Helltaker is a game I got on impulse. I saw it was free on Steam and liked the art, so I decided to check it out. I didn't know anything about the game or what to expect before I started playing.

The game has a straightforward concept that I loved. You play as a guy looking to create a harem of demon girls. That's the entire story. Bored with everyday life, you venture into hell to meet these demon girls. Each level of hell has a demon with a unique personality guarding it. As you progress, you discover more about each demon and their backstory. The game is laid-back and doesn't take itself too seriously, making it easy to get into. I was impressed by how smoothly the demons interacted with each other. The whole thing was executed really well.

I don't have a lot to say about the sound in the game, but wow, the graphics are amazing. It's not even about the game's graphics, but how the demon girls are drawn. Their style and design are beautiful. I love each one for different reasons. They all look unique and have their own personalities. I haven't drawn in a long time, but seeing how they're designed makes me want to start drawing again.

The main part of the game is solving puzzles. Your task is to get to your demon girl by moving rocks, defeating enemies, and unlocking chests with keys, all within a certain number of moves. There are no special powers or tricks, just ten quick puzzles. But the final boss and the DLC are a different story...

When I was younger, I played a lot of custom maps in StarCraft: Broodwar. There was this type of map called "bound" maps, though I never knew why they were named that. They were special maps where you controlled a fast-moving unit. Your goal was to navigate through exploding objects in what seemed like a random pattern, without dying. The cool part was that the pattern wasn't actually random, and you had to figure it out. Quick reactions and good control were really important. That's exactly what the final boss and DLC in this game remind me of. The DLC does have some puzzle levels, but it's mostly about this kind of gameplay. I would totally love a game that's all about this. Playing these was so much fun. I've never seen anything like it outside of those custom maps.

Sadly, there's not much reason to play it again. You'll get most of the achievements the first time you play, except for a few hidden ones. The game is designed to be short and quick, and it really is just that.

Helltaker is a short, fun, and challenging puzzle game. Every aspect of the game is just right. The engaging gameplay, stunning character design, and unique story make it an ideal experience for me. We need more games like this. I think we've had enough of those 120+ hour games that take over our lives.

Oh yeah. Right now. Tonight. What else are you planning on doing?

Complete!