REVIEW / Cryptical Path (PC Game)

When you’ve been immersed in the world of gaming for as long as I have, certain instincts just kick in naturally. It’s almost uncanny. These days, I can figure out if a game is going to captivate me within the first ten minutes of playing. Now, this isn’t just about personal taste. I’ve stumbled across many games outside my typical genre and ended up loving them, so it’s more about a gut feeling. And, more often than not, my instinct is spot-on. This is why I firmly believe you don’t need to finish a game completely to write a fair review; the key is to be impartial. Game loops tend not to change drastically, so if you’re not enjoying yourself in the initial hours, chances are it won’t get much better later on. I mention this because I’ve been diving into Cryptical Path on PC, and by the end of the tutorial, I was already smitten. Let me walk you through why, as we delve deeper into the game, which might just be a contender for my favorite of 2025—quite the claim considering it’s only January.

In Cryptical Path, you become The Architect, who is summoned to the Hexium, a sort of prison under your control. Things have taken a turn for the worse, though. A doppelganger has seized control of the place, claiming to be the master and is not thrilled by your presence. To complicate matters, they’ve set all the prisoners free and transformed them. You’ll need every ounce of your power to prevent chaos from spiraling out of control. And having another entity with powers eerily like your own roaming around doesn’t make things any easier.

Cryptical Path stands out as an intriguing take on the roguelite genre. Unlike other games where you follow a predetermined map, here, you’re actively creating one. The Architect is responsible for crafting the Hexium and dictating everything within. This means you’re building each room you enter, monsters included. However, thanks to The Doppelganger’s meddling, you’re blindsided to what exactly you’ll encounter. You hold power, but not complete control, which is quite unsettling in your domain.

As I touched upon earlier, Cryptical Path won’t always bend to your will. Constructing rooms is essential yet costly. Your reach is limited before negative effects kick in, represented in-game as control points. Constructing a room depletes these points, and should you fall into a deficit, a curse is triggered. Initially, these curses are mere annoyances, but they can escalate if you’re not strategic. Thus, planning is essential.

At its core, Cryptical Path is another platform-based roguelite, but that hardly matters. Its mechanics inject enough freshness, but what truly sets it apart is its style. The game’s aesthetics have been crafted with such care and attention that you can’t help but be enchanted.

Playing Cryptical Path feels like stepping into a 90s cartoon in the best possible way. Imagine if Adult Swim transformed a long-running series into a game—that’s what we’re talking about. It strikes the perfect chord, offering the right amount of edge and maturity to keep older players engaged, while also being appealing to younger gamers. Honestly, if this were to debut as a new TV series tomorrow, I’d be glued to the screen. It’s well-scripted, packed with compelling characters, and above all, it’s just plain fun.

Now, one thing worth noting about Cryptical Path involves the controls. Plenty of games suggest using a controller, and often you can get by with a mouse and keyboard. However, in this case, I strongly recommend using a controller. I’ve tried both, and I think you’ll find you’re much more precise with it in hand. It’s not to say you can’t manage without, but it’s certainly not optimal and worth bearing in mind.

I rarely find myself at a loss when critiquing a game, but Cryptical Path is an exception. I’m genuinely hard-pressed to pinpoint any negatives. Fans of platformers and roguelites simply must give this game a go. Now, if you’re not expecting groundbreaking mechanics and just want to enjoy expertly crafted gameplay, this title won’t disappoint—it’s a masterclass in game development.

In conclusion, there are no complaints here, so I’ll wrap it up. Cryptical Path needs to land on consoles soon because it’s bound to be a hit with PS4, Xbox, and Switch audiences. The Architect is my new favorite character, and I sincerely hope this is just the start of a successful and enduring franchise. It’s amazing stuff from start to finish!