Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2019
Black Future '88
Developer SUPERSCARYSNAKES
Black Future '88 is a roguelike video game developed by SUPERSCARYSNAKES and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment. The game was released on November 21, 2019, for Windows and Nintendo Switch. Set in an alternate version of 1988, the game follows survivors of a nuclear apocalypse climbing to the top of a tower to before their hearts explode. The PC version received mixed reviews, while the Switch version was… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
194 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Aug 6, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
54
Mixed
101 positive · 85 negative
95% range 47–61%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 101 | 85 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
8 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
539 of 750 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 194 · most liked firstI got baited by the great artwork and soundtracks. The game looks really promising and even hast two player local coop (reason why I wanted to try it in the first place), but is literally unplayable. It is full of game breaking bugs. We got stuck in about 2/3 of all runs. The game bugs out even at the most simple tasks like switching an area or engaging/spawning a boss. Sometimes you cant even use the controls to get back into the main menu to start a new run. Since the game was released over a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted to like this game. I really did. But when the first two games I play ended with my character falling through the floor just seconds after defeating a boss, forcing me to restart the run, I felt cheated. And then I looked through the discussion and it hit me with the truth: this game's worst bugs, the ones that unfairly glitch a run through no fault of your own, have not been patched. For years.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think this game is so close to being very good. The game looks fantastic and plays very smoothly once you get used to the movement. There are a few things holding it back. The first is a gaming sin of not allowing you to customize the controller buttons. The second is since the game is very short, it adds a lot of difficulty very quickly, and the rewards for grinding don't feel empowering enough to make a big difference as the tower upgrades seemingly out scale you.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is great, but listen. The flashing, the screen shake, too much thing going on on the screen, not much thing to unlock. There is better roguelike out there and this one is not for me. I gave it a shot because of Humble Bundle.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So i got this game by the way of Humble Bundle. TLDR: The game music is great. The Game itself needs some TLC. From simple QOL improvements to better implementations of effects but from the limited interaction with the dev i doubt anything will be done. They made the money now they are done with it. This game could be good if the dev was wanting to fix a few things. So before details know this if your getting it for Co-Op. The controls suck and you have to tinker with it to make it work…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Screen shake and flashing just hurt my eyes trying to play, kept losing my character, especially with the early on gun that switches places. Didn't get far enough to see if I liked the meat of the game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall = 4/10 An excessively stylish rogue-like arcade action platform game that after a few runs feels repetitive and even worse, is boring. It’s very committed to its concept with neon-synth pixel art, screen tearing effects and dystopian punk setting, but this does become a distraction during the more frantic fights and the lack of explanation surrounding the basic mechanics and how they interact with each other makes for a confusing trip. It’s fun enough to play and with plenty of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Black Future is a fairly good action roguelite and one of the better games given by Humble Bundle. You can still find it for fair prices and meanwhile, unfortunately, there is not enough content for a roguelite (which is not a good sign) you can clear it in one sit. An average playthrough would be sitting at 4 to 8 hours depending on your skills, meaning clearing the game at least once and seeing the most of the game it has to offer. There are quite a variation in guns, different playable…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- a lot of visible clutter due to colors and blooming - many weapons but many feel very much the same - teleports to skip rooms can teleport you into traps - sometimes you die without understanding why - enemys shoot at you from off screen - can't change language. language seems to be based off operating system rather than steam language - many mechanics are not explained ingame
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As you’d hope it would in a fast-paced game like this, combat is fluid and fun. As you play you’ll unlock access to new characters that come with unique perks, new upgrades, and new weapons that will become available for selection/purchase in subsequent playthroughs. You’ll also be able to pick up equipment and resources that drop from enemies and bosses, but you can only take two weapons with you at a time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really want to like this, but don't. Black Future wishes it was Dead Cells, and you will too. You have 18 minutes to complete the game, before your character's heart explodes. Which means just when you're starting to have fun, the game will just end for no real reason. Great. Lot of good ideas in this BF88, and the aesthetic is nearly perfect...but its' also just way harder to love than it needs to be.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bad controls. No way of remapping binds. Bad level design. Slightly weird physics. It's all style and hardly any substance. I tried to get myself to play more but the controls just made me mad every time I started playing. Can't find any reason to play this over any other similar games. Pretty good graphics though even though nothing that really stands out.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another rogue-like action platformer, but not my cup of tea. The controls don't feel right to me; especially the jumping is much faster than you would expect, often resulting in frustrating deaths. The graphics are also way too flashy and crowded, especially on the small screen of the Steam Deck. This makes it hard to see the location of enemies and even your own character, again resulting in lots of deaths and frustration. To end with a positive note: the game looks great and the soundtrack is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game ONLY for the twitch integration and to play with my viewers in chat. This was the main part that did not function at all. the UI for the setup was very difficult to locate when the game threw me into a firefight upon load and then crashed. Once I FOUND the UI for the integration, it spammed multiple google windows and never gave me any place to paste the oath code needed for integration. Might try again once they fix the main draw to the game, considering co-op still did not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aesthetic is nice but the game play is not. A fast action platformer like this needs to feel fun to play, and the very poor feeling of the jump (shouldn't even be a question), the awful control design, the poor level design, and fairly dull enemies all leave the actual play a shadow of what it needs to be. Irritatingly, much of this could be trivially corrected, but with the game out a year, clearly the devs are not committed to making the game good, and there's no reason players should put…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think this game is vastly underrated at a mere 'Mostly Positive'. It's a great roguelike, with a combination of familiar elements, and some new to me, forming a gestalt of unique gameplay that isn't immediately comfortable but rewards perseverance and ultimately feels great to play. The first several playthroughs, aiming seemed a bit frustrating, especially amidst the constant demand to stay nimble and avoid volleys from multiple vectors. Over time though I've found that the quirks in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just go play Dead Cells and/or Enter the Gungeon. This is kind of a scuffed hybrid of those 2 games, but both of them completely blow this game out of the water in every possible way. Skip this one and save your money. All of the pieces of a good roguelite are there, but the final touches are missing, feels like an early access game that made it about 70% of the way to release. The visuals are pretty good, but the screen shake and pulsing from every bullet you shoot is extremely bad and there…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →crazy hidden gem. the aesthetic is absolutely slick, the music bangs, the combat is extremely fluid. the game is hard - no doubt about that - but the amount of unlocks is crazy, and the unlocks add a ton of variety to the game. If I absolutely had to find a complaint is that the game could have used a bit more variation in the bossfights - either more bosses or some other mechanic to switch up how they play out. But really it's a minor complaint. really fantastic job to the devs to make…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So I'll try to make this concise for buyers during the Summer Sale 2022 - It's a Rouge-lite that's pretty hard, not in a good hard but a sorta frustrating/boring hard. The controls aren't really customizable and moving around doesn't feel satisfying. - The visuals are great, the atmosphere is superb, the soundtrack is golden. It's nearly perfect aesthetic-wise. - But that department is the most it's got going for it. The actual gameplay is lacking, but great enough for a couple to a dozen…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The flashy graphics is too much. With the shooter roguelike market being flooded with games recently, it's hard to stand out. This feels like any other platforming shooter roguelike. I wasn't pulled in to do anymore runs after about 45m of playing...Just felt tedious and nothing exciting to look forward too. I'd love to say the neon punk aspect is unique but it's not. Neon Abyss is a much better game and way more enjoyable. I'd highly suggest you spend your money on Neon Abyss, if you're…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My recommendation of this game is solely on the condition that you can acquire the game for $7 USD or less. Long story short, Black Future '88 is a gorgeous looking game with excellent sound-design and is fun to play. It's clear that a lot of passion and talent went into making this game. However, there are some peculiar design flaws that can negatively impact the player experience and reduce long-term enjoyment. - No option to change key bindings. I've seen worse looking/performing games…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New podcast episode! This week, I spoke with @donnotron.bsky.social, founder of the Beauty Cult, creator of Black Future '88, musician, and punk rock indie game developer! We spoke about games as subversive art, horror movies, advice on breaking into the industry, and more! makegamesdrinkcoffee.com
unlabelledView post →Vivid, But Too Much Effects. Fun, But Get Repetitve Easily. Things I Like About Black Future'88: 1. Stunning Cyberpunk-ish Pixel Art 2. Quick-paced, Timed Run`n`gun 3. Various Guns To Play 4. Melees are strong, in this gun game. Things I Dislike About Black Future'88: 1. Even for people not suffering from epilepsy, the screen shakes and visual effects are too much to bear. 2. Maps do not change much between each run. 3. Blessings and curses are far too less. 4. Bosses have the same moveset…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Black Future 88 is an underrated platformer with areas that fall short, clad in cyberpunk atmosphere that won't quit. Pros: +Varied Weapons +Codex that tells you what stuff does and how to get hidden things once you discover them +Beautiful gunplay imagery; it gets a little too muddled with all the smoke and lasers, but is impressive nonetheless +Game doesn't damn you to "Gungeon Hell" where you are stuck fighting the early bosses with a trash sidearm for 6 minutes +Actual Knife's edge…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly I think @donnotron.bsky.social deserves more recognition for Black Future '88. It's a synth wave cyberpunk masterpiece of a game. Played a lot of it on the Switch. Bangin' soundtrack. The perfect 80's vibe.
unlabelledView post →Platformer Sundays? 🎮 How Many Can I Get Through? 🤔 1st game: Ninja Issen The Scroll of Dimension 🥷🏻 2nd game: Black Future '88 🌃 TTV: twitch.tv/ono_the_gamer 🟪 Broadcasting Software: @streamwithmeld.com 🟦 #IndieGame #PCgaming #MeldStudio
unlabelledView post →The starting settings make the game unplayable visually. There is so much visual noise, sometimes stuff flies ABOVE everything in the z order so you cannot see ♥♥♥♥ randomly where it doesn't seem fair. Once I figured some stuff out, most enemies can be shot from out of their range so they cannot fight back. Music and visually it's trying, but it's a very boring game that offers no real challenge. Style over substance in it's purest form.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After sink 8 hours into this game i would say this game not worth for full price (19.99$) nor lowest sales(5.99$) The game itself slap you right into it without tutorial , explain mech . Gameplay is simple , short and repeatable after you loop first time Enemy is really hit and miss since without sword to parry bullet , you got swarmed by bullet and dash is useless since cooldown All boss except final boss only have 2 - 3 attack pattern compare to low boss count make the game less challenges…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A promising concept that might warrant exploding were it not for the awful, non-remappable controls. As just one example: You aim with the right analog stick and dash (which avoid damages) with B. Weapon swap is mapped to the right trigger. So to avoid damage, one has to either let go of the directional aim or hold the controller so that B can be pressed while using both analog sticks. If the game hadn't said "best played with controller," I would have been certain it was meant for…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2/10 empty rooms and bland combat Cant remap keys need both sticks to move and fire at the same time, A is jump. why cant i remap dash and jump to the unused right and left triggers? its got local co-op
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You've got 75 ranks to go through. Each rank equals a new weapon, curse or blessing. Personally i'd say 5-10 of the unlocks are interesting, so that's a bit disappointing. I quickly found a neat little build (Two black hole-type guns with too much damage, and a curse that makes me fire my sheathed weapon, whenever my drawn weapon was fired + bouncy bullets), and steamrolled the game. I looped 5 times, and then i let myself die of boredom. There's a few weird things too. Stuff that makes the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Black Future '88 is, unironically, a game that "gets better after X amount of hours". Whether you feel like sinking in some time investment is up to you, but I strongly respect what this game is going for. It's very DIFFERENT from the more popular rouge-like games, and it definitely isn't going to be for everyone. This game is cryptic, with many secrets and surprisingly well-thought mechanics that may fall a little flat in execution, but you can see that INTERESTING ideas were brewing here.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't buy this. Too many flashing light that will punch in your eyes.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its fine im tired of roguelites gimme a campaign
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty retro style, music- synthwave, dynamic gameplay, all is made very well buuut it's also bugged a lot. Often you can't move even after going to next level, all you can do then is restart whole game and start over again, what is annoying when you've killed already 3 bosses, you have nice weapons and upgrades.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →you're going to die in 18 minutes, but how are you going to die is the question?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic graphics. Music. Style. Gameplay too confusing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is currently in the Humble Choice for October 2021. If you are interested in the game and it's before November 2nd, 2021, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle. A rogue-lite focused on platforming and guns. Black Future ‘88 has a great art style, it looks slick and futuristic even though it’s set in 1988 or some year around that because… they decided to stop changing the year. You’ll fight your way through the living tower, a tower that takes any items…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember first playing this game at PAX East quite a while ago, and instantly falling in love. Watching the development and the growth of this game was awesome and is now one of my go to games when I need some time to kill. A lovely aesthetic and fantastic music, with tight controls and varied pickups. It is definitely a must have for rougelikes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't believe this game isn't more popular. There are so many interesting mechanics, quirks, and creative design all wrapped up into an absolutely phenomenal aesthetic package to please any roguelite or platforming action fan. The combat is fast and furious, with a quick run/death cycle, with different perks, upgrades, and weapons randomly spawned to keep things fresh. The deadlock timer - you have 18 minutes before you automatically die - is a stroke of genius, and being able to spend your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →All it would have taken for me to play this game was some decent controller options. There's no deadzone for thumbsticks, so my 360 controller so I'm just firing non-stop. That wouldn't be a problem if there wasn't an ammo limit. You can only pick between like three button layouts. One of them you are able to aim with the right stick and fire with trigger. This would solve my issue with constantly firing without a thumbstick deadzone, except for whatever reason that button layout doesn't use…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is really fun at times, and although there are some super clear upgrades to pick everytime, theres just barely anything in here. The upgrades and variation in characters dont hold up at all to some similar games like enter the gungeon (foreverglaze) and voidigo. Weapons are super casino monkey activation clapping but in a good way, definitely my fav part of the game. The whole vibe and setup is so cool, I just wish there was more content and enemy variation. Still a fun short game tho…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Game Bundle] Neon Lights. $5: | Game Name | Steam Link | |----------------------|------------| | Black Future '88 | https://store.steampowered.com/app/751820/Black_Future_88 | | The Red Strings Club | https://store.steampowered.com/app/589780/The_Red_Strings_Club | | Neon Abyss | https://store.steampowered.com/app/788100/Neon_Abyss | $10: All above, plus: | Game Name | Steam Link | |----------------|------------| | Ghostrunner |…
unlabelledView post →I really wanted to like this game, but it is SO CLUNKY, GLITCHY and constantly feels like you are ice skating especially when you jump... such a shame...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have a death inside my body, and it will outlive me. But the future will always belong to those who take it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game looks good, music is awesome. Level design wise is a bit confusing and the mechanics are a tad weird sometimes, but fun nonetheless.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let rng be on your side and you might get loop. Also levels with bottomless pit that sucks drops and power ups is cancer. Like artstyle but sometimes can get too flashy and in the way. Decent music. Portals than you can see be distortion or whatever? Never see it, always open portal by accident and pure luck. Not a fan of so limited time for clear. Time extending where u use some deadlock time to receive more later on is so bad, the short one might be worth sometimes but long one never came in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The music is the best part of the game, I don't think it's that fun, it has it's moments but overall it's not great
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like cyberpunk and roguelike genres, i'm sure you'll like this one, although it gets quite boring and ridiculously easy after some time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NO in-game option to customize the controls. Current control layout is bad. There are too many flashes that prevents you from seeing the enemies.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have been playing this game for X hours now and I still don’t have a clue what I am doing. The gameplay is fun, the music is good, and the graphics are kind of fun (sometimes “busy” though). The different bosses are well designed and each one has his own meta. The controls are fluent, and it seems to be an overall solid game. Considering the gameplay: You can play as different characters (which must be unlocked) and you will jump from level to level. You must kill all enemies to proceed to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game was received in the Humble Bundle and if it was listed as a $2 game then it would fit the bill but this title has too many issues to recommend purchasing this game. Controls are a mess. With a controller the auto aim is almost always targeting an enemy I do not intend and with a mouse and keyboard jumping and platforming feels clunky and awkward. Weapons are very poorly implemented. I hope you like memorizing gun catalogs because the devs put no effort in offering any sort accurate…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm really not sure ... I'd rather play Neon Abyss though. That game also has bullet hell elements (which I dislike), but feels a lot more pleasing to look at and play. The absolute best thing about Black Future is the killer soundtrack. But the gameplay is simply overwhelming with a very busy UI, menues from hell, constant screen flashing and intended "lagging" for every impact. I'm sorry, I barely have any idea what's going on. "Worse", when I played this the first time around 1 to 2 weeks…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It just seems like a mess to me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I put it on, had a couple of disappointing runs and turned it off with a thought that it would be fun when it comes out of early access. But then I discovered that they are selling barely two thirds of a game for the full price. Before this game I did not think it was possible to make a bad rogue-like. But «Black Future '88» made me believe. It greeted me with inability to change my controls either on keyboard or gamepad, which was all the more annoying since the controls are unresponsive. I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Horrible. Controls are so unresponsive it's unplayable. You know when you want to rage quit because you try to double-jump to higher platforms, and there's that lag that messes you up because your character jumps a second after you actually hit the jump button? Yeah, that's this game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It pains me to give this a thumbs diwn because I really like the idea and setting of this game but I just can't get into it. I've tried a number of times but it doesn't grip me. The bosses didn't inspire me, the enemies and level design also didn't do much. Definitely not a bad game but it doesn't leave me wanting more, which is something that is essential for this genre of game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thancc based 🐍Don🐍Bellenger🐍 I haven't looped or beat the release build yet and am at the current max unlock lvl of 75. I'm still coming across rare biomes I've not seen yet. Can't say the same about the enemies. Most weapons are just variations of each other with a mix of set attributes. It's no Isaac. (30h in beta - beat multiple times, don't recall looping being an option) It's a weird situation where I had to bear through hours of gameplay to unlock enough things for the game to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Notionally this looked fantastic. Once I'd actually bought it and died repeatedly to make minimal progress I realised this was a bit of a gimmick. One that I wasn't interested in and ruined any reason to go back to playing it. The formula that relies on repeated deaths to make tiny scraps of progress, whilst implementing a control system that wasn't easy to get on with just left me frustrated. Given I love Metroid(vania) style games and thought that was what I was getting, this seemed to have…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →More Cyberpunk than Cyberpunk ;P The main antagonistic force is called SkyMelt and you have a bomb in your heart! Joking aside this is a really great action platformer roguelike/lite game, with a truely amazing and theme appropriate soundtrack.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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