It's a short game, so I'll keep my thoughts short.
Downwell is a game that does a lot with very little. It only has 3 colors in all of it's art, it only has 3 buttons to control Welltaro for the entire game. These are just the clearest examples, but it really is a simple game. Yet it reminds me of games like Celeste that are able to use all aspects of their design in interesting and elegant ways. Everything in Downwell revolves around the premise that you are falling down a well. The game play is structured around this gameplay, but its not just how your character controls, but how everything else is built to challenge that premise.
For example, enemies can either be shot with your boots, or stomped on. The game then introduces enemies that can't be stomped on, so the player then has to prioritize shooting them, and stomping others. There are also these large 'skull' enemies that become more hostile after being shot, so the player is incentivized to stomp on them so that they don't enter that aggressive state.
This elegant design can also be seen with how the boots function. Your boots are controlled with your jump button when you are airborne, and they give you a way to suspend yourself while in the air. This act of using you boots not just for shooting, but also for movement is crucial in entering that 'flow state' that gameplay oriented games try to get you in. Its about reading the layout of the room, and then figuring out the best path to kill all enemies, grab all loot, and avoid damage. This movement with the boots becomes especially important when you reach the 4th area, but I won't spoil why.
The only "problem" with Downwell is that it doesn't go beyond the initial premise. Downwell is nearly perfect at what it does all things considered, it just hasn't stuck with me due to its brevity.
Downwell is a game that does a lot with very little. It only has 3 colors in all of it's art, it only has 3 buttons to control Welltaro for the entire game. These are just the clearest examples, but it really is a simple game. Yet it reminds me of games like Celeste that are able to use all aspects of their design in interesting and elegant ways. Everything in Downwell revolves around the premise that you are falling down a well. The game play is structured around this gameplay, but its not just how your character controls, but how everything else is built to challenge that premise.
For example, enemies can either be shot with your boots, or stomped on. The game then introduces enemies that can't be stomped on, so the player then has to prioritize shooting them, and stomping others. There are also these large 'skull' enemies that become more hostile after being shot, so the player is incentivized to stomp on them so that they don't enter that aggressive state.
This elegant design can also be seen with how the boots function. Your boots are controlled with your jump button when you are airborne, and they give you a way to suspend yourself while in the air. This act of using you boots not just for shooting, but also for movement is crucial in entering that 'flow state' that gameplay oriented games try to get you in. Its about reading the layout of the room, and then figuring out the best path to kill all enemies, grab all loot, and avoid damage. This movement with the boots becomes especially important when you reach the 4th area, but I won't spoil why.
The only "problem" with Downwell is that it doesn't go beyond the initial premise. Downwell is nearly perfect at what it does all things considered, it just hasn't stuck with me due to its brevity.