Don't Stare

UPDATED REVIEW: See below. A cute premise that's unfortunately stuck in a buggy game which should have been released as "Early Access". There's many a moment where I can platform out of bounds or straight over obstacles and wonder if this was intentional by the devs, since some of these softlock the level I'll assume no. Why am I able to land on perfectly vertical walls? Why am I [i]BOUNCING[/i] on perfectly vertical walls? Why can't I remove my characters cosmetic backpack, and why does attempting to do so hide the rest of my character customisation options? Why does the in-game calendar jump from Tuesday Jan 31st to Sunday Feb 1st? You guys do know how weeks work, right? And the game seems to get glitchier the further into the game you go. Near what I assume is the third act, the main characters phone pops off with lengthy incoherent conversations about repairing relationships, doing something in a robot factory and an evil house(!?). Playing the following stages made me realise that these conversations were supposed to be scattered between each of the sequential levels, but for some reason they all appeared at once? The breaking point for me was this level: [i] April 14th - …

I can’t recommend Don't Stare enough! The game has a very chill atmosphere, AWESOME art and visuals, charming characters (even the enemies lol), lots of options to customize the protagonist and a simple but funny story! And I'm not even a big fan of platformers! Give it a try and I'm sure you'll love it!

Has great speedrun potential

Lovely and Cute Platformer Game Visuals: The character design, GUI elements, and environment offer a unique aesthetic suited to its purpose. Beautifully illustrated elements that pop up when activated play a significant role in the game's personality. I would describe it as a cute, cartoony style. 10/10 Music & SFX: This is the game's strongest point. Every aspect of it is well thought out. Each character has its distinctive sound, but not to the point of being overwhelming when multiple assets are on the screen. The music tracks reflect the storyline and levels perfectly. You’ll find everything from cozy lo-fi to heavy-rock tracks and everything in between. The little leitmotifs earn this a "labor of love" award during its creation. Also, I adore the sound effect when you recharge your battery. 10/10 Narrative: Each character has a well-thought-out personality that plays a significant role in the story. The dialogues are rich and hilarious without being too long. I would have loved to see some text reply options for our character here and there, but I understand why the use of emoji-only replies was preferred. You're an introvert, so yeah... it fits the narrative. 10/10 Gamepl…

I really like the idea, but I must say that it's not really implemented that well. The game just feels... Odd. And unfortunately not in a good way. The movement is chunky, it feels like youre waking on glue on the ground and no air friction in the air, it all just feels either "wait for the enemy to go to a diferent spot" or "jump, run and hope you don't land on top of a enemy". One big thumbs up is the animation, the trailer and all the character are really well made. I'll give it a positive review because you can clearly see that the devs tried their best, and the game has a lot of potential, but it's not worth your money

From the charming art style to the heartwarming story, I had a great time playing Don't Stare. I enjoyed how each new mechanic was gradually introduced with each level and how they were thematically designed. However, I did find the controls a bit clunky in the beginning, but one could say that it's an apt metaphor for how the protagonist "Stinky" maneuvers through their world. Although Don't Stare doesn't do anything new within the platformer genre, I believe its strength is definitely its story. The animated cut-scenes were very well done and I found myself getting invested in the characters as the game progressed. The text dialog could be cut down in my opinion, since it did feel too much at times. Also, I think some of the levels need balancing as they are either too easy or too difficult. Hopefully these fixes are implemented in future updates. However, these points don't really detract from its overall story. The game really does capture the struggles of its introverted and socially awkward protagonist and the challenges they must face stemming from the relationships between their family and friends. Overall I would recommend this game if you're looking for a wholesome pla…