Temple of Spikes - A super cruel platformer that will eat you alive if you let it
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Temple of Spikes has no qualms about murdering you. It will impale you on its titular obstacles over and over. And then it will crush you with a falling block. Because it doesn't care whether you're alive or not.

If you've read that first paragraph with a look of horror or boredom on your face, then this isn't the game for you. If, on the other hand, you're smacking your lips at the idea of a new challenge, then read on, brave / masochistic adventurer.

I am dead

The game is a reasonably simple platformer. You're playing a tomb raider who's trying to collect a series of treasures. Unfortunately, the tombs you're raiding have clearly been designed by a psychopath.

To get through them you need to leap, wall jump, dodge, and generally dart your way through a series of obstacles. Die, and you're dropped back at the last save point you unlocked.

It's pretty standard fare, but it mixes things up in pretty interesting ways. Some sections see you dodging falling blocks, others see you having to weave through platforms as they rise up to the ceiling.

Temple of Spikes iOS review screenshot

You'll unlock different skills the deeper you get into the temples. One lets you rewind time when you inevitably jam your face into a spike. Another lets you slow time down, meaning you can move past traps a little easier.

These modifications certainly keep things fresh, but they don't diminish the challenge the game hurls at you. Death isn't just lurking around every corner, it's inherent in every single step you take.

The controls in their default size are going to be a little small for some people's liking. Luckily though you can jump into a menu and better tailor them if your hands are massive and ungainly like mine.

Still dead

Temple of Spikes certainly isn't a game for the faint of heart. Or anyone of a nervous disposition. Or anyone who screams in fury whenever something goes wrong. It's a taxing, time-consuming experience that will either stick its sharp bits into your heart or else leave you cold.

But if it does manage to strike a chord with you, there's a very good chance you're going to stick with it to the end. You just might drive yourself a bit mad on the journey, but then that's what all good adventurers do, right?

Temple of Spikes - A super cruel platformer that will eat you alive if you let it

Temple of Spikes is one of the cruelest games I've played, and if you're into that sort of thing you're going to love it
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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.