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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 141 Ratings

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  • Summary: Spelunky is a platformer with randomized levels that offer a unique and challenging experience each time you engage it. Journey deep underground and explore fantastic places filled with monsters, traps, and treasure. Fully-destructible environments open up an array of strategies and make itSpelunky is a platformer with randomized levels that offer a unique and challenging experience each time you engage it. Journey deep underground and explore fantastic places filled with monsters, traps, and treasure. Fully-destructible environments open up an array of strategies and make it a blast to master the game's many secrets. Expand

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14th Annual Independent Games Festival winner for Excellence in Design - Spelunky
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 54
  2. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Jul 2, 2012
    100
    Spelunky's astonishing creativity and the spectacular depth that opens up as you make progress make it easy to forget that it's also an extremely competent platformer, with tight, poppy controls that work far better on an Xbox 360 pad than they ever did with a computer keyboard.
  2. Hyper Magazine
    Aug 8, 2012
    100
    Robust mechanics give rise to endless experimentation. [Sept 2012, p.70]
  3. Jul 2, 2012
    90
    Spelunky is a game that takes experts 10 minutes to complete, but it will take you hours before you're remotely ready for that challenge. This is a superb 2D platformer that's as easy to hate as it is to love, and your patience for punishment will be the determining factor.
  4. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 14, 2012
    90
    A highly addictive and ruthless (in a good way) 2D-platformer with an endless supply of random roquelike-levels. You won't beat this one in a hurry. [Sept 2012]
  5. 85
    It's madness worth embracing.
  6. Aug 3, 2012
    80
    Spelunky provides a serious but just challenge with great controls, clever items and a fantastic system for randomizing levels. It's a shame it hasn't been advertised more than it has.
  7. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Sep 23, 2012
    50
    Frustrating. [Issue#89,p.82]

See all 54 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 28
  2. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. May 13, 2022
    10
    This game is hard,but with so many thing to do,a game that mix lucky with the rage.simply perfect,after watch a gameplay by issacTV(italianThis game is hard,but with so many thing to do,a game that mix lucky with the rage.simply perfect,after watch a gameplay by issacTV(italian youtuber)i love Expand
  2. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    I wasn't expecting a lot from this game when I first heard about it. Sure I love retro-gaming and this one looks like a refurbished game fromI wasn't expecting a lot from this game when I first heard about it. Sure I love retro-gaming and this one looks like a refurbished game from the eigthies (which it actually is). First time I tried it, looks particularly hard, because I kept dying over and over again. Sometimes I could die in less that 15 seconds. Could be frustrating to some, but for me it was challenging. As in Super meat boy you have to retry many times before getting the hang of it, but when you reach a new randomize level, it's very rewarding. I have yet to finish the game but I won't give up until I do. I would recommend this game to everybody who is willing to put some effort in game. As far as I'm concerned, Spelunky is the best XBLA game since Super Meat Boy, hands down ! Expand
  3. Jul 4, 2012
    10
    This is the type of game that will get bad reviews because people don't have the patience to really get what it's all about. Also, if youThis is the type of game that will get bad reviews because people don't have the patience to really get what it's all about. Also, if you don't enjoy hard games, you will hate this game. This game is so rewarding because it takes so much planning, concentration and even luck to get through to the end. The controls are great, the items useful and fun, and it has great variety based on the endless iterations of the various levels. If you're up for a challenge and understand that it's going to take you hours to master the gameplay, you're going to love Spelunky, which is undoubtedly the most well-designed and executed game of the year so far. Expand
  4. Nov 20, 2014
    9
    Okay,Spelunky is an Action-Platformer,where if you are a casual gamer,you have a high chance to not like this game.The game is cut up into 4Okay,Spelunky is an Action-Platformer,where if you are a casual gamer,you have a high chance to not like this game.The game is cut up into 4 sections,with 4 areas inside of each section.But,if you die,it's back to the beginning. This game is brutal,so brutal it took me over 600 runs to beat it my first time.The game does fell very satisfying to complete though,and it has very good stylized and pretty graphics,and the music is awesome.This game also has co-op,and might be fun to play with a friend for a few laughs,and bursts of rage.The game has even a hidden hard mode,but I won't spoil the "fun" in finding it.Or I guess you could just look it up.The game also has an Arena Mode,but playing with bots is very frantic,and might not interest you for very long.The game is very fun,but only for the people who like losing a bunch before finishing this game.Casuals will get very frustrated with the game's very tight and responsive controls.This game will test you,and if you are not ready,it will annihilate you,but every death feels as though it was your fault. If you like good music,responsive controls and a game that will destroy you,this is for you. Expand
  5. Jul 7, 2012
    8
    Spelunky is a XBLA game costing 1200MS Points, based on an Indie game that was released for PC in 2008, and consists of a 2D platform gameSpelunky is a XBLA game costing 1200MS Points, based on an Indie game that was released for PC in 2008, and consists of a 2D platform game with old-style gameplay, as we saw in 8 and 16 bit consoles. The basic game is the prerogative of an explorer, after an Aztec artifact, which has to go through various underground levels and stages, to the exit of them.

    The Graphics of the game are simple, but the XBLA version won a updated look, being cleaner and more polished, still maintaining the old-style look, but being attractive, with a more "lively" and colorful. Everything else, like Menus keeps the air retro game. The CG animation of the game use to tell the story and have a simple air, but more refined.

    Audio: songs and voices are simple, but with a good audio, and effects, and voiceovers (in animation) are consistent with the actions and what you see, but still keeping the classic look we see in graphics.

    Gameplay: here is concentrated the greatest attraction of the game - the game has a series of 14 levels, which should be circulated with controls typical of the old platform games, and using some objects to help walk the galleries and avoid hazards such as spikes, sags and enemies, ranging from the simplest like snakes to advanced ones, like ghosts.

    You have objects like a rope (to climb up or down from a session), pumps (used to break the floor or walls) and a whip (to break objects or kill enemies), and other items that are being released with the progression in the game (such as jet packs).

    The Levels has the objective to reach the exit using its limited and scarce resources, and in the meantime, picking up treasures and rescuing characters if you want. You can make your way using the items, or try to cross using pre-established paths, but keeping the retro look, nothing is as easy as it sounds.

    If you die, you'll be returned to the initial stage of the game, and added to that, we have the fact that the levels are random generated, never a stage will be equal to each other and never the difficulty will be predetermined.

    Summary: the game is a very good classic platform game, with a retro air, but it presents a difficulty that may disappoint many people, but to please players who like games more hardcore platform games - the price is a little salty, 800ms points would be better.
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  6. Jul 3, 2013
    8
    The art style is amazing charming, the gameplay is tight and awesome. This is truly the kind of game I'm pretty sure I used to dream aboutThe art style is amazing charming, the gameplay is tight and awesome. This is truly the kind of game I'm pretty sure I used to dream about when I was a kid playing the NES. It's different everytime, it rewards patience and caution, and when you start to make it to later levels you really get a sense that your skill has grown. The multiplayer is mayhem, and it's absolutely fun working with your friends to survive the depths! Expand
  7. Apr 24, 2023
    0
    Eh bé, voici un petit bonhomme au nez tout rouge (parce que c’est un clown ou parce qu’il est alcoolo ?) avec une casquette qui fait penser auEh bé, voici un petit bonhomme au nez tout rouge (parce que c’est un clown ou parce qu’il est alcoolo ?) avec une casquette qui fait penser au petit plombier communiste de chez Nintendaube : comme lui, il saute partout sauf qu’il s’est pris pour Indiana Jones.

    Hélas, beaucoup trop de marrons pour Tendaube qui n’en a point voulu (le marron, c’est caca) : pas de kart rigolol non plus, même pas de champignons magiques ! Heureusement (!) la réalisation en 16 couleurs de ce « jeu » (lol ?) en 2D est d’une fraîcheur très indé ! à savoir qu’elle est débectante (c’est repoussant de laideur). Tant pis si ça ressemble à un jeu de plate-formes pourrave de la fin des années 80, du moment que cela peut émerdeveiller le public rétron très friand du genre !

    Encore une « belle » salopetterie en tout cas à ne mettre dans aucune main parce qu’on le vaut bien et qu’on ne veut pas de ces jeux-déchets jetables, immondices en 16 marrons différents !
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See all 28 User Reviews