4/5 ★ – Kathychan1's review of Crypt Custodian.
Crypt Custodian is a charming Metroidvania that stands out thanks to its vast, explorable map filled with countless little secrets.
You play as, Pluto, a cat who wakes up in the afterlife. As someone who led an exemplary life, you're supposed to join the other good animals in the Palace. That should be simple enough, until the gatekeeper, Kendra, finds out you've been destroying her statues with your new found broom(a necessity to reach the palace in the first place). She’s not too happy about it and promptly appoints you as a janitor, banishing you from the Palace alongside the other so-called “bad ghosts.”
And that’s where Crypt Custodian truly begins. You're now free to explore the many areas of the afterlife and even make a few ghostly friends along the way, some of whom may or may not be planning a break-in to the Palace.
The world is presented from a top down perspective, with characters and enemies shown as 2D sprites. As you explore, the core gameplay consists of combat, platforming, and light puzzles. None of these elements are particularly difficult, even on hard mode, but the variety keeps the gameplay and exploration fun and consistently engaging. Most areas introduce a unique twist, like steering a boat through sludge or guiding a bouncing ball to activate statues.
Combat is a mix of light bullet hell mechanics and real time action. You’ll face enemies with your broom as a melee weapon. These enemies can be scattered throughout the map, short challenge fights, and of course, boss battles at the end of each area.
Some hardcore Metroidvania or Soulslike fans might find the combat too easy. Bosses rarely take more than two tries, and experienced players might beat them on the first attempt. Personally, I found that refreshing, the combat isn’t deep enough to sustain long, grueling fights, so the quicker pacing makes the battles (especially the boss battles) feel satisfying payoffs.
You can also customize your build by equipping different upgrades, which grant you buffs. These are tied to skill points, which you earn through exploration or by completing combat encounters. It’s nothing new to genre veterans, but because the combat is so simple, and the difference between useful and less useful upgrades is so stark, you don’t need to overthink your build too much.
The real highlight of Crypt Custodian is its map design and the joy of exploration. As expected from the genre, some areas (and collectables) are gated behind certain abilities. TThe game does not mark these spots for you, so it is best to use map markers to keep track. I had to learn this the hard way when I found myself desperately trying to remember where I had seen an unreachable ledge my new found dash ability would be perfect for. Thankfully, there's a merchant who sells quest and secret markers, which will reveal key objectives and secret locations. These cost in-game currency (sludge you can clean with your broom), so it’s worth marking things yourself early to save time later.
Most of the areas you explore are tied to a ghostly animal companion you can befriend after helping them, usually by defeating the area’s boss. Each zone has a variety of collectables, from skill points and upgrade items to optional story items like polaroids that show glimpses of each animal’s life before their tragic death. These secrets are mostly locked behind light puzzles, enemy encounters, or ability upgrades, making the exploration feel breezy and rewarding while also giving you a reason to backtrack to previously explored areas.
The movement upgrades are fun, though I wish they were used more consistently throughout the game. Whenever one of the new abilities was applied in a creative way, I was happy, but often, it felt like the game moved on too quickly instead of continuing to build on those ideas.
The artstyle of Crypt Custodian has a simple, charming two dimensional style. The world is vibrant, and each area has its own distinct color palette that helps sell the dreamy, cozy neon version of the afterlife.
The story in Crypt Custodian is sweet and straightforward. You’ve been banished from the Palace, and to get back in, you need to befriend the other ghostly animals. These characters are carried mostly by their adorable designs and easy-going personalities. Even though the game is set in the afterlife, Crypt Custodian is not an overall tragic or melancholic experience. The animals all seem to have accepted their own deaths with ease, some of them only worry about the loved ones they left behind. Luckily (or unluckily) for them, there’s a mirror in the palace that allows them to briefly visit the world of the living, even if they can’t be seen. This becomes the main motivation for our cat protagonist to join the break-in into the palace and gather a few ghostly friends to help along the way, something Kendra, the palace’s gatekeeper, definitely won’t be happy about.
Crypt Custodian is a perfect game for a rainy weekend. With its charming, simple art style and characters, varied gameplay, and expansive, explorable map, it keeps you engaged without ever overwhelming you with convoluted lore or teeth-clenching challenges. It’s a sweet game about cute animals finding their place in the afterlife, and saying goodbye to the ones they loved.