Play it on iOS or Android with a Netflix account

They did it! They finally got me to play a Netflix-backed video game. That's the allure of something new from Ojiro Fumoto, the creator of Downwell. The designer's last game was about strategically plummeting, and this new one, Poinpy, is about going up, up, up.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDA33JqHIjE

If this is your first time, here's how it works: you can download Poinpy as a standalone app on Android or iOS, but to play it, you'll need a? Netflix subscription (or someone's login). After launching the game, it'll ask you to sign into Netflix �and even choose your individual profile?? if you're sharing your sub �before playing. In other words, it's a self-contained experience and you don't even need the main Netflix app on your mobile device.

As the trailer shows, the idea is to flick your character upwards with a bit of a time crunch to keep the pressure on. You'll try to avoid accidentally colliding with foes while collecting certain combinations of fruit and climbing ever higher until your run comes crashing down and you go again. Much like Downwell, this quick-on-your-feet game is about being in the ri??ght place at the right time to keep your momentum flowing seamlessly without snags.

It's super vibrant, and while they look pretty different aesthetically speaking, Poinpy and Downwell feel like th??ey belong on the same family tree. It's tri?cky! I'm not great at it.

Fumoto partnered with Netflix Games and Devolver Digital, and maybe if we're lucky we'll see Poinpy eventually land on other platforms. For now, though, this really?? feels like a game that was designed for touch controls. I'm ?sure it could work elsewhere just fine �and that'd be cool �but if you've got a Netflix account handy, give it a shot.

Heh, "Poinpy." Cute lil name.

The post Dow????nwell creator teams up with Netflix for Poinpy, a game about going up appeared first on Destructoid.

How low can you go?

I shouldn't need to talk you into picking up a game as perfect as Downwell when it's free. He??ck, you should probably already own it somewhere -- PC, Switch, PS4, mobile -- because it's only $3. But, $3 is $3, and free is free.

For the next week, Devolver Digital is giving away Downwell for free on Android devices. Something was bugged with the original version, Devolver had to make a whole new app to fix it, and for all the hassle, Devolver's just making it free until September 27. Here's the Google Play page; it goes free today at 5pm Pacific. (Also, if you bought the original version on Android, read this page to figure out how to get a refund.)

We gave Downwell a 10 back in 2015 because it perfectly executes on its simple concept: A roguelike with second-to-second decision-making all while gravity pulls you down. It's one of those games that takes a while to ge??t the hang of, but once it all clicks, you feel so fabulously competent during the long descent. If you're an Android user and you'??ve never played, do yourself a favor and give it a download.

Downwell Accidentally Leaves??, Then Returns to Google Play [Devolver]

The post Downwell is free on Android appeared first on Destructoid.

Ashes Cricket, yes!

Xbox Game Pass is set to receive quite the collection of games next month. Coming from practically every genre imaginable, subscribers to Microsoft's service will have a chance to play Ashes Cricket for free, among others. That's worth the price of? 10 years of su??bs.

In all honesty, though, I'm a bit confused at what is on offer. The Jackbox Party Pack 2 is excellent and Downwell is an indie classic, but everything else seems so random. I know the point of Game Pass is to introduce gamers to titles t??hey'd likely never experience, but this almost comes off as Microsoft throwing darts blindl??y at a chart.

However they were chosen, you certainly won't be hurting for new games to play next month. You can find the full list and dates for each ne?w title below.

August 1

• Ashes Cricket (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Game Pass Ultimate)
• Pandemic (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Game Pass Ultimate)
• Downwell (Game Pass for PC, Game Pass Ultimate)

August 8

• The Jackbox Party Pack 2 (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Game Pass Ultimate)
• Space Hulk: Tactics (Game Pass for PC, Game Pass Ultimate)

August 14

• Slay the Spire (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Game Pass for PC, Game Pass Ultimate)

Coming Soon To Xbox Game Pass: Downwell, Slay The Spire, Pandemic, And More [Major Nelson]

The post Game Pass is getting some very eclectic additions in Aug??ust appeared first on Destructoid.

Levitate Style all the way

Downwell is a roguelike action game about plummeting down an impos?sibly long and monster-filled well with style, grace, and gunboots. As Nintendo Switch owners will soon discover, it is exceptional.

It's one of those games whose magic can't easily be conveyed in words. I can relay how Downwell works (your bullet-firing boots slow your manic descent to a manageable pace and they're topped up when you land on something solid), and I can sum up why I adore the game (it's physically and mentally rew??arding on a second-by-second basis). But that's not a proper replacement for your sense of?? touch.

It's the type of experience that will linger in your mind long after you've called it a night. Deciding which enemies to shoot, which to trample, who to avoid altogether, what types of upgrades to go for on your current run, whether you should prioritize combo-chaining over playing safely, and if so, for how long -- there's a lot of decision making. You just have to roll with the punches Downwell throws your way.

The more you play, the more familiar you'll become with each area's particular threats and the best ways to circumvent them. It's not a hand-holding walk in the park, but it isn't unfair, either. Once you become fluent in Downwell's language, you can "play out" practice scenarios in your mind and bring that confidence into the actual physical game, not unlike Spelunky or other all-time-great roguelikes.

Developer Ojiro Fumoto and publisher Devolver Digital have ported Downwell over just as I?? had hoped, which is to say 1) it's still phenomenal and 2) it's particularly well-suited to this system.

With Tate mode toggled, you can flip your Switch on its side to match the game's vertical display presentation. It's possible to play with the Joy-Con still attached by holding the console in both hands, or you can prop up your Switch. Ideally, though, you'd use the Tate-inspired Flip Grip accessory.

Just like its releases on other platforms, Downwell only costs three bucks on Switch, so it's well within impulse-buy territory. Some of us have this tendency to double or even triple dip on fashionably late Switch ports that offer newfound portability and not much else. Downwell, on the other hand, feels as if ??it was designed from the ground up for Nintend?o Switch. This version is the be-all-end-all.

The post Downwell is a must-play on Switch even? for double dippers appeared first on Destructoid.

Downwell too

If there is one trend I absolutely love with this generation of game, it's the rise of small production publishers that are giving indie games a shot at retail release. Limited Run Games is probably the biggest name in this space, there are other companies doing God's work here. Fangamer produced physical copies of Undertale, Dead Cells reached retailers because of merge, and Owlboy is sitting idly on my shelf between my copy of de Blob and Yoku's Island Express thanks to SOEDESCO.

There's also Special Reserve Games, which announced this week retail releases of indie darlings Downwell, Minit, and The Messenger. All three titles will see physical releases next year for Nintendo Switch while the former two will also have discs printed for PlayStation 4. If you've been holding out for p??hysical releases of these titles, your patience is about to pay off.

Meanwhile, Inti Creates's Dragon Marked for Death is also getting a retail release courtesy of Nighthawk Interactive. The physical edition of this game will include all four playable characters, a point we have to make because of how the developer is choosing to handle the digital release of the game. Dragon Marked for Death will feature two versions on the eShop, one that includes ??the Empress and Warrior characters known as the "Frontline Fighters" pack, while the other includes the Shinobi and Witch characters in the "Advanced Fighters" pack. Each pack will retail for $14.99 each.

Inti Creates also announced a delay on Dragon Marked for Death. The game, o?riginally set to launch on December 13, will now release on January 31. The move was m??ade to shorten the gap between digital and physical releases of the game.

New Dragon Marked for Death Information Revealed at Anime NYC [Inti Creates]
Special Reserve Games [Twitter]

The post Minit, The Messenger, and Dragon ??Marked For Death are all getting physical releases on Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Tate mode, baby

Moppin's sublime minimalist action game about strategically falling with gunboots is coming to Nintendo Switch. If you've never experienced the thrill of Downwell, this port should be your best bet. I've been hoping for this day ever since word got out that the creator took a job at Nintendo.

C’mon like we wouldn’t let you play Downwell vertically on Nintendo Switch?

Tate mode confirmed.

— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) September 13, 2018

This will pair nicely with the upcoming Flip Grip accessory for Switch.

Along with the Downwell confirmation, today's Japanese Nintendo Direct also highlighted other incoming indies. There's Tangledeep, Nidhogg 2, Muse Dash, and ibb and obb.

I need to start practicing if I'm ever going to reach the bottom of the well agai??n.

The post Downwell is going to be just perfect on Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Releasing May 24 for $4.99

I'm starting to feel overwhelmed at all of the games coming out this month. Should I plan to set aside time better spent with other, newer stuff for a chance to double dip on Downwell? Phrased like that, probably not. But then again, Downwell is awesome, and who needs sleep anyway.

The action-platform game about falling strategically is headed to Pla??yStat??ion 4 and PlayStation Vita on May 24, 2016. You can pay $4.99 to own both versions thanks to cross-buy.

On the PlayStation Blog, designer Ojiro "Moppin" Fumoto shared his thanks to the team at Red Phantom Games for handling Downwell's consoles ports. "I'm amazed that they managed it -- I'm sure it wasn't easy to go thro?ugh my terrible code." Thank?s indeed.

The post Downwell should be great on PS Vita and PS4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Sup Holmes every Sunday!

_{[Sup Holmes is a weekly talk show for people that make great video games. It airs?? live every Sunday afternoon on YouTube, and can be found in podcast form on Libsyn and iTunes.]}

Not long ago, we were lucky to welcome Downwell creator Ojiro "Moppin" Fumoto to the program. Though one might guess he and his game were obvious shoe-ins for success, Ojiro's unlikely road to prominence would be hard for anyone to replicate. He initially wanted to compose music inspired by the scores for the early Kirby games. That lead him to study music theo??ry ?and eventually, opera singing, all at a young age, traveling between Japan and New Zealand along the way.

In the end, he ended up being too humble (my words, not his) to continue pursuing opera singing as a career. He did not feel right in the spotlight. Instead, he made the remarkably unassuming, but intensely-charged game Downwell. L??ike so many of the developers I've spoken with on Sup Holmes, I felt Ojiro's personality bore a strong resemblance to the personality of his game, though I don't think I put it quite that way on the show. I didn't want to make?? him feel self conscious. 

We discussed that, how the atmosphere and emergent mechanics of Super Metroid were an influence on him, what he's planning for future games, the joys of working with Devolver Digital, scrapped ideas for Downwell, game enthusiast culture in Jap?an, and a lot more. 

Thanks again to Ojiro for hanging out with us, and be sure to tune in today at 2:30pm EST when we welcome Felix Bohatsch of Broken Rules (And Yet It Moves, Chasing Aurora, Secrets of Raetikon) to the program. 

The post Downwell dev’s next game may have ‘six colors instead of three’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Also a bunch of other indies

Indie champion Downwell is preparing to make a move beyond the PC and mobile realms. In addition to its Android release earlier this year??, Devolver Digital is preparing to publish the game on PS4 and Vita.

This has been confirmed by way of Sony's Japanese indie sizzle reel on its official YouTube account, which details a number of popular eastern localizations, one of which is Downwell. Goat Simulator, Rocket League, Mighty No. 9, and others are also featured in this five minute vi??deo.

The post Downwell is definitely coming to Vita and PS4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Android has a new best roguelike

We all seem to love mobile rogue-lite Downwell here at Destructoid, what with it getting both a 10/10 score in Steven’s review and winning our mobile game of the year award. It’s just a shame that up to now it&?rsquo;s been an iOS exclusive on mobile devices, which means everybody on Android phones has been left out in the? cold.

Fortunately, developer Moppin has unceremoniously announced on Twitter that Downwell will finally be headin??g to Android devices today (January 27). Price hasn’t been confirmed yet, but both the PC and iOS version cost $2.99.

Just to be clear, i?t should r??elease around noon pacific time!

— Ojiro (@moppin_) January 26, 2016

Downwell is just fantastic. It has everything a decent mobile game should h?ave: a clean art style, pick up and play mechanics?, and a fiendishly challenging goal that hooks you in. If there’s ever a mobile game worth splashing out on, it’s this.

The post Downwell is falling onto Android devices today appeared first on Destructoid.

In tate mode

Steven mentioned in his review that he would buy and carry around a dedicated handheld for Downwell. I've had the thought that it would be great on a Wii U Game?Pad oriented vertically. This might be the closest either of us will get to that any time soon.

This morning, Devolver Digital tweeted out the photo below, showing Downwell running on PlayStation Vita in tate mode. Though it isn't an official announcement, it is proof of conce??pt, and it seems like the publisher wouldn't release this now if there weren't plans for it in the near future.

Downwell running in Tate Mode on @PlayStation Vita… pic.twitter.com/heThXWLlio

— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) December 11, 2015

The post Devolver shows off Downwell running on?? PlayS??tation Vita appeared first on Destructoid.

Peek at this prototype

Slowly but surely, Downwell is taking over our staff. As i?t well should -- it's fanta?stic!

It might not look the part at first glance, but get your hands on this game (preferably with a controller), and you'll see why it's infectious. In short: you're never more than a few seconds away from getting into the zone. Once you get good at playing Downwell, you won't stop feeling good.

It's a game about reading your environment and descending strategically. It's a game about momentum. A large part of that stems from the central mechanic: your trusty gunboots. You can shoot to slow your fall, or kill enemies, or destroy pesky platforms, b??ut ammo is in short supply. To reload, you'll n?eed to land, and doing so for even the briefest of moments can be dangerous.

It's hard to imagine Downwell without gunboots, but they weren't always there.

before gunboots pic.twitter.com/syF3LyJazI

— Ojiro (@moppin_) October 21, 2015

This early version might as well be a completely different g?ame!

In the words of designer Ojiro Fumoto, "thank heavens for gunboots."

The post Without gunboots, Downwell was an altogether different?? game appeared first on Destructoid.

Tips, tricks, highlights, scores & stats

Downwell is one of the best games of the year and it's only $3. If the stellar reviews and word of mouth are enough to convince you that this game is excellent, you're in luck. And while it's pretty great to just learn how the game works through repeated, vicious deaths, here a??re some tips to get good quick.

The Basics

- Go down the well

Advanced

- Killing enemies without touching the ground builds combo. Use your Gunboots to control your descent and stomp on enemies (except bright red ones) whenever possible to refill ammunition.

- Time voids. There are magic bubbles built into the walls of the well. Stop in them to grab chunks of 100 gems, hearts, and battery for your Gunboots?? (more ammo). As long as you crash land in the bubble, and not outside of it, it doesn't end your combo.

- Stop & shop. The merchant's shop also ?has a time void. Buy batteries, health, and expand your health. Any heart you get when maxed out fills a little four-block white bar below your H??P meter and filling that will also expand your max health.

- Junk that isn't blocks or platforms can be stomped on for a brief pause in downward momentum, amm??o refill, and a couple gems. All the detritus in the first area, the candles in the second area, and so on.

- Turtles won't die to bullets, so you can empty your clip into them to really slow things down, then bop them fo??r a refill if you need a repriev??e or to take stock of what's below you.

- End your combo at 25. All this talk of maintaining combos. This is because at 8 you get a 100 gem?? bonus, then a battery bonus, and finally, at 25, a heart bonus. Hearts are the most precious commodity, so forget the style points, just keep killing your combos at 25 and stock up on hearts.

- The Knife and Fork upgrade (eat dead bodies for health sometimes) is great and so is the one that creates a blast whenever you stomp on ene?mies. Anything that shoots bullets upwards can be extra helpful starting in world 3 or so.

- The Laser and Shotgun kind of suck at first with limited ammo, but they are powerful and, thus, probably the best late-game for c?ontrolling your fall.

- Levitate Style for life. Playing the game unlocks new styles, like the 6??HP, tubby Boulder style, but Levitate offers the easiest body cont??rol (comboooos), though you might reach a point where the fast-falling boulder helps shave seconds off your best time -- worry about getting to the end once, first.

- There's a wall jump! It requires pretty perfect timing ??and can help in a pin??ch. Or at least for snuffing out candles in wall well rooms, picking up a couple gems like searching the couch for pennies.

The post Dow?nwell tips and tricks to get down the well well appeared first on Destructoid.

Falling with style

Once upon a time I was falling in love, now I'm only fallin??g down we?lls.

Downwell is a game about getting down a well, but the only way to get?? down the well is to learn how to get down the well well. Because this Game Boy throwback is difficult, pitting you against a cast of monsters, gravity and yourself. But it's okay: you ??have Gunboots.

While the roguelike ties and cave-like setting might scream Spelunky, the mostly one-man project is more like a blend of Vlambeer's Super Crate Box and an upside down vertical shooter like Ikaruga.

Downwell (PC [reviewed], Android, iOS)
Developer: Moppin
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Released: October 15, 2015
MSRP: $2.99

Downwell asks you to learn with it, explaining nothing outside of the control scheme (move with directional pad or analog, jump and shoot with one button) and the upgrades between levels. Initial expeditions down the well are clumsy. Your Gunboots start with limited charge (think: ammo) and you have to refill them by touching solid ground. Or -- wait, they refill when you stomp on an enemies' head, too? -- and, oh no, don't try and stomp on an en??emy that is an angry bright red.

These are the kind of things you learn as you delve deeper and deeper into Downwell's four worlds (three levels each) and they ??are presented intelligently. For example, the first spat of blood red enemies that you shouldn't be jumping on all have spikes, video game shorthand for danger. Later ones ??won't warn you so nicely. And of course there's trial and error, too, like touching a hot stove, for those who don't get it.

Level randomization requires you stay engaged. Different power up offerings between levels will change how you play. Dimension-shattering time voids are occasionally cut into the well walls and host a treasure trove of gems or different ammunition. The latter is where the Super Crate Box comparison is obvious.

Changing ammo isn't a strict necessity, but it practically is, given that picking up a new ammo types will often come with a heart or some battery charge for the Gunboots (more ammunition between reloads), but different ammo types function in drastically different ways. Shooting is actually more useful in fighting gravity and keeping yourself from falling too quickly into unseen trouble than it is for killing enemies; they should typically be bopped. Especially since bopping enemies fills ??your Gunboots and stri??nging together kills without touching down gives you rewards. It's best to stomp out enemies, using your ammo stores to occasionally slow your descent or send you across the screen to stomp something else.

Aside from the constantly changing levels, ammo types, and upgrades, new "styles"?? are unlocked over time, like the "Boulder style," which features a much fatter boy who starts with six HP instead of four, but only gets to choose from two between-level upgrades instead of three. Then of course there are dozens of Palette options that change the colors of the game, though I have only found a handful I like as much as the default black, white and red. The variety makes the frequent deaths more palatable and I would probably buy a custom dedicated handheld that ju??st played this game.

Because death comes so quickly, health is at a premium. If you slowly inch your way down the well, stopping at every platform and du?tifully eliminati??ng enemies, you'll take forever and likely not rack up enough gems to clear out shops, which are operated by the the most adorable timeline version of a snowman (who gives a good disapproving face when you jump behind the counter).

But as you get better and can chain combos, netting gem, battery (ammo) and health bonuses, you can stay in the black, even increase your max HP. It's all about building a better, more equipped you while ?you play. It's always fraught, mind. You are working against gravity and your stabilizing shots will sometimes rip the ground from under you?? as you destroy blocks on the way down that might have offered reprieve. Or you accidentally shoot an enemy you're coming up on, losing a chance to replenish your ammo, and end up in a dangerous free fall.

My 15-hour transition from inelegant tank (Boulder style) laboring down the well to eyes-closed, 25-kill-combo (Levitate) falling with style has been a flurry of close calls, of "one more run,??" of consistently dying to the boss despite doubling my starting health. The knees-braced bullet pounding side winding across the screen to slow my descent, the meaty pop of brain stomping and the brief upward moment it grants before gravity yanks me down again. And for such a noble reason.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Downwell appeared first on Destructoid.

One run at a time

I was on board with Downwell (PC, iOS, Android) as soon as I saw this gif.

It's a game about descending a narrow well as a little guy with guns on his boots. Gun boots! Shooting slows your descent and, crucially, destroys enemies and blocks im??peding your progress. But the boots can only hold so much ammo, and to reload, you'll need to land on solid ground.

I'm now watching that gif again. I'??ve become entranced.

This video goes more in depth. If the music sounds familiar, that's probably because it's by Eirik Suhrke (Super Crate Box, Ridiculous Fishing, Spelunky). He's right at home here.

Downwell is "coming soon," and I for one hope the wa??it isn't much ?longer.

The post Downwell is going to take over my life appeared first on Destructoid.

Zen distilled stories

Last week's video was a little late thanks to PAX East, and I said I'd make it up to you. This week, instead of seven haikus we ha??ve ten, and for good reason.

In this series, we normally take a look at the stories that gathered the most attention of the past week, and distill each one down to its essence. This week, the surly D. Takeshi Nakamura instead wanted to highlight our 10 favorite games at PAX East 2015.

• Affordable Space Adventures
• Axiom Verge
• Downwell
• Enter the Gungeon
• Just Shapes & Beats
• Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
• Knight Squad
• Necropolis
• Severed
• Tumblestone

The post Game News Haikus: PAX East Edition appeared first on Destructoid.

Three-button bliss

A glance at Downwell's tricolor palette in still shots doesn't really do it justice. Watching it in motion gives a better idea what it does, but not until actually playing it does it all cli?ck. It is built around a simple mechanic: press the button to jump; press it again in the air to fire gun boots downward.

The recoil doesn't act as a double jump exactly. No extra height can be gained from the s?hots, but the little protagonist's descent can be slowed. The catch is that the boots have limited ammunition in a magazine and reloading requires a stop on solid ground. Those simple mechanics produce a surprising depth in the trip down the well.

In the well, there is an assortment of enemies to shoot. In the first area, frogs hop, bats fly, and spike-shelled snails climb up the walls. Some of the foes can be stomped, but the more dangerous ones must ei??ther be shot or avoided.

So there's a lot of shooting involved, and the shooting serves a dual purpose: keeping from falling and defeating enemies. However, there's also a drawback. Platforms can be fired through, but most of the blocks are destructible. Fire too much and the nearest safe landing will disin?tegrate, leaving the player to plummet into unknown territory.

Still, there are reasons to destroy blocks. Nestled inside some blocks (and ??all enemies) are gems, which also serve a dual purpose. Collected gems can be spent at any of the randomly-occurring shops that line the well. Here, the player can restore or increase health or increase the magazine size on the gun boots. The more interesting function for gems is a system wherein a steady gem income will result in more powerful shots to be fired.

What fal??ls out of that is a constant risk/reward assessment, where the player can opt to advance downward quickly, chaining together gems to keep the power shots fueled. Another approach is to take it more methodically, carefully dispatchin??g enemies to avoid taking damage, but at the cost of reduced firepower. The impressive thing is that both are equally valid philosophies, though I found the most success with a hybrid of the two.

Downwell is releasing for PC and mobile platforms. I tried it on both, and while the controller and the big screen were ideal, it only took a little bit of time to get used to playing it on an iPhone. The big pitfall with the mobile version is that a lot of the action to keep an eye on is at the bottom of the screen, precisely where the controls -- and therefore the player's t??humbs -- are set up. That said, the mobile version still worked well enough to dig into.

Perhaps ironically for a game about a semi-chaotic descent down a well, Downwell is built on a solid foundation. Like other recent lo-fi games, it focuses on gameplay, and it really nails it. I had a ton of fun playing, so much that developer Ojiro Fumoto commented on how long I stayed at his booth. The PAX weekend is still young and there is still a lot to see, but I can imagine going back just to get a few more rounds of Downwell in.

The post Downwell has a simple premise but it’s damn fun appeared first on Destructoid.