Downwell! Gun Boots! Treasure Collecting! Falling!

[RubixsQube]

Hey everyone, Downwell, from moppin, is out today on iOS and Steam. 

 

 

What is Downwell? First off, it has a really well-made webpage that kind of says everything you need to know, really. But, if you need a little bit more to sell you on the idea of the game, it's a procedurally generated platformer/shooter with high-contrast visuals and a novel idea. You're an adventurer falling down a well, using your boots to both shoot and give you some power to slow down your descent. You also collect treasure (in a way very reminiscent of Cave Story, which shares it's aesthetic somewhat) and unlock new weapons and upgrades. People have been comparing it favorably to Spelunky, and I think that makes sense. It's got a kicking soundtrack. 

 

It's only a few dollars, and it was made by one person [EDIT: THIS IS PATENTLY FALSE, IN FACT MORE THAN ONE PERSON MADE THIS GAME], and I've been having a lot of fun. And I'm fairly certain it's going to get discussed on the latest episode of Idle Thumbs, so get a head start on the cast! 

 

EDIT: THIS GAME IS REALLY GOOD

[zerofiftyone]

I played a preview of this in Kyoto a few months ago and loved it. I am terrible though. I think my personal best is level 2-2.

 

Edit: Alright, I just got a 16 hit combo. This game is great and feels great.

[Chris]

This game is SO GOOD.

[Chris]

  On 10/15/2015 at 4:48 PM, RubixsQube said:

It's got a kicking soundtrack. 

 

…and it was made by one person

Two people, given that kicking soundtrack!

[zerofiftyone]

  On 10/15/2015 at 6:07 PM, Chris said:

Two people, given that kicking soundtrack!

Three, including sound effects.

 

Fun fact, the soundtrack was made by Eirik Surkhe, the Spelunky composer.

[elvaq]

Bought it this morning and was almost late to work because I couldn't stop playing. Seriously solid action game here

 

And not only is there one guy doing both the visuals and the programming, I'm pretty sure I remember reading this is the first game he's made.

[RubixsQube]

Whoops, I've edited my original post to reflect my error. I apologize to whoever was mislead by my statements. 

 

BACK TO THE GAME: I like having it on my iphone, but if I have to use screen controls I like it better on my iPad since they get out of the way. I think it's probably much better with physical controls though, as it is for any twitchy platformer. 

[zerofiftyone]

I bought it for both, and I'm having a much better time on the PC. I have super large hands, so the phone controls hurt after a while. I've also had a few cases where the phone doesn't register that I want to jump, though I can't determine whether or not it's anything more than my clumsiness with the buttons.

[Chris]

  On 10/15/2015 at 6:38 PM, zerofiftyone said:

I bought it for both, and I'm having a much better time on the PC. I have super large hands, so the phone controls hurt after a while. I've also had a few cases where the phone doesn't register that I want to jump, though I can't determine whether or not it's anything more than my clumsiness with the buttons.

Same. It's so much better with an actual controller.

[aoanla]

I've been looking forward to this arriving on a platform I can use it on ever since the Embed With... which covered it (http://embedwith.tumblr.com/post/101441175857/embed-with-ojiro-fumoto).

[SecretAsianMan]

It's supposed to be coming to Android as well, according to their website.  I was thinking about getting it there, but if it plays better with a controller maybe I'll go with Steam.  How do the mobile controls work?

[graddy]

  On 10/15/2015 at 9:13 PM, aoanla said:

I've been looking forward to this arriving on a platform I can use it on ever since the Embed With... which covered it (http://embedwith.tumblr.com/post/101441175857/embed-with-ojiro-fumoto).

Hey! That's where I first heard of this game, heh.

I didn't know this was on PC and bought it immediately on iOS. Mildly annoyed for two seconds before realizing six bucks to an independent developer for a game this good is still a great deal.

Also, I had 2 dollars in steam credit from selling Undertale cards so it was almost free! #video #games

I've only made it as far as 2-1.

[BadHat]

Damn, this looks really cool. Wish I'd managed to hang onto $3 this week.

[atte]

I managed to finish a run and the final segment is intense.

The game is so filler free, confident and full of interesting design decisions that it is really amazing Ojiro Fumoto started making games just 1.5 years ago!

[kickinthehead]

I've only made it to 2-3 but man this game feels so great to play. I especially love the sound effects, they make everything super satisfying to do. Jumping on enemies is great and it's so much fun to try to chain jumps on enemies. I wish I could easily turn my TV vertical for when I'm playing it.

[zerofiftyone]

  On 10/16/2015 at 10:01 PM, kickinthehead said:

I've only made it to 2-3 but man this game feels so great to play. I especially love the sound effects, they make everything super satisfying to do. Jumping on enemies is great and it's so much fun to try to chain jumps on enemies. I wish I could easily turn my TV vertical for when I'm playing it.

This gave me the idea of rotating my laptop on its side and playing the game in Tate mode. It works really well, everything is so big! 

 

I'm slowly getting better at the game; though I still find it difficult to get through the second world. I just unlocked the "Ground Allergy" achievement, and it took every ounce of concentration I had so now I'm going to bed.

[Ninety-Three]

This game is really good, and I have a bunch of complaints.

 

It wouldn't kill them to drop the minimalism for a moment and actually explain some mechanics. It took me a while to figure out how exactly Gem High triggered, and after an hour I still had no clue what it did (I had to Google it, eventually). I'm still not sure what picking up health while full on health does. I think if you pick up four health while full, you get +1 max health? I'm basically guessing.

 

I get how perks facilitate varied play and make every game different, but some are way better than others (knife and fork), and having some characters randomly end up way more powerful than others (or from a different perspective, most characters end up way less powerful than some) doesn't feel good.

 

The game is at its most fun when you're trying to move fast and stay airborne, but the game's mechanics are all incentivizing you to play it slow and cautious (okay technically there's Gem High pushing you forward, but that's pretty easy to keep up even while playing slow, and it's not a big deal when you lose it).

 

Making weapon powerups come with a health or ammo boost is a clever way to encourage the player to vary their weapon. Varying your weapon sucks because you're always switching away from your favorite weapon (special shoutout to the machine-gun that tilts left or right as you move), and you're often faced with the feel-bad dilemma of "do I pass on this health/ammo, or do I switch into this shitty gun?" The shotgun eats ammo like nothing else, and works poorly with all your abilities that trigger on shooting. That stupid burst switches your fire mode from fully automatic to semi-auto for seemingly no reason other than to fuck with you.

 

Also is it just me, or does the music sometimes randomly cut out for a second (PC version)?

[osmosisch]

  On 10/17/2015 at 3:15 AM, Ninety-Three said:

I get how perks facilitate varied play and make every game different, but some are way better than others (knife and fork), and having some characters randomly end up way more powerful than others (or from a different perspective, most characters end up way less powerful than some) doesn't feel good.

Totally disagree. Variety is the spice of fast-paced roguelike life.

Game is awesome. It's good enough to make me get over my hatred of platforming briefly, a feat so far only managed by very few games.

[Ninety-Three]

  On 10/17/2015 at 11:25 PM, osmosisch said:

Totally disagree. Variety is the spice of fast-paced roguelike life.

 

Oh the variety is cool (sometimes I'll end up with maximum firepower whereas sometimes I'll end up with great movement, that's interesting), what I'm objecting to is the power-level disparity. You can make the perks feel different without having some be way better than others.

[graddy]

I've gotten into comboing and it's totally changed the way I've viewed playing the early levels. It's SO HECTIC and fun.

I made it as far as 3-1 on PC. I think I may actually beat this game?! I never made it beyond 3-1 in Spelunky.

Edit: just got a 71 combo! This is the best.

[osmosisch]

  On 10/17/2015 at 11:32 PM, Ninety-Three said:

Oh the variety is cool (sometimes I'll end up with maximum firepower whereas sometimes I'll end up with great movement, that's interesting), what I'm objecting to is the power-level disparity. You can make the perks feel different without having some be way better than others.

You were very clear, I just enjoy having power level being part of the variety spectrum.

[atte]

  On 10/17/2015 at 3:15 AM, Ninety-Three said:

It wouldn't kill them to drop the minimalism for a moment and actually explain some mechanics.

Yeah, some kind of info screen about the kill combos, extra health meter and gem high would have been nice.

 

  Quote

Making weapon powerups come with a health or ammo boost is a clever way to encourage the player to vary their weapon. Varying your weapon sucks because you're always switching away from your favorite weapon (special shoutout to the machine-gun that tilts left or right as you move), and you're often faced with the feel-bad dilemma of "do I pass on this health/ammo, or do I switch into this shitty gun?"

Douglas Wilson wrote on Polygon what makes Downwell so special, and I agree with him how the power-up/weapon change combination is an interesting addition to the game:

"I love these kinds of moments, when a game forces you to choose the "least bad" option in a dire situation. The choice adds a dose of humor to the proceedings, as if the game itself is giving you the middle finger."

 

  Quote

Also is it just me, or does the music sometimes randomly cut out for a second (PC version)?

Those pauses in the music are just part of Eirik Suhrke's quirky style.

[Ninety-Three]

  On 10/18/2015 at 11:40 AM, atte said:

Yeah, some kind of info screen about the kill combos, extra health meter and gem high would have been nice.

 

Wait, there's kill combos? I had no idea. Being incentivized to stay airborne makes this much more interesting.

[atte]

Here's the combo rewards:

 

8 - 100 gems
15 - 100 gems, 1 charge
25 - 100 gems, 1 charge, 1 health

 

Also the wall jumping is a nice semi secret thing -  jump or bounce toward a wall (you do a spinning jump, shooting cancels it) and then press away from the wall and jump at the same time.

[clyde]

I was doing a lot better before y'all told me about the combos.

I'm on mobile by the way.