Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2026
Kotama and Academy Citadel
Developer Atomstring Games
In the Academy Citadel, strength reigns supreme: only the most powerful survive and thrive. Fight your way through the high-tech Academy in your quest to get the highest of honors for a student, and uncover secrets that can save it in its direst crisis in this 2.5D side-scrolling Metroidvania. From the Steam store page
263 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 3, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
88
LovedLoved
215 positive · 28 negative
95% range 84–92%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 215 | 28 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
20 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
2,463 of 3,058 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 263 · most liked firstA video review can be watched here: https://youtu.be/FgY06XahYYI For those who don't want to watch the video: Playtime: 16 hours and 40 minutes Completion Rate: 98% Pros: - While the narrative will come off as fairly standard to people familiar with anime tropes, I have to admit that it worked really well within the context of the game’s metroidvania nature since it wove exploration and storytelling seamlessly by tying your very investigation of the titular academy to your overall purpose.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Counter to this vote. The game is actually good. Characters are cute, but the difficulty is rough. Not the real problem... The actual problem? I got past the Aerospace Boss Mech & Pilot herself (Steam Trophies show proof that this is no lie) despite the tricky part in where I had at least 7 minutes of confusion of what to do at her 2nd phase part by fleeing to the East path with a "hidden" wall path and dodging the lasers through darkness on platforms above while blind in the dark, I managed…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played Kotama and Academy Citadel on Challenge mode, as I generally like to test a game’s “hard” setting to see how thoughtfully it’s balanced. Overall, I found the difficulty fair and, more importantly, interesting. The game offers three difficulty modes from the start, with a fourth unlocking after completing Challenge mode. Rather than simply inflating enemy stats, higher difficulties reduce the number of available platforms. It’s a smart mechanical adjustment that meaningfully changes how…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had a massive issue that forced me to start the game over after two hours of play when I went between playing on my desktop and Steam Deck. I played on PC at first, then tried to play in on Deck but it crashed, and when I played again on desktop, the character was in the same place I'd left her, but had no equipment or upgrades. I had acquired the Whip Hammer, Double Jump, Dash/Slide and Wall Jump, and I was in a place that was inaccessible without those abilities. I couldn't get in or out,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After 100% completion, I regret to inform you... that this game is much more than a g00ner trap I was gifted Steam credits by a friend to explicitly get this game since they knew my love for metroidvanias. When I saw the art style and a few reviews, I doubted my friend's judgment. I'm pleasantly surprised and glad to admit that I was prejudiced and wrong. Maybe because my expectations were below the floor but... this was highkey kind of amazing?! This is basically metroidvania Stellar…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm enjoying the game so far, the visuals are beautiful and the mechanics seem satisfying. The movement is very fluid and the parry window is great. The downward attack could keep us in the air just like a game I think you know
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute Girls, Fun Metroidvania. To be frank, I didn't think much of this game initially. My bias towards Chinese games tended to be negative—all style and no substance—and it didn't help that this game at first glance also looked like one of those "goner games." However, I am more than happy to admit I was wrong. Kotama and Academy Citadel is a very competent metroidvanias. Even though the game breaks no ground in this subgenre, it's the little designs connecting the core features that elevate…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I went into this expecting one of those “looks okay in screenshots, probably plays like ass” metroidvanias. Instead, I got a game that is actually fun, runs well, and so far has avoided the usual indie genre diseases of: fake difficulty floaty controls “inspired by Hollow Knight” as a substitute for identity bosses designed by people who think frustration equals quality So yeah, nice surprise. The first thing this game gets right is that it actually feels good to play. That already puts…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I came for the waifus — I stayed for verything else. Kotama and Academy Citadel is the kind of game that knows exactly what it’s doing. Amber, Flora, Chizuru and Klara are absolute standouts — beautifully designed, expressive, and full of personality. Each one has a presence that makes exploration and progression feel more personal, almost intimate. The game understands the appeal of its characters and embraces it with confidence. Weapon balance is interesting overall, but the Liquid Blades…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you care about 100%ing the game then play on Challenge mode from the start, saves you from doing a 2nd run.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The combat is decently fun with lots of options for player expression, but that's probably the only stand-out feature here. The game is very exploration focused in a world that is not that interesting to traverse, especially when you have to back-track multiple times due to the time mechanics in the game, where time ticks forward as you explore rooms, and events only happen at certain times. This can get tedious quickly, especially since nothing really changes gameplay-wise with the time…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First of all, if you focus only on the main story, the game is fairly short about 8-10h long (still decent imo). Finishing all side content and getting the "true" ending, however takes much longer. A large portion of the playtime is spent backtracking for side quests (and "secrets", finding 10+ movies and fighting addition bosses) and working toward 100% map completion, which can really test your patience. That said, once you collect all the maps... you unlock a special map that shows which…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the most slept on metroidvania i've ever played, 30 delicious hours of great movement, satisfying combat and seriously tense bossfights that made me very angry! beautiful anime aesthetic on top with good music too, what's not to love? 20 bucks well spent.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very pretty game with cool looking animations and entertaining boss battles, but I can't recommend a metroidvania where I couldn't be bothered to even explore the full map. It is a list of small things that keep annoying me as I try to explore where in the end I am rewarded with nothing but time being wasted. Lot of pits with spikes at the bottom, where you can't see the spikes until you drop down and get hit by them. There is an attack where I hook into an enemy, pulling myself towards them…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A decent-length, quite-fun metroidvania game with ecchi-ish anime character designs painted all over the top. If you’re looking for a 12-24 hours runtime game, and neither of the two points above turns you off. You may like this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is my initial impressions for those who are on the fence... Game fun. Buy game. Essentially, if you are a fan of the castlevania, metroidvania, etc style of gameplay, this is doing it pretty well. There are definitely some things I have no enjoyed though. First of all, I am playing on the standard difficulty, and it is definitely a bit harder than the standard difficulty for most of these style of games. Not really an issue, but when the difficulty comes from getting locked into your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I get why people love this game - the combat has real depth, and there's genuine satisfaction in learning enemy patterns and mastering the flow of a fight. The art direction is fantastic: gorgeous backgrounds, smooth movement and combat animation, and the character designs (the girls especially) are absolutely top-tier. Early on, reading enemy tells, timing parries, and knowing when to dash away from unblockable hits felt genuinely rewarding. Unfortunately, this game just isn't for me. I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This turned out to be a lot of fun. -It looks good -It has clever enemy design -Unique levels with plenty of little secrets to discover -It feels smooth to control What stood out the most to me, though, was how interested I became in the story. It's a tale of intrigue, science, and stylish anime gals. I highly recommend this one and place it in my personal "S" tier for metroidvanias
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An uninnovative metroidvania experience. The time mechanic seems to serve little purpose except to discourage exploration. The healing system seems to encourage face-tanking the bosses without much thought. Game design takes a bad turn at the end with undodgeable attacks. It's still fun, but I feel like the fun aspects come from design decisions of other games, not of this one. TLDR: play Ender Lilies or Nine Sols instead
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game's scrolling/camera is insanely stuttery. For a side scrolling game with a ton of lateral movement, this is a killer. Doesn't matter how high you set the frame rate, it still stutters constantly.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kotama and Academy Citadel? Survive the Tech Labyrinth! TL;DR : A fast-paced 2.5D Metroidvania that mixes fluid, combo-based combat with stylish anime-inspired character designs across a sprawling, high-tech school. Intro : Welcome to Carmel, a ruthless high-tech academy where survival of the fittest is the only rule. It immediately hooks you with its sleek sci-fi aesthetics and the promise of uncovering deep secrets while fighting your way to the top of the student ranks. Game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finished with the true ending My opinion that is a b tier metroidvania The main highlights for me are the combat and boss fights other than that is decent enjoyable but not that remarkable But since it managed to hook me i give it 8/10 b tier metroidvania
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →He was boiling okayness in a kettle. Actual decency? Complete and utter adequacy. in a kettle bro.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall a very solid metroidvania. It doesn't necessarily bring anything new or unique to the genre, but it does everything well. I appreciated that it was more lighthearted and silly, as opposed to the usual dark, depressing themes of the genre. Though I have no clue what the story was really about. The character art is good, and I actually would have preferred almost any of the NPCs as the main character design. The progression is steady with plenty of things to unlock, secret rooms to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kotama and the Academy Citadel is a surprising hit for me. First of all, while it might not be everyones cup of tea, the character art is beautiful and pretty original, it feels like the artist gave life to their OCs in this game. (In a very good way) The music is pretty good, there were some highlights. The exploration is good too, especially with the time mechanic mixing it up. It's not a huge map, but the interconnection works pretty well. The combat starts a bit slow, but it's pretty…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing game, not without flaws, but still, amazing. Length is about right for a metroidvania, doesn't overstay its welcome. Music was very hit or miss for me, art academy being my favorite biome BGM, with the last 2 major fights having the better boss music. Artstyle... Don't even get me started, games beautiful, characters are great (though I personally wish we got a bit more knowledge on some of em) effects on the skills are flashy but not over powering. Difficulty, unsure how to rate this…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Attractive women character waifu´s and solid gameplay. *throws money at devs* (edit: Look western developers how easy it is to separate me from my money)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🎀 If you want a classic example of how AAA publishers have gone soft and are dead-set codependent on that absolute rubbish Windows OS, have a look at this title. A tiny indie outfit drops a game and, without making a massive song and dance about it, delivers a flawless day-one native Linux port that runs like a dream on absolutely any distribution. It honestly gets your back up knowing that games locked exclusively to Windows cost the exact same amount of cash as titles where devs actually put…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pretty decent metroidvania. not the most difficult overall but some sections can be very hard. all the characters images are thirst traps with some of them being very thirsty indeed. its very blatant but so what?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't normally leave a review this early and let alone a negative one, but I felt the need to do so, in order for the developer to be aware of a certain problem that the game suffers from. As has been mentioned in other reviews and in the steam discussion board for the game: This game game suffers from an issue where camera panning while moving/traversing is stutter-y while the rest of the game is buttery smooth. Attacking is smooth, jumping is smooth, movements are smooth. The CAMERA (more…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →+ Very fluid movement. Probably one of the best in an indie metroidvania. Made the backtracking very enjoyable + Good parry mechanic. I also enjoyed the fluid detonation mechanic a lot + Cool bosses + Fun little sidequests using the time mechanic - Story and lore presentation could be better - Soundtrack could be better
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Surprised by this game thanks to noisey pixel for the recommendation this game is a very good metroidvania combat is very nice and fluid so far definitely worth the price
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is what happens when you put harry potter, Afterimage, Dragonloop, MiO, and Blasphemous 2 into a blender and turn it on. The game is mid for a while but it gets better as you progress. The english translation is gramatically correct but the tone is all wrong and extremely formal. Go to the chinese embassy website and read some stuff, that is what the translation is like. I loved the combat in this game and the world has a ton of secrets to discover. This is the only metroidvania…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really enjoy the game. It has a clear progression, interesting story and great artwork. The bosses thus far have been awesome to fight. As a Hollow Knight/Silksong enjoyed, this is the first other Metroidvania that made me really want to keep playing
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kotama and Academy Citadel, a 3D #Metroidvania game, releases on Steam NOW. Explores through the mysterious Academy Citadel. Travel with classmates of different personalities. 👇 store.steampowered.com/app/3639650 #indiedev #Steam #gamedev #メトロイドヴァニア
unlabelledView post →To be forward about it, I bought this game for the Ecchi CGs. Regardless of that, this game is a solid Metroidvania. The bosses are fun and challenging, the combat feels good, the platforming sections/puzzles felt rewarding to complete. If you asked me if I'd recommend this game, obviously I do. To do everything and get all achievements, it took me about 27 hours and a half, I think that a good length for a game like this. The story is whatever, and the music, too me, is at best serviceable,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another great metroidvania. Solid controls, graphics, and sound design. Tip: If you want to 100% in one run, start with challenge mode. You can get all achievements in one save file without having to revert or backup a save file.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a really niche indie, honestly some of the best 20 bucks I have ever spent, I have played a lot of platformers (like Blasphemous 1 and 2, Hollow knight and Silksong, and others) and this is surely one of the best. the game lenght may vary on your playstyle but I'd say one can finish the story in about 20h if they don't do anything else, I know it's short but the devs are currently (06/08/26) working to ad stuff into the game so it will probably become even bigger as time goes on, I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great metroidvania! Pros - satisfying animations - great combat and movement - rewarding and interesting exploration - amazing boss fights - interesting monsters, a lot of times you have to find an approach to a new monster you encounter, which I like - in general playing the game feels very good Cons - I'd like to see more bosses in the game, especially when they are done so well - sometimes i got lost during the exploration, but may be this is my problem - may be I haven't…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really solid action MV. On the plus side, it's 2.5D, looks great and has very fast and fun combat. Soundtrack is pretty good too! Downside, i'd say platforming. It's a little janky and can be frustrating at times. The story and timecoil mechanic are just confusing rather than adding anything meaningful. Still, if you want Bloodstained with better combat, you'll be happy with Kotama. Solid first game from the developer.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"Kotama & Academy Citadel" is a great game which I had a LOT of fun with that has gone into my S-Tier for its chunky combat, decent exploration and platforming, and novel time-related plot and mechanics. The game features impactful combat with some challenge even on the Recommended difficulty. Parry is an option. Dodge is an option. Attacks are well-telegraphed throughout with nice obvious tells — though they did take some learning in a few cases. If you're expecting a breeze where you can…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I cannot say it is the best of the Metroidvania i have played, but it does has its charms. 6.5/10 Summary: Pros: - Smooth movements on most places - Light and cute artstyle - Adjustable difficulty in the beginning - Assist menu for parkour course Cons: - Janky movement on corners (mostly on parkour area) - Small gap on consecutive parrying - Parrying on weapon differs in difficulty and hitbox but not explained well enough - Story-writing is lacking Full: first of all the movement feels…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →💔 Didnt knew im gonna be leaving a review on steam but i felt really weird about this game. It looks quite good on the steam page, i would say by the cover of steam page like devs are pouring their hearts into it, but when i hopd into a game i actually felt empty and kinda disappointed. (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ ♡ Combat: My expectations wasnt met due to really simple combat, not a slasher type how i anticipated but rather block/spam which is pretty boring even after receving "new" mechanics that felt like…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic game at every point, now one of my favorite Metroidvania games with an aesthetic I love to bits. would play again I'm sure -also works flawlessly on the steamdeck
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun metroidvania with lots of exploration, fun and challenging combat and jumping puzzles, incredible music by Vanguard Sound, and fun and interesting characters and lore. The parries really make the combat extra satisfying, for both normal enemies and bosses. The various skills of the 3 weapons are also fun and all 3 weapons play differently. The bosses themselves are also a great highlight. Each unique and offering their own challenges. The jumping puzzles are pretty interesting and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Look am pretty mediocre at platformers and this looked interesting bc i played bloodstained and had alot of fun But all this game made me feel like i was getting weaker the further i progressed - healing requires money ( more life= more currency to heal not taking in account that even with more health i was getting hit for roughly 40-50% of my life) - chip system seemed boring af - repetetive mini bosses or little gauntlets (gauntlets get buffed heavily if you run out of chrono card bs) -whole…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a Shantae game in spirit. Fairly decent metroidvania propped up and enhanced cute and fun characters. I enjoy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →your going to need a new controller for this game. your current controller ether to worn out or, your going to destroy it. the game looks good but, the game play... your attacks feel like they were designed to miss what you want to hit. the puzzles will make you quit. if only the game was as good as it looked.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Can't deny that the visuals were very appealing when coming across Kotama, and the overall package the game offers were a pleasant ride for sure. I've played the game on challenge mode (hard) without any prior knowledge so that'll be my view of the game in my recommendation. By now, I prefer me some story elements in my metroidvanias over the lack of those with the environment telling about it. Kotama is in the middle ground, offering a bit of story and something about the characters but not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its a good game, really fun, but im really bad and suck at it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think most of these positive reviews are fake
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As much as I love metroidvania style games, the art and main character really hooked me more than usual (this includes her unique mechanics). I also like how the traversal difficulty is hits just the right amount of difficulty and not too chill and basic. Can't wait to see more of this as a series in the future.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is bloodstained ritual of the night but sexy
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Flashy, polished, Academy-Life?... + very flashy and effect polished game + very good OST + enjoyable dialogue + puzzle story, you have to keep attention + cute NPCs + with amazing costumes (who comes up with this design: chinese devs are on another level) + lively Background + interesting time system + Map is welldone made with little reminders imprinted into the map itself + Ara Ara ~ sexy fanservice + Artwork and 2D animations pretty much amazing + smooth movement set + cool moves + Bosses…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anyone who play Megaman X or Zero. This is game will hit nostalgia hard. The action and combat platform are very similar to these game except you have additonal parry system which is preety fun and no annoying self damage if close to enemy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So I just finished this one! Confirming yet again that the most dangerous entity in anime is the student council! I didn't expect much when I first started the game. A run of the mill metroidvania, having some nice ideas here and there and decently designed. After finishing the game... I was mostly right about that one. The game itself plays like almost every other melee focused metroidvania/ platformer. All the abilities you unlock you have seen somewhere else before. Of course you do not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good; great, maybe? Kotama doesn't just do what a metroidvania should pretty well, giving the player a cohesive world to explore in a non-linear fashion and to backtrack across as they unlock new abilities and weapons (with significant enemy variety throughout the different zones you traverse), but it also features some innovations of its own: a combat-centric gameplay loop that has players juggling three separate weapons, each with multiple skills and patterns, to parry, dodge and stagger…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kotama and Academy Citadel doesn’t hold your hand. Enemies hit hard, healing costs money, and fights reward smart weapon switching. Review: clouddosage.com/kotama-and-a... #KotamaAndAcademyCitadel #Metroidvania #IndieGames #PC #GameReview
unlabelledView post →Kotama & Academy Citadel has to be one of the weakest metroidvanias I've ever played. You play as Kotama, who has power over fluid and explore the Academy Citadel in order to become the Carmel Star. Why? Who knows. Though it has to be said the game has intricate lore, there is barely any story that actually happens on-screen, which blunders the interest to care. You could go through the entire game without reading any of the notes. The movement is kind of rigid, especially the sequence when…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent Metroidvania with plenty of fanservice. Gameplay is tight and the game doesn't waste your time with large exposition dumps.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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