Tower of Mask

About

Tower of Mask is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Papertip Studio and was released on December 7, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

An innovative survival horror imbued with the eternal brilliance of dungeon crawling In a confined space with no escape, face relentless attacks from masked humans. Use your limited resources and wits to survive this desperate situation! Simple combat system with grid-based movement and free camera control. The only way to survive is to dodge dangers and defeat the appr…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 165 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

music2 negative mentions

Tower of Mask offers a unique blend of grid-based movement and real-time combat, enhancing the traditional dungeon crawler experience.
The game features a rich atmosphere with creepy enemies and clever puzzles, providing a rewarding exploration experience.
Developed by a solo creator, the game showcases impressive mechanics and engaging gameplay, making it a standout title in the genre.

The game suffers from technical issues, including poor optimization and a clunky save system that can lead to frustrating experiences.
Some players found the combat mechanics and enemy variety lacking, leading to repetitive gameplay after a while.
The localization and translation issues can make certain puzzles and mechanics unclear, detracting from the overall experience.

gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
63%
9%
The gameplay of "Tower of Mask" is a blend of old-school dungeon crawling with modern refinements, featuring grid-based movement, engaging puzzle mechanics, and a captivating combat system that emphasizes planning and precision. While it excels in atmosphere and offers a variety of enemy mechanics, some players note a lack of clarity and occasional unreasonable difficulty. Overall, the game provides a satisfying experience with clever design elements and a soothing gameplay loop, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.
- “With its claustrophobic design and deliberate pacing, the experience draws heavily from old-school dungeon crawlers but refines the formula with mechanics that demand both careful planning and moment-to-moment precision.”
- “Getting hooked on a familiar and soothing gameplay loop wasn't the end of it though: where this really made it to the next level is in how many little 'moments' in the gameplay you constantly go through, little surprises and clever ideas intricately woven that make the moment-to-moment gameplay really captivating.”
- “Mask actually has decent enemy variety, especially for a solo project - it takes about 10 hours to complete, but over those 10 hours you'll run into a handful of different enemies, several of which 'break rules' and have unique mechanics, like teleporting behind you, walking through walls, laying down dangerous areas to deny space, et cetera, while also having different weak points and weapon types you have to learn and play around.”
- “While Tower of Mask has a lot going for it in terms of atmosphere, a lack of clarity around game mechanics and unreasonable difficulty really lets the game down.”
- “There are a variety of equipment and weapons, but you may feel that the gameplay does not change a whole lot.”
- “Sometimes dungeon crawlers have mechanics tied to certain enemies, but still feel fairly basic; the survival horror aspect is that the different enemies in this game wear different masks.”
atmosphere
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
26%
11%
The atmosphere of "Tower of Mask" is widely praised as one of its strongest features, characterized by a creepy, immersive environment that enhances the gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the game's effective use of sound design, level layout, and art style to create tension and a sense of claustrophobia, making exploration both nerve-wracking and rewarding. While some note limitations in game mechanics and difficulty, the overall ambiance and aesthetic contribute significantly to its appeal as a standout indie dungeon crawler.
- “The atmosphere is one of Tower of Mask’s strongest features.”
- “A strange and often creepy dungeon crawler with a great aesthetic and a thick atmosphere.”
- “It doesn't have quite as many ideas as Grimrock, but it does a good job of creating a hostile and unsettling atmosphere.”
- “While Tower of Mask has a lot going for it in terms of atmosphere, a lack of clarity around game mechanics and unreasonable difficulty really lets the game down.”
- “The tense atmosphere within the tower you explore leads 'Mask' to be a survival horror game as much as a dungeon-crawling RPG.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
23%
23%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the creative designs and atmospheric visuals, while others note issues with polish and performance, particularly when multitasking. Overall, the visuals are described as decent to very good, effectively complementing the gameplay and horror themes, though some players feel they lack clarity in certain areas.
- “Gameplay, graphics, the fights are gorgeous, text snippets, sounds,...”
- “Cool theme, solid graphics, and outstanding gameplay.”
- “The graphics are very good, the music is nice and fits with the atmosphere of the game very well.”
- “Weirdly very demanding for the graphics level, and being an Unreal title, every time I alt + tab out of the game it freezes and takes an exaggerated multiple minutes to recover or just becomes completely unresponsive, which requires ending the task in Task Manager.”
- “The graphics unfortunately feel less polished than Grimrock.”
- “I try not to complain about visuals too much, honestly, there are maybe a few instances where I would say the game could probably use more visual clarity on the buttons.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The game's story is minimal and cryptic, primarily conveyed through scattered notes and vague encounters rather than traditional narrative methods like videos or dialogue. While some players find the lore intriguing and the basic premise engaging, others feel it lacks depth and clarity regarding character motivations. Overall, the focus is more on exploration, puzzles, and gameplay mechanics than on a robust narrative.
- “I originally was unsure of the single member party and mask motif, but after playing, I found the theme and basic story very exciting.”
- “The story is minimal, but it's enough to be interesting.”
- “The narrative is cryptic and sparse, delivered through scattered notes and vague encounters rather than direct storytelling.”
- “The story is sort of there, but essentially amounts to people leaving notes for all that ascend the tower with more mysteries unraveling as you go.”
- “The story is strictly a written affair.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The music in the game is well-received, complementing the atmosphere effectively, though it leans more towards ambient sounds than traditional melodies. Players appreciate the nice tunes that enhance the overall experience, despite some confusion regarding specific musical elements in certain areas.
- “The graphics are very good, and the music is nice and fits the atmosphere of the game very well.”
- “I could not figure out the secret between the room with the clown mask and the musical tone room.”
- “There is more ambience than music, but there are tunes and melodies.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game's optimization has been criticized, with players noting that while the concept is engaging, the execution suffers from performance issues. Additionally, combat effectiveness is heavily reliant on character stats, which may further impact gameplay experience.
- “Your combat performance is tied to your stats.”
- “The optimization options allow for a highly personalized gameplay experience.”
- “I love how the game encourages players to fine-tune their builds for maximum efficiency.”
- “I was captivated by the concept and the idea of the game but was met with poor optimization and mediocre execution.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits significant stability issues, particularly when alt-tabbing, often freezing or becoming unresponsive, necessitating a task manager intervention. Despite these problems, some users find the glitches amusing and not overly disruptive to the overall experience.
- “Weirdly very demanding for the graphics level, and being an Unreal title, every time I alt + tab out of the game it freezes and takes an exaggerated multiple minutes to recover or just becomes completely unresponsive, which requires ending the task in Task Manager.”
- “10/10 even the glitches were funny and unintrusive.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highly praised, with players finding even the glitches amusing and non-disruptive. Additionally, the poorly translated English adds an extra layer of comedy, contributing to the overall enjoyment.
- “10/10, even the glitches were funny and unintrusive.”
- “The translations to English are very off but pretty funny.”