RoguedexPart 1 (Sep 2023) · #2 of 5 in that tierWatch the moment (0:45:53)
Downwell
- Developed by
- Moppin
- Published by
- Devolver Digital
$2.99
Downwell is a curious game about a young person venturing down a well in search of untold treasures with only his Gunboots to protect him.
Consensus
A75.6/100
Steam players96.5% positiveOverwhelmingly Positive8,641 reviews
Metacritic ↗81/100Users: 6.8/10
OpenCritic ↗83/100
VG Insights estimate ↗≈501K copies · ≈$956K gross
What creators say
Ranked Apr 2023 · #29 of 42 in that tierWatch the moment (2:03:54)
Ranked Apr 2025 · #7 of 9 in that tierListen to the episode
What players say
A one-man-made (Moppin) vertical arcade roguelite where you fall down a procedurally generated well, using gunboots as both jump and weapon, in a stark black/white/red pixel style.
Downwell is received as a small arcade classic: Steam sits at Overwhelmingly Positive (about 96.5% of roughly 8,600 reviews), OpenCritic at 83 (84% of critics recommend) and Metacritic PC at 81, with stronger scores on iOS (91) and Switch (88). Critics and players praise the tight, instantly readable controls, the one-more-run loop and the style/module variety. Complaints cluster around high difficulty and run-to-run luck, thin long-term progression and power-up pool, and a few missing quality-of-life options on PC. Metacritic user score is notably lower (6.8, Mixed) than Steam, suggesting a split between fans and people who bounce off the speed. It is a finished, cheap game (about $2.99 on Steam) that has been ported widely (iOS, PC, Android, PS4/Vita, Switch, PS5) rather than an early-access or abandoned title.
Players love
- Extremely responsive, simple controls: left/right plus one button that both jumps and fires the gunboots, so movement and combat are the same verb
- Addictive short runs that invite 'just one more try'; good for quick sessions and works in a vertical display mode on Switch
- Distinctive, minimalist look (black, white and red with swappable palettes) and a strong soundtrack, including the music cutting in the moment you land
- Deceptively deep mechanics: combos, gem collection, ammo management and stomping enemies reward skilled play
- Styles, modules and perks that change how a run plays, giving variety within a very small game
- Bargain price and heavy replay value; many Steam reviewers report owning it on several platforms and playing for over 100 hours
- Hard mode and a meaningful final boss give a reason to keep going for players who master it
- Polished feel for a solo-developed debut; awards included Destructoid Best Mobile Game of 2015 and GDC Best Debut nominations
- Plays well as a low-commitment pick-up game: several Steam reviewers play it while waiting in queues or alongside podcasts, and some own it on multiple platforms
Common complaints
- Very punishing: tiny health pool and fast pace mean one or two mistakes end a run, which many players find unfair or overwhelming
- Runs feel luck dependent (level layout, upgrade offers, shop items), so skill cannot always rescue a bad run
- Enemy density late in a run can make it hard to spot your character and produces deaths players call unavoidable
- Some color palettes reduce readability, since gameplay relies on three colors and a few palettes only have two
- PC port lacks basics: no proper options menu, no jump remapping on keyboard, no screen shake toggle according to negative Steam reviews
- Hit detection and movement complaints from some players when the screen is busy
Can feel tedious
- Reaching proficiency can feel like grinding through many quick deaths with little carried over between runs
- Repetitive runs despite procedural generation, noted by Game Informer
- Random level, shop and upgrade rolls that some players feel do not reward learning from mistakes
- The pace is too fast and stressful for some, who describe it as nearly unplayable without inhuman reactions
- Forced screen shake and missing accessibility/control options on PC frustrate a few players
What's unique
- Gunboots: the jump doubles as the weapon and as a fall-slowing tool, fusing platforming and shooting into one input
- Vertical, downward-only descent structure with short runs, closer to an arcade score-attack than a typical exploratory roguelike
- Strict limited palette (black/white/red, blue for water) with many unlockable palettes that act as collectible skins
- Combo-and-gem economy where stomping chains without touching ground drives both score and currency
- Originally designed for mobile and vertical play, and it still plays well on phones and rotated displays
- Soundtrack that kicks in on landing, tying audio directly to the core movement loop
Players want
- A full options menu on PC: key remapping (jump cannot be rebound), screen shake toggle and other accessibility settings
- Stronger persistent progression or meta-unlocks so repeated runs feel cumulative (Game Informer cited lack of long-term incentive)
- A larger and better balanced perk and weapon pool; reviewers note a few options are clearly stronger than the rest
- Better readability in busy rooms and in alternate palettes, with gameplay-critical colors kept distinct
- More difficulty options or an easier entry ramp for newcomers who find it too hard
- Better support for widescreen/horizontal displays, where the vertical aspect ratio is awkward
Summarised from Steam reviews and community discussion.
Steam tags
Precision PlatformerAction RoguelikePixel GraphicsIndiePlatformerArcade2D PlatformerActionDifficult2D
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Tier list Part 1 (2023)
Downwell is a minimalist roguelike where you fall down a deep well instead of climbing, using only left, right and jump, with the jump button also firing your gun downward. He thinks it is amazingly well designed and feels like a game-jam idea turned into a fun game. It is punishing and purely skill-based, and it becomes repetitive because there are no distinct builds. He finished it once and does not plan to return, so he places it high in D tier, explicitly not counting its low price.
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