Bell Kingdom

I was willing to put up with the imprecision and the almost impossibility of turning correctly when you jump because it was a cool concept and reminded me a bit of Super Mario Galaxy, but the lava level is just straight up the worst level design I could think off and I knew that was gonna be reprised later, so no. Because it's not difficult, because you do not only have to put up with the random and badly implemented jump mechanic that makes you fall into lava at random, but platform in lava don't respawn so you HAVE to know where to go beforehand to take all collectibles needed for a challenge or you will have to restart the entire level every time, so no it doesn't involve skills. A shame quitting because the game was interesting but it has decided to go the worst way possible so... And I can say that the lava level was so badly designed that for once I appreciated an ice level more than a lava one... and I almost always hate ice levels

This game was a lot of fun! Each level has something new to offer. The first time i fought each boss really knocked me down but it was fun to learn the mechanics of them all. Tons of fun little mini-games that range from tests of skill, to knowledge, to just a bit of fun. A few of the bells are too hard to find, even with hints, but you can complete the game without every bell, some are only available after the defeating the final boss for the first time. Still trying to find the last 2 bells. Unrelated: I think airman got defeated with the release of this game.

A lot of really good ideas/cool levels. A lot of heart went into the game. I hope to see more stuff like this. The dark level is worth the price of admission and I normally hate dark levels. My only complaints are that some of the secrets are a little too well hidden and the character feels clunky to control especially in midair. The [spoiler] painting level [/spoiler] level is also insanely cool. The bosses have a pretty good variety of attacks and are all fun. The difficulty curve is a bit all over the place. Some minigames take 10 tries and some 1. I got this for 5$ on sale but I'd recommend it at full price. Really cool and looking forward to see what Blackmoth Entertainment does next. The character art in the journal + the small bios are really neat too. This game really nails the set dressing especially in the [spoiler] dnd level [/spoiler] If you like mario or 3d platformers in general you're gonna have a really good time with this game.

Bell Kingdom is a 3D Platformer that harkens back to a simpler time - where Life-like graphics, AI and pay walls were nowhere to be seen. It also happens to be one of my favourite gaming experiences of the year and totally caught me off guard. It takes me back to a time where I’d sit in front of the TV for hours. Exploring an interconnected hub world and levels just for the fun of it and for the reward of progression and satisfaction. Temper your patience when you go into this game. You aren’t going to move at the speed of light. You are going to die in 1 hit when you touch the lava. You are going to have the jank of slightly awkward platforming. But you’re also going to have buckets of charm, fun worlds, NPCs and just oodles of collectibles and secrets. There’s no upgrades, no skill trees, no convoluted combat system - just good old fashioned platforming. I was blown away when this game booted up. The hub world is so nostalgic. A giant sprawling castle and gardens that unlocks with the more bells you collect. Complete with hidden passages, mausoleums and Easter eggs. It is familiar in its game design but unique and well polished enough to stand on its own two feet and wear its inspirations on its sleeve. The charm and attention to detail was the thing that I wasn’t expecting. A mirror that reflects your image in it as you run about, a wardrobe full of the identical dress you are wearing. Your big sister’s favourite rock band posters plastered on the walls. You get the point - the developer really put their all into crafting a cosy and detailed world and it totally shows and makes the experience even more immersive. On to the gameplay - as others have mentioned - the focus of this game is platforming. Not combat, not puzzles especially - platforming. And that’s a great thing for me. Its levels have a degree of verticality to them and precision platforming that can make segments tricky. You (intentionally) lack the moveset of say SM64 - you literally have walk, sprint, ground pound, jump and double jump. But your move decisions are high stakes and you will fall down in segments and lose lives. This again - I believe - is drawing on inspiration from those early PS1 platformers that had very limited movement and pixels! I like it a lot, I think it fits perfectly with the game design and style and I was really hooked. It felt very very rewarding completing a tough segment and then jumping to collect a big shiny yellow bell. Really satisfying stuff. The levels are so great. I loved the playroom level with changing geometry and gravity. The game level was also so creative and detailed - one of the most unique levels I’ve ever seen - complete with an actual original board game with its own rules and lore. Shout out to the soundtracks too, these sounded straight out of the 90’s and were super catchy. There is so much love and detail jammed into Bell Kingdom. It really caught me off guard. The screenshots and trailer only really scratch the surface. It was a 10/10 for me and I’m excited to return to it in the future and see what projects the developer starts next! Do not sleep on this!