The Puppeteer Reviews

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

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.

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

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 another layer of customisation and allows you to play in whichever way is more comfortable for you. This game does a very good job in the exploration department. In each level there are often branching routes that you can take where you can encounter different enemies or optional resources. If you love finding hidden areas then you will be in for a treat (especially if you love hidden lore). However, I would say that in some of the levels the branching paths merge leading to a singular path to progress. This does lower the sense of exploration a little bit as in some levels you will emerge at the same place no matter what path you took. Speaking of resources, the main mechanic other than swinging your sword is the potion crafting system. This is an incredible inclusion to the game and elevates the experience significantly. There are various berries you can collect in the levels that, if you combine them, provide potions that heal, shield, buff and even one that highlights the aggro range of enemies. The combinations are vast and allow each player to create a unique potion to solve a problem. Need healing whilst dealing more damage? You can do that. In certain areas you can also exchange berries of one colour for another. This is great game design as it allows the player to make the potion they want even if they didn’t get the berries they wanted. This is easily the best feature of the game and makes finding berries feel like a big reward. I would note however that as you progress, the threshold for the amount of berries needed to craft a potion increases therefore there may be times where you have four berries but need five to craft a potion and therefore have to venture through that area without a potion until you can find more. There will be ‘dry spots’ where berries are rare and therefore you will need to be comfortable in getting past enemies without the use of potions. The story is very simple but effective. Finding hidden areas expands your connection to the characters but it is not required to experience the main story beats. There are alternate endings which provide replay value. That being said, this game is [b] not [/b] for a casual audience. This is a challenging game that will test your reaction time, positioning and resource management skills. Don’t let the Zelda-esque visuals fool you as this game is a lot more about combat than Zelda. This game demands a lot of patience and trial and error. Each enemy has its own abilities and movement patterns. Mastering how to deal with each enemy type is crucial as, in many areas, you will be outnumbered by a lot. Combine this with the fact that Novi (the player character) stops when you swing the sword and it can be easy to become surrounded on all sides. Novi can only swing in the direction that they are facing (unless you have certain potions) making them very vulnerable to attack from behind. Positioning and spacing are the most important things in combat as enemies will try to get as close to you as they can and, once they are up close, they are extremely difficult to deal with. There will also be enemies placed off screen but their aggro range will extend into the screen. Using the green berry will make this very apparent and help warn you of upcoming danger but it is limited time wise. Health management is also highly important as from level one certain enemies will out DPS you meaning that trading blows is not an option. I would say the biggest spike in difficulty is from level one to two as two contains a lot more of the harder enemy types in the game. Once you’re over this difficulty spike though, the game takes on a more standard difficulty curve. I would even say that some of the later levels are easier than the middle ones. There are also certain levels that require you to take environmental damage to progress, meaning that you can’t get away with being on low health constantly. It’s also important to manage health as there are no checkpoints in this game. If you die you go straight back to the beginning of the level regardless of if you died 20% or 99% of the way through. This can become very frustrating in later levels where there are many more enemies guarding the exit to the level. You do however get to save after each level so you don’t have to play the game all in one sitting unlike some other games. Overall, this is a game that has been made with a lot of love and visually and sonically you can feel that. However it is a game that will challenge you more than most games of a similar style. If you enjoy overcoming difficult enemies and mastering the mechanics of the games you play then you will love this game. This game will provide about 4 hours of gameplay depending on skill level or if you want to explore everything it has to offer. However, it has been designed with a lot of speed running features allowing veterans to breeze through levels. There is also an achievement one can gain if they beat the game without using potions if you really want to test your skills. If you attempt this, I wish you good luck and I hope you succeed.

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

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 is highly accessible to anyone who enjoys a challenge! Soundtrack: ★★★★★ Across the board the soundtrack gives way to a HEAP of nostalgia for the retro games of the past. I particularly love the theme of Blue Tundra and the Puppetress.

A cute little game that took me about 5 hours to beat. The game play is largely top down and you are trying to get to the end of the level. There are 5 levels in total and then a final showdown with the main antagonist. The levels are not super easy to beat and actually was a bit of a challenge towards the end. Throughout the levels you can pick up ingredients to make potions which gives you buffs ranging from having an increased damage output, more speed, an area of effect damage, or healing lost health. You make a potion by combining multiple ingredients, drinking it gives you the combined effects of the ingredients you put in. I enjoyed how this changes the game and there are decisions to make because sometimes picking up one ingredient means you miss out on another. Overall I really enjoyed the game, from its charming characters and visuals, to its challenging game play which felt great to finally overcome.