‘Tootum’ Uses Swords & Dashes to Overcome Hard Platforming

Tootum tasks players with navigating a deadly world through the use of a magic platforming sword and a convenient dash.

Precision Platformer and Metroidvania are two genres that mesh together incredibly well, possibly because of the delicate timing often required when fighting bosses in the latter of the two. Adventure games that predate the term Metroidvania, like Zelda (which has since gone open-world) and Wonder Boy (RIP) were known for tough bosses that followed puzzle and combat sections. That staggered, ability-gated exploration was something that was prevalent back then, and persists now, all the way through to games coming soon — like Tootum.

Tootum, which is the latest project from perpetual metroidvania creator DougVeira, places you in the role of a freshly awakened amnesiac entity that must tactfully navigate the deadly temple that they’re trapped within. Being an amnesiac in an ancient temple sounds more like the start of a narrative game, but you’d better not dwell on your lost memories for long lest you fall on some spikes or get a fireball to the face. It’s not easy to get through this place and you’ll rely heavily on a magical sword companion that you can fling forward and climb upon as a platform when its lodged in walls.

In most cases avoidance is key, with the starting, lumbering enemies quite easy to avoid unless you’re focusing on other things (dodging swinging balls, not landing on spikes). However, more difficult enemies inevitably follow, requiring tighter reflexes and dash placement to avoid meeting an unpleasant end. There’s a demo available for Tootum over on both Steam and Itch.io, and while it’s a little bit early on in development, there’s a hint of something really magical in there — and I don’t just mean the talking sword.

Tootum is currently in development, but in the meantime, you can get a demo from itch.io or Steam.

About The Author

Dann Sullivan

After almost a decade of selling games, Dann decided to try his hand at writing about them instead. A few years in and he is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Big Boss Battle, where he and his team cover games of all shapes and sizes. When not in the role, he can often be found seeking out small, memorable game experiences.