Spooky Monkey

I roughly recall not enjoying the original "Mist Monkey", maybe it was too confusing for me, but this one seems more intuitive -- relatively speaking that is. I was still lost for the first 30 minutes, but once you understand the general loop of the game, it's not very complicated and actually has some enjoyable puzzles. On that note, I still feel like this game has a "game polish" barrier, it should be a chill playthrough, but there are many little issues that are not game breaking, but can make the experience harder than it should be, for example the awkward mapping of the keyboard controls. Something tells me the developer is not exactly playtesting these before release. The dev keeps comparing these games to Zelda, which may sound a little weird, but I think he specifically referring to the original one, the whole secret/mystery appeal of the series, not so much combat or anything like that. If anything the dreamy feel of the world reminds me more of games like Yume Nikki, as well as the power-up based progression which I guess makes it a metroidvania of sorts, but there are only a few abilities. The world kinda has that ethereal quality to it, while also having somewhat of a…

Spooky Monkey is a lighthearted game with an undead theme that never really tries to be scary, and that works in its favor. It’s funny and odd in quiet ways, mixing humor about death with a surprisingly peaceful, meditative atmosphere. The vibe is mystical more than spooky, and it’s easy to just exist in the world and wander around for a while. The design is cleverly thoughtout. The powers are fun to use, the puzzles are satisfying without being too frustrating, and the open structure encourages exploration. There are a lot of secrets to discover, hidden paths, and the game clearly rewards curiosity. The riddles themselves are clever and genuinely funny, and the chickens deserve a special mention for being an amusing throwback to games like Zelda. I also appreciated the multiple endings, which made the world feel responsive without forcing replayability. As a follow-up to the previous games, this feels confident and refined, and it’s nice to see a small, underrated series continue to do its own thing. If you’re looking for something relaxed, clever, and quietly creative, Spooky Monkey is easy to recommend.

What a delightful and charming game. Thoughtful and meditative, and a little tiny bit spooky. The art and character design is beautiful, the music is peaceful. It is a small map, but there is lots to explore, full of little puzzles and secrets. I can see the Zelda 1 influence, but the puzzles here thankfully lack the obtuse guesswork of that game. I got stumped a couple of times, but the small hints are helpful, the logic of the game world makes sense, and experimentation is easy to try. Combat is simple, not challenging, with barely a fail state if you run out of health, being reset back to the beginning is not much of a set back in a map this size. And there are no boss fights. New abilities keep exploration fresh and combat fun. The whole game feels personal and polished, mindful and dreamlike. A bite sized beauty, and a big recommend. There are two endings from what I can tell, each a very short cutscene that saves just before it is triggered so you can experience both. Alt and Enter to fullscreen worked for me. The control layout on keyboard seems a bit odd, no remapping from what I could see, but I quickly adjusted.

As with many indie titles, this short puzzle exploration game has very little recognition, despite being enjoyable, carefully made and unique. Explore a spiritual cemetery where different shrines present riddles. By exploring and picking up objects, you gradually figure out which thing to take to which shrine. There are enemies but if you run out of health you just start back at the centre of the fairly small world. Health upgrades make it easier to explore the areas with more enemies. The art is very colorful and pixelated, which will probably be the defining factor for liking this game or not. The gameplay itself works very well, and the game as a whole fits together. Always fun to find an obscure game that turns out to be a hidden gem.

I'm only an hour in right now, but the game is fun. It's a cute MetroidVania style puzzle game with some light combat. It's a fresh take on a MetroidVania for me, one that I'm enjoying so far. I'll update this review if my opinions change as I get further in the game.