Zeitghast

I don't think the developer every playtested this with a controller. You aim with the right stick, jump with Y for some reason, shoot with the right shoulder, and dash with the right trigger (good luck doing that at the same time) but there's no remap option (controller or keyboard). Twenty or thirty years ago I might have tried playing this with a keyboard and mouse but even if I wasn't playing this on my couch I still have no interest in playing a platformer without a controller in 2024.

"Zeitghast" is one of literally thousands of retro 2D platformers infesting Steam and lowering the average quality of all video games everywhere... and I'm not kidding. Searching for "platformers" on the Steam store page yields over 17,000 results! Is this one of the best of those? Absolutely not. This is an interesting entry here in Steam Direct because, surprisingly, it doesn't come across as a hamfisted amateur attempt to abuse Steam Direct for the sake of calling oneself a "game developer" by virtue of giving Steam $100 to publish garbage. Nor is it an asset flip. Nor is it infested with a nasty cash shop... the worst you could say about this is it looks a bit like a student project, but I think it's a bit more mature than one of those, too. Of course, while it's insanely rare, genuine intentions alone aren't enough to create a modern, contemporary gaming experience to rival Expedition 33 or Black Myth Wukong. Steam is a big deal, and the competition for your time as a gamer is stiff. Platforming is an old, mostly dead genre, and this lacklustre experience, while it doesn't have an upfront cost, isn't saving the genre... it's no surprise this failed to capture any atte…

playable

Seems like it would be fun but needs controller support.

Really charming game with cool mechanics! Time being a currency forces you to make tough decisions, and the time limit adds constant excitement! Storyline is a fun way to set up the prehistori-futuristic (yes that's a word trust me) setting, and the variety of weapons keeps the gameplay interesting. Definitely has a few bugs and oddities, but none that I've encountered hindered or flat out ruined the game experience. Overall it's an awesome indie game for quick blasts of fast-paced fun, and it's free!

Something about the game's graphics makes everything look blurry except right in the center of the screen. Maybe some kind of 3D focus effect? It's a bit stomach-turning, so I couldn't keep playing.