Downwell

It’s a pretty bold move to make a whole game about falling down a hole, but Downwell doesn’t just stick the landing, it blasts its way down with a pair of gun-firing boots and doesn’t look back.

At first glance, Downwell seems almost laughably simple: you’re a small figure dropping endlessly into the abyss, armed with nothing but the titular Gunboots. But that simplicity hides one of the most tightly tuned arcade experiences I’ve played in years, a brutally efficient fusion of roguelike progression, fast-paced platforming, and old-school, high-score-chasing chaos.

Every run begins the same: you hop into the well, and gravity takes over. Nasty creatures, spiked traps, and environmental hazards fill the screen as you descend. Your Gunboots serve as both weapon and mobility tool, each shot suspends you mid-air, letting you hover just long enough to reposition or line up your next attack. The shooting feels punchy and responsive, adding a rhythmic pulse to every fall.

But Downwell isn’t just about pulling the trigger. Procedurally generated levels keep each dive fresh, and the upgrades you pick between stages open up wildly different builds. Maybe you stack health boosts and float gently like a cautious spelunker, or load up on gem magnets and high-damage weapons for aggressive, risk-reward runs. There’s real depth here for a game that asks so little up front.

The pixel art might look minimalist, but it’s masterfully deliberate. The stark black, white, and red palette doesn’t just give Downwell its signature retro look, it’s functional. Red means danger, letting you instantly parse threats at breakneck speeds. This allows the action to stay intense without ever feeling unfair. You’ll die plenty, sure, but each death feels like a valuable lesson rather than a controller-snapping rage moment.

And then there’s the vibe. The chiptune soundtrack slaps, the faux-NES slowdown is lovingly intentional, and tiny details like dithered transitions ooze reverence for the arcade era. It’s the kind of thing that reminds you why pixel art isn’t “lazy,” but an art form in its own right.

With its dirt-cheap price, brutally addictive loop, and deceptively deep design, Downwell isn’t just one of the best mobile games out there, it’s one of the best arcade roguelikes I’ve played, period.