Lucky Tower Ultimate Retains the Charm Of The Originals, And Their Flaws (Review)

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If you spent any time online in the 2000s, you probably remember playing Flash games. Many of those classic games are now available on modern computers through Steam. The popular Lucky Tower series is the latest to join them, with a new game released on both Steam and Nintendo Switch. Lucky Tower Ultimate is known for being challenging and funny, and the full version comes out on April 16th. I recently got a chance to play an early version on PC to write a review.

Similar to its Flash predecessors, Lucky Tower Ultimate is a challenging game. Originally released on Steam as an Early Access title in 2024, the full 1.0 version is a significant improvement. It includes new weapons, armor, and dialogue, along with a proper ending and lots of extra side quests. However, reaching all this new content requires surviving the Tower, which is quite difficult. Lucky Tower Ultimate successfully captures the fun and wit of the original Flash games, but it also shares their shortcomings.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Pros Cons
Stays true to the art style and humor of the classics Difficulty gets frustrating even in easiest mode
Delivers punishing difficulty for gamers who love a challenge Lacks a satisfying sense of progression
Should run well on even low-end PCs Some controls are clunky

Lucky Tower Ultimate Is a Game Right Out of the Flash Era (And It Shows) 

Lucky Tower Ultimate keeps the charming, hand-drawn art style of the original game. The clumsy knight, Von Wanst, is back as you remember him, and the game’s overall look and feel are wonderfully nostalgic. It even maintains the silly, physical comedy that was popular in the early 2000s. This is a huge benefit for both longtime fans and newcomers. If you enjoyed the original Lucky Tower, this version stays true to what you loved while updating the experience for today’s players.

While I enjoyed the game overall, I was disappointed by the limited controls. Having only one button for both throwing and picking up items felt clunky, especially considering the full controller layout available on Steam and Switch. Even on mouse and keyboard, the controls were confusing. It was frustrating to repeatedly struggle with item selection and accidental throws, particularly in a game already known for being challenging. Unlike older point-and-click games, Lucky Tower Ultimate is a modern PC release and could have benefited from a more refined control scheme.

Despite its simplicity, this game has a lot going for it. The 2D graphics and easy-to-understand gameplay make it perfect for players with older or less powerful computers. It ran smoothly on my mid-range gaming PC without any technical problems. Aside from some slightly awkward controls, most of my difficulties with Lucky Tower Ultimate were simply because I was still learning how to play.

Gamers Who Love a Challenge Might Love Lucky Tower Ultimate, But I Didn’t

The Lucky Tower games are known for being really challenging, and I experienced that myself while playing Lucky Tower Ultimate. It’s advertised as a funny, roguelite adventure, and it definitely has the humor and replayable loops typical of the genre. However, I didn’t feel like I was making meaningful progress as I played.

In Lucky Tower Ultimate, like many roguelite games, the items you find – weapon and armor upgrades – are mostly based on chance. Usually, these games also let you unlock permanent improvements to help you over time. Lucky Tower Ultimate has this feature as well, but it’s difficult to access. You need to successfully complete the Tower with enough gold left over to spend, and the game doesn’t seem designed to make that easy.

While some players might enjoy the unpredictable ways Von Wanst can meet his end in Lucky Tower Ultimate, I found it more frustrating than fun. You can certainly make smart choices about which rooms to enter and which to avoid, but the game doesn’t consistently provide the resources you need to progress, even with careful planning. It’s especially discouraging when you finally reach the bottom, only to be defeated by Evelius and sent back to the start – making the whole attempt feel pointless.

If you’re looking for a really tough game, you’ll probably love Lucky Tower Ultimate. However, don’t think “Peasant Mode” will make things easy – starting with a few basic items isn’t much help when the game is constantly trying to defeat you. To fully enjoy it, you’ll need to be patient, learn the game, and overcome the Tower’s challenges with limited assistance. If that sounds appealing, give it a try! Personally, I found the difficulty more frustrating than enjoyable.

A PC copy of Lucky Tower Ultimate was provided to ComicBook for the purpose of this review.

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2026-04-16 19:13