- This week, our App Army readers tried out Spooky Pixel Hero
- Interestingly, it received a mixed reception across the board
- Some enjoyed what it had to offer in terms of story and gameplay while others were less impressed
Shah recently reviewed Spooky Pixel Hero for us, finding it offered an enjoyable story and platforming, though the horror element was lacking compared to the developer’s previous game, DERE Vengeance. With that said, he still enjoyed it, so we decided to hand the spooky platformer over to our App Army to see if they agreed.
Here’s what they said.
Mark Abukoff
This is a cute game with not-too-challenging puzzles, at least early on. I like the vibe of the graphics. The sound is okay. The controls are not the best in that they seem very dim on the screen and there’s no way to configure them. That said, I got used to the controls and made it through the first set of levels. It’s good. It’s not great. The dialogue between two characters now and then is cute with a little storyline about the game. I found out that ‘restore purchases’ gets rid of the ads once you’ve bought it. For that, it’s not bad. Not the most exciting game I’ve ever played but I enjoyed it.
Tom Chan
Spooky Pixel Hero is a unique and captivating retro-style platformer with a chilling horror twist. This game combines the beloved aesthetics of classic 2D-pixel games with a deeply immersive and unsettling narrative.
The game’s premise is intriguing – you play as a young programmer named Darius who has been tasked with debugging and finishing a mysterious game from 1976. As you progress through the levels, you’ll uncover a haunting story that blurs the lines between reality and the game world, creating a meta-narrative that is both clever and unsettling.
The platforming gameplay is excellent, with tight controls and a great challenge. The physics and mechanics have a delightful wackiness to them, adding to the overall retro charm. Navigating the various hazards and puzzle-like elements, such as movable boxes and keys, requires precise timing and skill.
What truly sets Spooky Pixel Hero apart is the way it seamlessly integrates the horror elements. The pixelated visuals, coupled with the chilling soundtrack and unsettling cutscenes, create a palpable sense of unease and tension. The game frequently breaks the fourth wall, further immersing the player in the meta-narrative and making the experience all the more unsettling.
Fans of the developer’s previous DERE series will be delighted to find that Spooky Pixel Hero serves as a prequel, providing valuable context and backstory to the interconnected AppSir Games Universe. For newcomers, the game stands on its own as a captivating and unique experience, but exploring the larger narrative universe is highly recommended for a more rewarding and immersive journey.
Overall, Spooky Pixel Hero is a must-play for fans of retro gaming, horror, and meta-narratives. The game’s blend of classic platforming, unsettling atmosphere, and clever storytelling make it a standout title in the indie gaming scene. If you’re looking for a spooky and unforgettable experience, Spooky Pixel Hero is definitely worth your time.
Robert Maines
Spooky Pixel Hero is a very basic-looking platform game with story elements. The conceit of the story is you’re playing an old game that was way ahead of its time to find out about the programmer who wrote it. As you go through the levels you sometimes have to solve a simple puzzle to clean up the ‘corrupted’ data.
So the platform sections look like something from the Atari 2600 era, with a lot of colour and little detail. The touchscreen controls are floaty and can get frustrating when pixel-perfect movement is needed on some levels. However, the game is playable and the story is interesting. I enjoyed playing the game and if you can stand the ads it’s also free to play so it’s worth a download.
Jason Rosner
Spooky Pixel Hero is the newest horror game in the retro pixel platformer DERE series. I’m a big fan of the previous games from this dev, and I was excited to hear about this release. I’ll start by saying how much I adore the simple, yet colorful pixel graphics throughout this game. From the unique designs of each level to the cool-looking blocky creatures you come across, the game is just very nice to look at. I like the vertical setting for the screen since the stages are well-thought-out.
There’s plenty of room to plan your next steps, and the responsive controls never seem to let you down. Also, the sound effects are a perfect fit, and with headphones, they really pop. Lastly, there’s an actual (spooky) story here of a game dev trying to fix a lost platformer that seems very out of place for its time. Definitely not something you see often in the genre. Highly recommended for a great time!
Naail Zahid
I get the devs were trying to go for a creepypasta game in a game thing, but the scariest part of the game is the controls. They are too floaty, especially for a game that requires precise jumps. Also, the hitbox of our character is all over the place. Sometimes I can make tight jumps, sometimes I get hit by a bat enemy from a noticeable distance. I dunno if it’s just an early build, but that seems like a weird bug.
The story is just ok. But the majority of the game is platforming and controls this bad really hinder the experience. I’d give it a solid 5/10 for the effort.
Eduard Pandele
You could say AppSir always makes the same games – old-school merciless precision platformers/puzzlers with extremely wonky controls. That’s on purpose, and that’s what their fans (including me) love – the artificial difficulty fits the horrific storylines perfectly. There are uneasy themes from loneliness to suicidal tendencies and exploitation, jump scares, funny bits and even laughs – it’s the recipe they use in all of their games, and it works.
Here, you’re a kid asked by a mysterious and bossy girl to fix a game from 1976 that’s definitely way too advanced for that time. Who really created the game, what does that girl want, and why are you even there, hacking away at weird code? That’s for players to find out, assuming they won’t shy away from the devilish tiny challenges in front of them. Levels are microscopic and achievable in seconds, but there are LOTS of them, so it’ll take you at least a few hours to complete it all. Or dozens of hours, depending on your platforming and puzzling skills (yes, this time there’s not just platforming, but also a tiny abstract puzzler to solve from time to time).
The retro art and atmosphere fit the story perfectly, and this is definitely a good game for AppSir fans. Personally, I hate how the exact same bug that prevented me from enjoying DERE Vengeance on mobile popped up on this game, too – the game simply ignores the no ads DLC and kept forcing me to watch ads although I redeemed the code to remove them. Oh well, I’ll just wait until September and play this on Steam, then.
Anyway, if you like horror stories and you are at least reasonably adept at platform games and abstract puzzles, you should spend a couple of bucks and play this. Just don’t listen to the dev asking you to play with the headphones at max level
Swapnil Jadhav
Spooky Pixel Hero is an old-style retro pixel platformer game with beautiful 2D-pixel graphics. To be honest such games on mobile phones, people are still playing a lot. In the beginning, it reminded me of games I might play on the Atari. This game is simply proof for the younger generation that with good game design you can still make something enjoyable, regardless of how it looks. A lot of people still prefer high-resolution 3D graphics in comparison to pixel graphics. This is a great example. My advice for developers would be to make controls smoother.
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