FOTONICA
FOTONICA is an adrenaline rush, at the very least. A high speed running game with one button as the sum total of a player’s control. Don’t think of that as a limitation. Quite the opposite. Since this is first and foremost a sensory experience type of game, deriving much from little, it would be unfortunate if even the smallest part of a player’s attention were taken from the screen.
The player, as “runner”, travels very minimalistic landscapes. Some are vaguely identifiable, such as rooms in a sort of building. (The more identifiable the terrain, the faster landscapes seem to go by as the eye/brain connection struggles for context.) The runner also jumps, but I hesitate to call this a platformer. It does have platformer characteristics, such as the pink dots one attempts to acquire by contact. And the varying size and levels of platforms. Some game levels, in fact, are almost entirely platforms. These are generally the more difficult; as players struggle to attain the secondary goal, SPEED.
– Real player with 24.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Abstract Runner Games.
FOTONICA is a first-person platforming/running game developed by Santa Ragione. Become one with the speed of sound while you try to survive each level on every difficulty and try to beat your previous highscore.
| | Poor | Bad | Average | Good | Superb | Explanation |
| Design & Visuals | | | |
X
| | Minimalistic graphics for a minimalistic game, uniquely designed levels |
– Real player with 23.7 hrs in game
Impresja
Works also on Linux if you install Steam for Windows on Wine.
“Simply” Outstanding. This Game defines the term “computer game”. A non violent adventure in unique surroundings. Excellent atmosphere and design. I didn’t read too many reviews about it, wanting to experience the game on my own, and it really is worth it. Very calming and entertaining, as one tries to get anywhere really, but it’s not that easy😉😍🤩💖
– Real player with 18.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Abstract Exploration Games.
I feel on the fence about this game. In the end, i can’t say i recommend this game. here is why :
movement speed = way too slow. many of the puzzles have you running from point A to B over and over. even figuring out what to do was made tedious by what became the slow casual walk.
if there was an option to make the move speed much faster the game would have been much better.
the level design and pace was all over the place.
almost as if the scaling for how hard the puzzles should be was out of order.
– Real player with 6.1 hrs in game
Manifold Garden
I have been waiting for this game for a long time and when it finally landed on Steam a year late, it was a day 1 buy in no questions asked. I finished it in a couple of days and it was worth every penny. I played this one off the back of finishing Antichamber and it might just be the perfect comedown game to that, The Witness, Portal or The Talos Principle. That hollow feeling I get when I say goodbye to an awesome game was nicely filled in by Manifold Garden and I’m here to tell you why.
PROS
– Real player with 26.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Abstract Surreal Games.
It’s a great game. Fun and satisfying puzzles, interesting mechanics and themes, and fantastic visuals. For me, the first playthrough was just right in gameplay and difficulty - some thinkers, but nothing that stumped me for too long. A very enjoyable experience. One minor criticism is that it’s very linear, whereas I was expecting something more in the vein of Space Hole.
[Spoilers may follow, I’m making this a mini-guide to secret content.]
However, if you only play it once to the ending, you’re missing out on a significant portion of the game (including a second ending). And yet the game barely even prods you in that direction. I only knew to look because of the achievements and a couple things I noticed in my playthrough (not that I had any recollection of where they were once I was done). You have to really, really be looking and scour every nook to find the path through the second playthrough. I almost felt like I needed a map of the whole game - and I have no idea what that would look like, given the nature of the physics. Compared to the relative ease of the primary path, it’s a big change. I personally did not want to spend the dozens of hours on it, so I used guides when I wasn’t sure where to go next. The guide on Steam is too vague, so I recommend the video by Lilith LeBlanc.
– Real player with 17.6 hrs in game
Recursive Ruin
Lose yourself in the Infinite Realms, a dying, fractal world of strange beauty and mind-bending physics that repeats eternally inward and outward. Uncover the secrets of seven unique locations filled with hidden spaces and strange denizens. Overcome the impossible and use circular logic to manipulate recursive physics and solve challenging, self-referential puzzles.
Begin an introspective search for meaning and experience a bittersweet story that cascades into the surreal. Use your unique abilities and shape the world to beat back the scourge known as Ichor, a malevolent substance eating away at the fabric of reality.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1561890/Recursive_Ruin
Simply Parkour
Simply Parkour is as simple as it gets. You can jump, run, and hold onto zip lines.
This game has some bugs. I can’t load saves at the moment. It gets stuck loading. Luckily, the game is short and you’ll be back to where you were quickly.
If you enjoy simple games, then this game is for you.
– Real player with 1.4 hrs in game
Simply Parkour is being developed by one developer, Matt Sowards. So far, the game looks good, with a pretty landscape, buildings, funny billboards. The premise is that you shouldn’t fall (obviously), and you need to traverse through puzzles to beat the game. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I know with some work, Simply Parkour can be a cool game to play, specially for the ones who enjoy parkour games such as Mirror’s Edge and want to see more of that.
– Real player with 1.3 hrs in game
![Attempt[42]](https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/562520/header.jpg)
Attempt[42]
Good concept with bad controls.
First person platform puzzler
In Attempt 42 you have to touch a number of blocks to finish a level. Whenever you are standing on a block, you have the ability to rotate the world over one axis. Basically you’re always jumping or falling from one block to another, especially in the time mode in which you have to finish within a sharp time. The world also turns when you follow a curved platform, or when you approach a block from its side.
Controls & conclusion
– Real player with 10.3 hrs in game
A bit like Tetris from within, could be better
The customary unnecessary intro
This game seemed interesting at first, did have steam cards, and well, overall seemed kind of promising. Not sure if I would ever buy it of the shelve thou. To be honest, probably not, but strangely I wouldn’t mind playing the demo of the second version, as the game is promising if things are improved, and the concept of the game is better. Ok, lets get into it.
The Game
The games is a mixture between a puzzle solver and se gravity action game, which very much reminds to games such as Valve’s Portal logic, without the graphics and the budget to do most things else. The game is set out as an First Person Shooter (“FPS”). It took some time before the mouse was configured in a playable manner. The first impression was that it moved a bit slow, and the goal or objective of the game was not immediately obvious, at least to me, but I have been known to take more time to understand this kind of games. I hate tutorials as much as the next guy, but when you are an indie, maybe you make things a bit more user friendly at the start of the game. No, it is not that I haven’t played FPS before -I am totally acquainted with the WASD controls- it is more about not exactly knowing what is to be done at the start of the game. Every game has its learning curve, but some clues, some more context to what is going in in the surroundings or in the game’s universe itself would be of great help, if it’s not too much to ask, that is.
– Real player with 7.3 hrs in game
Matter
Matter is an awesome, but also very short virtual trip.
You play in first-person view and jump through dynamically forming levels that give an organic and psychedelic feeling. The sound and music seems to react to your movement as well. Where are you? Who are you? Looks like you are in some kind of organism. Or is it space? Who cares, it’s trippy as hell!
There are some slower parts where you run around little planets and search for artifacts, but the main part is “just” running and jumping. You can reverse time a bit if you miss a jump. Gravity seems to be all over the place and changes, so some of the jumps can be a little tricky, but if you just push on, you will be able to get into a flow state and enjoy the game to its fullest.
– Real player with 2.8 hrs in game
Ok, I know well the devs, but they didn’t ask me to recommend the game. Take it as it is, but I will try to be as objective as I can.
I just finished the game. What I could say is that it was a delightful dreamlike trip, with very special attention to the ears and feeling of gravity. It’s the kind of game you can’t forget after playing to it. It makes bubbles in the stomach.
Except for the jump, which is sometimes a little bit harsh for me (no air control, but it doesn’t block me), I did not have much frustrations.
– Real player with 2.5 hrs in game
A Museum of Self & Space
A Museum of Self and Space should be a reminder of not only the beauty we can bring into the world, but how cruel that beauty can be.
A museum about our inner demons and how they’re reflected in the world around us. A Museum of Self & Space is a first person narrative game where you will explore a surreal museum of about a failed architect. It is about life, love, success, and the lack of all three. Explore a house that won’t stop changing, a collapsing apartment, and avoid eye contact in a locker room.
In A Museum of Self & Space you will interact with narrative vignettes each with their own novel mechanic, while learning about the life of Jules, the fictitious creator of A Museum of Self & Space.
Antichamber
I will be honest. When I first played Antichamber I didn’t like it. The visuals put me off, not because I wanted better visuals but because I had this dumb notion that if the graphics were not good then how could I trust that the puzzles were watertight? Once I finally overcame this utter stupidity, I was ready to play Antichamber. Not all puzzle games need to be visually awesome like Talos, Witness and Portal. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I was high…..but I couldn’t have been high because when I started getting into Antichamber I felt like I was REALLY high….like call me an ambulance, my brain is turning into jelly, high.
– Real player with 22.7 hrs in game
The game opens with players spawning in a small, black room with a cartoon-style picture of a fetus on the wall. The first thing the player sees are these words: “Every journey is a series of choices. The first is to begin the journey.” Players then turn to find a second wall labeled “All You Need to Know” that displays the options and the control scheme for the game, as well as a third wall labeled “Choose Your Destination” that acts as Antichamber’s sort of level select feature. The map on this wall is initially only one room big, forcing players to select the very first room with only a vague idea of what this first “level” might hold for them.
– Real player with 13.8 hrs in game
Construct: Escape the System
It’s a platform game in First person view, so it’s different from what we usually have platformer wise.
If your a platfromer fan you are sure to enjoy this one, it’s different from what we usually experience, but it still is great and thoroughly enjoyable game, do note that the game is fairly simple to play but there is a difficulty spike that will test your patience, but in the end they are all doable, winnable and killable…
The game is beautifully done, the level design, layout, look and feel is very beautiful, a lot of care and attention went into creating a very beautiful and visually appealing game. The accompanying sounds really enhances the overall quality of the game, with a soothing soundtrack to really set the relaxing mood for the game itself, the combination of sounds and visual art really comes together quite well.
– Real player with 38.4 hrs in game
First of all let me say that this game will not appeal to everyone!
Now as for the game, the gameplay is nice, first person explorer/puzzle type. It starts off rather blocky as in any touch with a wall/platform/object instantly stops your movement. Once you get used to it, it’s rather fun and smooth.
Lots of areas to explore, Construct HUB, 4 HUBs, 4 System Core Acesses, 4 System Cores and several Ability unlocks. Each is fairly big and you will need to understand the mechanics to progress further.
– Real player with 17.6 hrs in game