In this game, speed is everything. Hesitate for even a second, and what scares me is not hell but the timer.

SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell is a game that lives and dies by momentum, reaction speed, and the player’s willingness to fail repeatedly in pursuit of perfection. Developed and published by Pine Studio, it throws the player into a stripped-down, high-velocity first-person platforming experience where every level is a race against the clock and every mistake is punished instantly. The premise is deliberately absurd and unapologetically macho: a hard-drinking trucker named Marty is dragged into Hell by Satan himself, loses his arm, and is forced to fight through infernal obstacle courses using a demonic replacement limb. This setup exists mainly to justify the game’s over-the-top tone, crude humor, and heavy metal attitude, and while it never develops into a meaningful narrative, it gives the experience a distinctive identity that aligns well with its aggressive design philosophy.

The heart of the game lies in its short, tightly constructed levels that are meant to be replayed dozens of times. Each stage is designed to be completed quickly, often in under a minute, but doing so efficiently is a completely different challenge. Players are encouraged to memorize layouts, experiment with routes, and exploit mechanics to shave off fractions of a second. The controls are simple on paper — running, jumping, and using a handful of special abilities — but the skill ceiling is extremely high. Powers such as fireball throwing, teleportation, gravity manipulation, and time rewinding are introduced gradually, and later levels demand that these tools be chained together fluidly at high speed. The result is a gameplay loop that feels closer to speedrunning puzzle-platformers than traditional first-person action games, where understanding the optimal solution is just as important as executing it flawlessly.

One of the most defining features of the experience is how it handles failure. Death is frequent, often sudden, and sometimes unavoidable during learning attempts, but instant restarts ensure that frustration rarely has time to fully set in. The game actively encourages trial and error, letting players restart a level in a fraction of a second and immediately attempt a new approach. This creates a rhythm where repeated failure becomes part of the learning process rather than a punishment. As players improve, the satisfaction comes not from simply finishing a level, but from refining their movement and finding increasingly efficient routes. Hidden shortcuts and alternative paths reward curiosity and experimentation, reinforcing the idea that every stage has an optimal solution waiting to be discovered.

Despite its strengths, the game’s reliance on a first-person perspective can be a mixed blessing. While it adds intensity and immersion to the speedrunning experience, it also makes precise spatial judgment more difficult, especially during complex jumps or fast mid-air maneuvers. At higher difficulty levels, even minor inconsistencies in movement can feel punishing, and some players may find the physics slightly unforgiving for a game that demands pixel-perfect execution at full sprint. Combined with a steep difficulty curve in later stages, this means the game is far more appealing to players who enjoy mastering demanding systems than those seeking a more relaxed or accessible platformer.

Visually, the game embraces a deliberately retro aesthetic inspired by classic shooters, favoring clarity and functionality over visual complexity. Environments are clean and readable, with hazards, platforms, and interactive elements clearly communicated even at high speed. The visual simplicity helps ensure that the player’s attention remains focused on movement and timing rather than environmental detail. Complementing this is a loud, aggressive heavy metal soundtrack that reinforces the game’s relentless pace and irreverent tone. The music rarely fades into the background; instead, it pushes the player forward, amplifying both the adrenaline rush of successful runs and the stubborn determination to retry after failure.

In the end, the game stands as a focused and uncompromising experience built specifically for players who love speedrunning, optimization, and mechanical mastery. It offers little in the way of narrative depth or emotional storytelling, but it compensates with a deeply satisfying sense of improvement and progression through skill alone. Every successful run feels earned, every personal best feels meaningful, and every shortcut discovered adds another layer to the player’s understanding of the game. While its difficulty and precision demands may limit its appeal to a niche audience, those who embrace its design philosophy will find a fast, punishing, and endlessly replayable challenge that rewards persistence and precision above all else.

Rating: 9/10

Speed