Is It Worth Your Time?
Release Date: November 2025
Developer: BTF
Platforms: PC
Genre: 2D Action-Adventure, Metroidvania
Playtime: Around 6 to 8 hours for the story, closer to 12 if you explore everything
Constance is a hand-drawn 2D metroidvania from BTF, the same studio behind The Berlin Apartment and Dino Dino.
If you’re a fan of Hollow Knight, Celeste, Ori and the Blind Forest, this aims to sit in that same space. And in some moments, it almost does.
Like Celeste, it’s not just about difficult platforming. It’s also about burnout, anxiety, and the overwhelming pressure of modern life. The metaphor is strong, but the delivery isn’t always as clear or consistent as it could be.
Story
You play as Constance, who gets overwhelmed by the pressures of work and life, and falls into a surreal painted world. What follows is an emotional and sometimes cryptic journey where your inner world becomes the enemy.
The game is trying to say something meaningful. The painted world is more than just a setting, it’s a reflection of burnout and creative exhaustion. Your stamina bar is tied to ink. When you run out of it, your body literally fades. If you keep pushing, your attacks start hurting yourself instead of the enemy. That metaphor lands, and it lands hard.
But the game doesn’t always follow through. The real-world cutscenes that ground the story are rare. When they show up, they hit. But they don’t show up enough. Just when you start to emotionally connect, the story fades back into the background again.
Gameplay
The platforming here is excellent. You get dash attacks, aerial strikes, and movement tools that open up increasingly complex routes through the world. Those platforming challenges are some of the best parts of the game.
But the combat? That’s where things fall apart. Hitboxes feel inconsistent. You’ll get hit even when it looks like you shouldn’t. There’s no standard up attack unless you burn stamina. Downward attacks exist, but they unlock too late. Some boss fights feel overtuned. Others feel like pushovers. And combat-centric encounters tend to be the least interesting part of the game.
Now to be fair, this could be partially my fault. I only found one upgrade in my entire playthrough, a mod that lets dash attacks do damage when you're out of ink. It was cool, but it was the only one I found. Despite thoroughly exploring the map and finding plenty of secret paths, the game never surfaced any additional upgrades. That raises a question: did I miss everything? Or did the game do a poor job of showing what was there?
Navigation is also a major pain point. This is a metroidvania, so backtracking is part of the deal. But the game offers very limited fast travel. You unlock elevators early on, which help for a while. But late-game movement across the map becomes exhausting. You know where you want to go. You just don’t want to deal with getting there.
Compare this to Hollow Knight or even Silksong, where fast travel options and movement skills make the world feel interconnected. In Constance, it often feels like a chore.
Graphics and Sound
Visually, the game looks incredible. The hand-drawn animation is fluid. The backgrounds are lush and painterly. Every frame of movement has weight and intention.
Which is why it’s such a shame the UI doesn’t live up to the same standard. The map lets you keep running while it’s open, which is neat. But there are no markers. No pins. No objective indicators. Instead, you’re expected to take in-game photos of places you might want to revisit. That’s clever in theory, but in practice, it’s frustrating. I found myself flipping through dozens of screenshots trying to remember what was where.
Reading the map at all is awkward. It’s hard to articulate exactly what’s wrong with it…. it just feels wrong. And if you miss something on the other side of the world, you probably won’t go back to find it.
The music in this goes WAY harder than I expected. From epic boss battles - to moody melodic music as you explore. I know I'm a sucker for a good piano piece too, and there are a few here. I highly reccomend you check out the music!
Final Verdict
Is it worth your time?
That depends….
If you’re already deep into the metroidvania genre and are looking for something with unique art, solid platforming, and some introspective themes, then yes. There’s something here.
But Constance exists in a crowded market. And it’s priced like it wants to compete with the best.
At $20, it’s sitting next to Hollow Knight, Celeste, Ori, and Blasphemous. These are genre-defining games. And while Constance is good, it doesn’t quite hit the same level.
It’s a beautifully animated, occasionally brilliant game with a lot of ambition and some clear blind spots. If you’ve already played the best and want something new, it’s worth checking out. But if you haven't played the greats…. you should really start there.
Is It Worth Your Time?
Release Date: November 2025
Developer: BTF
Platforms: PC
Genre: 2D Action-Adventure, Metroidvania
Playtime: Around 6 to 8 hours for the story, closer to 12 if you explore everything
Constance is a hand-drawn 2D metroidvania from BTF, the same studio behind The Berlin Apartment and Dino Dino.
If you’re a fan of Hollow Knight, Celeste, Ori and the Blind Forest, this aims to sit in that same space. And in some moments, it almost does.
Like Celeste, it’s not just about difficult platforming. It’s also about burnout, anxiety, and the overwhelming pressure of modern life. The metaphor is strong, but the delivery isn’t always as clear or consistent as it could be.
Story
You play as Constance, who gets overwhelmed by the pressures of work and life, and falls into a surreal painted world. What follows is an emotional and sometimes cryptic journey where your inner world becomes the enemy.
The game is trying to say something meaningful. The painted world is more than just a setting, it’s a reflection of burnout and creative exhaustion. Your stamina bar is tied to ink. When you run out of it, your body literally fades. If you keep pushing, your attacks start hurting yourself instead of the enemy. That metaphor lands, and it lands hard.
But the game doesn’t always follow through. The real-world cutscenes that ground the story are rare. When they show up, they hit. But they don’t show up enough. Just when you start to emotionally connect, the story fades back into the background again.
Gameplay
The platforming here is excellent. You get dash attacks, aerial strikes, and movement tools that open up increasingly complex routes through the world. Those platforming challenges are some of the best parts of the game.
But the combat? That’s where things fall apart. Hitboxes feel inconsistent. You’ll get hit even when it looks like you shouldn’t. There’s no standard up attack unless you burn stamina. Downward attacks exist, but they unlock too late. Some boss fights feel overtuned. Others feel like pushovers. And combat-centric encounters tend to be the least interesting part of the game.
Now to be fair, this could be partially my fault. I only found one upgrade in my entire playthrough, a mod that lets dash attacks do damage when you're out of ink. It was cool, but it was the only one I found. Despite thoroughly exploring the map and finding plenty of secret paths, the game never surfaced any additional upgrades. That raises a question: did I miss everything? Or did the game do a poor job of showing what was there?
Navigation is also a major pain point. This is a metroidvania, so backtracking is part of the deal. But the game offers very limited fast travel. You unlock elevators early on, which help for a while. But late-game movement across the map becomes exhausting. You know where you want to go. You just don’t want to deal with getting there.
Compare this to Hollow Knight or even Silksong, where fast travel options and movement skills make the world feel interconnected. In Constance, it often feels like a chore.
Graphics and Sound
Visually, the game looks incredible. The hand-drawn animation is fluid. The backgrounds are lush and painterly. Every frame of movement has weight and intention.
Which is why it’s such a shame the UI doesn’t live up to the same standard. The map lets you keep running while it’s open, which is neat. But there are no markers. No pins. No objective indicators. Instead, you’re expected to take in-game photos of places you might want to revisit. That’s clever in theory, but in practice, it’s frustrating. I found myself flipping through dozens of screenshots trying to remember what was where.
Reading the map at all is awkward. It’s hard to articulate exactly what’s wrong with it…. it just feels wrong. And if you miss something on the other side of the world, you probably won’t go back to find it.
The music in this goes WAY harder than I expected. From epic boss battles - to moody melodic music as you explore. I know I'm a sucker for a good piano piece too, and there are a few here. I highly reccomend you check out the music!
Final Verdict
Is it worth your time?
That depends….
If you’re already deep into the metroidvania genre and are looking for something with unique art, solid platforming, and some introspective themes, then yes. There’s something here.
But Constance exists in a crowded market. And it’s priced like it wants to compete with the best.
At $20, it’s sitting next to Hollow Knight, Celeste, Ori, and Blasphemous. These are genre-defining games. And while Constance is good, it doesn’t quite hit the same level.
It’s a beautifully animated, occasionally brilliant game with a lot of ambition and some clear blind spots. If you’ve already played the best and want something new, it’s worth checking out. But if you haven't played the greats…. you should really start there.
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