Level Devil Is A Giant, Hilarious Middle Finger To You

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Occasionally, you might not fully appreciate the importance of expectations in game design until they are disrupted. For individuals of a certain age, the fundamentals of a 2D platformer and its level layout are as familiar as the back of their hand. However, Level Devil deliberately subverts these expectations at every turn, challenging your assumptions with each new level.

Instead of appearing as though it could lead to annoyance, my experience with the game has been nothing short of consistently amusing and enjoyable. Although I usually shy away from games where there’s a risk of lost progress, encountering defeat in Level Devil and enduring a similar level of setback doesn’t provoke frustration for me but instead brings about a hearty laugh rather than a sigh of exasperation.

As a devoted player, I can confidently say that Level Devil is a game designed with the intent to challenge and frustrate me… and it usually succeeds! What sets this game apart is its ingenious methods of doing so, which consistently keeps me on my toes and leaves me in awe. There’s no denying that it’s crafted with a touch of spitefulness, but that just adds to the overall fun and excitement.

Levels are organized into groups of five stages, each with a specific motif. Each stage is relatively brief and typically reveals your primary challenge: a pit where you might fall or spikes you could land on. The theme’s title – try to figure out how “Flappy” levels unfold – may offer some idea of what’s ahead, but even then, it’s only when the “Devil” part of the name comes into play that the real challenge begins.

At one point, you begin in a room located on the left side, with the exit situated on the right. You navigate over a straightforward chasm in between, assuming something might go awry. Miraculously, nothing does, so you proceed towards the exit. However, all of a sudden, an imposing obstacle appears, obstructing your way and towering too high to leap over. In this split second, you comprehend that there’s no route to the exit; instead, the barrier rushes toward you, sending you tumbling down the chasm and ending the game. Instead of being frustrating, this–much like most instances where the game attempts to eliminate you–caused a hearty burst of laughter from me.

This game, based on what I’ve read, seems rather amusingly aggravating. Despite its potential to appear frustrating, the stages are brief enough that you don’t lose significant progress. The way it plays with your expectations is so straightforward, it’s hard not to chuckle. Much of my enjoyment from playing Level Devil comes from wondering how it will find new and inventive ways to end my character, or what unexpected obstacles lie ahead. It skillfully builds suspense about the challenges that await; you’ll soon learn not to approach any hazard in a straightforward manner as you would in a Super Mario game. While this tactic sometimes works in your favor, it usually sets the stage for the game to respond to your attempts to navigate the level in an unconventional way–it seems to be shaking its head at you, saying “Not so fast.” I haven’t played a platformer as gleefully lethal since Super Rude Bear Resurrection.

In some stages, you can’t predict what will happen next and failure is almost guaranteed. This aspect, which I usually find frustrating in platformers, surprisingly makes Level Devil one of my favorite platformer experiences in recent years. The reason being, I view this game as equally a comedy game as a platformer. No matter how you classify it, Level Devil is an incredibly enjoyable game that I’ve played in ages.

I’m cautious about providing too many instances of this – the thrill is largely due to the surprise element. Despite not being frightening, the moments where your character grows in size (almost meeting its demise by touching spikes on the ceiling) or encounters those clever sawblades that chase you, vanish into the ground, only to reappear ahead of you had me giggling in a way that very few games have managed. With no dialogue, this might be one of the funniest games I’ve ever experienced.

There’s a chance to conquer a stage right from the start, and since the game often surprises you with unexpected challenges, overcoming it gives an extra sense of accomplishment. However, learning to appreciate failure is key – after all, we all face defeat, but rarely does it come as entertaining and amusing as it does in this game.

On March 25th, the new PC version of “Level Devil” will be launched. This release includes fresh levels that weren’t present in earlier games, along with a collaborative mode for two players to enjoy together.

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2025-03-19 17:39