Awesome Cutelulu review: surprisingly challenging

After playing through Vietnam-based SpiritBomb Studios’ new platformer Awesome Cutelulu, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised that the game is more challenging than it looks.

The game revolves around a cthulhu boy trying to save his kidnapped fiance from a blue dragon. To do that, he must run through 36 levels scattered in six areas facing monsters and large insects that you can avoid or stomp. He can also pick up time based power-ups to make things go smoother his way.

For those who have no idea what Cthulhu is, it is a fictional Lovecraftian creature that is often portrayed as having an octopus-like head. Cthulhu is best known for its potential to bring disaster to mankind, so it’s fun seeing it in its “cute” state in-game.

Awesome Cutelulu is fast, fun and easy to get into. The gameplay is straightforward enough that you just need to time jumps to get through each level. I loved how the monster placement in each level forces you to make precise jumps. Aside from surviving, the game requires you to pick up a certain amount of gems before you can proceed to the next level.

The other thing I liked about Awesome Cutelulu is that it presents variety in the form of stages where you play through a 4×4 tile board instead of running through maps. Passing these stages requires you to tap a certain amount monsters or gems instead of running.

Awesome Cutelulu is challenging enough to make you repeat some levels but isn’t so merciless that you’d tear your hair out of frustration. The game looks and sounds good but it isn’t spectacular. If there’s one shortcoming that Awesome Cutelulu has, it that it feels short since the game only has 36 levels to play through, and after you’re done playing you don’t have any other reason to go back and play it.

Overall, Awesome Cutelulu is a good game to spend a lazy afternoon on. However it’s not a good game for commuting since the 4×4 board stages really requires your full attention. Thankfully, there’s only one stage like that per area.

Awesome Cutelulu is available for free at the App Store but requires you to pay $0.99 to unlock the whole game. You can download the game here.