Downwell

Game is a banger, no notes, I just want to second screen this game and cannot because the sound effects are so loud and annoying.

Downwell is a masterclass of game design, and the best game you’ll find on iPhone. Some of the best games are ones where the initial complexity is low, but the depth is enormous. This is called “elegance”. Downwell takes one primary action — shooting with your gun boots — and builds the entire experience around it. Everything from maintaining momentum, hitting enemies, getting combos, and staying in the air is tied to this one action. The pixel art and animation are endearing, and the soundtrack is phenomenal. You’re able to unlock new color palettes by collecting gems, and that one factor alone makes Downwell endlessly replayable. I only have one small criticism, that there isn’t a separate toggle for music and sound effects. Sometimes I want to play with my own music with sound effects turned on, and Downwell lets you do that! But other times I want to play Downwell while listening to a podcast but I can’t hear the podcast over the sound effects, and there’s no option to fix this.

Downwell, setting aside previous reviews, is a really good game. It runs perfectly on mobile, is comfortable, and easy to understand, which makes it very accessible for any player. It would be interesting if, once you unlock a level, there were an option to start from that point or restart from zero. Still, I understand that this is part of the creator’s vision. My only complaint is the controls: they feel somewhat small and too close together, which can be uncomfortable at times. Including an option to adjust their size or reposition them would greatly improve the experience. That’s why I’m giving it 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐