Ludography
69/100
Players32 ratings
77/100
Critics6 reviews
More scores
Metacritic16 critic reviews
71/100
Metacritic usersuser score
69/100
GameFAQsEasy-Just Right
2.88/5
Player reviews
91% positive7,510 reviews
Steam Deck
Verified
Runs on
Windows
Price
US$2.09

Where to get it

Pumpkin Jack cover

2020 · Adventure · Indie

Pumpkin Jack

Pumpkin Jack is a Spooky Scary 3D platformer in which you embody Jack, the Mythical Pumpkin Lord! Dive into an Epic Adventure through otherworldly landscapes and help the Evil annihilate the Good!

Released
23 October 2020
Platforms
Nintendo SwitchPlayStation 4PlayStation 5WindowsXbox OneXbox Series X/S
Genres
AdventureIndiePlatformer
Developers
—
Publishers
—
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Third person
Themes
ActionFantasyComedy
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Country
France
Age ratings
CLASS_IND 10ACB PGGRAC 12+PEGI 12USK 12CERO BESRB E10+
Languages
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Spain) and 1 more
Time to beat
4.5hmain story4hwith extras6hcompletionist

About

Pumpkin Jack is a video game developed by Nicolas Meyssonnier and published by Headup Games. It was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One in 2020 and PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2021. It combines elements of action-adventure games, 3D platform games, and hack and slash gameplay.

›Story

Follow the will of the Devil himself and slay your nemesis in an epic quest that will take you on a journey in the Arc En Ciel Kingdom, a mythical realm shattered by the curse. You will meet friends along the way, from a haughty owl to a snarky crow! Travel through epic and dramatic settings, with each level having its own eerie atmosphere.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Players control a spirit revived as a pumpkin-headed man on Halloween. Together with his two companions, an owl and a crow, players guide Pumpkin Jack through various puzzles and 3D platforms to defeat humanity. Jack can engage in melee combat using various weapons, including a shovel, scythe, and magic sword.

Story

Once upon a time in the great Arc En Ciel Kingdom, the land lived in peace and harmony (and felt pretty boring), however out of sheer desperation for violence and bloodshed, the Devil himself summons the Curse of Eternal Night to spread darkness and unleash mindless hordes of monsters to bring forth chaos to the once peaceful lands.

Not liking their new lifestyle, the villagers asked the help of a mighty Wizard who promises to end the Devil's curse and bring harmony back to the kingdom. Upon hearing of their champions quest, the prince of darkness makes a deal with the cursed trickster Stingy Jack to forgive his past misdeeds in exchange to find and destroy the Wizard so he will not get rid of the curse. Armed with a assortment of weapons and befriending a crow, the pumpkin headed trickster travels the cursed kingdom to fight off many monsters and search for the powerful sorcerer.

Development

Nicolas Meyssonnier made Pumpkin Jack mostly by himself. Adrien Lucas helped port the game to consoles, and Yohan Jager composed the music. Headup Games released the game for Windows, Xbox One, and Switch on October 23, 2020; PlayStation 4 on February 24, 2021; and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 27, 2021.

Reception

On the review aggregation website Metacritic, Pumpkin Jack received positive reviews on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 and mixed reviews on Windows and Nintendo Switch. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received fair approval, being recommended by 61% of critics. Hardcore Gamer praised the variety of gameplay styles and said that the game is fun despite some rough edges. Commenting on its retro PlayStation 2-style gameplay, Push Square wrote that it is a "game that knows exactly what it wants to be, and delivers with confidence".

Nintendo Life called it "an absolute triumph" and compared it positively to MediEvil. NintendoWorldReport found it "surprisingly charming" and praised the platform elements, while criticizing the combat.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Xbox One23 October 2020Worldwide
Nintendo Switch23 October 2020Worldwide
Windows23 October 2020Worldwide
PlayStation 424 February 2021Worldwide
PlayStation 527 October 2021Worldwide
Xbox Series X/S27 October 2021Worldwide

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Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.