There are many indies (as well as mainstream titles) that have plenty of issues, yet somehow remain enjoyable despite their rough edges. Then there’s software where nothing is truly wrong. In fact, they are almost perfect mechanically… but somehow lack fun. That is exactly the category in which The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest belongs into. Developed by Elden Pixels, the team behind Alwa’s Awakening, as well as – the far more beautiful and cohesive – Alwa’s Legacy, everything in this compact action-platformer works as intended. The whole thing is visually charming and yet, despite checking many boxes, it rarely feels inspired.
Described as a micro-metroidvania, for most Fletcher’s Quest will last a little over three hours. Yes, not every one of those types of action-platformers needs to be a 30-hour epic, but this one sits firmly on the opposite end of the spectrum. For the price it currently carries this isn’t exactly a good deal, as what’s on offer feels more like a – high quality – school project, a freeware title, a promising prototype or a small taste of a larger experience. This delivers the basic framework, like interconnected rooms, abilities that let one explore new areas, and boss encounters that unlock said abilities; you’ll earn a double jump, a slide, and a butt slam. It all looks pretty and slightly scratches that Mega Man itch…and that’s about it really.
Fletcher explores a world made from various rooms, each posing a simple challenge. The solution? Equally simple platforming and shooting. Most of the time you wait for incoming fire to fly over your head and then jump and shoot at the ones who spit them. In fact, expect lots of mid-air shots, as almost nothing is usually within your line of fire. Players will often get the chance to avoid all that and just make a few well-timed leaps to reach the next room in line. The controls are excellent and the whole thing is easy to grasp, but the gameplay never truly evolves. Pretty much all rooms rely on the same patterns you’ve seen before. Enemy placement might be different in room #126, but it doesn’t feel different, thus there’s not a spot in here that’s memorable due to its clever design or high challenge.
Even worse than the gameplay, the world itself is uninspired. Technically interconnected, progression is sectioned so tightly that Fletcher isn’t really exploring – he is just clearing one contained block after the other. There’s nothing to collect outside of the one or two key items required to reach the next boss fight, no meaningful secrets, no exciting detours. The world severely lacks identity. It’s a bunch of samey rooms where one can almost see the grid of the level editor that was used to construct it. It feels too artificial and makes this feel less like an adventure, and more like a game test session. No bugs to report…but where’s the excitement exactly?
Even when it comes to the visuals, that same hollowness creeps in. Ironically, this looks great at a glance. The pixel art is charming, character designs are expressive, and each new area swaps in a fresh colour palette or backdrop. On paper, there’s variety. In practice, though, it all blurs together. Beyond the change in hues, every section feels structurally identical, every enemy behaves like a slight remix of the last, and nothing during exploration truly stands out. Creatively, the world feels bare, despite the pixel art being objectively perfect. Once again, this shows a high level of technical polish, but artistically its flat, missing that extra spark that transforms a good-looking world into one that feels alive and worth exploring.
Story-wise, Fletcher’s Quest follows a failed therapy session (quite a funny one, to be honest) of a burnt-out developer who is pulled into a collapsing version of his own subconscious; basically, the game he’s struggling to complete. Fletcher, fully aware that he’s inside a video game, comments on mechanics, design shortcuts, and even his own lack of narrative depth, with supporting characters doing pretty much the same. It’s a clever setup for satire, but the humour leans too heavily on fourth wall breaks and self-referential comedy. Jokes about being in a game, about design tropes, about player expectations, about development crunch – many of them land, but because nearly every beat winks at the one holding the gamepad, it all begins to feel like an extended inside joke.
Traditional metroidvania thrive on immersion. It’s that unique sense of uncovering an ancient place with its own rules and mysteries. Here, the constant reminder that nothing matters because it’s “just a game” undercuts that fantasy. For those who come to the genre seeking atmosphere and discovery, there’s none of it here. You’re not exploring a haunted, medieval castle or a dystopian, fallen kingdom; you’re navigating a punchline. Ironically, this self-awareness is reflected on the end result. The story revolves around creative burnout and pressure from a publisher. The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest feels like it was made under creative burnout and pressure itself.
