Total Party Kill

Total Party Kill is a clever and charming puzzle platformer that revolves around the unique mechanic of sacrificing your own party members to solve puzzles. Players control three characters, each with distinct abilities, and must cleverly use their corpses as platforms or tools to reach the exit in each level. The game features 60 single-screen puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty, offering a satisfying mix of humor and brain-teasing challenges.

While the game is praised for its simple yet smart design, cute retro graphics, and engaging gameplay, it is notably short, with most players completing it within 2 to 3 hours. The soundtrack and visual variety receive mixed feedback, and some puzzles have inconsistent difficulty or feel repetitive. Despite these minor flaws, the game is considered well-priced and highly enjoyable, especially for puzzle enthusiasts or fans of games like The Lost Vikings. Many reviewers express hope for a more fleshed-out sequel with expanded mechanics and content.

Highlights

Players love the innovative core mechanic of killing party members to progress, which adds a fresh twist to puzzle platformers.

The level design is praised for being clever and rewarding, with multiple solutions and a gradual difficulty curve.

The retro-style graphics and animations are described as charming and fitting the game's quirky tone.

Controls are generally smooth and intuitive, and the game offers a satisfying puzzle experience without excessive frustration.

The humor and personality infused by the mechanic of sacrificing teammates adds a unique and entertaining flavor to the gameplay.

Criticisms

The game is criticized for its short length, with most players finishing it in under three hours, leaving some wanting more content.

Several reviews mention that the difficulty curve is inconsistent, with some puzzles feeling too easy and a few relying on obscure or one-time mechanics.

The soundtrack is noted as repetitive and forgettable by some players.

There are minor control and UI annoyances, such as awkward button mapping and lack of a quick reset option.

Some players experienced technical issues like screen display problems or minor bugs, though these are not widespread.

Overall, the game could benefit from more variety in levels, mechanics, and perhaps multiplayer features in future iterations.