There’s an intuitive understanding that long-time gamers develop. It’s almost like a sixth sense; after about ten minutes with a new game, I can usually tell if I’m going to love it—even if it’s something outside my usual interests. This isn’t really about personal taste, because I’ve stumbled across games that weren’t exactly in my wheelhouse and ended up loving them. It’s more of an instinctive feeling, and it’s often spot-on. I firmly believe you don’t have to finish a game to provide a fair review. If you’re honest in your assessment, the core game loop often reveals itself early. If a game’s not grabbing you in the first hour, it’s unlikely to turn around after five. With that said, I’ve been playing Cryptical Path on PC, and by the time I finished the tutorial, I could tell I was hooked. I’ll get into the specifics, but this might just become my favorite game of 2025, and considering we’re still in January, that’s saying a lot.
In Cryptical Path, you play as The Architect. You’ve been summoned to the Hexium, a sort of prison that you’re supposed to control, but things have taken a turn. A doppelgänger has seized power, claiming dominion and making it clear they’re not thrilled by your return. To complicate matters, they’ve released all the prisoners and transformed them. Your task is to bring order to this chaos. Plus, with another entity sharing your abilities roaming around, things are bound to get tricky.
Cryptical Path is an intriguing take on the roguelite genre. Instead of following a pre-determined map, you create one as you go. As The Architect, you shape The Hexium and decide what happens in it. But there’s a catch: The Doppelgänger influences what you place inside, which means the monsters waiting behind each door aren’t always predictable. You have influence, but not total control, which feels unsettling in your own domain.
Not everything in Cryptical Path goes smoothly. Constructing rooms is crucial, yet it costs resources. Your ability to build is limited by control points, and if you overuse them, curses are your penalty. These can start small, but if you’re not mindful, they escalate quickly. Strategizing your moves is necessary to avoid these pitfalls.
At its core, Cryptical Path is a colorful roguelite, standing out with its unique mechanics and irresistible charm. The care that went into crafting this game is evident in every detail. It’s hard not to instantly find yourself drawn to its world.
Imagine playing through the vibrant universe of a 90s cartoon. Cryptical Path captures that essence beautifully. It’s like an Adult Swim series transformed into a video game—perfectly edgy for adults while still appealing to younger players. If it were an actual show, I’d eagerly watch every episode. The game is expertly written, full of intriguing characters, and, most importantly, it’s a blast to play.
A quick note on the controls. Like many games, Cryptical Path suggests using a gamepad for the PC experience, and here’s why. While mouse and keyboard work fine, a controller offers much better precision. Testing both, I found using a controller offered a noticeable advantage. This isn’t a critique—just a helpful tip for the best experience.
Finding faults with Cryptical Path is genuinely challenging. If you’re into platformers, roguelites, or both, you should definitely download this game. Don’t expect something radically new in terms of mechanics, but do expect a well-executed example of game development done right. This one is a gem.
In conclusion, with nothing negative to say, I’ll wrap up here. Cryptical Path deserves a spot on consoles like PS4, Xbox, and Switch—it would be a smash hit. The Architect is now a top favorite character of mine, and I hope this is just the beginning for a franchise that will continue to delight us for years to come. Stellar effort across the board!
Hexiyummy!
- Look and Feel: 10/10
- Controls and UI: 10/10
- Story: 10/10
- Replayability: 10/10
Overall Score: 10/10
Building something awesome
Cryptical Path is a must-play for fans of roguelites and platformers. It’s been a while since I’ve adored a game’s characters so much that I eagerly await more of them. I’ll be engaging with this game for a long time, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Absolutely excellent stuff!
