Developed by Fire Foot Studios, Kick’n Hell is a platform climber set in the deepest depths of Hell – which is quite apt, as that’s exactly where the game places you in more ways than one. Any sadomasochists reading will no doubt find a little glint of pleasure in the frustrating ethos that this game seems to pride itself on. The rest of us, however, may feel like we’ve been sentenced to eternal torment, keyboard in hand.

Kicking Brains While Losing Your Mind

The concept behind Kick’n Hell is simple enough: climb your way our of the inferno by kicking large fleshy brains that act as grotesque trampolines – that’s it. You kick, you climb, you fly. Miss your mark and tumble down a few layers (if you’re very lucky) and later down the line you will truly master the art of cussing. Think Only Up – but with more emphasis on jumping, a hellish setting and without the nagging suspicion of stolen assets.

Where you aim your Kung-Fu kick determines your trajectory through the pungent air of hell. It’s less about blind leaps and more about carefully judged kicks and blind patience. It’s a deceptively simple control system that quickly reveals its devilish side as you start to realize how unforgiving the game can be when you inevitably mess up a jump.

A (Not So) Helpful Beginner Mode

There is a “Beginner Mode” that includes checkpoints, which in theory should ease the pain. In practice, even this feels like a light slap on the back before being thrown into a pit of spikes. While the checkpoints are welcome, they’re spaced out just far enough to make you question whether the game actually wants you to succeed or simply revel in your failure. And let’s be honest: it’s definitely the latter.

Welcome to Hell – Enjoy the View

Visually, Kick’n Hell has a distinctive style. The environments are suitably grotesque, fleshy and twisted, with enough blood-red backdrops and skull motifs to remind you you’re not in Kansas anymore. It’s all very on-theme and, to be fair, surprisingly consistent for an indie release of this scope. That said, after the first hour or so, it does begin to wear a bit thin. The novelty of the hellish visuals quickly gives way to the sheer focus needed just to stay on a platform, and any appreciation of the aesthetic is soon buried under a mountain of failed jumps.

Sound Design from the Underworld

Audio-wise, it’s a fairly sparse affair. There’s a persistent ambient soundtrack that keeps the tension ticking over but it certainly isn’t one you will remember after playing the game for the last time. The sound effects do the job intended with squelchy brain kicks and some distorted ambience, but again, they’re more functional than memorable.

A Trial of Fire (and Gravity)

The biggest thing Kick’n Hell has going for it is the challenge. If you’re the sort of player who enjoys losing progress, then regaining it by sheer force of will and twitchy reflexes, this might just be your new religion. But make no mistake: this game is not for the faint of heart or the easily frustrated. It’s the kind of experience that will leave your spacebar crying and your sanity hanging by a thread.

Summary

In the end, Kick’n Hell is exactly what it sets out to be; a punishing vertical platformer where failure is frequent and progress is hard earned. However, this make for a more rewarding experience when you do manage to make that particularly tricky jump. There is fun to be had if frustration is your thing, but for most, this will feel less like a game and more like a trial.

Also play – Jump King