Crypt Custodian

I've been positively reviewing this person's games thus far, but sadly I can't in good conscience recommend this game in the context of the third game I've played from them. The dev basically makes the same game every time. The atmosphere is the same, a sort of ironically lighthearted, zero-real-conflict world and characters with no weight to anything, the gameplay is a flimsy, floaty action adventure where enemies are mostly just functions of different bullet hell patterns, and the OST is also pretty chill. If you're looking for a competently made relaxing time kill metroidvania, then you'll like this just like Sheepo and Islets, but if you're looking for something a bit more weighty and impactful that will leave a long lasting impression, I wouldn't go with this.

Pretty good. Not the best, but definitely a good value and compelling enough to play all the way through. The designer included quite a few features that really help reduce any potential frustrations for people less familiar with these types of games; which was really good design. The detractors were that the game didn't have particularly high difficulty. Bosses and enemies didn't scale in a compelling way.

I spent around 10 hours with Crypt Custodian on Steam Deck, mainly just going through the story without aiming for 100%. What I got was a really solid indie experience that I genuinely enjoyed from start to finish. While it’s clearly inspired by Hollow Knight, the game doesn’t feel like a copy. Instead, it finds its own identity with a more relaxed pacing and a less punishing approach, while still keeping a decent level of challenge. That balance worked really well for me, especially on Steam Deck, where it felt like a perfect game to just pick up and play. The world is beautiful in a subtle way, supported by a strong atmosphere and a surprisingly emotional tone at times. The story is minimalist, but still manages to land a few touching moments. The photo collectibles in particular stood out more than I expected and added a nice layer to the world. Combat is fairly simple and not very deep mechanically, but it stays fun throughout the whole game. It never gets in the way of the experience and fits the overall design well. The soundtrack is easily one of the highlights — it’s excellent and does a lot of heavy lifting in building the mood and atmosphere. Combined with the visuals…

After finishing Islets, I purchased Crypt Custodian. This is a fun little Metroidvania. The game play was enjoyable, the story was really cute. Visually, this game has such unique areas each with their own vibe. I still prefer Islets which was more straight forward platformer type. But the style and atmosphere of each section grew on me. At one point, I wasn't sure where to go next and had gone as far as I could to be up against two totally different bosses in different areas. But once I beat those bosses, the remaining game play was fun. I enjoyed the extra content after you beat the game. That was a really nice touch. Not sure I'll replay it again anytime soon, but definitely enjoyed it. Definitely pick this up. It's fun, challenging, and a nice addition to this genre.

10/10 meow meow meow

I bought this with a lot of hesitation, and honestly, I wasn't expecting much. I'm so glad it proved me wrong. It exceeded every expectation I had and ended up being one of the best games I've ever played. I can't recommend it enough.