Looking back to all of the many challenging games I've played in the past, I couldn't help but notice a trend of sorts where it often has to do with climbing up increasingly perilous heights and the real threat of losing all of that progress with one misstep in classic precise platforming tradition. Seeing as I do enjoy a good challenge every now and then to my indie titles, I figured it's safe to say that I am no stranger to some of Steam's hardest games!

It's a surprise to see then that, for once, I find myself actually going downwards for a change as Downwell presents us with a premise where we guide a plain man down what appears to be a standard well from the outside, however actually delving inside presents us with a whole world of challenging platforming of its own despite the constant push to fall down as opposed to gaining height for a change.

Going into the actual gameplay here, a player's trip down the well typically sees them go through twelve stages of four different areas before a final thirteenth boss stage that has them briefly revisit each of the four areas in boss battle fashion. To reach that far down below, however, requires the player to overcome the increasingly dangerous threats that await them as one will note that the plain man you control has no traditional weapons of the sorts to start off, simply donning the charmingly-named 'Gunboots' that shoot a hail of bullets downwards and serves as the primary means of killing one's enemies in this game.

To stand much of a chance of survival outside of picking your preferred 'Style' (more on this later) requires some careful planning in terms of what you pick at the end of each stage as well as what you do with this game's currency in the form of gems, since the former will grant you three choices to choose from as far as traditional upgrades will go. Some I found to be quite useful, such as the ability to partially refill one's charges (bullets or rounds, essentially) in mid-air without needing to land to refill them and a shop card that guarantees a shop to appear at the start of each stage and at a 10% discount. Meanwhile others I didn't get on with so well, including the ability to damage enemies with the casings of bullets you fire sideways which is VERY situational and another ability that lets you explode the corpses of your enemies by shooting at them, potentially useful for some but it makes a more handy ability in the form of regaining 1 HP for every ten corpses eaten useless.

As for the latter, since I spoke of shops with one of the abilities I mentioned, there is a chance that you may not encounter a pile of gems or a spot that grants either a heart-shaped or bullet-shaped case that features a letter on it, typically a new gun for the player to use alongside gaining either 1 HP or a charge depending on the container shape, but instead a shop featuring a most quirky shopkeeper who offers you three of six items for sale at a time. These items either recover your HP, increase your charge or offer a mixture of the two as well as the most expensive allowing you to outright raise the maximum HP by one.

What I quite like about how Downwell escalates the challenge is not just through its enemies but also through the hazards of the stages themselves. Seeing as the first area, the Cavern, introduces us to simple foes that are easy enough to handle and teaches the player the basics in terms of enemies that can be jumped on and shot (slimes, worms, frogs & bats) alongside those that can only be jumped on (turtles) and those that can only be damaged by being shot at. (snails & floating eyes) Following this is the Catacomb which brings forth more complex enemies like skeletons that throw bone projectiles at you and floating skulls that can quickly be killed with a single jump but shooting it will enrage it and become a dangerous tanky foe that can no longer be jumped on safely as well as coloured platforms that, when landed upon, will quickly trigger spikes that will hurt the player if not moved out of the way.

After this is the Aquifer which dumbs down the enemies somewhat but ups the ante by introducing a strict time limit in the form of air that requires bubbles found in specific containers to replenish, pushing the player to rush more whilst also avoiding coloured corals that act as permanent obstacles that harm the player as opposed to spikes that give a brief opportunity to avoid. Finally there's the Limbo that, with the previous area reducing the amount of safe platforms, has practically next to no land as the walls and floors are surrounded by spikes alongside various floating enemies that can't be jumped upon, forcing players to skillfully use their gunboots to navigate across whilst also doubling as a punishment for those who neglected to boost their charge gains or wise ability choices!

Truth be told, part of what makes Downwell so brutal is how it is very much a roguelike that features tons of action, however unlike many in the genre that tend to pair gaining new abilities, items and other slight improvements at the start of a new run in extrinsic fashion whilst the player also improves their own skills intrinsically to help push them through the increasingly tougher challenges that wait ahead, this indie only offers the latter. Since there's no progress in terms of practical in-game skills or items that can aid players, this means that one must essentially learn to 'get good' at the game and thoroughly pay attention to enemy patterns and how to adapt to both them and the environment itself.

However that's not to say that there is virtually no progression whatsoever as the gems you collect at the end of each run are added to a tally that, when reaching each goal, unlocks either a new style or palette. With styles these act as different ways of playing the game as the Arm Spin style makes gem piles and shops much rarer in exchange for having more of those heart/bullet-cased gun containers, which some players may prefer if they are proficient with most or all of the guns in Downwell. Meanwhile, the Boulder style allows players to gain two more maximum HP at the start but takes away an upgrade choice for a more strict two per stage, which can work for those who can make the most of what upgrades they are given.

As for palettes, seeing as I'll use this opportunity to speak about the graphics of Downwell in this particular section, I find that most of these are downgrades in the sense that it makes playing the game more of an eyesore than anything sadly. Seeing as I love the simple yet charming art style that compliments the more 'minimalist' look that this indie is aiming for, using nothing but white and a specific colour to highlight the vast void of black in the background that works surprisingly well whilst also keeping the graphics from becoming distracting whilst engaging in the hi-octane action you'll be experiencing throughout the game. It's a shame that most palettes come with obnoxious background colours that make playing Downwell much harder than it needs to be and that the best three (DOWNWELL, MATCHA & AQUA) are ironically the very first three you can get your hands on in this game, as having a simple option for other colours would have been greatly appreciated and gone a long way.

To wrap things up here, Downwell is an excellent example of Devolver Digital's pickings as far as what the best indies in the business have to offer, even with it being a short experience compared to its counterparts, and I would highly recommend anyone who is keen for a new challenge as well as those who likes indies with such a unique premise and effective aesthetics as the one presented here. After all, I bought this originally on the PlayStation 4 back in 2021 and, having never actually managed to reach the end before, I'm quite glad to have given this game a second shot and managed to overcome hurdles I never thought previously possible before!

A masterpiece of an arcade-style game, with tight controls and a surprising amount of strategy bound within only a few simple mechanics. Also, the art is gorgeous even despite the use of only 3 colors, and the music is FIRE.

BOOM BOOM SHOES. One of the best time wasters I've ever played.