TumbleSeed

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 170 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
TumbleSeed Game Cover
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
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"TumbleSeed" is a single-player platformer roguelike, where you balance a seed up a procedurally generated mountain, avoiding holes and defeating corrupted creatures. With 5 worlds, 30+ seed powers, and a compelling soundtrack, the game offers strategic depth and challenges you to master its unique rolling mechanics. Online leaderboards and daily challenges are available on the Steam version, and support is provided through the developer's email.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 170 reviews
gameplay34 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • TumbleSeed features a unique and engaging control scheme that requires skill and patience, making it rewarding as players improve over time.
  • The game has beautiful visuals and a charming soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
  • It offers a challenging yet fair roguelike experience with procedural generation, ensuring that each run feels fresh and different.
  • The game's difficulty can be overwhelming, especially for new players, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
  • Some players find the controls unintuitive and clunky, which can detract from the overall gameplay experience.
  • The random level generation may not appeal to everyone, as some players prefer hand-crafted levels for a more structured experience.
  • gameplay86 mentions

    The gameplay of Tumbleseed is characterized by its unique and engaging mechanics, particularly the balancing and rolling system that offers a fresh take on the roguelike genre. While many players appreciate the smooth controls and strategic depth, some find the gameplay slow and frustrating, leading to mixed feelings about its long-term engagement. Overall, the game is praised for its creative design and challenging yet rewarding experience, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its unconventional mechanics.

    • “This game is absolutely incredible if you love puzzle games that involve interesting movement mechanics and the use of thoughtful strategizing.”
    • “The unforgiving arcade-style adventure boasts a completely unique movement system that plays beautifully into the constant risk/reward gameplay on the seed's journey up the mountain.”
    • “The unique gameplay mechanics add a layer of depth and skill.”
    • “This means that even at the very end, when you've finished every quest and learned everything the game has to teach you, the game's difficulty doesn't come from pushing the limits of the novel control scheme to maneuver and act in ways that would not be possible otherwise; rather, it comes from the fact that it never stops being slow and awkward to make the control scheme do the dead-simple maneuvers that you want it to do.”
    • “Slow, painful controls and an overly minimalist interface pervade the gameplay at all times, from basic exploration to menu selection, all becoming excruciating feats of strength.”
    • “Not saying its faults are enough to get rid of it, but the gameplay is obscure and mentally taxing enough that it is not for everyone.”
  • graphics43 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and charming art style that combines minimalism with vibrant visuals, creating an appealing aesthetic. While many players appreciate the beautiful artwork and soothing soundtrack, some criticize the lack of visual polish and the monotony of the graphics, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received for their simplicity and effectiveness, though opinions vary on their impact on gameplay.

    • “The visuals are stunning and simple, the music is calming, and the sound effects are adequate.”
    • “Gorgeous art style, soothing soundtrack, and just the right amount of difficulty to make it interesting.”
    • “This game is a wonderful blend of gorgeous visuals, a pleasant soundtrack, and brutal but rewarding gameplay.”
    • “Turns out I pretty much hate everything about it, and bad design in every area (game theory, visuals, sound, UI, accessibility, etc.) is to blame.”
    • “It's not like nails on a chalkboard or anything, but it isn't exactly pleasant or really even fitting with the whole aesthetic of the game.”
    • “The developers did a smart job with keeping the artwork simple, but unfortunately they squander it by making enemies that blend into the backgrounds (bombs in holes, tiny insects).”
  • music43 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and beautiful soundtrack, which complements the stunning visuals and minimalistic art style. While many players appreciate the soothing atmosphere it creates, some have noted a lack of sound diversity and repetitiveness in the background music. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant highlight, enhancing the game's aesthetic appeal despite some gameplay criticisms.

    • “The music is simply relaxing and beautiful and fits very well with the theme and the aesthetics of the game, making it a pleasure to experience.”
    • “The art style and soundtrack are both amazing, creating a zen-like state while controlling your tumbleseed.”
    • “This game is a wonderful blend of gorgeous visuals, a pleasant soundtrack, and brutal but rewarding gameplay.”
    • “I didn’t expect a mindblowing soundtrack, but for such attention to detail in terms of its looks, Tumbleseed somewhat disappointed me with its lack of sound diversity and far too repetitive background music.”
    • “The music is fine though, but I'm one to usually turn the music off quickly in these kinds of games to listen to my own tunes.”
    • “I cannot recommend this game purely on its aesthetics and soundtrack alone; for me, there’s something lacking in the gameplay that really would push me over the edge on recommending this.”
  • story27 mentions

    The story of the game centers around Tumbleseed, a hero leading a rebellion against gluttonous insects while traversing various mountains to cleanse them of enemies and assist fellow seeds. Players appreciate the charming visual style and the engaging, albeit simple, narrative that complements the gameplay, which includes quests that teach mechanics and unlock power-ups. While the story may lack depth, it effectively enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable for both casual and dedicated players.

    • “The protagonist within this story is the eponymous tumbleseed (affectionately nicknamed 'ts' by his seed brethren), the hero of the realm and leader of a seedy rebellion against gluttonous insects among other things.”
    • “Much of the story may not make a lot of sense but bear with me: ts must travel across several mountains, each of a different climate & biotope and cleanse them of enemy presence while assisting his fellow seeds with some planting of his own.”
    • “Much of the story may not make a lot of sense, but bear with me: TS must travel across several mountains, each of a different climate and biotope, and cleanse them of enemy presence while assisting his fellow seeds with some planting of his own.”
    • “The protagonist within this story is the eponymous Tumbleseed (affectionately nicknamed 'TS' by his seed brethren), the hero of the realm and leader of a seedy rebellion against gluttonous insects, among other things.”
    • “The brief story and accompanying soundtrack made it feel as if I were in a part of a childlike adventure where I had personified the forest around me and made the seeds and branches into characters.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as slow and tedious, detracting from the overall enjoyment and challenge. Players find the core gameplay loop unengaging, with controls and mechanics that feel cumbersome and overly complicated. Overall, the experience lacks the energizing challenge that players seek, leading to a sense of frustration rather than satisfaction.

    • “Rather, it suffers from the fact that the source of its difficulty makes it slow and tedious rather than challenging and energizing.”
    • “It's clear that a lot of work went into Tumbleseed, but the end result is still a tedious experience that offers little to come back to.”
    • “I was not able to enjoy the core gameplay loop; the balancing of the seed, in my opinion, the balance bar would move a little too slowly and is honestly a bit too tedious to use.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game offers strong replayability due to its procedural generation of levels, which keeps each playthrough fresh and engaging. Players are motivated to improve their run times and experience varied weather effects and day/night cycles, enhancing the overall addictive nature of the gameplay.

    • “The replayability of the game comes from your own drive to reach the top of the mountain and to beat your run time on subsequent runs.”
    • “Weather effects and day/night cycles showcase the team's determination to differentiate one mountain level from another, while procedural generation is the true promoter of replayability in the game's case.”
    • “+ Procedurally generated levels ensure replayability.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its blend of clever gameplay and amusing concepts, though it is also tinged with irony regarding the developer's use of Kickstarter funds for a media blitz. Players find the combination of great music and graphics alongside the game's comedic elements both entertaining and somewhat tragic.

    • “The dev apparently used Kickstarter funds to go on a $25,000 media blitz for this game, which is equal parts hilarious and sad.”
    • “When you start playing Tumbleseed, you're like: mmmm great music, mmmm good graphics, mmmm funny and clever idea for gameplay... what can possibly go wrong?”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Players commend the game's optimization and manageable file size, highlighting how it enhances performance tracking and encourages continuous improvement through leaderboard visibility.

    • “I appreciate the optimization and file size of the entire game!”
    • “If you enjoy being able to continually improve your performance and see the results of practice, this game will let you glow in that sensation when you look at the leaderboards.”
    • “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frustrating performance issues.”
    • “I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that hindered my gameplay experience due to poor optimization.”
    • “The game runs poorly on lower-end systems, making it inaccessible for many players.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its stunning visuals and exceptional music, creating an immersive experience for players.

    • “This game looks beautiful and has amazing music and atmosphere.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to each run in this roguelike game, highlighting a unique experience that fosters attachment and investment in their gameplay.

    • “I have never played a roguelike like this, where I feel emotionally attached to every run.”
    • “The characters' stories resonated with me on a personal level, making each decision feel weighty and impactful.”
    • “The game's ability to evoke such deep emotions is truly remarkable; I found myself reflecting on my own experiences long after playing.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

Buy TumbleSeed

Play time

78hMedian play time
55hAverage play time
10-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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