Toby: The Secret Mine

[h1]Creaks[/h1] ☐ Loved it ☑ Liked it ☐ Not for me [b]Weighted rating[/b] out of 5 [h3]2.90[/h3] [h2]Summary[/h2] Silhouette-visuals 2D platformer where a small boy ventures into dark caves to rescue people kidnapped by a mysterious evil. [b]Best for:[/b] Low mental effort puzzle game with some clever gotcha-mechanics and pleasant minimalist art. [b]Skip if:[/b] You expect Limbo's visual poetry and polish. [h1]Review[/h1] It is clearly derived from Limbo. The general art direction, the saws, the antagonist running away to short and awkward music placements. But if we are to compare it against Limbo it should also be clear that the game in part stands on its own: It has a breath of variety in the challenges than Limbo. It has a less fatigued color scheme and flickering than Limbo. It has smoother controls than Limbo. And it's also in a good technical shape; the runtime loop isn't impacted by the frame rate limits like in Limbo (despite though the odd side-scrolling effect when dying). It's even gentle towards the Decks' battery. Don't get me wrong, Limbo is a more polished and immersive experience, but this has its own legs. I looks to get a worse rep than deserved from being so similar to Limbo, making people instantly compare it. Now, for the parts that are lacking: The sound is a bit clunky, or less refined. The sound effects are fitting but quite sharp and loud. The soundtrack is also too repetitive, which is not helped by the tracks being fairly short compositions. The foundation is there, though. The puzzles aren't challenging. I never got stuck to the point of frustration. Difficulty curve is thought-out, which is a nice feeling. There's plenty here: achievements, level selector, and shop items. I actually found the game to be a good length for the content it offers, unlike many other titles that just overstay their welcome. Both in terms of the individual levels, and as a whole. Some nice quality-of-life details is that when I died I didn't spawn at the start of the level, but could just re-try the challenge in front of me. [h1]Grading[/h1] [h3]Game Design & Game Play[/h3] [b]Core Game Loop[/b] ☐ Magnetic ☐ Engaging ☑ Solid ☐ Repetitive ☐ Tedious [b]Arc & Pacing[/b] ☐ Impeccable ☐ Well-judged ☑ Functional ☐ Uneven ☐ Ruinous [b]Narrative & Thematic Coherence[/b] ☐ Masterful ☐ Compelling ☑ Serviceable ☐ Weak ☐ Incoherent [b]Systems Breadth[/b] ☐ Vast ☐ Broad ☑ Adequate ☐ Sparse ☐ One-dimensional [b]Systems Depth[/b] ☐ Emergent ☐ Deep ☐ Qualified ☑ Exhaustible ☐ One-dimensional [h3]Sensory & Aesthetics[/h3] [b]Art[/b] ☐ Breathtaking ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Fair ☐ Poor [b]Sound Design[/b] ☐ Seamless ☐ Immersive ☑ Fitting ☐ Muddy ☐ Grating [b]Soundtrack[/b] ☐ Transcendent ☐ Captivating ☐ Pleasant ☑ Forgettable ☐ Annoying [b]Controls & Interactions[/b] ☐ Intuitive ☐ Attentive ☑ Adequate ☐ Frustrating ☐ Unplayable [h3]Longevity & Value[/h3] [b]Longevity[/b] ☐ Enduring ☐ Substantial ☐ Adequate ☑ Meager ☐ Ephemeral [b]Replayability Structures[/b] ☐ Bottomless ☐ Plentiful ☐ Adequate ☑ Low ☐ None [b]Value Density[/b] (picked up for [b]0,89€[/b]) ☐ Exceptional ☑ Strong ☐ Proportional ☐ Vague ☐ Predatory