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TumbleSeed

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
TumbleSeed Game Cover
75%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
replayability, grinding
80% User Score Based on 171 reviews
Critic Score 70%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
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TumbleSeed Game Cover

About

TumbleSeed is a single player platformer game. It was developed by dlask and was released on May 2, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"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.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
TumbleSeed screenshot
TumbleSeed screenshot
TumbleSeed screenshot
TumbleSeed screenshot
TumbleSeed screenshot
TumbleSeed screenshot
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80%
Audience ScoreBased on 171 reviews
gameplay32 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • TumbleSeed features a unique and satisfying movement mechanic that requires precision and strategic thinking, making it addictive and rewarding as players improve.
  • The game's visuals and soundtrack are charming and beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience and atmosphere.
  • The roguelike elements, including various seeds with different abilities and daily challenges, provide a fresh and engaging gameplay loop that encourages replayability.
  • The controls can be frustrating and unintuitive, leading to a steep learning curve that may deter some players from fully enjoying the game.
  • While the game offers a variety of abilities, many players feel that some of them are not balanced well, making certain powers feel useless or detrimental.
  • The difficulty level can be punishing, especially in later stages, which may lead to frustration rather than enjoyment for some players.
  • gameplay
    84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 core mechanics frustrating and the gameplay loop can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game is praised for its creativity and challenge, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its steep learning curve and occasional balancing issues.

    • “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.”
  • graphics
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and minimalistic art style that many players find appealing, with some describing it as cute and unique. However, there are mixed feelings about the visual polish, as some players feel the graphics can become monotonous and blend into the background, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the visuals are often praised for their calming aesthetic and ability to complement the gameplay, making the game visually engaging even during challenging moments.

    • “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.”
    • “Let me start off by saying that I love the soundtrack and aesthetic of the game; the developers nailed these two parts, and all the graphics are beautifully crafted and fit well together, giving a clear overview of everything going on in the game.”
    • “Graphics in this game are unique and deceiving.”
    • “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).”
  • music
    43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in Tumbleseed is widely praised for its calming and beautiful soundtrack, which complements the game's charming visuals and minimalistic design. While many players appreciate the soothing atmosphere it creates, some criticize the soundtrack for being repetitive and lacking diversity. Overall, the music significantly enhances the game's aesthetic appeal, though opinions vary on its impact on gameplay enjoyment.

    • “The music is simply relaxing and beautiful and fits very well with the theme and the aesthetics of the game, making it a pleasant experience.”
    • “The art style and soundtrack are both amazing, and the controls, while they do take some getting used to, feel very nice and satisfying, especially when entering a zen-like state controlling your tumbleseed.”
    • “Let me start off by saying that I love the soundtrack and aesthetic of the game; the developers nailed these two parts, and all the graphics are beautifully crafted and fit well together, giving a clear overview of everything going on in the game.”
    • “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.”
  • story
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 mode is easier and more structured, it effectively serves as an introduction to the game’s mechanics and enhances the overall experience.

    • “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 and 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 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.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is primarily driven by its procedural generation, which creates varied experiences across runs, alongside weather effects and day/night cycles that differentiate levels. While some players find the roguelike elements light and the gameplay fundamentals-focused, the challenge of improving run times and personal achievements keeps the experience engaging and addictive. Overall, it offers a solid replay value, appealing to those motivated by competition and mastery.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as slow and tedious, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Players find the difficulty more frustrating than challenging, with controls and gameplay mechanics contributing to a lack of engagement. Despite the effort put into the game, many feel it fails to provide a rewarding experience, making it hard to stay invested.

    • “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.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of chaotic, slow-motion antics and clever gameplay concepts, making for an entertaining experience. Players find the juxtaposition of the game's amusing elements with the developers' questionable funding choices both funny and somewhat tragic. Overall, the game successfully combines engaging visuals and music with a lighthearted, comedic approach.

    • “If you’re ready to embrace the chaos of slow-motion panic, this game is a hilarious ride you won’t want to miss!”
    • “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?”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players commend the game's optimization and manageable file size, highlighting how it enhances performance and allows for continuous improvement. The ability to track progress through leaderboards adds to the overall satisfaction of the experience.

    • “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 frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “I was disappointed by the poor optimization, which made the game unplayable on my system despite meeting the recommended requirements.”
    • “The game feels rushed and unoptimized, resulting in long loading times and crashes that ruin the experience.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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.”
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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 11 critic reviews
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78h Median play time
55h Average play time
10-100h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

TumbleSeed is a platformer game.

TumbleSeed is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 55 hours playing TumbleSeed.

TumbleSeed was released on May 2, 2017.

TumbleSeed was developed by dlask.

TumbleSeed has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

TumbleSeed is a single player game.

Similar games include Downwell, GoNNER, Tangledeep, Cloudbuilt, Cursed to Golf and others.