Super Dangerous Dungeons - That pretty much sums it up
Awww, look at the cute little adventurer

No, don't look at him. I hate him. He's a total jerk who keeps jumping into lasers and pits of lava. Why does he keep doing that? What have I ever done to him?

Well, by the sounds of it thrown him into lasers and pits of lava

That's true. Okay, this is Super Dangerous Dungeons. It's a touchscreen remake of a flash game, from the same dev as the excellent Tiny Dangerous Dungeons. And it's cruel. Cruel in the sort of way that my cat was sat on my lap when I was playing it and she kept scowling at me because I was swearing so much.

I'm guessing it's a platformer then?

Indeed. Rather than the Metroidvania style of Tiny Dangerous Dungeons, this is a much more focused affair. You leap around tight little levels, grab a key to open a door, then try and make your way out.

Doesn't sound too difficult in principle

Well, in practice it is. It's sharp-edged to the point of making you bleed almost every time you make a leap. The levels might be small, and the simple controls might look welcoming, but this is the sort of game where taking upwards of 50 tries to get something done is far from rare.

Hmmmm, so not one for those of a more casual bent?

Probably not. This is a game that lives up to its title with aplomb. It's split into little chunks, each with its own theme, and punctuated with boss levels. There's no fighting the bosses though - just lots of running away.

Running away?

Yup. The bosses are huge creatures - there's a rolling rock with a grinning face, and a lava spewing behemoth - and you need to sprint away from them, leaping through an increasingly difficult series of platforms and traps. Get touched by the boss and you have to head back to the start.

Sounds frustrating

It can be, but the restarts are so quick, and the controls are so slick that it's difficult to blame anything other than yourself for your failure. And it makes your successes that much more special. Some of the swears that annoyed my cat were cries of joy.

One for the masochist then?

Maybe not a full on masochist, but you're going to have to have a penchant for challenge to get the most out of Super Dangerous Dungeons. But it's worth persevering with. It's not the most original game in the world, but it sparks in all the right ways, and there's a bouncy core loop that will keep you engaged for a good long while.

Super Dangerous Dungeons - That pretty much sums it up

A super sharp-edged, but super enjoyable retro platforming challenge
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.