Downwell
A vertical falling shooter where the player's gunboots fire as they drop.
Where Downwell comes up4 episodes and tests
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit, interviewing Yacht Club Games' game director and lead programmer testShovel Knight's Signature Moves
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testRoguelikes, Persistency, and Progression
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testBuilding Better Skill Trees
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testDo We Need a Soulslike Genre?Downwell used small, clear design choices in a fast arcade shooter. A reload flash shows when gunboots are ready, three upgrade choices between levels keep menus quick, and gem-based colour options reward long-term play without touching balance. Lesson: make hidden states visible, keep progression fast, and keep cosmetics separate from balance. Its twitchy play also strains the roguelike label, so a prefix like roguelike platformer may fit better.
- Character flashes on reload
- Flash marks guns ready again
- Same spin animation either way
- Nothing shows bash access
A visible flash keeps ability state clear.
From Mark Brown on Downwell
What was said about Downwell
Downwell flashes the character when the gunboots reload, signaling readiness. A visible flash on the character tells the player the moment the guns are ready again, so ability state is never hidden.
Mark Brown contrasts this with Shovel Knight's King Knight, whose spin states with and without bash access share "the exact same animation with nothing to indicate a change between them."
Downwell keeps upgrades fast: pick one of three, then keep falling. Between levels the game flashes three upgrade choices; the player picks one and moves on, so the menu barely interrupts a fast game.
Mark Brown's advice for skill menus in quick games is to shorten the choice or remove the menu: "So just make them quicker."
Downwell rewards repeat play with cosmetics that never change difficulty. Collecting a set number of gems across multiple runs unlocks new colour options, giving a sense of progression while each run stays equally hard.
In Mark Brown's words, these unlocks "have no impact on the balance of the game whatsoever."
Shovel Knight's Signature Moves
It flashes the character when the guns reload, which shows the player when the ability is ready.
Downwell flashes the character when the gunboots reload, signaling readiness. A visible flash on the character tells the player the moment the guns are ready again, so ability state is never hidden.
Mark Brown contrasts this with Shovel Knight's King Knight, whose spin states with and without bash access share "the exact same animation with nothing to indicate a change between them."
Roguelikes, Persistency, and Progression
Gives colour options for gems collected across runs. They have no effect on balance.
Downwell rewards repeat play with cosmetics that never change difficulty. Collecting a set number of gems across multiple runs unlocks new colour options, giving a sense of progression while each run stays equally hard.
In Mark Brown's words, these unlocks "have no impact on the balance of the game whatsoever."
Building Better Skill Trees
It offers three upgrade choices between levels, and the player picks one and moves on, keeping the menu quick.
Downwell keeps upgrades fast: pick one of three, then keep falling. Between levels the game flashes three upgrade choices; the player picks one and moves on, so the menu barely interrupts a fast game.
Mark Brown's advice for skill menus in quick games is to shorten the choice or remove the menu: "So just make them quicker."
Do We Need a Soulslike Genre?
Its twitchy arcade play differs from classic turn-based roguelikes, so purists may dislike it. Mark Brown suggests labels like roguelike platformer to serve both groups.
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