Smelter
Developer X PLUS Co., Ltd.
You are Eve, fresh out of Eden and armed with a living suit of armor, Smelter. Explore a dangerous new world, battle its bizarre denizens and expand your empire in a desperate journey to find Adam. From the Steam store page
156 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Oct 21, 2026 · last updated Oct 22, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
85 positive · 32 negative
95% range 64–80%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 85 | 32 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 6 | 3 | 27 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
What players are saying
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 120 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (151 of 213 positive).
Players praise the game's blend of Mega Man X-style platforming and ActRaiser-like strategy elements. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the strategy and city management parts tedious or out of place. [4][5][6] Several players note that the controls can feel clunky or imprecise, especially during challenging trials. [7][8][9]
- [7]
While there's alot to like like the Platforming and Nostalgia from games like Actraiser and Megaman X but there's just something fundamentally wrong with how the game itself plays and feels. The controls are clunky, even on a controller where levels are designed where it feels like it was "yup I did it once it's fine it doesn't need tuning" Switching between elements is slow and cumbersome, almost to the point where …
- [16]
For disclosure, I participated in the beta, but I purchased a copy for myself to support the devs anyway. The thing about Smelter is that it's a really good platformer, but there is a lot of story and tutorial shoved into the experience to support the strategy features, especially the first 2 hours or so it tends to interrupt gameplay a lot - not as much later on. The campaign can take anywhere from 10 to 15 hours …
- [12]
Smelter is an enjoyable, well-designed, and challenging action-platformer that plays like a cross between Mega Man X, ActRaiser, and Demon's Crest, with a bit of a Kill la Kill visual flair to its character designs. If this sounds like your jam then dive right in; You're sure to find something to like here. Admittedly it is a little bit rough around the edges, and the controls can sometimes feel a bit stiff and …
- [4]
This is a narrow recommend for me. The art is AMAZING. The music is quite nice as well. The controls can be a bit awkward at times. There's a lot of different gameplay modes including city management and action platforming. -The action Gameplay is decent enough and the challenge zones were well balanced for the most part. -The city management started off interesting but very quickly became tedious and annoying. The …
- [1]
Some bozo claimed that if you like Megaman X and get Smelter you'd be disappointed. I wanna lay that BS to rest. I played all Megaman X and Megaman titles, and I can tell you: If you loved Megaman X and Actraiser, you're gonna fall in love. I'd also like to point out, that the genius that claimed this BS played for a grand total of 0.4 hrs... Right now there might be a few bugs, but the studio is really quick about …
Summarised from 34 of the 156 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
Players who liked Smelter talk about great pixel art and music; those who didn't talk about clunky or imprecise controls. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 156 · most liked firstWhile there's alot to like like the Platforming and Nostalgia from games like Actraiser and Megaman X but there's just something fundamentally wrong with how the game itself plays and feels. The controls are clunky, even on a controller where levels are designed where it feels like it was "yup I did it once it's fine it doesn't need tuning" Switching between elements is slow and cumbersome, almost to the point where you are better off to stick to only one and ignore the others during any…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For disclosure, I participated in the beta, but I purchased a copy for myself to support the devs anyway. The thing about Smelter is that it's a really good platformer, but there is a lot of story and tutorial shoved into the experience to support the strategy features, especially the first 2 hours or so it tends to interrupt gameplay a lot - not as much later on. The campaign can take anywhere from 10 to 15 hours to finish, so keep in mind that it takes a few hours to get going. I understand…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smelter alternates between being a joy and a nightmare to play. The music, most of the graphics, most of the physics, the power unlocking, and especially the strategy/sim mode, are extremely well done. The writing is very humorous, and although I found it all appropriate and well timed, other people will get annoyed by the tone. I thought that part was good. But it has a lot of rough edges and plays like an unfinished and unpolished beta. The controls for dashing and dash jumping are just Not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34633003-Gaming-Masterpieces/lists/] Gaming Masterpieces - The greatest games of all time on Steam. After our Adam absolutely had to bite into that stupid apple, we, Eve, are teleported from paradise directly into a dark cave. All alone, dressed only in a tiny bikini, we jump over poisonous acid puddles to escape as quickly as possible from the cave. In the process, we meet a supposed angel, whom we help out of his miserable situation…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some bozo claimed that if you like Megaman X and get Smelter you'd be disappointed. I wanna lay that BS to rest. I played all Megaman X and Megaman titles, and I can tell you: If you loved Megaman X and Actraiser, you're gonna fall in love. I'd also like to point out, that the genius that claimed this BS played for a grand total of 0.4 hrs... Right now there might be a few bugs, but the studio is really quick about fixing anything that shows its head and it's their first title, so... well,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Factor Score Graphics 10 |||||||||| Music 10 |||||||||| Gameplay 10 |||||||||| Story 7 ||||||| Overall 9 ||||||||| A wonderful callback to everything I loved about video games growing up. I was debating on whether or not I wanted to write a review for this game. Although I had many, MANY frustrations playing through the trials portion of the game (completely optional, but rewarding if you do them all!), I had no qualms about anything else. I had the pleasure of having Insops4…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I know it was unpopular, but I actually liked DS2's "enemies eventually stop respawning if you kill them enough" mechanic for this reason. Some areas or boss runbacks were a little annoying and being able to clear out specific nuisances or exploding mummies permanently* was great. Smelter demon is a great example as that area was annoying until you get rid of a few enemies that I think were just there to harass you.
positive · AI labelView post →As others have said, I want to like this game so much. There is so freaking much greatness I want to hug whoever did the writing, graphics, overall design, and sound. On the other hand, I wanna PUNCH whoever signed off on the finished product. This is not okay! This game is not finished and it plays like you had zero QA. Whoever you are, you ruined a potentially awesome game and you should feel bad. The good points: The graphics - retro, cutesy, and perfect really. I love them so much…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really i want to recommend this game but i will not do it because of 3 reasons what killed all the fun for me in this game. 1. Not interestion storytelling. Found myself skipping all the dialogs after one hour of a game. 2. Questioning part of the game on the global map. Spam with the best units that you have, attack, heal structures and hope that you will pass time trial to unlock next stage. 3. Last Level - The most @ssbl@sting and funkilling part where difficulty rizes in several times. You…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Follow my Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41363546-Fruit-N-Doggie-Reviews/]Fruit N Doggie Reviews, so you can be updated whenever I post a new review. A review copy was provided by the developer. Overall Rating - Average ★★★☆☆ First Impressions For those who grew up playing Super Nintendo games, certain elements about Smelter (SM) might seem familiar. That's because it takes inspiration from the ActRaiser games, which combined an overhead civilization builder with an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smelter Demon #DarkSouls2 #DarkSouls #DarkSoulsArt #DarkSoulsFanArt
neutral · AI labelView post →It's gorgeous. It's complex. It's clearly full of effort and care. I want to love it. But it is so smash the controller frustrating. Trials are the obvious example. The controls are too full of float and imprecise for such unforgiving challenges. I also love one that involved constant mid-air movement without pause until my hand started going numb. There is a reason we left some bad platforming design back in the 80's. Brutal difficulty requires dependable controls. One-hit kills miles from…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good and bad. The gameplay is very similar to Megaman X both visually and in some of the mechanics, not to mention the general level exploration. I like this about the game and it's what kept me playing for the roughly two and a half hours that I did. Unfortunately, the game has a ton of very specific mechanics that all claim to interact with each other, and in the time I spent playing, about 2 hours of it was mind numbing amounts of tutorials and game entry backstory. The controls are also…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Smelter and Miner Mk.1 are finally finished and in the game! Each one is built around two paint colors, so here's the standard white, the colors swapped, and a couple of other looks. Eventually I'm planning a paint tool like Satisfactory's so you can pick your own. #gamedev #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIRGpcs-ckk Personal experience was rather buggy so your miles may vary. A mix of top down strategy game and 2D platformer comes you play as Eve, as in Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. After Adam eats the forbidden apple, you get transported into a strange world where you find your way through the journey to meet back with Adam. Visual and audio wise, it does seem to be great. It has got greatly animated cutscenes and pixel art style. The music and audio…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Good Stuff: + The action-platforming is tight and fun + The pixel art is fantastic, and I love it + The game has a sense of humor. Doesn't always land, but the attitude is fun The Bad Stuff: - The first RTS/Base Building part of the game requires you to keep building long after you've learned how - Shortly after the first full level, you're thrown into a constant RTS assault that the defenses you're REQUIRED to build for the tutorial portion are completely useless against - After defeat,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ever heard of Actraiser? Take parts of that, and the god creation and villages in between the Acts. Now take a silly mask, Eve from the Bibble, and very silly writing. This one reminds me of Batbarian with it being an excellent game, with a less-than-serious approach to the story telling. The game breaks things up into two parts: Sidescrolling Action, and Top Down Map Navigation. Acts, or Levels These are your standard side-scrolling affair, with moves and level design akin to MegaMan…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smelter is an enjoyable, well-designed, and challenging action-platformer that plays like a cross between Mega Man X, ActRaiser, and Demon's Crest, with a bit of a Kill la Kill visual flair to its character designs. If this sounds like your jam then dive right in; You're sure to find something to like here. Admittedly it is a little bit rough around the edges, and the controls can sometimes feel a bit stiff and clunky. But it was nothing that I wasn't able to adjust to and it didn't detract…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smelter Forging frustration instead of fun ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Metacritic:- 75% Steam Reviews:- 65% "Mixed" My Ranking:- 45% Difficulty Scale:- 6/10 My Playtime:- 11hrs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Smelter is a game that tries to blend action-platforming with strategy elements, but the execution just feels completely off to me. The combat is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have played Dark Souls 2 the past days and it's good. I recently beat Smelter Demon. But after that I started to think about Dark Souls 3 instead. So im playing that now. Dark Souls 2 is a great game, but it's my least favorite of the Dark Souls games.
neutral · AI labelView post →Why "no"? Everything except the game not respecting my time is great. There's no save option mid-level, where you're supposed to explore. I routinely rack up 40 minutes on the clear time. It would be way less if I were using a guide, but I haven't so far (though I will after this review). Say I just couldn't find the 3rd hidden item, or trial, or ore deposit. I'd have to finish the level. I couldn't just stop and pick back up later. Anyway, this is a wonderful homage to Actraiser and Mega Man…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Edit: Finished stage 5 and the game actually slaps you in the face by giving you what appears to be a boss fight and then it disappears before you fight it and the level ends. If I could refund this game, I would because thats actually messed up. I'm only writing this after close to two hours of gameplay, but this game is really rough even after the patches it got after the month it came out. I managed to complete 4 stages (3 and the tutorial), which isn't a lot, but I feel that I need to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smelter is gorgeous with a fun story, and some cool powers, boss fight are mostly well done (but a bit too easy), fights and challenges range from easy to really hard but are well done, the rts part isn't bad and is short enough so it's a nice addition. There are a few short twin stick shooter area which are.. forgettable at best but are really short so it's not that bad. I really wanted to like Smelter but the last zone(and a few others before were like that too) is such a pain i don't care…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ignore those negative reviews - Smelter may have been bugged in the beginning and had some issues, but they are no more in 2025. Perfect game from start to finish. There's no way you will not like this if you like Mega Man or Sidescrollers in general. You can choose how and where to proceed, mobs and bosses are unique and fun to smelt. Admittedly, when you arrive on the world map and fly Smelter for the very first time, it will get confusing and seems a bit tiresome at first but you will grow…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →-The sidescroller bits are generally enjoyable and the game tries to do something unique. -The low number of checkpoints can make certain platforming bits very frustrating. -The tower defense bits are pretty bland and don't really seem to give power to sidescroller parts outside unlocking levels. -The names for various things seem like they are randomly generated nonsense and thus are impossible to remember making them meaningless.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →7 hours later and Smelter is still fantastic! Really glad because I was looking forward to this one. I love platformers and RTS and this game has both to a very satisfying extent! The quality of aesthetics and gameplay really brings me back to the days when these types of games were the bread and butter of companies like Nintendo, just pumping out hit after hit on handhelds. A very nostalgic experience, but it still manages to go beyond that and keeps up with modern quality of life. Titles like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Scraps Of The Machine - Open Playtest Now Available! -2 levels, Rust Canyon and The Smelter -10 Weapons -6 Enemy Types This will be the best time for players to provide feedback on game feel, mechanics, and overall design for improvement! #indiegame #mecha store.steampowered.com/app/4041580/...
neutral · AI labelView post →DARK SOULS 2 SMELTER DEMON IS IN NIGHTREIGN?! I need this game bro! 😭
neutral · AI labelView post →The game is painfully torture in terms of game-play and story telling. You play as Eve but she barely have anything to do with the story for she is stoic while your partner Smelter who is just rip off on Kamui from Kill la Kill. Heck the story mainly revolve around Smelter who talks way too much which he does most of the talking. Smelter isn't really intriguing character despite his backstory of once being ruler of his kingdom which we even forget about his allies for they are just too bland.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: -interesting spin on blending RTS and Megaman style together -decent pixel art -level design Cons: -uneven difficulty, poorly balanced in some areas that can be quite frustrating -controls feel bit janky and sometimes doesn't move / jump -RTS aspect bit half-baked and need more substance -lack of information being presented when hitting enemy weakness in RTS mode -what exactly does the currencies do? -twin shooter game mode isn't fun at all, enemies are HP sponge and take too long to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let me start that this is not an actraiser wannabe and that I deeply regret buying this game. There are way too many parts that annoy the fk out of me and despite all the effort I put into liking it it's just not going to work. Let's get good things out of the way first: Platforming and combat are good, controls are responsive, movement is smooth, smacking enemies is satisfying. The only part I found weird is the whole element system where you can change between different modes with different…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Scratches a serious Actraiser itch. More games should be like this. EDIT: By the end of the game I actually got really tired of it. I'd still kind of recommend this to people who liked Actraiser because maybe someone will eventually make a good Actraiser takeoff, but this game devolved into arduous boring dungeons that go on for 2 hours without anything fun in them and the overworld stuff has no cool secrets or hidden extras, it's just slapping down 4 different types of buildings over and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At least for Smelter Demon it wouldn't be necessary if we got iframes on fogwalls
neutral · AI labelView post →Seamless Co-op for Elden Ring is very fun and very functional. It even worked well with Reforged if anyone is interested in that (slight jank here and there if you're doing quests so we had some moments of "ok, everyone disconnect and talk to the NPC in *your* game and then reconnect".) Continuing [my blind DS2 run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5u7BmgVepI&list=PLN7F6aq0WNO8). Starting to (literally and figuratively) hit walls in DLC areas and the Drangleic castle with my halberd build and…
neutral · AI labelView post →Beware: Gamebreaking bugs are preventing players from finishing the game! If you play the classic mode with the map and buildings and all that stuff, there is a bug that happens quite often! You send a unit into a building, but the unit never arrives. The button to send a unit will still show up, but you can't click it anymore, it won't even make a sound when clicking it. With all your normal buildings, you can get rid of the bug by getting rid of the faulty building and rebuilding it and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DO NOT BUY YET!!!! I was initially excited about Smelter when I saw what it was all about, but upon playing it, it is a slogging exercise in frustration. The platforming tries to mimic Mega Man-X and fails in the most miserable ways imaginable. Aggravating enemies that have way too much health, sluggish player movement, lead-heavy jumping, inputs that cross over mechanics that actually clash with each other (parry bullets with the same button that causes you to dart towards the ground while…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not a metrovania This is weeb megaman Edit: after 100% the oh boy i am so close to changing my opinion the end game platoforming challenges are so tight its rediculus and worst of all the game is not responding well with controller inputs i had to go buy and a new controller just to calm my paranoia
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stop !! PLEASE STOP !!! With the millions dialog box that are more boring than the other. If only it was good writing, it's pointless at best and cringe at worse. It starts like it's a story about Eve, but you fall into some pit and rescue some kind of mask and now it's all about that mask that just wont shut up. Eve could not exist and it would be the same, she doesnt matter at all, she's just there as some placeholder to play as with the art of a thirsty 13 yo with her breasts flapping…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →*THIS PRODUCT WAS RECEIVED FOR FREE FROM KEYMAILER FOR COVERAGE* Where to begin with this? Think of Act Raiser and Megaman X had a love child with the Tactical Tower Defense and Strategy Planning and Megaman X's and possibly Zero's Action Platformer stages. Smelter does not disappoint. The Battles in this game are very challenging and engaging. Will put your mind and reflexes to the test with the many hidden Trial tests within each level accessed! With three variant elements you can…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smelter is a 2D Action Platformer where you play as Eve and attempt to save Adam after eating the forbidden apples. You venture along with your companion Smelter to take down the guardians of the Doma runes in order to upgrade your abilities and spells. The game offers 3 different biomes with 4 main stages. Each of the stages contain 3 different challenging trials that will test your quick reactions and patience skills. There are also secrets hidden in each stage to be discovered. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I NEED to Smelter Demon in this game, including the awful runback
neutral · AI labelView post →The build is complete! Smelter Demon is dead and Flynn's Ring, Ring of the Embedded, Ring of Blades +1 are obtained! What does this mean? Now we can start playing the game >:3 Thank you for watching and thank you @shapobee.bsky.social for the raid oomfie! We passed it on to @mrsremi.bsky.social 💙
neutral · AI labelView post →This is a narrow recommend for me. The art is AMAZING. The music is quite nice as well. The controls can be a bit awkward at times. There's a lot of different gameplay modes including city management and action platforming. -The action Gameplay is decent enough and the challenge zones were well balanced for the most part. -The city management started off interesting but very quickly became tedious and annoying. The story had so much potential, but what you end up with was so basic,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some combination of ActRaiser and Mega Man X. I found a few small bugs but nothing game breaking. The dialog and story could use some polish, but overall, an amazing indie game. There were a few areas in the game that were a bit too difficult. The tower for example. But the game felt well balanced for the most part. Highly recommend this game to Mega Man X fans
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mega Man X fan? Buy this now, thank me later because this game is that and more.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →With too many split-second reaction essential controls spread over both sides of the keyboard and the mouse, in an amount that you can't have the required access to all within easy reach even with remapping, this game is perfectly suited for all three-armed gamers out there using keyboard & mouse. Unfortunately, I only have two, so my anatomical restrictions earn me just frustration.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In short, if you're looking for a megaman-like game I couldnt reccomend this game enough. I like this game, it has solid platforming and solid combat. Movement is responsive and satisfying. The graphics and the style are extremely inspired and amazingly drawn. The story is good but the tone is even better, it reminds me of animes of early 2000 with levity and humor to it. The music is also an absolute banger and I'm glad that they offer the ost for purchase as well. The "RTS" part more or less…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, the premise of this game hooked me immediately. When I started up the game I saw the fun little anime opening, and also heard the game's awesome music. I was getting really good impressions at this point, so I begin a new game. I get through the "tutorial," head into the first mission, and then it hits me...this game plays like megaman X! Hook, line, and sinker. I was having a blast with this game, but the overworld base-building aspects put me off from the game a little bit at…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved the platforming in this game and everything regarding it. But the strategy parts are annoying and feel tacked on, if it wasn't for those i would easily think of this as a 9/10 game but due to the frustrating and cumbersome strategy part, I have to give it a 7/10. If you can deal with the strategy element its worth checking out but if like me you hate that element, you may want to tread carefully. I would recommend it but only if you can tolerate the over world strategy game play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game really took me by surprise. The combat and soundtrack and fantastic, but i would've like to see more difficulty in the building management portion of the game. Totally worth the price and I had fun throughout the whole campaign. Check out my full review here! https://youtu.be/9URyVg2yjM4
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Smelter is decent platformer but needs to be touched up a bit Score: 7 Pepperonis / 10 Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93mRNmFz2rw&ab_channel=PepperHomieGameReviewsandGuides Plot You play as eve from the garden of eden. Adam eats the forbidden fruit ;) and dissapears. Your goal is to find adam. You get cool powers on the way. Evil people are trying to stop you. Thoughts • I was really hoping for more Pros • Very easy to pick up • Amazing visuals • Great music •…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Painting (& Needle Felting) the Smelter Demon! 👹🔥 #DarkSouls #Boardgames #MiniPainting youtu.be/WshS1NlhAuQ
neutral · AI labelView post →Working on #roman scorpions for #midgard as well as the Smelter Demon and company from the #darksouls board game. Good weekend of hobby progress. Feeling positive for sure.
neutral · AI labelView post →Good music, good pixel graphics, a challenge in gameplay, speedrun tactics. I don't understand other reviews that saying controls are clunky, controls are really giving a feeling of control. The game per total is really good to play if you're a fan of 2d platformers or retro gaming. Edit: After some more gameplay, is more and more hard if you want to complete all in the game. But after you do something hard the feeling is better. What I would like is that to can save the game at checkpoints…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Found that game out of nowhere in a sale. Great mix of Megaman and Actraiser. Devs are nice guys . Like
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its a combination of Actraiser and Megaman which makes for a super solid gameplay experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A smart and exciting 'spiritual successor' to Actraiser, with more flexibility in how you build and manage your empire and with platforming inspired by Mega Man X. The demo made me want to buy the game immediately- not because I was in any rush to finish it, but because I just wanted to support what the devs are doing (plus it's cheaper than a lot of other recent 2D platformers). The game has already been patched heaps of times so my experience was relatively bug-free.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoyed this game enough to 100% it. If you like Mega Man X and Actraiser, then I recommend this game. Give it a shot.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quite fun game, reminds me of the Megaman games I love how the trial parts really give a challenge Graphics are neat and the audio is great Dialogue is also funny
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The low% speedrun takes approximately 5 seconds. Love it! :D At this point, I think I am past the tutorial, and it is a great Act Raiser 1 clone so far, with better writing :P Also, the game runs out of the box on Linux using Glorious Eggroll 6.5 (but I imagine just about any old Proton would work).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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