Everyone said this new Metroidvania is a "near-perfect mix of Celeste and Hollow Knight," and I see what they meant

gamesradar.com:

After a stay in Steam Early Access, Metroidvania platformer Lone Fungus (opens in new tab) has officially launched, and to glowing comparisons to genre standouts like Hollow Knight and Celeste. 

This little indie, which was developed solo over at Basti Games, caught my eye for a few reasons. It's pitched as "a handcrafted open-world platformer set in a world built by mushrooms," and that sounds like an adorable take on one of my favorite genres. And while it's not overflowing with reviews – though 94% of them are positive, which is a good sign – a lot of reviewers have mentioned Hollow Knight and Celeste specifically, and after digging into the game a bit more, I'm starting to see why. 

"If Celeste and Hollow Knight had a child together it would be Lone Fungus," writes Steam user Buzzo. "This game feels like a hybrid of Hollow Knight and Celeste," says mstegosaurus. "Really promising Celeste - Hollow Knight - Metroidvania," says Magic. "It's kinda like Hollow Knight and Celeste mixed together," agrees holdenjerm. I think catWithAcap summed it up well when they said: "Celeste + Hollow Knight = Win." You get the point. 

It turns out players aren't the only ones drawing these comparisons. The game's very own Steam page reads: "In addition to Emblems, there are Relics that work very similarly to the Charm system in Hollow Knight." It also mentions "unique and challenging platforming gameplay reminiscent of modern platformers such as Celeste but set in a fully open world." 

Lone Fungus certainly does seem to echo Hollow Knight's massive organic world, equippable Relics, and oddly cute protagonist. Our mushroom hero's four-directional slash attacks, especially their bouncing downward slash, also seem mighty familiar, in a good