that lets you know how many characters you have saved as well!”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback; while some players report experiencing numerous bugs and glitches that can be frustrating, others have had a smooth experience without any issues, suggesting that stability may vary depending on individual circumstances or play styles.
- “Very buggy game!”
- “Too many bugs and glitches, some substantially frustrating moments.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Users have noted that the game's optimization allows for adjustments in graphical settings to enhance performance, but some have experienced issues with accidental menu navigation, which can disrupt gameplay.
- “I usually adjust graphical settings to favor performance over graphical fidelity to increase framerate when I first start a game.”
- “The optimization options are extensive, allowing players to fine-tune their experience for the best performance.”
- “I appreciate how the game provides various settings to optimize performance without sacrificing too much visual quality.”
- “I usually adjust graphical settings to favor performance over graphical fidelity to increase framerate, but I ended up quitting the game by mistake by pressing the menu button on my controller.”
- “The optimization is so poor that even on low settings, the game struggles to maintain a stable framerate.”
- “I was really disappointed with the optimization; it feels like the game was rushed and not properly tested for performance.”