Above Snakes
- May 25, 2023
- Square Glade Games
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam"Above Snakes" is an isometric Wild West-inspired adventure RPG that lets you create your own world and unleash your creativity. Gather resources, construct bases, and craft weapons and tools to hunt, fish, farm, and fight as you navigate through different biomes and battle against the elements or dangerous Lost Souls. Expand your base and build essential workstations to enhance your crafting skills and create more advanced gear.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique world-building mechanic that allows players to create their own map by placing tiles, adding a fresh twist to the survival genre.
- The art style and music create a charming and relaxing atmosphere, making it enjoyable to explore and gather resources.
- The developers are responsive to player feedback, frequently releasing updates to address bugs and improve gameplay.
- The combat system is simplistic and can feel clunky, with issues related to aiming and hit detection.
- The game can become repetitive, with a grindy gameplay loop that involves completing fetch quests to unlock new tiles and resources.
- The story feels shallow and linear, lacking depth and engagement, which may lead to a lack of motivation to continue playing.
- story320 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of "Above Snakes" is set in a zombie apocalypse during the mid-1800s American West, featuring a mix of survival and crafting elements. While some players appreciate the engaging world-building and the potential for exploration, many criticize the narrative for being simplistic, linear, and often reduced to repetitive fetch quests that fail to develop the plot or characters meaningfully. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.
“The game carries a wild western inspired storyline, where a green meteor-like rock has fallen on Corpse Creek, which destroys the village and those killed by it come back alive.”
“The story is engaging enough that it didn't turn me off despite the fact that I really, really don't like zombie apocalypse kinds of stories.”
“The story, characters, music, and art style are quite pleasant, too.”
“If you as a creator want to put a story in Native American culture, you should do more than reading a Wikipedia page's worth of content about that culture.”
“The story feels rather hackneyed, and I could do without some of the narration noises, but the gameplay and premise are good enough to make that all entirely irrelevant.”
“The story is bad; the writing sounds like I'm talking to a quest board and no interaction with any NPC in this game produced any sort of emotion other than 'I have to talk to this guy to complete my quest and get another one or else I can't do anything because he has the tile pieces I need.'”
- gameplay135 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game features a unique tile-placement mechanic that allows players to build their own map, which is generally well-received for its creativity and potential. However, many reviews highlight issues with repetitiveness and a lack of depth, as the core gameplay loop often feels like a grind of fetch quests and resource gathering. While the game offers a chill and relaxing experience, it may not satisfy those seeking more challenging or engaging mechanics.
“Fun game, unique gameplay.”
“The gameplay involving placing tiles is good, and is easy to use to place landmarks strategically with the goal to make things easier for the playthrough.”
“The art style is charming, and the build-your-own-map mechanic is a fresh take on the survival genre.”
“The gameplay is very tedious and slow, and I believe having multiple people being able to build the land while also collecting would really help mediate the grind and constant backtracking.”
“Gameplay just gets way too grindy and repetitive once you discover the loop of grinding for the same resources over and over to create another land tile while taking on dull quests with dull dialogue and no voice acting that send you running from one end of the map to the other.”
“The game doesn't take advantage of its own unique mechanics, the tile system becomes a progression chore and does not offer opportunities for adventure or exploration, as every unlocked tile is identical no matter how many you drop.”
- grinding88 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, often described as tedious and repetitive, particularly in resource gathering and crafting. While some players appreciate the casual, relaxing nature of the gameplay, many express frustration with the excessive backtracking and slow progression, especially in farming and crafting mechanics. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, making it less appealing for those who prefer a more streamlined experience.
“The survival aspect is easy, the crafting isn't tedious, and the story is rather simple and sweet.”
“The building is fun and not too grindy, and the storyline is fun and keeps you interested in the NPCs.”
“Interesting concept, wonderful art style, simple but not grindy mechanics.”
“This didn't really work as it's extremely grindy to progress the bounty board past level 10 because the experience for clearing bounties doesn't keep up with the curve at all. I think I got into the early 30s and there were still rewards to be earned, but I sort of had enough at that point and couldn't make myself bother with it any further. The combat really didn't help with this as melee combat has such a terrible delay and clunkiness to it, making it very hard to use, and ranged needs a lot of time-wasting farming to build up stocks of ammo.”
“Gameplay just gets way too grindy and repetitive once you discover the loop of grinding for the same resources over and over to create another land tile while taking on dull quests with dull dialogue and no voice acting that send you running from one end of the map to the other.”
“I cannot fathom why the developer decided to make farming unlock at 80% when you need it for almost everything, and then copper holds up progress. This isn't fun; it's pointless time-wasting.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their gorgeous and charming art style, which enhances the overall aesthetic experience. While some users note that certain character and animal designs lack resolution, the visuals are generally described as soothing and enjoyable, contributing to a relaxing gameplay atmosphere. Overall, the unique and stylized graphics, combined with effective world-building mechanics, create an immersive experience that many players find appealing.
“The art style is gorgeous, if you like stylized games.”
“Building the world piece by piece was incredibly satisfying, and the art style is lovely.”
“The game design offers a refreshing twist on the survival genre, and the visuals are stunning.”
“For me this game is not interesting much, gameplay is boring, combat is clunky, only thing that is good is visuals.”
“Game graphics not the best but very relaxing game until zombies come out, I like the world building.”
“Considering the quality of graphics and dialogue, the game is very overpriced; there are many games that do it better and cost half of the money that they ask for this one.”
- music16 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as soothing and relaxing, enhancing the cozy atmosphere and gameplay experience. While many players appreciate the soundtrack for its pleasantness and ability to create a chill vibe, some note that it can be repetitive and lacks variety. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's appeal, making it a good choice for players looking for a laid-back gaming experience.
“The atmosphere is very cozy with great music.”
“Overall, the game is fun and relaxing, the music is soothing, it's nothing too stressful, but rewarding all the same.”
“A very great survival game with an excellent soundtrack and a very unique gameplay and story; I highly recommend it.”
“The music is a bit repetitive, to be honest, and lacks variety.”
“When I first played the demo, the music was much better, the graphics were better (at least for me), and the game management mechanics and gameplay activities were totally different.”
“The music is an awful loop of a depressing song.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it lacking due to a short story and limited variation in gameplay, while others appreciate the potential for new experiences through map-building and exploration. Many reviews highlight that while the game offers a relaxing experience, it may not hold long-term interest for those seeking depth or varied challenges. The consensus suggests that improvements and additional content could enhance replay value in the future.
“I think it does both very well, and it has infinite replayability.”
“I can see this having replay value as you can build a completely new map with each playthrough!”
“Good price, great replay value, good mechanics, and good story.”
“Replayability is a bit light.”
“There is no replayability.”
“After 6 hours I have seen most of the game and unfortunately the random tile system to create your own world is not necessarily helping for replay value, since the game loop within those tiles is not changing and the story is short and fixed to unique tiles, which you want to place as close as possible to your main base.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including crashes, while others appreciate the developers' proactive approach to addressing these concerns through regular updates and patches. Despite ongoing improvements, many users still feel that the game is not fully optimized, particularly for lower-end setups, leading to a perception of it being a performance hog. Overall, the developers are commended for their responsiveness to player feedback and their commitment to enhancing performance over time.
“The devs looked into it & within 2 weeks they put out an amazing optimization update that not only addressed that but it also improved loading times for the game as well.”
“The devs have been very active on Discord & receptive to suggestions & ideas from the player base, quite a few in fact which have been implemented well after the launch of the game itself which is really something else & a rare thing I think in today's gaming space between gamers, content creators & game devs. And they still to this day in the form of minor patches continue to put out performance updates which is great for players like me who like to build big bases with massive storage rooms.”
“They continue to make optimization updates like that & even when they are in the background to other bugs being squashed I know they are listening.”
“My only issue so far is that this game is unexpectedly a performance hog (it's probably my setup, but I can run Darktide on high settings with no issues, but multiple crashes on this one).”
“I'm assuming it's just poorly optimized.”
“It's overpriced, not perfectly optimized for deck and low content.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is notably problematic, with frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as inconsistent respawns and unresponsive mechanics. Players have reported issues with critical components being missed due to a lack of guidance, leading to potential game-breaking scenarios. Additionally, the companion mechanics are flawed, contributing to an overall clunky experience.
“The story is very strict and linear; however, you get almost no hint of what to do, and your game can be screwed up by missing one temporary component or it just being buggy (which it sometimes is).”
“I also encountered a handful of bugs and glitches as well, which required reloading the game.”
“Respawns are inconsistent and buggy, with some things respawning over time and others only respawning once you restart the game.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as fun and cozy, making it an ideal choice for relaxing after a long day. Users appreciate the immersive environment and great music, which enhance the overall experience of exploration.
“It's the perfect atmospheric game to play at the end of the work day when you just want to veg out for a bit and do some exploring.”
“The atmosphere is very cozy with great music.”
“Fun and atmospheric.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is characterized by a visually appealing aesthetic reminiscent of popular dating games, which may suggest a reliance on attractive graphics to draw in players, potentially hinting at aggressive advertising strategies.
“The monetization system feels like a cash grab, with essential items locked behind paywalls.”
“It's frustrating to see that progress is heavily gated by microtransactions, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than a game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is perceived as lacking, with users noting that while the concept is promising, the story-driven elements fail to engage, resulting in a boring experience.
“The game had a promising concept, but the story was ultimately boring and failed to evoke any real emotions.”
“While the gameplay mechanics were solid, the emotional depth of the narrative was lacking, leaving me feeling disconnected.”
“I expected a gripping emotional experience, but the plot fell flat and didn't resonate with me at all.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that character development is lacking, with players expressing frustration over the simplistic combat mechanics that offer no depth or strategic planning, resulting in a stagnant experience devoid of meaningful character growth.
“Combat is mediocre and boring; it's just slash-slash-slash, shoot-shoot-shoot, with no abilities, no planning, and no character development.”
“The lack of meaningful character development makes the gameplay feel shallow and unengaging.”
“I was disappointed by the character development; it felt like my choices didn't matter and the characters remained one-dimensional.”
