If you thought Getting Over It was the pinnacle of rage-inducing platforming, think again. Kick’n Hell throws you into a grotesque, flaming gauntlet where your only move is to kick, and every success hinges on momentum, physics, and unforgiving precision. And here’s the kicker: the premise is simple, but the execution is anything but. From the twisted mind of Fire Foot Studio, this game distills movement to a single mechanic: the kick. But oh, what a mechanic it is. So put your right foot in, and your left foot out, and kick it all around when we dive in.
Physics as frenemies
In Kick’n Hell, you don’t walk, jump, or shoot. You kick—and that kick does it all. Movement, combat, traversal: it’s all built around this one action. Every object in the world responds to physical laws. Miss a kick, and instead of a clean trajectory, you’ll bounce sideways into a lava pit or get knocked back by a rebounding skeleton. Hit a brain just right, and you’re launched sky-high, vaulting across grotesque architecture with deadly elegance—all while doing backwards, neck-turning kicks and climbing up the layers of hell.
The physics of Kick’n Hell are tight, punishing, and weirdly fair. Everything behaves how you expect—until you get cocky. In Champion Mode, where there’s no room for retries, those physics are your true final boss. You learn to respect angles, impact velocity, and trajectory like a student of ballet if the personas from The Sandman invented it. Every failed kick teaches you something, whether it’s how to bounce off a wall or ricochet off a flying enemy.
This isn’t chaotic—it’s calculated, physics-driven punishment.
Devilishly Well-Timed
Kick’n Hell doesn’t mess around. The game offers two modes:
Apprentice Mode: Checkpoints are available, and death isn’t the end—perfect for getting the hang of the mechanics.
Champion Mode: A pure, brutal climb. No checkpoints. One fall can mean minutes—if not hours—lost.
The learning curve is steep, but rewarding. You won’t just master the game—you’ll master yourself. Every section conquered feels like a medal earned in frustration and resilience. It evokes the same emotional punishment as Jump King, but with the added twist of interactive enemies and objects that can help you… If you use them correctly.
One moment you’re soaring gracefully through a gauntlet of brains and bones, the next you’re plummeting past every cursed ledge you’ve already conquered. It’s part platformer, part emotional rollercoaster, and fully sadistic with an imperfectly placed checkpoint to finish it off, which induces even more rage.
Stylish, Macabre and Pixel-Perfect
Visually, Kick’n Hell oozes retro charm with a Satanic pixel-art style that’s grotesque yet beautiful. The environments are darkly comedic—hell isn’t just on fire, it’s laughing at you. The devil himself taunts you through narration, mocking every fall and failure. It’s as much psychological warfare as it is a physical challenge. Sound design is minimalist, allowing you to focus on the game. And you’ll need it: the silence between taunts is where frustration brews. And yet… you’ll push forward. Again. And again.
Conclusion
To put it plainly: Kick’n Hell is pure gameplay distilled into rage and rhythm. The entire game revolves around physics-based mastery, demanding perfection with a wink and a sneer. If you’re not prepared to fail gloriously, this game isn’t for you. And it isn’t a game I’m going to finish – I’m just not cut out for it, but I can’t wait to see what the speedrunners are going to do with this one. So if you thrive on challenge, precision, and that sweet dopamine drip of finally nailing a sequence you’ve failed for 30 minutes? Then this is your next obsession. It’s brutally simple. Cruelly fair. And devilishly addictive.
8/10
Tested on the ROG Ally Z1 Extreme with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
