GAME REVIEW: Cryptical Path for PC

There’s something truly captivating about gaming. Once you’ve spent enough time immersed in it, you begin to develop a sort of intuition. It’s peculiar, but I’ve reached a stage where I can almost instantly sense whether or not I’ll enjoy a game, often within the first ten minutes of gameplay. This isn’t simply about personal taste, though. I’ve ventured into genres outside my usual preferences and found unexpected joy. It’s more about a gut feeling, and more often than not, it’s accurate. For this reason, I believe you don’t need to play through an entire game to give it a balanced review; fairness is key. The core mechanics generally remain consistent, so if things aren’t clicking for you early on, chances are they won’t improve much later. I bring this up because I’ve been diving into Cryptical Path on PC, and even at the end of the tutorial, I realized I was smitten. I’ll delve into why as we proceed, but I have to say, this game might just become one of my favorites of 2025 — and considering we’re only in January, that’s quite impressive.

In Cryptical Path, you take on the role of The Architect. You’ve been summoned to the Hexium, a unique prison entirely under your control, as chaos unfolds. An enigmatic doppelganger claims mastery over the domain, unimpressed with your arrival. To make matters worse, all prisoners have been released and transformed. You’ll need to harness all your powers to prevent the situation from spinning into complete mayhem. And then there’s the added complication — another entity is roaming the space with suspiciously familiar abilities, which certainly doesn’t help.

Cryptical Path presents itself as a roguelite, but it’s not your usual fare. Rather than following a pre-set map, you’re tasked with creating one. As The Architect, you construct The Hexium and have control over its contents. This means every room you step into, along with whatever monsters reside there, is of your own making. The downside? The Doppelganger’s influence leaves you in the dark about what guards those spaces. You’ve got power, just not absolute control, which is unnerving, especially in your own turf.

Not everything in Cryptical Path is bound to work out in your favor. Crafting rooms is essential yet costly. Your power only stretches so far before adverse effects start creeping in, flagged by control points in the game. Each room uses a certain amount of these, and dropping below your available pool invites a curse. Initially minor nuisances, these curses soon escalate if you aren’t paying careful attention. So, deploying some strategic thinking is advised.

At its core, Cryptical Path is a platform-based roguelite, but don’t dismiss it as just another foray into the genre. What sets this game apart is its style. The intricate care and love infused into this title make it too charming to overlook.

The game evokes a nostalgic blend of playing through a ’90s cartoon, but in the best possible way. Imagine if Adult Swim ventured into video games from their beloved series — that’s what this feels like. It captures just enough edginess and maturity to hook us older players while retaining the allure for teenagers. Honestly, if this story made its way onto a TV screen as a series, I’d eagerly watch every episode. It’s well-crafted, features compelling characters, and, most importantly, it’s an absolute blast.

I should highlight a point about Cryptical Path’s controls. While many PC games suggest using a control pad, it’s often not necessary. However, for this game, I strongly recommend playing with a controller. While playing with a mouse and keyboard is doable, a controller offers better precision. It’s not a deal-breaker, but definitely worth noting.

Rarely do I find myself writing a review where I struggle to pinpoint flaws. Yet, that’s exactly the case with Cryptical Path. If you’re a fan of platformers or roguelites, you need to get your hands on this game. While it may not revolutionize mechanics, it stands as a testament to developers executing ideas flawlessly.

In conclusion, there’s little left to criticize, so I’ll wrap things up. Cryptical Path needs a console release soon. I have no doubt PS4, Xbox, and Switch players would love this game. The Architect has swiftly become a favorite character of mine, and I hope this is just the beginning of an IP we’ll be enjoying for years to come. Excellent all around!

Hexiyummy!
– Look and Feel: 10/10
– Controls and UI: 10/10
– Story: 10/10
– Replayability: 10/10
– Total: 10/10

Building something awesome
Cryptical Path is a must-play for roguelite and platform fans. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been so captivated by characters that I’m eager for more of their adventures. This is a game I’ll enjoy for a long time and wholeheartedly recommend. Stellar work all around!