The Puppeteer

TL/DR? - A fun and quirky indie game with challenging gameplay and a few secrets... General Rating: ★★★★★ Overall this game is an exceedingly enjoyable retro action rpg with a rather unique mechanic in the form of potion crafting, this mechanic is PIVOTAL to your characters survival and allows for a large number of useful combinations which sooner or later, you find your ol' reliables! Enjoyment: ★★★★★ From dying to starting my own little pharmaceutical company in my inventory in the hopes I can live long enough to question my characters reliance on potions. I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment in The Puppeteer. Lore: ★★★☆☆ While the lore doesn't openly pick up until later on in the game (unless you're very observant prior to that) what is there is interesting and adds enough to the game to understand some things in this wacky world. Bugs: ★★★★★ I personally haven't experienced a single bug in my time playing the game! Accessibility: ★★★★★ While The Puppeteer can be a difficult and as described by the store page itself, punishing experience, this is always due to hurdles the player can learn to overcome and adapt to. Enemies have patterns and some have telegraphs. This game…

A short, difficult game with addictive combat. 10/10 would recommend

Summary: This game is a little gem that I hope many other players can enjoy! Positives - The game is really fun - The game is really challenging, but dieing doesn't seem like much of a cost as you spawn back in very quickly - The enemies are varied, and creative. Each with their own little quirk - The level design is nice, there are many different routes you can take, many things to explore within each level - The potion crafting system is really satisfying, and provides lots of replayability - The game is really fun to speedrun - The story is engaging and has multiple endings Negatives - None really, I just wish there were infinite levels I could play as it is so fun

I had the amazing opportunity to both play the demo for gaming expos and playtest the game. Big thank you to Danny for that! Let’s start with the positives. The pixel art is very well crafted and implemented. The level aesthetics are beautiful; taking the player through verdant forests to glacial lakes to volcanoes and more. The animation of certain details such as waves in the water elevate the game from other pixel art games that just have static backgrounds. It is clear to me that a lot of time was spent on making sure all of the sprites fit with the aesthetic. Nothing feels out of place visually. The soundtrack fits the mood of each level very well. Whilst I do agree with others that have reviewed the game and wanted more variation, I think that the instrumentation for each level creates a fitting atmosphere. I would say this is especially the case for level two and five. An additional shout out must be made to the final boss theme composed by a friend of the developer. It is easily the best track in the game and makes getting to the end of the game feel even more rewarding. From a control perspective, the ability to play this game on both keyboard and controller provides …

Amazing adventure with an inspired soundtrack! If you, like me, want a game that takes you into a whole new world while retaining the harsh, unforgiving realities of the world you live in, The Puppeteer was made for you! It may seem like a simple pixel art game, but there is a surprising amount of depth in the game play and fight mechanics. A fun game which I enjoyed exploring with an unexpectedly good sound track to back it up. 10/10

A fast paced, challenging game with an interesting game play mechanic that keeps the player engaged and an abundance of secrets for those willing to find them. Would definitely recommend.