Doughlings Cover

Doughlings (PC)

This review was originally written on 06/14/2018.

Technical Information

Developer: Hero Concept
Publisher: Hero Concept
Release Date: 05/08/2018

Among all the Arkanoid-style games available on Steam, this is the one I’ve liked the most (at least up to the moment I’m writing this review).
Like any Arkanoid game, the goal is to clear the pieces on the screen.

A gameplay screen from the game Doughlings, with a sign that says "Show off!". A gameplay screen from Doughlings in an early level. Doughlings' stage selection screen. A Doughlings' stage with a spider as the playable character. Level editor from the game Doughlings. A gameplay screen showing the main character hitting the targets with the ball.

Final Thoughts – Looking at the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

At first glance, it’s clear that the game’s entire aesthetic leans heavily toward a kids’ style: cute and smiling characters, bright colors that don’t strain your eyes. It was made with great care.
Matching the game’s visuals, the HUD and interface are super intuitive and easy to use.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

You may find the sounds strange or even a bit annoying at first, but as you play, you notice they give the game a lot of personality, and without them, it would probably lose a lot of its charm. Even with its very childlike tone, people of any age can play without feeling out of place because of the art style, language, etc.

The soundtrack is pretty good, without repetitive or irritating tunes.

Gameplay

Doughlings adds several cool features to make the gameplay more fun and immersive.
First, the pieces you destroy are Doughlings — inhabitants of this universe — who mutated and turned into bad creatures because of a meteor. You use the ball to hit them and save them from this mutation.

You can choose to play with the mouse or keyboard, and you can customize the buttons and mouse sensitivity. Just from that, you can already tell the game offers solid customization to fit each player’s preferences. The game is very easy to control, and as you progress, a mini-tutorial appears explaining new abilities.
As you advance, you can transform into different Doughlings with special abilities that give you temporary advantages during the game. And that’s not all! As you progress, you can also upgrade each mutation’s abilities.

Each level has three rankings: global, friends, and personal. This makes the game quite competitive for score enthusiasts.

Another very cool feature is that the game includes a level editor! You can create your own stages or play stages created by other players. The editor is super easy to use, and when something is wrong, it shows a pop-up telling you what the issue is.

Replayability and Game Retention

Besides the challenge of getting three stars in every level, you can also compete for a spot on the leaderboard.
Feeling bored? You can spend some time creating new levels or playing ones created by other players.
The game really has excellent mechanics that make players want to come back.

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