Gupscore: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Category: Metroidvania, 2D Platforming
Look, I follow a lot of cozy gaming content creators and this game was one of those that received a lot of hype. And knowing what I know now, I would be remissed if I didn’t mention that this definitely was a cozy gaming trap. Like just because it looks pretty, it does not make it cozy. This game had me questioning whether is it really that good, or am I just really terrible.
Anyway.
The game just looked so pristinely made judging from the trailer so I simply had to check it out for myself. It was released last November 2025 though, so the Steam page no longer includes the demo, but I was fortunate enough to have it installed already so I was still able to play it locally last December.
First and foremost, Constance is a platforming metroidvania that received constant comparison to its predecessors Hollow Knight and SilkSong for its general vibe and gameplay mechanics. And I wouldn’t fault the devs for trying since Hollow Knight was such a big deal. I’d say it’s a win for them in many ways that I would note in this quick review. Personally, I feel like Constance sort of pulled back from trying to reach the depth and impact that Hollow Knight achieved but at the same time it was short and sweet and it managed to stick to its overarching theme throughout the gameplay, so I guess it’s a success all on its own.
I could argue that it has better and smoother graphics though. Everything looks hand-drawn and expressive: the background was marvelous, the characters look really cute (as a robotic girly, I secretly wished this game got bigger so I could get a merch off of those little robot thingies) and the vibe is weirdly cozy even though the gameplay was a boob punch and the themes are kind of heavy. The music fits perfectly too, along with the clicks and swings that are such fun to hear. It’s moody without being distracting, and it really sells the atmosphere. On aesthetics alone, I was hooked immediately.
But I guess that was it.
Everything else kind of mimicked the internal struggle of our protagonist. This game is hard. Not cute-hard. Not “oh that’s challenging” hard. It’s the kind of hard where you start questioning your hand-eye coordination and your life choices. The platforming is tight and precise, and the combat expects you to actually learn patterns instead of panic-button mashing, which I do a lot (don’t talk to me about Tekken please). Boss fights especially feel like they were designed for people who enjoy failing 27 times before breakfast. And I wouldn’t know the sweet feeling of beating the demo because I rage quitted.
I kid you not, I don’t think I’m such a noob for these types of games but I died A LOT in this one, and ironically, just like that Paint meter that kept running out, so did my patience for this game.
I do believe that, that in itself was the message.
The difficulty really felt intentional so for this game to have made me quite existential thinking about my own creativity-burnout cycle, I had to give it a high mark. After all, I don’t think it’s the game’s fault that my patience can’t keep up lol.
Final verdict: I’d play a drinking game to how many times I died in this game…and pass out in less than an hour.
