Master Key

I really wanted to like this game but there were so many small issues that, piled up just don't make it enjoyable. Two-colour graphics are cool at first but get old as everything just starts to blend together. Your swing has barely any range even if you get the sword upgrade. Enemies aren't knocked back (which I can normally excuse but in the context of everything else here I can't ignore). There's practically no story. Money feels completely irrelevant. I'm almost at 500 and there's not much to buy or let alone do anything with aside from just getting a bigger wallet. Graphics aren't that interesting to keep with the palette, feels like I'm playing a Playdate game. There's barely any save points so exploring is a complete slog and I've spent most of the run so far backtracking because I died in a far spot and have to go all the way back. Music is the only thing I can't criticize. It's pretty good. I stopped right after getting a ham, not knowing what it does and then being forced to use it in the forest Orc fight (essentially wasting it) and then having to backtrack ALL the way back to the forest from the town because there's no save points. At this point, with no story to be invested in, graphics not standing out and it being a pain to get anywhere I don't see a point to keep playing. There's nothing to keep me interested.

An interesting game, clearly the author wanted to evoke the feeling they remember of early zelda (or zelda-like) games. And if you're someone with lots of time to spend and enjoy wandering, lost, confused, frustrated on where to go as the game won't tell you, i could certainly recommend it. If you have less time to spend due to work or family and prefer a game that points you in the direction you need so you can make measurable progress faster, maybe this isn't for you? however there are some pretty good (not perfect) annotated community maps for the game that can help. I'll admit i had to use a map to work out where to go next, and while i don't plan on 100%-ing the game, once i was back on the right path did have fun with things, but did find it quite frustrating at times (whether it was being lost, or balloon mechanics, or axlotls) so it might not be a genre i explore further. but yes, if you enjoy games that don't handhold, try it out! or try it out anyway if you've never tried such a game, it's cheap enough that you'd hardly regret the purchase to learn if you too can help a little fox to accomplish big things.

EDIT: Alright, it looks like I gave this a positive recommendation too early. The late game suffers from an extremely annoying dungeon and I can't motivate myself to finish the game anymore. ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW: This is the game you thought Mina the Hollower was going to be. I know the graphics suck, but if you want the promise fulfilled, this is the game to buy, not Mina There are two notable problems with this game. - The map does not pause the game - The map does not show parts of the world that are dark, even after exploring them Also, the developer is infamous for marketing this by spamming this on subreddits that have nothing to do with zeldalikes. He really needs to stop doing that.

Cool 2D-Zelda-like. Lots of secrets, very fun.

Master Key lässt mich mit gemischten Gefühlen zurück. Überwiegend positiv, aber es hätte mit wenig Aufwand so viel mehr sein können. Die "Story" ist simpel: Da bist Du, hier ist der Schlüssel, viel Spaß. Und mehr gibt es auch nicht. Man weiß nicht, wozu dieser Schlüssel passen soll, man weiß nicht, in welche Himmelsrichtung man muss, die Figuren sprechen nur Bildern, die in 90% der Fälle nichts mit dem Geschehen zu tun haben. Wenn man diese Gegebenheit akzeptiert und sich einfach anhand der Erkundungsmöglichkeiten erfreut, dann ist das Spiel richtig stark. Es gibt so viel zu entdecken und Grenzen sind immer natürlich, z.B.: Ein Fluss ist im Weg, aber man kann nicht schwimmen; ein Abgrund behindert das vorankommen, aber man sich nicht darüber hinwegsetzen; Steine blockieren den Weg, aber man kann sie nicht kaputt machen. Jedes Item, das man findet, hat dahingehend eine richtig hohen Wert, da es einen bereits besuchte Bereiche mit neuen Augen sehen und neue Areale erkunden lässt. Und darüber hinaus ist noch so viel mehr darin versteckt. Dennoch fragte ich mich zwischendurch immer wieder: Warum mache ich das hier eigentlich? Ich musste mich immer selbst motivieren, um weiter zu spielen, was schade ist. Ich hätte es beispielsweise clever gefunden, wenn man das zum Schlüssel passende Schloss irgendwie von Anfang an vor Augen gehabt hätte (wie z.B. das Windfischei oder das Schloss mit dem großen bösen Monster). Oder wenn ein paar mehr NPCs Hinweise zur Spielwelt oder zur Hintergrundgeschichte gegeben hätten. Oder auch, dass die Spielwelt selber per Design etwas mehr zur Hintergrundgeschichte erzählt hätte. Es wurde definitiv Potential verschenkt, aber es ist dennoch ein lohnenswertes Spiel.

good game

A very fun and quite well made top-down metroidvania (or at least the progression very much feels like so) inspired by Zelda games (never played one, but I assume so) with secrets at every step. The abilities and progression feel very good, altough it's hard to remember stuff when the map is so big. Well, there is an in-game map, but it pixelates if you zoom out a little bit and overall I didn't find it that much useful because of that design... Unless you wanna scan it being super zoomed in. Oh, and I hated the furnace dungeon... I think with it being designed in a way where you can end up running around a lot trying to figure stuff out, the respawning enemies were really driving me insane. It's felt like trying to figure out a puzzle while 100 flies are bothering you. These two things just didn't go well together, at all. One last thing. Why is there a menu with around 120 solvable nonograms? That's cool and all, but just why? And why is there an achievement for doing all of them... Almost 8% of players did it. I'm geniuenly so confused about it.

Master Key is a game that, with only 2 colors and zero written information, gives a really well made zelda-like experience with new means of progression and discovery throughout the entire game. Initially feels pretty jank, but when you get used to how the game is intended to be played it progressively feels much better, especially when you get more tools to deal with both navigation and combat. Low-bit spritework and a perfectly fitting soundtrack does a lot too, the game is really committed to conveying as much as it can with an intentionally limited art direction and does it very well! Also there's a really well made picross game in this. If you like picross this is literally 2 games.

Pretty great zelda-like, very good potential for a randomizer, items with distinct and varied uses, some pretty creative items too that wouldn't be out of place in a zelda. lots of clever secrets, fun puzzles. the combat is ok, took a bit to get used to, comparable to link to the past, though you do shuffle strangely when swinging while moving, and landing a hit causes stun frames. i mostly just attacked from afar juggling the projectile weapons when I could. there's a difficulty meter in the settings. game could be pretty frustrating and tedious at times. of course the combat can be a bit frustrating, dying is quite punishing, you can miss practically vitally important equipment, and there are a few required puzzles that not conveyed very well. optional puzzles that are tricky or not clearly conveyed is ok because that's kinda the charm and appeal to the game. I will say that even then, there are some puzzles that are beyond cryptic. also there are a ton of nonograms aka picross. if you like picross honestly it's worth the money just for it, lol.