Mini-Metroidvania Ascent is a must-play

If you want to introduce people to Metroidvania, it is possible to throw them into the deep end. Hollow Knight You could also offer them an easy re-creation of the magic, which captures all its essence without requiring a lot of time. Enjoy! AscentJohan Peitz has created the freeware indie video game titled. It gives you all of the thrilling thrills and excitement of Metroidvania, in only 30 minutes.

Ascent is developed for the PICO-8, a “fantasy programmable game console” that has been used as a simple game-making tool for game jams and other small indie projects. But don’t underestimate the PICO-8’s 128×128 resolution — it’s capable of creating some truly memorable experiences. This is the internationally adored CelesteFor example,, was started as a PICO-8 Project.

There is no plan at the moment to change, Ascent into a much larger game, that’s fine, because it stands alone as a pretty stellar Metroidvania already. It checks all of the boxes that you’d expect to see in one of these game. In an unexplored (but dangerous) world, you start out defenseless. Eventually you’ll stumble upon unlockable upgrades that let you delve deeper into this world, from ledge-grabbing gloves to a handy butt-slam. By the end of the mini adventure, you’ll be far more capable in this alien world than when you arrived.

The experience is presented in perfectly minimalist pixel graphics — a hallmark of Peitz’s style. Peitz’s projects often involve the creation of genres using the most minimal sensibilities, including the great Sunday Golf)He is a master at reducing a Metroidvania’s essence to its essentials, which is quite impressive.

Better still, Ascent is 100% free, and can be played in a browser with a keyboard, which means if you’re stuck at your dull job with 30 minutes to kill, you’ve just found a way to escape the world:

Controls:
You can move with the left and right arrow keys
Jump with Z
You can climb ladders using Up- and Down-arrow keys
Moves with X or Z