Baseless is one of those games that will frustrate you, make you rage quit, and then come back for more. The core mechanic of shooting to move is, at first, a bit unintuitive and will probably have you flying helplessly around levels, bouncing into enemies, hazards, or out into space. Mix in enemies that teleport, shoot poison clouds that obscure your view, and traps and explosives designed to make you die in new and inventive ways, and the first hour or two can really test one’s patience.
That being said, once you start to understand how to use the bubble shield, balance your momentum, and combine shooting with melee and limited-use power weapons, everything begins to click. As you get into it and really understand how things work, movement becomes deliberate and satisfying. Pulling off a tricky manoeuvre or clearing a screen full of enemies becomes genuinely thrilling, and the game begins to reward skill, timing, and experimentation. There is a tangible satisfaction in learning to control momentum rather than fight it, and that core loop is compelling enough to keep you going, even after repeated failures.
The setting is easy to get to grips with. You play as Caf, who is rescued from captivity in the opening moments and taken to Stellar Hollow, home of The Nile. This group presents itself as a quasi-religious order guided by a deliberately vague prophecy. Their purpose for you is clear enough, though: venture out, rescue stranded souls, and bring them back to the Hollow. Before long, you’re wrapped in a billowing red scarf and sent through a warp gate known as The Azimouth, beginning your training and your wider mission to defeat Goliath and free his captives.
On PC, Baseless leans fully into mouse-driven control. You aim freely with the mouse, using left click to fire the main weapon and right click to trigger Power Weapons, while melee attacks are mapped to Shift. The Bubble, which functions as a shield, a momentum brake, and a powerful jump or dash depending on context, can be bound to multiple inputs, allowing players to settle into whatever hand position feels most comfortable. Notably, there is no traditional movement input at all. There is no WASD, no analogue substitute. Every bit of movement comes from firing your weapon and managing the resulting momentum, which makes the control scheme feel conceptually clean but demanding.
The variety of combat tools is one of the game’s biggest strengths. Melee weapons allow you to deflect projectiles or grapple to new positions, while power weapons, ranging from lasers to spread shots and homing missiles, add situational versatility. The control layout is thoughtfully designed, mapping actions across multiple inputs in a way that supports the game’s complexity once you get the hang of it. That said, some technical quirks, particularly around how certain weapons behave, can disrupt the flow of combat. Performance tweaks may also be necessary to ensure the fast-paced action runs smoothly, as stutters or framerate drops can be especially frustrating in a game that relies so heavily on precision and momentum. But then that could just be my computer complaining about having to do several things at once…
While this system makes sense on PC, it is hard not to imagine Baseless feeling more immediately intuitive on a console, where analogue sticks might soften the learning curve. It feels like the sort of game better suited to a handheld setup, something you could dip into on a Switch, rather than a longer, more rigid session at a desk.
Difficulty is a recurring theme. Baseless is demanding, and some of that demand can feel uneven. Early enemies serve as a gentle introduction, but later stages throw multiple hazards and aggressive foes at you simultaneously. Certain environmental effects, like poison mist or chained attacks from teleporting enemies, can obscure the action or deal punishing damage that feels disproportionate to previous challenges.
At times, tracking your character amidst all the chaos is its own challenge. That said, assist options such as infinite health, ammo, or shields give struggling players ways to experience the game without removing its core mechanics entirely, which is a thoughtful inclusion. I would recommend holding off on the assist mode for as long as possible, though, as activating it can take the sting out of the game and really diminish that satisfaction you get from really understanding the game. At one point, I turned quad damage on and quickly ended a boss fight before I really got to grips with the arena. It wasn’t all that satisfying.
Structurally, the game is surprisingly rich. Across its many environments, you will rescue prisoners, take on arena fights, deactivate generators, hunt collectables, and face off against creative bosses. These battles are a particular highlight, forcing you to master the mechanics rather than brute-force your way through. Side quests, currency-based upgrades, and mini-games add depth and variety, encouraging exploration and experimentation. Upgrades to Caf’s scarf or horns provide meaningful stat changes and passive bonuses, letting you adjust your approach to both combat and survivability.
It’s definitely worth exploring for secrets before finishing a level. Secrets help you finish side quests and give access to unlockables. Once you achieve all the goals in the level, however, a gravity well appears, sucking everything in. You’ll quickly get sucked in yourself and move on to the next level without getting those sweet secrets.
Visually, Baseless is bright, clean, and easy to read, even in hectic sequences. The gravity system rotates the camera as you move between planets, or you can lock the camera in place, making navigation intuitive and visually engaging. Cel-shaded character and environment designs are charming, the colour palettes are attractive, and small details, like scarves and horns, add personality without clutter. The writing is light and often funny, including a somewhat tortured backronym for Caf’s main weapon, the S.P.I.N.G.U.N, or rather the “Shard-Powered Ionising Non-Gravity Ultra Neutraliser”. The soundtrack is unobtrusive, letting the gameplay take centre stage while still adding atmosphere, and even the hub area, with its slightly cult-like vibe, contributes narrative flavour without ever overwhelming the player.
What stands out most is how challenge and reward are balanced. It is rarely forgiving, and it asks a lot from its players, but it also consistently rewards those who persist. The tension between frustration and satisfaction is built into the game’s DNA. Every time you die, you learn something, and every time you overcome a tricky section, the payoff feels earned. For a largely solo-developed project, that level of ambition and polish is impressive. Andrew Armstrong’s vision comes through in both the mechanical depth and the small touches that make the game feel alive.
Ultimately, Baseless is not for everyone. It is demanding, occasionally punishing, and requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to learn unconventional systems. But for those willing to engage with its mechanics, it offers a uniquely rewarding indie experience. Its combination of kinetic movement, creative combat, colourful presentation, and thoughtful upgrades makes it an inventive platformer that stands out in a crowded field. It is messy in places, uneven in difficulty, and rough around the edges, but it is also compelling, ambitious, and consistently interesting. For players who are up for the challenge, Baseless is worth the time it demands.
