Scoring genre clarity...

Before Times capsule

Before Times

Play as caveman with friend or many friend and explore strange new world! Survive against small lizard, big lizard, chicken lizard and big cat to find the Mungo Bungo! That mean great treasure in Unga Bunga language.

$4.993 user reviews
ExplorationOnline Co-Op3D Platformer
SetcarioApr 30, 2026

Before Times scores 60/100 — better than 0% of Exploration capsules (n=4,872).

3 user reviews · $4.99 · Released Apr 30, 2026 · By Setcario

Explore:Exploration capsulesOnline Co-Op capsules3D Platformer capsulesSteam page optimisationCapsule design best practices

Quick text summary

Before Times scored 60/100 on Steam Analyzer — Solid for a Exploration capsule. Top priority fix: [uniqueness_polish] Add a distinctive visual hook such as a signature character pose, unique creature design, or stylized rendering effect that differentiates this from generic caveman themes and communicates a specific gameplay twist or core mechanic.

Capsule scores by dimension

  • Genre Clarity: 7/10 — Prehistoric survival adventure readable. The caveman character model on the left, primitive setting with green foliage, and hostile creature silhouettes (dark monster upper right, small lizard lower right) clearly signal prehistoric survival-action gameplay. At TINY size, the character pose and creature shapes remain readable enough to convey the genre, though fine details of individual enemies blur together slightly.
  • Title Readability: 6/10 — Blocky text legible at small sizes. The title 'BEFORE TIMES' uses a pixel-art blocky font with white and light blue coloring positioned across the center-right of the image with a solid background treatment. The font remains readable at SMALL and TINY sizes due to its chunky letterforms, though the exact pixel-style aesthetic is lost at tiny resolution and reads more as generic blocky text rather than distinctive branding.
  • Contrast & Color: 7/10 — Bright blue background strong separation. The vivid blue sky background (#0066cc range) creates strong value contrast against the warm brown caveman character and darker green foliage midground. The white title text pops clearly against darker regions, though the brown character blends somewhat with the green hillside and some creature details lose edge definition in grayscale at tiny size.
  • Uniqueness & Polish: 5/10 — Generic caveman theme basic execution. While the concept matches the game description, the presentation relies on stock caveman archetypes and basic creature designs without distinctive visual storytelling or memorable hooks. The art style is functional but feels like a straightforward theme adaptation rather than a polished or innovative capsule that communicates a unique selling point beyond the premise.
  • Brand Consistency: 5/10 — Basic primitive aesthetic no iconic elements. The capsule establishes a consistent caveman-world palette and visual language internally, with matching brown, green, and blue tones throughout. However, there are no distinctive character branding cues, signature symbols, or memorable identity markers that would be recognizable across multiple touchpoints; the caveman design is generic and interchangeable with similar indie titles.
  • Composition: 6/10 — Adequate focal point slight cramping. The caveman character on the left serves as the primary focal point with supporting creatures and landscape elements filling the frame. The title placement across center-right is clear, but the composition feels somewhat laterally weighted with the caveman taking strong left-side presence; at TINY size, the scattered creatures and equal visual weight create mild focus ambiguity rather than a clean hierarchy.

What works

  • Immediate genre recognition. The caveman character model, prehistoric landscape, and hostile creature silhouettes instantly communicate survival-action gameplay at both small and full sizes.
  • Strong background color separation. The bright blue sky provides excellent contrast that separates the brown and green foreground elements and makes the white title text pop against darker regions.
  • Legible blocky typography. The pixel-art font maintains readability across all viewing sizes due to its chunky, high-contrast letterforms.

What hurts the capsule

  • Generic asset-style execution. The caveman character and creature designs lack distinctive polish or memorable visual identity compared to top-tier indie game capsules.
  • Limited visual hierarchy at tiny size. Multiple creatures and landscape elements compete for attention equally, making it harder to establish a single clear focal point when viewed as a thumbnail.
  • No standout brand identity signals. The capsule contains no iconic character poses, signature symbols, or memorable art style that would make it recognizable in a game library context.

Priority fixes

  1. [uniqueness_polish] Add a distinctive visual hook such as a signature character pose, unique creature design, or stylized rendering effect that differentiates this from generic caveman themes and communicates a specific gameplay twist or core mechanic.
  2. [composition] Strengthen focal hierarchy by emphasizing the caveman as the undisputed primary subject and repositioning secondary creatures as guide elements rather than equal visual competitors; ensure clear depth layering.
  3. [brand_consistency] Develop a signature palette or iconic character motif (e.g., distinctive tool design, unique caveman silhouette, or color accent) that could be consistently applied across in-game branding and store pages for recognition.

Store copy priority fixes

  1. [hook_strength] Replace the short description's opening with a clearer, grammatically correct sentence that leads with the core verb and emotional appeal: 'Explore a dangerous prehistoric world with friends, uncover treasure, and survive against dinosaurs and ancient hazards in this co-op 3D platformer adventure.'
  2. [feature_communication] Add a structured 'What You'll Do' section after the opening hook that plainly states: 'Navigate diverse environments, solve platforming puzzles, collect tools and items, fight enemies, customize your caveman, and reach the legendary Mungo Bungo treasure' to establish the core loop before flavor text.
  3. [tone_match] Reduce the caveman dialect density; use it selectively for NPC flavor (character voice, descriptions) rather than throughout the entire store copy, preserving clarity for new players while maintaining the game's personality.
  4. [uniqueness] Add a paragraph explaining one or two standout mechanics or design choices that differentiate this game—whether it is the environmental puzzle design, emergent co-op moments, the dinosaur AI tricks (like the big lizard mechanic mentioned), or progression pacing—to give players a reason to choose this over competitors.

Related guides

Steam app ID: 4462780 · Tags: Exploration, Online Co-Op, 3D Platformer, Dinosaurs, Nature