500 reviews, 100% positive – new bomb-caterpillar metroidvania becomes a surprise hit on Steam
Öoo is a Metroidvania – a 2D platformer inspired by the classic Metroid and Castlevania games. Instead of a traditional hero, you play as a caterpillar that grows bombs on its tail, using them in various ways to move, fight enemies and solve puzzles.
The concept is straightforward, and the visuals feature a simple pixel-art style. These elements combine to create exactly the kind of game many Steam users seem to crave. Just five days after its release on August 7, Öoo had already received 510 reviews – all positive, which is rare on Steam. Currently, the game holds the top spot in SteamDB’s “Hot Releases” category.
Players praise the creative level design with its satisfying “aha” moments, simple yet deep mechanics, engaging game flow and charming presentation. Criticism is rare, though some mention the short playtime of about two hours and the low difficulty early on. Others point out that the structure is unusually linear for a Metroidvania.
Japanese solo developer NamaTakahashi created Öoo in collaboration with tiny cactus studio and released it under his own name on Steam. The game normally sells for around $10, but a 20% launch discount reduces the price to $7.99 until August 14. It supports both mouse and keyboard as well as controllers. Steam Deck (available for $460 on Amazon) compatibility is listed as “Unknown,” but given the modest system requirements, Öoo should run on most modern handheld PCs.
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