The Bleakest Keep

10/10

This game is so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ great

I bought this because of the goth baddie and i got a pretty simple but engaging game, while it's clear that it was made by either a single person or a very small dev team, the gameplay is addicting and the game itself is very charming to the point that it makes you look past that, don't come expecting Elden ring with guns or anything like that, my only gripes with it are the lack of any meaningful unlocks and the lack of music, can't wait to see what dev can cook up next.

Addicting gameplay loop. Every choice you make feels like it matters, and every mistake hurts. I recommend utilizing the practice range to learn enemy patterns. Bosses aren't that difficult once you learn them. There's some criticism that the game doesn't have music, but the only time I even notice this is during boss battles, and even then I don't find it to be a big deal. The game is actually pretty short, but you'll put in a decent amount of time getting good enough to even see the end. After you complete your first run its just a matter of trying to speedrun the game and get a higher rank. Game is randomized enough to keep things interesting and there are items and upgrades that can help you get a better time. I suggest being patient with this game. It is challenging but not at all unfair. Once you know what you're doing you can consistently complete a run with ease. As far as game polish, its polished better than a lot of AAA games. You can tell that it was made by like 1 or 2 people. That said, this is an indie game and the dev(s) seem to have understood their limitations and worked within them quite well. I find the lack of music and limited assets to be understandable for a $10 game. I got it on sale but I would recommend it even at full price.

It's pretty good.