Kentum | PC Demo Review
Every once in a while, a demo comes along that does more than give you a taste of what is to come. It makes you impatient for the full course. Kentum, from Tlön Industries, is one of those games. Marketed as a “craftervania,” it blends survival crafting, roguelike loops, and metroidvania exploration into something that feels fresh and remarkably polished even in its early state. After playing the demo, I can confidently say this is one of the most exciting titles I have had the chance to preview in 2025.
The Button, the Crash, and the Clone
The premise hooked me immediately. You play as Kent, a space scientist who wakes up from cryo-sleep every few years to push a single button. Tired of the monotony, Kent tries to override the system so he can rest longer, but instead oversleeps for more than 7,000 years. His ship runs out of power, crash lands, Kent gets cloned because his human form dies in the crash, and humanity’s future is suddenly on his shoulders. Guided by a sharp-tongued AI companion, Kent must rebuild civilization one clone at a time. The demo sets this all up with style, while also teasing the roguelike elements such as looting your own previous corpse for resources and keeping all progress for the next clone. A metroidvania progression system ties directly into your crafting. Improving your weaponry or abilities allows you to make it to a new area.
Meanwhile, there is a monolith that looms in the distance. It broadcasts a signal that your AI assistant detects and pushes you to research. This, along with the genre elements, all come together to make the setup both clever and compelling.
Seamless Systems in Motion
Moment to moment, Kentum feels rock solid. The platforming is crisp, responsive, and never once left me second guessing a design choice. Crafting starts off with the familiar survival grind, but even in the demo you can see the payoff with automation, efficiency, and meaningful upgrades that are equal parts challenge and achievability. What makes it shine is how seamlessly the different systems overlap. Crafting enhances your weapons, farming, and even the mechanical abilities of your AI assistant. Those improvements unlock new areas to explore, which in turn give you more resources to build and expand. The roguelike and metroidvania aspects do not feel like separate systems. They work together in a way that constantly rewards your progress.
A Layered World With Character
Though it is a 2D platformer at its core, Kentum’s visuals feel layered and dimensional. Background elements flow naturally, and the sense of depth makes the world feel larger than a simple side scroller. The sound design backs it up with satisfying effects for every action. Voice work is a standout highlight. The writing is sharp, the delivery lands, and Kent’s interactions with his AI companion add both humor and personality. The demo did have a few rough edges, such as minor lip-sync quirks, and occasionally the acting audio was missing. These were small and clearly demo-level issues, but worth noting.
Final Verdict: Kentum Demo
If it was not for those small audio hiccups, I would be tempted to call this demo a perfect 10. Kentum left me hungry for more, plain and simple. The world is intriguing, the mechanics are seamless, and the personality shines through in every interaction. Tlön Industries has something special here, and if the full release builds on what is in this demo, fans of survival, crafting, and metroidvania adventures will have a must-play on their hands.
To hear me talk more about Kentum, be sure to listen to the September 16, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 1:16:12 time stamp.
This review is based on a PC demo copy of Kentum provided by Vicarious PR for coverage purposes. It will be available on PlayStation and Xbox at a later date.
