while it is a 2d indie game,
downwell is a very fun action game
it's simple, move left and right, jump, and pressing jump while in midair lets you use your gunboots to shoot down any enemy you see (except a select few)
you can stomp some enemies and gain ridiculous combos for high rewards (while bright red ones damage you on contact)
collecting gems they drop or in caves that stop time enough (100 gems) allow you to become 'gem high', giving your weapons boosted damage as long as you keep collecting more. they can also be used in shops to buy health, max HP, or energy (max ammo) for your gun, or in some cases, HP and energy
the caves mentioned earlier contains either the gem crystals you can shoot to get gems, or gun modules, that either give HP (shaped like a heart) or give more energy (shaped like a box?). they all work differently, like a laser that shoots a heavy damage, 1xinfinity laser that basically kills anything in its path, but uses lots of ammo, or the 'noppy' which changes the bullet angle depending on if you move right of left. the caves also stop time, so being inside one allows you to plan out what to do if swarmed by enemies
at the end of a level, you a can choose an upgrade, like a drone that shoots with you, the ability to make all destroyable blocks turn into upward bullets when shot, or a heart balloon that pops and explodes violently, killing anything in the explosion when touched
there are 5 areas, with the first 4 bring unique in their own ways, and the last being a final boss requiring you to use all the skills you've learned so far. every one is randomly generated and is never the same in layout, but same in style.
playing more unlocks more palettes to change the game's color, and different playstyles that change how things work, like armspin style that only gives gun modules in caves, and shops are rare to see at all. different palettes change how the 3 colors of the game look, red, white, and black, to something different, like pink, white and blue, with more than 30 to unlock.
the game is of course a roguelike, and can be ruthless with difficulty, but not unfairly so. with some practice, clearing areas can be a breeze and beating the game can be a definite possibility. with some effort, you can unlock hard mode and be given a real challenge
on one last note, the game is super cheap and is on a lot of platforms with no inapp purchase DLC bullstuff. $2.99 on steam, and currently $1.49 (50%) with the sale they have going on. also on android, ios, ps4 and ps vita, so you can play it almost anywhere
if you want an easy to learn, addicting, challenging rogue-like, this is a game i'd recommend playing
