Curtains The Clown

Curtains The Clown really surprised me. I don't usually play a lot of platformers, but this one has something special: a huge, hand-crafted world full of secrets, with a unique visual style and a mysterious atmosphere. The gameplay is challenging, especially in Grim mode (I died a ton, but it's addictive 😅), yet you can tell the creator thought of everyone by adding a more accessible Casual mode. The jumping, wall jumping, and exploration all feel solid, and discovering the different endings adds a lot of replay value. Overall, for a project made entirely from scratch by a single developer, it's truly impressive. You can feel the passion and effort behind every detail. Plus, the price is more than fair for the amount of playtime it offers. Highly recommended if you enjoy challenging adventures with heart and personality.

Fantastically frustrating platformer here! If you enjoy great feeling movement mechanics and mind bending puzzles this is your game! For the price of a coffee you could have hours of fun! Check out the demo if on the fence i SLG-Guarantee you will feel the "one more run" infection! Very well done Mr Grim!

Curtains the Clown is a neat little exploration of what an open-world platforming game can be! The music is great, and the platforming takes skill. Maybe a bit too much skill, or I'm just really not good at it, ahaha. It is clearly a labor of love, and absolutely worth checking out!

I've been lucky enough to see this game ahead of release. One of the highest compliments I can give to a piece of media is that it appeals to me outside of my usual genre/preferences, and that is true of Curtains The Clown! The more you play the more depth you discover in terms of both gameplay and lore. The level design is superb with some really neat tricks up it's sleeve. Practice really pays off and makes you feel like you've made huge progress. Some of the endings have subtle details that will get you speculating about what exactly is going on. Absolutely a recommendation, Truculentia awaits!

Curtains The Clown is a compact but expressive 2D adventure that blends classic platforming sensibilities with a quiet sense of melancholy and curiosity. Developed and published by GrimClownJay, the game introduces players to Curtains, an alien being with a clown-like appearance who finds himself stranded on an unfamiliar planet after his ship runs out of fuel. Rather than framing this situation through lengthy exposition, the game opts for subtlety, letting the environment, movement, and player choices communicate the experience. This restrained approach gives the game a reflective tone, where exploration feels personal and discovery carries narrative weight. Gameplay centers on fluid movement and environmental navigation. Curtains is equipped with a versatile set of traversal abilities, including wall jumps, double jumps, bunny hopping, and a directional boost that allows for creative momentum-based movement. These mechanics are simple to understand but rewarding to master, encouraging players to experiment with timing and positioning rather than relying on precision alone. Traversal is the primary source of challenge, and much of the enjoyment comes from learning how to chain movements together to cross dangerous terrain or reach hidden areas. The controls feel responsive, and while the game doesn’t overwhelm the player with complexity, it provides enough mechanical depth to keep movement engaging throughout its runtime. The world design supports this emphasis on exploration. The planet Curtains explores is presented as a seamless, interconnected space with no intrusive loading screens, reinforcing the sense of being lost in a single, coherent environment. Progress is largely non-linear, allowing players to wander, backtrack, and uncover secrets at their own pace. Scattered throughout the world are key items that influence how the journey ends, creating multiple possible conclusions. This structure rewards curiosity and observation, as players who take the time to thoroughly explore are more likely to uncover alternate paths and outcomes. The idea that your ending depends not on combat prowess but on what you choose to find gives the experience a thoughtful, almost contemplative edge. Visually, the game leans into colorful pixel art that balances whimsy with unease. Curtains’ clown-like design contrasts sharply with the alien landscapes he traverses, creating a slightly offbeat tone that feels intentional rather than random. The environments vary enough to remain interesting without feeling cluttered, and their simplicity helps maintain clarity during platforming sections. The audiovisual presentation supports the game’s atmosphere rather than dominating it, reinforcing the sense that this is a personal journey rather than a spectacle-driven adventure. Narratively, Curtains The Clown is deliberately understated. Story elements are revealed sparingly through environmental cues and interactions rather than explicit dialogue or cutscenes. This minimalist storytelling approach invites interpretation, encouraging players to reflect on Curtains’ situation and the meaning of escape, survival, or acceptance depending on the path taken. The game’s multiple endings further reinforce this ambiguity, as none feel definitively “correct,” instead serving as different reflections of the player’s priorities and discoveries. It’s a narrative style that resonates most with players who enjoy reading between the lines rather than being guided step by step. As a solo-developed project, the game carries a strong sense of personal craftsmanship. While it doesn’t reach the technical polish or content density of larger indie platformers, its strengths lie in cohesion and intent. Updates and refinements following player feedback suggest an ongoing effort to improve clarity and balance, particularly in early sections where mechanics are introduced. This responsiveness adds to the sense that Curtains The Clown is a labor of passion rather than a disposable experiment. Ultimately, Curtains The Clown is a short but meaningful experience that prioritizes movement, atmosphere, and player-driven discovery over scale or spectacle. It’s best suited for players who appreciate indie platformers with personality, subtle storytelling, and a focus on exploration rather than combat. While modest in scope, it delivers a complete and memorable journey, offering a quiet sense of accomplishment and reflection that lingers beyond its final moments. Rating: 6/10

Been watching this game since it was first announced. The best parts are the little surprises I found that I missed from the numerous updates along the way!

If you like some moderate difficulty, or diabolic depending on your selection, and the overall clown theme its easy enough to spend a few bucks on it. I wouldn't say it has the tightest controls but I've played notably more expensive and "polished" games that actually felt bad to play, this just takes a bit to get used to. The art style is effective and looks suitably otherworldly, with the added benefit of some good complexity in backgrounds especially when parallax is going on. I also enjoy the character and animations which feel pretty fluid, but considering I opted to buy this game it should be obvious I'm a sucker for clowns. It does feel a little too non-linear at times for me with an overall lack of direction beyond just platforming around to get all the things, and dead end or otherwise unnecessary sections included for no apparent reason. Though they're often no more than a few to 10 seconds of detour and in a less forgiving game would probably kill your character. Ultimately if you want a game with no AI, a clown theme, that's affordable, and seems to be made by someone just having fun then I'd say give it a play.