Alter World

About

Alter World is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Giorgi Abelashvili and was released on May 29, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

Inspired by Stephen King’s book - “The Dark Tower”, Alter World is a 2D platformer with interesting gameplay mechanics. Player can pass on an alternative universe anytime and use an alternative realms to move to another level. Levels are unique, with puzzles. player will have to react quickly and assess when to move between the Worlds. The game is made in unique art style, like a painting.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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59%

Audience ScoreBased on 202 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

Unique and engaging mechanic of switching between two parallel worlds that changes level layouts and challenges.
Atmospheric and visually appealing art style with haunting melodies that enhance immersion.
Challenging and rewarding gameplay that combines puzzle-solving with precision platforming.

Controls are often unresponsive or clunky, causing frustration especially in precise platforming sections.
Level design relies heavily on memorization and trial-and-error due to invisible platforms and lack of indication for obstacles in alternate worlds.
High difficulty with punishing checkpoints, occasional bugs, poor hitboxes, and lack of keyboard customization limit accessibility and enjoyment.

gameplay
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The gameplay in Alter World centers on a unique world-switching mechanic that challenges players to think and act across parallel dimensions, offering fresh and precise platforming puzzles. While the level design is strong and creative, the game suffers from frustrating controls, punishing difficulty spikes, and minimal gameplay variety, which can lead to player fatigue and diminished enjoyment. Overall, it delivers a memorable but demanding experience best suited for those who appreciate challenging, mechanic-focused indie platformers.
- “The levels are fairly short, but each introduces its own mechanics, which keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
- “The central mechanic—switching between alternate versions of the same world—defines both the game’s identity and its appeal, demanding that players think in two planes of existence at once.”
- “The controls are responsive enough for precision platforming, and the dimension-switching mechanic feels smooth and intuitive.”
- “There’s little sense of character growth or mechanical development, which weakens motivation to push forward.”
- “Miniature one screen levels that frustrate with overuse of gimmicky gameplay within very narrow success margins and dubious controls.”
- “Around 99% of difficult things in this game is due to bad controls and game mechanics, no matter if you try to play it with a controller or on a keyboard.”
graphics
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The game features a distinctive painterly art style with lush, hand-drawn backgrounds and a relaxing, haunting atmosphere that many find beautiful and immersive. However, opinions on the graphics beyond the backgrounds vary, with some criticizing rudimentary character models, inconsistent visuals, and poorly designed hazards. Overall, the visuals are praised for their aesthetic charm and originality, though some feel the execution is uneven and less polished compared to the art style's potential.
- “Every environment is rendered in a painterly art style that gives the impression of moving through a living canvas.”
- “And the team seemed to put so much effort into making it look so beautifully hand-drawn, lovingly painted and aesthetically smooth, especially in the animations.”
- “Alter world is a beautiful platformer with gorgeous artwork and an innovative switching mechanic.”
- “The sci-fi aesthetic works on a conceptual level, yet textures, models, and animations show clear limitations.”
- “Even the graphics and artwork are a little too rudimentary, not inspiring me to want to continue exploring these worlds, let alone worry about saving my dog.”
- “Sometimes levels are almost identical, and the graphics of 'spikes' is making me furious.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
47%
13%
The music across the game is generally praised for its soothing, melancholic, and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing the artistic style and enhancing the overall ambiance. While some find it simple or repetitive, most reviewers appreciate its calming and fitting presence that elevates the game's mood despite occasional critique of its memorability or variety.
- “An unusual artistic style like painting and a melancholic soundtrack create a fabulous atmosphere.”
- “Gorgeous aesthetics and soundtrack give the game a relaxing tone, and help keep the game feel interesting, especially with new mechanics such as gravity introduced during the playthrough.”
- “The atmosphere is relaxing, with cool graphics and artwork while there is soothing music in the background, which changes slightly when switching worlds.”
- “Audio design supports the atmosphere with ambient sounds, but effects and music lack presence and memorability.”
- “It seems randomly generated, almost akin to drone music rather than actual music.”
- “- boring soundtrack”
- “As I said, it's usually a problem with the music resetting, having to listen to the first 2 seconds over and over; the effect applies perfectly with the visual animations here.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
62%
24%
The story is minimalistic and often vague, serving more as an atmospheric backdrop than a detailed narrative, with players left to interpret fragmented elements themselves. While some appreciate the quirky characters and subtle plot twists, others find the story lacking depth and complexity, typically revolving around a simple premise like rescuing a dog. Overall, the narrative is secondary to gameplay and world design, resulting in mixed reception regarding its engagement and substance.
- “From the start, it’s clear the developers had ambition: strange environments, abstract storytelling, and a sense that the player is navigating a world that doesn’t fully explain itself.”
- “The story is minimalistic yet atmospheric.”
- “That choice works well for this kind of game, where the world itself tells the story through its design, visual cues, and the emotional resonance of its tone.”
- “Story elements are vague and fragmented, leaving players to fill in the gaps themselves.”
- “There are two endings in this game, although I admit that there is almost no story except a girl who is looking for her dog which accidentally goes to the other world.”
- “- Story lacks depth.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
22%
21%
The game offers a distinctive and immersive atmosphere characterized by minimalist storytelling, moody visuals, and ambient audio that evoke feelings of uncertainty, isolation, and melancholy. While the artistic style and soundtrack effectively enhance the mood, some audio elements lack impact, and occasional pacing issues slightly detract from the experience. Overall, the atmosphere is praised as a standout feature that elevates the game beyond its simple platformer roots.
- “The soft brushwork, moody colors, and dreamlike textures reinforce the atmosphere of uncertainty and isolation that runs through the entire experience.”
- “An unusual artistic style like painting and a melancholic soundtrack create a fabulous atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is relaxing, with cool graphics and artwork while there is soothing music in the background, which changes slightly when switching worlds.”
- “Audio design supports the atmosphere with ambient sounds, but effects and music lack presence and memorability.”
- “Though not without its flaws—occasional repetition, uneven pacing, and modest production values—its ambition and atmosphere elevate it beyond the ordinary.”
- “This game's atmosphere seems similar to what I've heard Eversion was like: starts colorful and happy, gets dark and depressing.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor shines through its quirky characters and unexpected plot twists, delivering plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Its comedic elements also add replay value, often highlighting funny fails that entertain both players and viewers alike.
- “The quirky characters are a riot, and the plot twists had me laughing out loud!”
- “If you’re looking for a game that’s equal parts hilarious and epic, this is it!”
- “The funniest part of this game was having a friend watching and laughing about the inevitable fails.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's emotional impact is mixed: while its world design and tone effectively convey a story and atmosphere, frustrating mechanics like poor jump controls and large damage hitboxes lead to player frustration and tears rather than a purely heartfelt experience.
- “That choice works well for this kind of game, where the world itself tells the story through its design, visual cues, and the emotional resonance of its tone.”
- “This game looks fantastic, but it made me cry, and not because it was so cute or whatever... no I literally cried like a little baby when I died on a level like 500 times.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Grinding in the game is notably time-consuming and tedious, requiring excessive effort such as repeated world switching and extended farming sessions. Players find it frustrating rather than rewarding, with grind-heavy achievements feeling more like a chore.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Oh, and those five hours I cranked up weren't me being that bad at the game: that was me card-farming!”
- “Having to switch a lot of time worlds is tedious.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from frequent glitches and bugs that significantly impact the experience, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. Stability issues are a major drawback, and it is not recommended until these problems are addressed by the developer.
- “Good game, but the glitches ruined this game, so it's not recommended until the developer fixes them.”
- “Expected time to enjoy the game: until boring from the frustrating glitches.”
- “Can be buggy at times.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game demonstrates smooth performance with no significant bugs or optimization issues reported, although some users noted minor sound stuttering during world transitions. Overall, the optimization is solid, providing a stable experience without major disruptions.
- “No performance or bug issues found here.”
- “Hitboxes are terrible, jumping feels like on the moon, and there are sound stuttering and breakdowns while switching between worlds.”