Crypt Custodian

“Crypt Custodian doesn’t deviate far from the very basics of the Metroidvania formula, but it polishes simplicity to the point where you can’t help but be engaged by it. Having a tight combat system, exploration that doesn’t screech to a halt every five minutes, and a pleasant aesthetic is more than enough to create a fun experience, and Crypt Custodian does exactly that.”

“Crypt Custodian, ultimately, is a charming adventure meant to relax rather than stress and which tried to help the player along rather than hinder their progress.”

“Crypt Custodian is a simple game about making animal friends in the afterlife that mixes isometric platformer and Metroidvania elements.”

“Crypt Custodian is a charming Metroidvania adventure, featuring a deep narrative and engaging gameplay mechanics. Pluto’s journey in the underworld stands out for the originality of its premise, an immersive soundtrack, and flexible gameplay that encourages experimentation. Although the progression loses some challenge in the later stages, the striking visual design and the variety of enemies ensure a memorable experience. For fans of the genre, it is a must-have addition to the Nintendo Switch, offering a balanced mix of exploration, combat, and moments of reflection.”

“I could not think of a more perfect entry-level Metroidvania to have someone dip their toe into the genre. These games can be intimidating due to the incredibly large maps and neededbacktracking. Even though this map is large, the item and location tokens help to massively reduce confusion.”

“Overall, CRYPT CUSTODIAN is a solid platformer with easy to learn mechanics, a fun world to explore, and plenty of things to do.”

“Its art may be charming, and its narrative filled with several emotional and even humorous moments, but the gameplay of Crypt Custodian is the real highlight, revealing a more challenging Metroidvania than it initially appears to be.”

“Crypt Custodian is a great metroidvania title starring a cast of animals in the afterlife. There is lots to do here with puzzles and places to explore with a tonne of backtracking.”

“A charming, and sometimes silly, top-down Metroidvania-style romp that feels refreshing”

“Crypt Custodian has the potential to be one of my favorite games I’ve played all year. I’m so glad that I left my comfort zone to play this game, because it far exceeded my expectations. The story is compelling, the characters are endearing, and it’s all topped off with truly magnificent gameplay.”

“Crypt Custodian is one of the very first metroidvania games I absolutely could not put down. I normally struggle to stay interested in games like it, but nearly everything about Kyle Thompson’s newest title is inviting, fun, and brilliantly addictive. Add to it a massive map to explore and characters to fall in love with and you’d be missing out on not giving it a try as soon as you can.”

“Crypt Custodian is a sensational top down Metroidvania, with compelling combat, loads of upgrades to experiment with, and of course cats!”

“Crypt Custodian takes a relatively dark plot and makes it whimsical, showing an at-times scary yet mostly wholesome version of the afterlife. With solid, familiar Metroidvania mechanics, great art, and fun characters, Crypt Custodian is sure to win you over.”

“Overall, Crypt Custodian is a pretty traditional Metroidvania elevated by its fantastic world, aesthetic, characters, and soundtrack, with solid combat and a lot of build flexibility. These aspects all help alleviate some visual clutter issues and frame rate hiccups, ensuring that Crypt Custodian shouldn't end up lost in the eShop bargain bin like so many other Metroidvanias.”

“With an engaging lead, amusing story, crunchy combat, thrilling platforming, and a fascinating world to explore, Crypt Custodian is a near purr-fect metroidvania. Litter-ly one of the best I've ever played.”

“A charming meowtroidvania.”

“Crypt Custodian is super charming, incredibly fun, and powerfully heartwarming. It took me about 10 hours to complete the main game and collect most of the items. I was able to reach 100% completion in about 13. It may be a short experience, but I had a great time playing it and I can’t recommend this game highly enough. If you’re into metroidvanias and platformers, this is a must play.”

“And while the differences between each zone are mostly just cosmetic, they all feel distinct enough with varied colours, enemy types, and overall themes. A chill soundtrack enhances the laidback and friendly tone kickstarted by the visuals and general gameplay direction, making Cyrpt Custodian a relaxing experience just as much as it is an entertaining one — an impressively accomplished game all in all.”

“Kyle Thompson gets it right once again and makes Crypt Custodian his best metroidvania, easy to recommend. In this world from above, we have a vast and interconnected map, exciting bosses to defeat, more than 100 collectibles to find, and a story of captivating lightness and simplicity. On top of that, Pluto's adventure in the afterlife is an example to be followed in quality of life features that value the experience of those who play.”