Very Smooth, Fun Marriage of Roguelite, Platformer, and Arcade ShMUp Aspects
Thu Jan 28 2016 Armok, God of BudThis is one of the best games available on iOS in my opinion, and certainly the only one that I've really sunk hours into. The gameplay is challenging, but fun and satisfying, and you can take things at your own pace and land often, or descend at breakneck speed racking up massive combos. The concept (both for the item of gunboots, and "falling based Platformer") is original and pulled off fantastically. The sound effects are kind of "crunchy" if that makes any sense, every sound effect feels natural but dynamic. The graphics are simple but have a very nice sort of minimal look with most of the many palettes and effectively get across the information you need about the things you're plummeting towards. Some animations, particularly the "jump moving into falling" animation for the main character, are beautifully smooth. The music is really great and atmospheric and I could listen to it over and over, which is good, since, this being a Roguelite, (roguelikelike?) you'll probably visit most levels, particularly early ones, more than once. If you're thinking about buying this game, just take the plunge (har) and go for it, especially if it's on sale!
Amazing pixel style arcade falling shooter
Wed Jan 27 2016 Mike CherbDownwell is a ridiculously addicting vertical shooter where you slowly fall to the bottom of a well while trying to collect gems, find gun boot upgrades or purchase health or charge upgrades from the shops along the way down. The game sports a classic retro look with its 8-bit pixel graphics and also let's the player unlock skins that will have you thinking you're playing it on your first ever game boy. After completing normal mode you're given an even more challenging mode which I have yet to beat to do this day. Even though the game is for the most part repetitive, the upgrades you'll receive after completing each level will make it seem like a different run through each time. It also rewards skilled playing by giving you health, gems and charge points after racking up large combos. The combo system makes the game feel very rewarding and gives the player a reason to keep playing to rack up even bigger combos. I have been unable to delete this game from my phone and will continue to play this for the foreseeable future. Amazing game Devolver keep up the amazing work.
The best mobile game
Mon Sep 28 2020 TyroneDanger420This is actually my first App Store review, because Downwell is that good. It is not just a great game, but a perfect game for its format. It’s quick, arcade-y rogeulike gameplay with its intuitive simple controls and gameplay make it perfect to play on your phone. The combo system allows its surface simplicity to actually have a lot of depth and challenge. It really is the best mobile game no doubt, 5 stars. However, I do have complaints. As a UX change, I wish you could also turn off sound-effects. You can turn off background music, but it’s pretty annoying when you’re trying to listen to music and you hear the little beeps and boops. As an actual gameplay complaint, while I really appreciate the simplicity I do wish their were more upgrades with more diversity. The very few in the game feel somewhat limited after enough gameplay. They haven’t updated this game in a year so I really hope they make a sequel with more content. This game is truly amazing and if you’re gonna have 1 game on your phone it should be Downwell.
One-of-a-kind gem!
Sun Aug 04 2019 FunkStankI have never had anything bad to say about this game. It keeps me coming back with the unlocks and characters, and gets my blood pumping with gems as I fly through the increasingly difficult levels. You really care about how much health you have and upgrades will truly help you stay alive in this action packed adventure. Starting above the well on the surface really tops things off.
The one thing I would like to see change is iPhone X full screen support. It would let the player see much more of the screen with less finger in the way. To be honest if you never changed it I would still play everyday. It would be nice though!
Fantastic game 5/5
*UPDATED REVIEW BELOW*
Wow, this game hasn’t left my phone since I downloaded it. And that’s saying a lot because I get bored of games really quickly. You would think there’s not much to do, but that’s the beauty of it; you are perfecting the art of falling in a way that hasn’t been done before!
Reaction time, patience, and a few minutes are the ingredients for a good time in Downwell. But there’s nothing stopping you from playing it like a slow paced Mario level!
With the characters, upgrades, shop items, and pallete options, this game can be played in countless ways! Amazing!!!!!!
Oh and the only thing I would have added has been added just recently! iPhone X support!
My favorite game on iPhone
Mon Oct 07 2019 October StormyThis game is DOPE!!! Seriously, I have to really hate a game or app to leave a review. I don’t leave reviews if I like a game, I never keep them long. I’ve had an iPhone since the iPhone 2 was released, and as weird as it feels to say this, Downwell is my favorite game I have ever played on an iPhone. I loved games in the 80s, particularly Metroid which this game was obviously inspired by, so the style of this game is exactly what I’ve missed and wanted out of a pocket sized pick up and put down game. The music is perfect, the color theme is perfect, the characters and style is perfect, it’s simple, kinda loud in a fun way, medium to fast paced, funny, just the right amount of customization options, no overglossing..the game never feels like it breaks character, just all around hasn’t received the credit it deserves at all. If I were to add anything at all to it, it would be more side scrolling and just a longer game (even though for now the farthest I’ve gotten is level 3). This game will be staying on my phone permanently, it’s underpriced, the creators are underpaid, and I’m hopelessly looking forward to merch in the future.
Also, no, I was not paid to leave this review. I hate writing reviews, I just finally found a truly good game.
New update crashes, won’t let me play at all ☹️
Great Game, but Control Problem Literally Gets In The Way
Sun Aug 16 2020 Milo CantosI already owned Downwell on another system, but I love it so much I figured I would also get it on my phone for quick bursts of action before getting back to work. The game is minimalist in the best way: the 3 color graphics (with your choice of unlockable palettes) instantly convey what you can land on and what is better avoided, and the single button (besides left and right movement) that combines jumping and shooting gives you a surprising amount of agility that allows you to strategize your ammo as you assess on-the-fly whether to plunge ahead to preserve a combo or to take your time and plan your next jump. This leads to this version’s major fault that cost it a star: you can turn off the visibility of the onscreen buttons, but unless you have an external controller, your own thumbs are still going to be blocking your vision of what threats you’re about to pounce onto or dodge! If only there was an option to switch the button zones to the top of the screen with the threats you’ve already passed.
Still great game, though!
Amazing Experience
Wed Jul 24 2019 TheLostMan64This is definitely one of my favorite games ever. The tight controls, great visual style, and interesting concept make this game a treat to play. The team behind this game definitely knows how to take an interesting concept, and do so much right with it. The gunboots, for example, are something you would never think would exist in anything, but they’re applied so well that you just forget about it. The controls work great on mobile, and I rarely go in a direction I don’t intend. All the explosions feel impactful, and it’s just great to sink a little bit into each play session whenever I want to play. It’s tough, but once you beat it, you’ll feel accomplished. You’ll never have the same experience every game, and it mixes up the game all the time. I’d recommend this game to everyone, and it’s definitely worth the $3 it is.
(This isn’t a paid review, I just love this game).
I wanted to like it
Tue Oct 08 2019 This guy over here.I wanted to like it. I really did. But the controls are terrible and force you to put your fingers where you need to see. You can set the buttons to be invisible but your fingers still need to sit on top of them. This is a game where you fall down. However your character is on the middle of the screen and your fingers are on the bottom. You have a tiny portion of the real estate on the screen to play the game, meaning most of the screen is wasted showing you what's above you. Which doesn't matter nearly as much as what's below. What's worse is that the tap left or right controls are much less accurate than sliding your finger left or right, which would be a much better method of control. Worst of all is that the game is advertised as having elegant controls. The irony is just too much. On top of this, the description says things you gather on your trips stack. They absolutely do not. You reset everything every time. The only element of progression is unlocking new colors and character traits. Disappointing because the same early levels over and over get boring quickly.
