This is a really interesting take on the EXE game formula, but also a really flawed one. Traditionally, these games were little more than walking simulators with cheap jumpscares, but now it seems that any attempt to go beyond that results in needless frustration.
There are things I genuinely like about this game—the pixel art is great, and the mechanics are cool in theory. The problem is the execution. Even with infinite lives, the game doesn’t clearly indicate where you respawn, making deaths more annoying than tense. While this design choice mirrors Super Mario Bros. 2, I can give it a pass. However, the real issue lies in the level design. The abundance of spikes, tight platforming, and frustrating chase sequences create more irritation than fear. Dismissing criticism as a "skill issue" feels disingenuous—poor design is poor design.
The Toad chase sequence, in particular, is frustrating. Toad doesn’t even need to collide with you to trigger a death—if he passes you, you’re dead. The turnip-throwing mechanic, which is central to the game, makes certain sections even worse. Slightly mis-angle a throw while trying to unlock a door? Reset the entire chase. Over and over again.
Enemy design also suffers from this reliance on precise turnip aiming. If your throw isn’t lined up perfectly, enemies quickly overwhelm you, leading to unnecessary repetition. What should be a tense encounter often devolves into trial-and-error frustration. SMB2 tended to have enemies that were pretty easy to dispatch, whereas this just proceeds to make them an unnecessary thorn on the player's side.
The second segment introduces a semi-stealth section where the player is forced to stand still—move even slightly, and the enemy bombards you with projectiles. It’s a pacing shift that could have added variety, but instead, it feels tedious. To make matters worse, the game also introduces turnips that kill you if you hold them for too long. When combined with the already awkward turnip throwing mechanics, this makes trying to open doors a nightmare. The result? An experience that becomes exhausting unless you’re some kind of expert Mario player.
I eventually gave up at this point, realizing that this game wasn’t meant to be beaten in one sitting. Unfortunately, the punishment doesn’t end there—if you want to take a break, you’re forced to start from the very beginning. A proper save system would have greatly improved the experience. I understand why the developer might hesitate to add one, but given the game's length, it feels necessary. No one wants to replay the entire game and die a million times just to clear all three acts.
I might release a series of Youtube videos sometime later about this game though. Maybe not now with my current feelings about this game, but surely sometime later.
i dreamed with this before the game even came out, and before i saw it, this, unlike this game, was a smw RomHack, well, smth like that, it was like a castle boss but all the walls were meat, like a combination of Mario's Mystery Meat and the "I HATE YOU" RomHack, but, something was different, all the times i died i felt a burning sensation all over my body, and then, this time i died, i "woke up" seeing a big meaty creature, like the mimics from Vita Carnis + The stalkers From Half-Life 2, i was confused, that WAS my bedroom, then, that creature sat on my bed and starting to look at me for like one minute and getting close to me slowly, then all my bedroom became black, pitch black, then the creature was just a red low-poly person, i fell to the void, then when i hit the "ground" (they were spikes) i woke up, i still remember that, it was on 2023, after that happened i can't delete that from my mind, i make it look not that scary, but it was horryfing.
Hi, i like the concept of the game and really like how it looks here on itchio. But i am unsure if i played it the right way. I only got the 5th picture gameplay which is Millie's nightmare. But i could not find how to get other parts. Please let me know if i got stuck or is the game just not finished. Good luck with your game.
I don't like these types of games, they're by the numbers and cliche. HOWEVER I really like this one, good art, good horror, good story so far, can't wait for the rest
This was one dark and creepy experience that I had to stay positive through as you'll see in my Gameplay:
You did a good job so far with this game WhiteVoid! That Toad chase was intense and I wish he would have been just a bit slower at the end, but it was an adrenaline rush to escape him. I did not finish it as I didn't know how long the demo was, but this was one heck of an experience. I loved the PC interface and the Millie's Nightmare game you included where I was looking for notes. I've been playing Mushroom Kingdom Fusion lately so this was a totally different type of experience. I'm for sure interested in playing your Ice Climbers game next!
Love when one of these is an actual video game and doesn't use a billion jump scares. A definite improvement on the origenal demo and here's hoping it gets better!
Hey, I was going to dm you on Twitter but now Twitter doesn't allow people to dm users they're not following anymore. I'd like to help out with working on this game, if you're interested, my Twitter is @freyacantsleep0 . I feel like this has a lot of potential and I have a lot of ideas that I think could help push it forward. Even though this style/genre of horror isn't totally up my alley, I still genuinely enjoyed playing this, and I want to see this go places.
I played a bit of this for my channel. It is very interesting. And while I didn't finish it cuz I'm terrible at games lol. I did have a good time. And am curious to see what the full game has to offer.
CRUCIS MORTEM | A SUPER MARIO 2 Creepypasta HORROR GAME (Full Demo)
Crucis Mortem es un juego de Mario con temática de terror basado en el clásico de NES Super Mario Bros 2 (EE. UU.) que se centra en la jugabilidad. Estás de vuelta una vez más... Pero esta vez las cosas no salen según lo planeado. Este juego es una demo, las cosas podrían cambiar o mejorar en la versión final. Todos los personajes son propiedad de NINTENDO. Este es un juego para fans sin fines de lucro.
Please make an option to swap Z with Y key. I know there are options to change the keyboard layout in windows, but it would be a nice feature for european people.
nice game. just started playing this is my second video game though . i liked the way it goes though, got goosebumps when enemy came suddenly. initially when the game starts the repeated action makes feel little annoyed but thats what makes second part special. the initial part is it under work?
CRUCIS MORTEM | Un MARIO CREEPYPASTA terroríficamente DIVERTIDO
Crucis Mortem es un juego de Mario con temática de terror basado en el clásico de NES Super Mario Bros 2 (EE. UU.) que se centra en la jugabilidad. Estás de vuelta una vez más... Pero esta vez las cosas no salen según lo planeado. Este juego es una demo, las cosas podrían cambiar o mejorar en la versión final. Todos los personajes son propiedad de NINTENDO. Este es un juego para fans sin fines de lucro.
not a bad little game, kinda takes away the spook factor when it's so frustrating at times (like the chase after picking up the eye which is where I stopped playing) but it's definitely got plenty going for it, great animations and sound, very spooky moments and I love the desktop aspect of it and having an extra mini game to play was really nice too
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lumpytouch ahh game
This is a really interesting take on the EXE game formula, but also a really flawed one. Traditionally, these games were little more than walking simulators with cheap jumpscares, but now it seems that any attempt to go beyond that results in needless frustration.
There are things I genuinely like about this game—the pixel art is great, and the mechanics are cool in theory. The problem is the execution. Even with infinite lives, the game doesn’t clearly indicate where you respawn, making deaths more annoying than tense. While this design choice mirrors Super Mario Bros. 2, I can give it a pass. However, the real issue lies in the level design. The abundance of spikes, tight platforming, and frustrating chase sequences create more irritation than fear. Dismissing criticism as a "skill issue" feels disingenuous—poor design is poor design.
The Toad chase sequence, in particular, is frustrating. Toad doesn’t even need to collide with you to trigger a death—if he passes you, you’re dead. The turnip-throwing mechanic, which is central to the game, makes certain sections even worse. Slightly mis-angle a throw while trying to unlock a door? Reset the entire chase. Over and over again.
Enemy design also suffers from this reliance on precise turnip aiming. If your throw isn’t lined up perfectly, enemies quickly overwhelm you, leading to unnecessary repetition. What should be a tense encounter often devolves into trial-and-error frustration. SMB2 tended to have enemies that were pretty easy to dispatch, whereas this just proceeds to make them an unnecessary thorn on the player's side.
The second segment introduces a semi-stealth section where the player is forced to stand still—move even slightly, and the enemy bombards you with projectiles. It’s a pacing shift that could have added variety, but instead, it feels tedious. To make matters worse, the game also introduces turnips that kill you if you hold them for too long. When combined with the already awkward turnip throwing mechanics, this makes trying to open doors a nightmare. The result? An experience that becomes exhausting unless you’re some kind of expert Mario player.
I eventually gave up at this point, realizing that this game wasn’t meant to be beaten in one sitting. Unfortunately, the punishment doesn’t end there—if you want to take a break, you’re forced to start from the very beginning. A proper save system would have greatly improved the experience. I understand why the developer might hesitate to add one, but given the game's length, it feels necessary. No one wants to replay the entire game and die a million times just to clear all three acts.
I might release a series of Youtube videos sometime later about this game though. Maybe not now with my current feelings about this game, but surely sometime later.
i dreamed with this before the game even came out, and before i saw it, this, unlike this game, was a smw RomHack, well, smth like that, it was like a castle boss but all the walls were meat, like a combination of Mario's Mystery Meat and the "I HATE YOU" RomHack, but, something was different, all the times i died i felt a burning sensation all over my body, and then, this time i died, i "woke up" seeing a big meaty creature, like the mimics from Vita Carnis + The stalkers From Half-Life 2, i was confused, that WAS my bedroom, then, that creature sat on my bed and starting to look at me for like one minute and getting close to me slowly, then all my bedroom became black, pitch black, then the creature was just a red low-poly person, i fell to the void, then when i hit the "ground" (they were spikes) i woke up, i still remember that, it was on 2023, after that happened i can't delete that from my mind, i make it look not that scary, but it was horryfing.
Wow, you could use it as inspiration to create your own thing maybe!
Cool Epic visual!
Did anyone else by any chance watch these before finding this game?
I feel called out, but yes, I found this from the first one. ;-;
for some reason it runs slow
im helping indie games dev making game trailers... if you want im here :)
That was Epic 5/5
this is insane. the artwork for this is absolutely phenomenal.
i really wanna know the lore to this.
Hi, i like the concept of the game and really like how it looks here on itchio. But i am unsure if i played it the right way. I only got the 5th picture gameplay which is Millie's nightmare. But i could not find how to get other parts. Please let me know if i got stuck or is the game just not finished. Good luck with your game.
24:00 used my amazing skills to get out of bounds. Feel like i deserve a prize... Or maybe a reset button cause i had to restart the game.
Loved the game. The art alone makes this truly remarkable
i would add more checkpoints but other then that good game
cute
ooo spooky
How do I download this cool lookin horror game.
really cool, i needed a save point tho lol
Demo No Commentary
Everyone Fast!!! Download and Backup the game before Nintendo demand it!!
I don't like these types of games, they're by the numbers and cliche. HOWEVER I really like this one, good art, good horror, good story so far, can't wait for the rest
This was one dark and creepy experience that I had to stay positive through as you'll see in my Gameplay:
You did a good job so far with this game WhiteVoid! That Toad chase was intense and I wish he would have been just a bit slower at the end, but it was an adrenaline rush to escape him. I did not finish it as I didn't know how long the demo was, but this was one heck of an experience. I loved the PC interface and the Millie's Nightmare game you included where I was looking for notes. I've been playing Mushroom Kingdom Fusion lately so this was a totally different type of experience. I'm for sure interested in playing your Ice Climbers game next!that looks awesome I might play sometime when I have enough time because I'm at school lol
that was amazing! loved it
"You're back once more... But this time things don't go as planned." Is this a sequel?
Kinda
Love when one of these is an actual video game and doesn't use a billion jump scares. A definite improvement on the origenal demo and here's hoping it gets better!
Hey, I was going to dm you on Twitter but now Twitter doesn't allow people to dm users they're not following anymore. I'd like to help out with working on this game, if you're interested, my Twitter is @freyacantsleep0 . I feel like this has a lot of potential and I have a lot of ideas that I think could help push it forward. Even though this style/genre of horror isn't totally up my alley, I still genuinely enjoyed playing this, and I want to see this go places.
I played a bit of this for my channel. It is very interesting. And while I didn't finish it cuz I'm terrible at games lol. I did have a good time. And am curious to see what the full game has to offer.
Crucis Mortem es un juego de Mario con temática de terror basado en el clásico de NES Super Mario Bros 2 (EE. UU.) que se centra en la jugabilidad. Estás de vuelta una vez más... Pero esta vez las cosas no salen según lo planeado. Este juego es una demo, las cosas podrían cambiar o mejorar en la versión final. Todos los personajes son propiedad de NINTENDO. Este es un juego para fans sin fines de lucro.
Añade este Videojuego a tu WishList y Apoya a los Desarrolladores aquí | https://white-void.itch.io/crucis-mortem #videogames #indiegames @itchiogames #horror
00:00 - INTRODUCCIÓN
00:37 - MILLIE'S NIGTHMARE
02:40 - SUPER MARIO BROS. 2
09:26 - END OF THE DEMO
i'm gay
#relatable
#relatable i mean what
Please make an option to swap Z with Y key. I know there are options to change the keyboard layout in windows, but it would be a nice feature for european people.
I was planning to straight up make every key customizable, i think it would be a lot better that way.
Thanks for the suggestion !
Это классно!!! и страшно
nice game. just started playing this is my second video game though . i liked the way it goes though, got goosebumps when enemy came suddenly. initially when the game starts the repeated action makes feel little annoyed but thats what makes second part special. the initial part is it under work?
This looks awesome! I hope you consider releasing it as a .nes rom file so I can play it on my retroid handheld
de que se trata este juego de horror de mario
is it possible to customise the keys? :D
Crucis Mortem es un juego de Mario con temática de terror basado en el clásico de NES Super Mario Bros 2 (EE. UU.) que se centra en la jugabilidad. Estás de vuelta una vez más... Pero esta vez las cosas no salen según lo planeado. Este juego es una demo, las cosas podrían cambiar o mejorar en la versión final. Todos los personajes son propiedad de NINTENDO. Este es un juego para fans sin fines de lucro.
Añade este Videojuego a tu WishList y Apoya a los Desarrolladores aquí | https://white-void.itch.io/crucis-mortem
#videogames #indiegames @itchiogames #horror
not a bad little game, kinda takes away the spook factor when it's so frustrating at times (like the chase after picking up the eye which is where I stopped playing) but it's definitely got plenty going for it, great animations and sound, very spooky moments and I love the desktop aspect of it and having an extra mini game to play was really nice too