ToonSouls Maker Review Summary

Excellent controls, visuals, and a fun level maker show strong potential and dev support, but the awkward, poorly explained editor and suspected generative AI assets hold it back.

Excellent gameplay and controls: Reviewers consistently praise the game's feel, controls, and seamless transitions, calling the gameplay immaculate and the foundation solid.

Fun and accessible level maker: The level creation tool is highlighted as fun, simple to start with, and a strong unique selling point, with instant public availability of player-made levels.

Outstanding visual style: Users love the art style, beautiful visuals, retro PS1-like graphics, pixel art, and TOON shading, describing the game as beautiful and nostalgic.

High potential and developer support: Reviewers see a lot of potential and appreciate that the developer continues to improve the game while being polite and engaged with the community.

Hyperbolic praise: Some reviews make exaggerated claims such as 'greatest game of all time' and 'best game ever made', which are subjective and low in actionable detail.

Level editor is awkward and poorly explained: The level editor has wonky tools and lacks clear instructions on how to use them. A proper manual is missing, making it difficult for players to design levels.

Generative AI assets suspected: Some assets appear to be AI-generated, and there is uncertainty about whether they are hand-drawn. This raises concerns about the game's art authenticity.

Workshop filled with insta-kill spam: There is a lot of insta-kill spam in the workshop because there is no requirement for a level to be beatable before uploading. This leads to frustrating player experiences.

Game does not match official videos: The game fails to meet the expectations set by the developer's official videos. Additionally, the game was originally intended to be a more blatant Cuphead clone, which may contribute to the mismatch.

Poor art direction and presentation: The art direction is considered awful with mismatched asset outlines, and the overall presentation is poor. These visual issues detract from the game's appeal.

Combat and enemy stacking: The game features combat with a moveset and allows stacking enemies, such as spike cylinders, as noted in clusters 7, 10, 14, 15, and 17.

Level editor is core: The level editor is the main attraction, providing a collection of tools and enabling players to create custom levels, as highlighted in clusters 5, 6, 8, and 15.

Mario Maker inspiration: The game is inspired by Mario Maker, with similar level creation and sharing mechanics, as referenced in clusters 4, 19, and 23.

Simple 2D platformer: It is described as a simple 2D platformer, per cluster 2.

Steam Workshop integration: The game features Steam Workshop integration for sharing user-made levels, mentioned in cluster 9.

Positive recommendations: Multiple reviewers highly recommend the game or fully recommend it to everyone. One calls it possibly the best game ever designed, and another says everyone should play it.

Strong negative purchase advice: Some reviewers explicitly advise against buying the game, especially at its current price. They also recommend saving money and avoiding the developer's other asset flips.

Conditional recommendation for platformer fans: Reviewers recommend the game for those interested in 2D platformers, but suggest getting Mario Maker or Cuphead instead. Another recommends it once trolls leave so true fans can make great content.

Not worth playing for free: One reviewer states that even if obtained for free, the game is not worth playing. This reinforces the negative sentiment about the game's quality.

AI usage affects purchase decision: A reviewer would re-buy the game if the developer stops using AI. This indicates that AI usage is a factor in purchase decisions for some players.

Early access status: Several reviews note the game is in early access, with one mentioning the developer uses it to gather community feedback. This indicates the game is still under development and subject to change.

Comparisons to Mario Maker and Cuphead: The game is compared to Mario Maker and Cuphead, highlighting its level creator and visual style. This sets expectations for players familiar with those titles.

No beatability requirement for workshop levels: There is no requirement for workshop levels to be beatable before upload, which could lead to frustrating or impossible user-created content.

Unfavorable comparison to Super Mario Maker: The game is compared unfavorably to Super Mario Maker, with reviewers noting it lacks the charm of that title.

Simple level creator entry point: A reviewer notes that the level creator has a simple entry point, making it accessible for new users.