Now, this was an enigmatic game, for sure.

Fact: I love it when games sucker-punch the player.

Also fact: This one needs to either dial it down, or step it up, and I am not sure which way.

The biggest gripe I have is the lack of any "Key storage" indicator, to let me know if the key I have is not the right one, or if I'm out of keys. This alone makes the game even more frustrating. I wasn't sure if when I opened a door, was that door initially locked, and I spent a key, or did I keep the key regardless of whether I unlocked the door, or did I spend ALL my keys on an unlocked door? It is hard to figure out which doors were locked initially, as they are all the same sprite, locked, or unlocked. At least there's ONE type of door that is always unlocked.

Another annoyance is the non-euclidean layout. Walk with me for a second.

We are in a room with an opening to the north, and a window to the east. The window shows a room that is two "spaces" long and has entryways on the far north and far south walls. for clarity, I am referring to a 1x3 layout so far, where I am in the first "block" and the window shows the next two "blocks".

I walk north.

I am in a hall that is 4-6 spaces long, from west to east. I turn right (to face east) and see that two spaces down, on the southern wall, is a window... wait a minute...

I walk south and look through the window again. Two spaces from where I stand is a gate. Painfully obvious considering the contrast between green/brown walls, and grey metal bars.

Everything gaming has taught me indicates that this could be a trap.

I go back north and look east again. I check the floors, do not see a hole, or anything else unusual, and I walk towards the window to look in. Inside, is a single cell room, with ladders on all the walls. No way in, and obviously not the exit. I bump against the window, to see if maybe there is some sort of gimmick in which paying careful attention to one's surroundings can actually help you beat the game. No luck. The window cannot be passed. I glare balefully at the glowing hole in the ceiling, mocking me, and turn back to the hallway to try and find another exit. I don't even get to take a single step before my next issue occurs. I FALL THROUGH SOLID FREAKING GROUND. OK, maybe that's my fault for going back and forth or trying things erratically, attempting to brute-force the solution. I turn and see that I am on a level that no longer has bright holes in the ceiling, but instead torches and-- oh, this place is haunted too. Now, wait a second, how did I fall through the floor then?

In the game, I have noticed certain patterns involving when you fall.

a. You walked into an open hole, doofus. You only have yourself to blame. Immediately drops you to lower floor, and since I was able to turn towards the window (and cannot strafe into position facing that direction already), I can only conclude that I did not step on a very obvious and ominous dark hole in the ground.

b. You walked onto a trapdoor. Hard to see, but... visible. Usually in one-space halls or at the bottom of ladders, or on adjacent tiles to keys and secret doors. Again, drops you immediately. I did not fall immediately.

or, c. The ghost touches you. Not quite sure what his/her/its mechanics are, sometimes he avoids your sight, sometimes he doesn't. But doesn't appear on the first floor, where there are glowing holes in the ceiling. So that's crossed off the list. Unless he's there, but invisible and super shy.

Hmm... Welp. I'm stumped. The game breaks all known conventions of logic. Maybe there was a different type of trap than the covered hole trick, which is actually pretty good, but no-- That's the only type of trap! Occasionally, on lower levels, pits can draw you in, but by this point, you should know enough to stay clear of pits.

Final complaint. Same as before, but when opening doors (regular and secret). Annoying, but probably intended to deter making maps to ruin gameplay for others, by spoiling the secrets.

All-righty then. Great concepts:

Descending is a gradual darkening, that is interlaced with maze levels, and maze/panic levels. As the game gets darker, you start seeing changes in surfaces, particularly floor tiles and walls. This gives a genuine feel of unease (has that skull always been in the texture? Was the ground always wood? When did these eyes and tumors appear on the walls?).

The map is randomly generated. GOOD. Maps are for pussies. I, in all my experience playing Minecraft, NEVER used maps. I always play solo for a reason. I have an almost photographic memory regarding my surroundings and never can get lost for too long. And that is a 20 Km x 20 Km x 256 m world, for Pete's sake.

Ambient noises are definitely disturbing. And they are always when I least expect them. I have fallen down a level multiple times from being startled by a noise and backing up onto a trapdoor/hole that I, in the panic of something I haven't encountered yet, had completely forgotten about.

Rooms on the same level are often repetitive, so much so that I sometimes question if the gates I open STAY open, or if they close when I get too far away just to mess with my head.

Final consensus: 8/10.

I had been trying to figure this game out for about 7 years. I still haven't beaten it. And no, I'm not watching the video. I don't like being spoonfed the answers to questions I never asked, and to get help on a game when it seems unfair is just... I'm too noble a gamer to stoop that low and cheat, just because I can't figure it out. It feels better when I actually come across the answer on my own terms. Call it pride, call it stubbornness, call it foolishness, whatever. I prefer the formula, over the result. Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Provided that there is fish nearby, of course.

EDIT:

Well. I would never have expected that to work. All I will say is this: there are FOUR interactable wall types, visually only three. The gates count as two as they will be either unlocked or locked. Secret doors are always openable, so no worries there. But there's one more wall that will always be on each floor. Give it some attention if you want to find the secret ending, but not too much. Constantly ramming a wall is the first sign of insanity. The second floor always has a way to the upper level available, be careful of sneaky grass-pits, because getting to the second floor from the third is damn near impossible with that ghost mucking things up. Keys work on the same level but only once, and perhaps for certain doors. Not all gates can be opened, and this could probably be a subtle way of making sure that the player doesn't stray too far off the map. Again, hitting a wall too many times can cause you to fall. Locked gates count as walls. You have to fall to get out. Just don't fall too far! And take your time. It is possible that there is a time limit before the game forces you down a layer, but the two types of holes are not immediately recognizable when right in front of you. Be observant, don't try to force the doors excessively, don't forget to make notes on which doors are locked, and don't forget to check under ladders for holes. Check carefully, as it may not seem like there is one at first.

Also, the grammar was fixed and I finally made it out! HALLELUJAH! From now on I adventure with a climbing rope! And/or holy water in a squirt gun. And/or a handheld radio transmitter (do they even sell those anymore?).