TowerClimb
- September 22, 2015
- Davioware and Quazi
- 20h median play time
"TowerClimb is a challenging procedurally generated platformer with roguelike elements, available for single-player and local 2-player co-op. Climb randomly generated towers with unique atmosphere, using items and strategy to navigate through treacherous environments. With stellar gameplay, amazing visuals, and a great soundtrack, TowerClimb offers a rewarding and thrilling climb to the top."
Reviews
- TowerClimb offers a challenging and rewarding gameplay experience, with a steep learning curve that encourages players to improve their skills.
- The game features a unique art style and an incredible soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere and immersion.
- Procedurally generated levels ensure that each run feels fresh and different, providing high replayability and numerous secrets to discover.
- The control scheme is overly complicated and can be frustrating to learn, leading to a steep initial barrier for new players.
- The game lacks a pause function and has limited accessibility options, which can hinder the experience for some players.
- Some players may find the difficulty too punishing, with many deaths feeling unfair due to random level generation and enemy placements.
- music164 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers praising its originality and fittingness to various environments. While some players found the soundtrack repetitive, the majority highlighted its engaging nature and nostalgic ties to classic games like Super Metroid. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's immersive atmosphere and emotional weight.
“The music is heavy with atmosphere, and conveys great weight to your journey.”
“The soundtrack is incredible and works perfectly to convey the mood of each area and situation.”
“On top of all that it has phenomenal music and art unique to every area that creates overwhelming feelings of adventure, ascension, and discovery that are only heightened by the high tension in the gameplay as you reach new areas and climb the tower.”
“Expected songs from the trailer to be in the areas shown on-trailer but got more generic music for them instead.”
“The music is fine, but it's better with it muted and your own music (or whatever) playing.”
“The music is unbearably repetitive.”
- gameplay130 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Towerclimb is characterized by its challenging yet fair mechanics, requiring players to master nuanced controls and adapt to evolving challenges as they progress. While the game offers a deep and addictive experience with a variety of unique mechanics and level designs, it may initially frustrate new players due to its steep learning curve and the need for precise execution. Overall, it successfully combines tight controls, engaging gameplay, and a captivating atmosphere, making it a standout title for dedicated roguelike enthusiasts.
“Most important of all, the gameplay is some of the most addictive I've ever come across. The mechanics are simple at first glance, but there are many little nuances that can advance your runs to higher levels. You're forced to be resourceful and think even at the earlier levels of the game.”
“The gameplay is in a league of its own. The developers realize very well that less is more, and so the gameplay can be entirely captured in running, jumping, climbing, and throwing or using items.”
“Towerclimb is an incredibly well-designed roguelike. It's challenging, and all the mechanics in the game really work together to create a lot of depth.”
“Even when you understand the mechanics, you will still struggle to execute them properly.”
“Gameplay was the biggest issue I had; it just wasn't fun.”
“However, I prefer if the difficulty comes from the gameplay rather than the controls simply being obtuse.”
- graphics80 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalistic pixel art style that, while simple, effectively creates a charming and atmospheric experience. Although some players may find the visuals generic or muddy, many appreciate the unique aesthetic and detail that contribute to the game's overall identity. The combination of retro influences and modern lighting effects enhances the visual appeal, making it a standout in the pixel art genre.
“The pixel art style may seem generic at first, but as you climb higher you'll realize it's truly full of heart and soul and crafts a perfect atmosphere that complements every other element of the game.”
“The graphics are both retro and modern (thanks to amazing lighting effects) and charming as hell, and the music is great.”
“Ultra minimalistic pixel art-style with wonderful atmosphere, complimented fantastically by the music and sound design.”
“For some people, the graphics may be a turn-off, and some parts of the game aren't the prettiest, but on the whole, there's a surprising amount of detail in the game despite the low-resolution pixel art.”
“The control scheme is inaccurate, and the pixelated graphics make it hard to discern hazards and items.”
“As a secondary complaint, the pixel-style graphics, while charming, are a bit muddy and have a fairly limited color palette, leaving a number of enemies and objects very difficult to tell apart.”
- atmosphere34 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by a heavy, engaging soundtrack and unique pixel art style that evolves as players progress. Reviewers highlight the synergy between gameplay, sound design, and world-building, creating a captivating experience reminiscent of classic platformers like Super Metroid. Overall, the game is described as a standout in the roguelike genre, offering a rich, atmospheric environment that draws players in.
“This game has such an incredible hook that I haven't seen any other game accomplish with just music, atmosphere, and world design.”
“The pixel art style may seem generic at first, but as you climb higher you'll realize it's truly full of heart and soul and crafts a perfect atmosphere that complements every other element of the game.”
“An excellent roguelike platformer that positively oozes atmosphere.”
“The art style is what I call foreign and strange and adds to an alien atmosphere, although I do recommend that the pixel blur be turned on; it can be turned off for those less privy to it.”
“Although it is unforgiving, this difficulty is what gives the atmosphere a constant intensity; everything that can kill you will if you aren't as careful and resourceful as you can be.”
“- the atmosphere.”
- replayability34 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, largely due to its procedural generation that creates unique layouts and scenarios with each playthrough. Players appreciate the vast potential for exploration, secrets, and side-quests, making it a highly addictive experience. Overall, it is frequently described as one of the most replayable titles in its genre, with many reviewers rating its replay value a perfect 10/10.
“An absolute masterpiece with endless replayability.”
“The game has very impressive level randomization, which adds to the replay value significantly.”
“Towerclimb is absolutely a fantastic game, great pixel art (which can be depixelated via settings!), amazing music, and it has the most replayability you could possibly get out of a procedurally generated world-based video game.”
“The layout of the floors is randomized thanks to procedural generation and keeps the replayability high, creating unique situations and is the major reason why I think this is the most replayable platformer I have encountered.”
“There are lots of secrets and side-quests, so the replay value is high. Though I haven't beaten the main quest yet, I can imagine playing through multiple times to explore the secrets.”
“TowerClimb has probably the most replay value I've seen compared to most dungeon crawlers, rogue-likes, and similar games.”
- story22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's story offers more depth than initially expected, with a variety of secrets and side quests that enhance replayability, though it is not the primary focus. Players appreciate the length of the narrative and the ability to piece together its elements, despite the roguelike mechanics that necessitate frequent restarts. Overall, while the story is present and engaging, it is the gameplay mechanics that take center stage.
“There is also more story than I expected, and the sections I've managed to uncover have left me enthralled with the conquest of this game.”
“There are lots of secrets and side-quests, so the replay value is high. Though I haven't beaten the main quest yet, I can imagine playing through multiple times to explore the secrets.”
“I understand it's a roguelike where death and restarting are inevitable, but the sheer length of the story makes the ability to save a necessity.”
“I understand it's a roguelike where death and restarting are inevitable, but the sheer length of the 'story' makes the ability to save a necessity.”
“-lack of story (there is a story, but it is not much of importance for this game and isn't the focus of the game. That goes for characters too. There is a story that you can piece together but, like I said, it's not really the focus of the game.)”
“It's about loving the SNES style and never giving into these ridiculous one-player AAA titles with two and a half hours of quick time events and god-awful storylines.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a lighthearted and humorous tone, with players noting its funny secrets that can elicit genuine laughs. However, it requires a significant commitment to progress beyond the initial levels, suggesting that the humor may not be enough to sustain interest for all players.
“A quick little funny game.”
“Some pretty funny secrets that are guaranteed to make you laugh.”
“Do not buy this just because a funny streamer played it; it requires some serious commitment to get past the initial few levels and it's all uphill from there.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a significant emotional investment in the game, likening the intensity of their experience to strategic games like chess or minesweeper. The high stakes of the gameplay, where even minor mistakes can lead to fatal consequences, heighten the emotional tension and engagement.
“I fire up the game and play it with an emotional investment similar to that of a game of chess or minesweeper.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is criticized for being problematic, as users report that the only available solution involves a lengthy process requiring multiple tools, which ultimately results in a buggy experience.
“The game often crashes unexpectedly, making it frustrating to progress.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
“The stability issues make it hard to enjoy the game, as it frequently freezes.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players report that achieving the true ending requires significant grinding, with one reviewer noting it took around 80 hours to complete, despite individual runs lasting only about an hour. This process involves restarting the game to collect specific items from secret areas.
“The true ending took me about 80 hours of grinding to achieve (with a single full run only taking about an hour), which involves starting from the beginning and visiting a few secret areas that each have an item you need to carry to the end of the game.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game presents a steep learning curve, where initial challenges may feel unfair; however, players generally find that deaths are primarily due to lapses in focus or performance rather than technical issues.
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is enhanced by the game's rich atmosphere, imaginative design, and unique character aesthetics, which contribute to a world that feels distinct and engaging rather than repetitive.