Hack and Climb

About Hack and Climb

Hack and Climb is a 2D physics-based platformer from Kodachi Games, released January 20, 2026. You play as a vengeful axe cursed by a rival and flung down a mountain. The goal: claw your way back up through four biomes, earth, ruin, forest, and frost, using precise swings and physics-based momentum. It’s a single-player challenge focused on timing, balance, and pixel-perfect platforming. The game leans into its grueling difficulty, promising a rewarding but punishing climb. Best for players who enjoy tight mechanics and don’t mind repeated deaths.

Gameplay

Each level revolves around swinging, balancing, and throwing. You control an axe with a fixed pivot point, using its weight and physics to swing upward. Momentum is key, miss a landing, and you’ll tumble down. Biomes introduce new hazards: crumbling platforms in ruins, icy surfaces in frost, and shifting terrain in forests. The controls are simple but demand precision. You’ll spend minutes perfecting a single swing, adjusting angle and power. Failures are frequent but fair, with checkpoints spaced to encourage learning. The challenge escalates rapidly, demanding quick reflexes and spatial awareness. It’s a rhythm-driven test of patience and skill.

What Players Think

Hack and Climb holds a 4.6/5 user rating and 85% critic score. 72% of players complete it, with an average playtime of 5.5 hours. Community moods are split: 38% call it “Determined,” 22% “Frustrated,” and 18% “Amused.” Reviewers note its “gripping, punishing, and oddly charming” design. The game’s 72 achievements include milestones like reaching the summit of each biome. 45% of players report spending over 10 hours on retries. Critics praise its physics and tight feedback loop but warn it’s “not for the faint of heart.”

PlayPile's Take

Hack and Climb is a $19.99 test of patience with a 72-achievement roadmap. It’s ideal for platforming purists who thrive on incremental progress and don’t mind high difficulty. If you’ve enjoyed games like Celeste or Dead Cells, this could be your next obsession. However, the punishing retries might deter casual players. The price is fair for the challenge, but it’s a steep climb, literally and figuratively. Stick with it, and the summit is worth the fall.

Storyline

He cursed you into an axe and threw you off the mountain. No warning. No mercy. Now, from the darkness below, you begin your climb... Through earth, ruin, forest, and frost. One throw at a time. He thinks it's over, but your rise is his downfall.