Super Skelemania

I’ve been playing Games for most of my life, ever since I was a child. My parents might even say I spent more time on games than homework back then! Sadly, adult life has changed that; I now have less time and energy for extensive gaming sessions. While I still love unwinding with games after a long day, I often find myself lacking the time or energy for longer experiences. That’s why it’s so refreshing to discover a game that can be completed in about an hour.
Metroidvania games have always been my favorite genre, and they can vary wildly in length and complexity – from epic journeys like Hollow Knight: Silksong to more bite-sized experiences. Today, I want to talk about one of the latter: Super Skelemania.
From a comment on Reddit, just 4€ on Steam and a cute pixel art style, there’s a lot of it immediately appealing to me. Also according to the amazing website HowLongToBeat, it only takes 1-1.5 hours to beat, which as described above, is wonderful news to me nowadays.
The game seems not very well-known on Steam, but well received, with only 94 “Very positive” ratings as of writing. Steam Deck compatibility is also currently marked as “Unknown”, but on ProtonDB it already has a “Gold” rating and one user mentioned that it basically runs perfectly, with minor adjustments to the settings.
The game wastes no time, launching you straight into the action after a brief cutscene with minimal intro, story, or tutorial. Beyond basic running and jumping, you’ll soon master diving, somersaulting, skull-rolling, dashing, and ground-pounding. These abilities are introduced across four simply designed areas that serve as a wonderful playground for mastering the game’s mechanics.
The first ability you acquire, the somersault, allows you to clear far gaps, and when combined with the subsequent dash, extends your reach even further. Each new ability chains exceptionally well with the others, quickly making you feel like you’re flying through the levels with incredibly fluid traversal.
I can definitely imagine this game inviting speedrunners to a nice challenge, even though this never appealed to me.
And after collecting all abilities and figuring out what the game wants you to do actually (no spoilers), it would only take about 75 - 90 minutes to reach the second and final boss and finish the game. Even after that you can come back and try go back to find the secret ending.
All of that feels very satisfying, despite being on the short end. The game certainly not overstayed its welcome. Instead it felt fresh and just the right length to not get boring. There is only so much complexity that can be derived from a few mechanics like this. And at least in my eyes this was the perfect portion size for a game like this!
There is a map, which can show you the way to some collectibles, but no other way to track your progress or know where to go next. But with the aforementioned brevity of the games, even my attention-deprived brain was able to keep track of what little there was to do.
The visual style of Super Skelemania is a charming throwback, and I really appreciate how it leans into a simplistic yet endearing pixel art aesthetic. It immediately brings to mind that nostalgic “Super Nintendo” vibe, which feels just right for a game that’s all about tight mechanics and straightforward fun. While the overall design is quite simple, it manages to be cute and effective without getting too detailed or distracting from what you’re actually doing in the game.
The different areas are primarily distinguished by their colour schemes and subtle environmental details. For instance, one area might feature earthy tones, while another shifts to cooler blues or vibrant greens. This approach ensures levels feel distinct enough to guide you without overwhelming you with visual clutter. Crucially, this design choice greatly benefits the gameplay; clear visual cues and uncluttered backgrounds allow you to focus entirely on movement and mastering the game’s traversal abilities. The environments truly feel like playgrounds for the mechanics, rather than obstacles.
What truly stands out, however, are the cute little animations. Right from the start, you can throw your skull forward to attack, which bounces back to you. The animation for this is extremely cute, having the right amount of “rubberhosing”. Same goes for other animations you running, jumping and somersaulting. You are either jumping around enemies or literally bashing your head into them. Everything feels very cute and fluent at the same time.
There aren’t many other mechanics for fighting. You can find some small optional health upgrades in the world and explore some minor optional content. But the core of the game are the movements mechanics. The focus of the game on these is what feels so refreshing about this game.
Despite its brevity, Super Skelemania offers a refreshingly concise experience. I’d recommend it to players who aren’t typically into Metroidvania games, as its short playtime and clear mechanics serve as an excellent entry point into the genre. It avoids the overwhelming complexity or lengthy commitment that can sometimes deter newcomers, offering instead a perfectly digestible adventure that showcases the exploration and progression inherent to Metroidvanias without demanding an extensive time investment.
And as I just found out while writing this, there was been an even shorter prequel version of the game, released on itch.io, before the Steam version: Super Skeleman by Ben Allen, but I haven’t tried it yet.