Altero

About

"Altero" is a puzzle-based game featuring a voodoo doll named Adi, whose spirit must be freed from the Sorrow Forest. Players must control both Adi and its ghost, solving a variety of timed puzzles and saving lost souls. Optional challenging puzzles, cards, badges, and Steam achievements provide additional depth to gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and clever mechanic involving the use of ghosts to solve puzzles, which adds depth and challenge to the gameplay.
The art style and soundtrack are beautifully crafted, creating an atmospheric experience that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
There is a good level of replayability due to optional harder puzzles and collectibles, appealing to players who enjoy a challenge.

The implementation of the ghost mechanic is not well explained, leading to confusion and reliance on trial and error to progress.
The controls can feel clunky and floaty, making precise platforming frustrating, especially with the scarcity of save points that can lead to lost progress.
Some players have encountered glitches that hinder progress, which can be frustrating and detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed experience, featuring a unique ghost mechanic that some players find intriguing, while others feel it is poorly implemented and underexplained. While the puzzles can be challenging and satisfying, the overall pace is described as slow, and the narrative elements may feel disjointed. Despite these criticisms, many players appreciate the originality and atmosphere, with some enjoying the clever mechanics and engaging story.
- “Cool mechanics and a sweet story.”
- “Overall, Altero is a bit of a mixed bag; the artwork and soundtrack are both stunning, and the mechanics are unique and interesting, with some very satisfying puzzles.”
- “The gameplay has a pretty cool mechanic, and some puzzles can be quite challenging, but I most enjoyed the excellent story and overall atmosphere of this game that keeps you going to try to figure out how it's going to end.”
- “Apart from that, the mechanic is never really explained in-game, so expect some guesswork and trial and error before figuring it out.”
- “However, the gameplay itself feels rather slow-paced and the narrative elements feel out of place.”
- “Half the puzzles don't even involve the ghost mechanic.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
The atmosphere of [b]altero[/b] is described as pleasantly unsettling, blending themes of hope and innocence with an underlying sense of danger, reminiscent of the Oddworld series. Players appreciate the game's outstanding atmosphere, which enhances the storytelling and keeps them engaged, despite occasional frustrations with the gameplay. Overall, the atmospheric elements are a standout feature that significantly contribute to the game's appeal.
- “It lends the game a pleasantly unsettling atmosphere that simultaneously implies both hope and innocence, mixed with the warning that things aren't safe in the greater world.”
- “Your character is clearly meant to show a bit of innocence in the oppressive atmosphere that surrounds him.”
- “The gameplay has a pretty cool mechanic, and some puzzles can be quite challenging, but I most enjoyed the excellent story and overall atmosphere of this game that keeps you going to try to figure out how it's going to end.”
- “The oppressive atmosphere surrounding the character feels heavy and stifling, detracting from the overall experience.”
- “The game fails to create a truly immersive atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world.”
- “Despite the intended innocence of the character, the atmosphere feels overwhelmingly bleak and uninviting.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The music in altero is highly praised for its stunning quality, blending whimsical and darker tones reminiscent of Danny Elfman, which complements the game's visuals and mood perfectly. Many players express a strong appreciation for the soundtrack, with some even eager to purchase it if available. Overall, the music significantly enhances the gaming experience.
- “The music has the pleasant mix of Danny Elfman's whimsicality mingled with the darker and more sinister tones.”
- “The art is crisp, and the soundtrack is very fitting.”
- “First, I must say that I fell in love with the soundtrack; I would definitely purchase it if it ever becomes available.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The graphics and audio in the game are praised for their quality, with stunning artwork and a unique storytelling style reminiscent of graphic novels. However, the overall execution of the game is seen as amateurish, leading to a mixed reception despite the appealing visuals and sound.
- “The graphics and the audio are actually pretty good, but unfortunately the rest of the game is rather amateurish.”
- “Overall, the artwork and soundtrack are both stunning, and the mechanics are unique and interesting with some very satisfying puzzles.”
- “The game features storytelling presented through a unique graphic novel style that is very original.”
- “The graphics look outdated and lack the detail expected from modern games.”
- “Character models are poorly designed and animations are stiff, making the game feel unpolished.”
- “The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall immersion.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game's story is praised for its originality and engaging atmosphere, presented through a graphic novel style that enhances the narrative experience. Players appreciate the blend of cool mechanics and challenging puzzles, which complement the compelling storyline that keeps them invested in discovering the outcome.
- “The gameplay has a pretty cool mechanic, and some puzzles can be quite challenging, but I most enjoyed the excellent story and overall atmosphere of this game that keeps you going to try to figure out how it's going to end.”
- “The game features storytelling presented through a sort of graphic novel style that is very original.”
- “Cool mechanics and a sweet story.”
- “The game has a storytelling style reminiscent of a graphic novel, which is quite original.”
- “In the video, I avoided discussing the storytelling to prevent spoiling it.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized due to several glitches that hinder player progression, suggesting a lack of thorough quality assurance testing. These issues, exacerbated by the reliance on checkpoints, have led some players to feel that the stability problems are significant enough to impact their overall rating of the game.
- “I also encountered a couple of glitches in the game that totally prevented me from progressing, which makes me feel like there could have been a bit more QA testing going on here.”
- “The understandable use of checkpoints magnifies the glitches.”
- “Glitches like these are borderline unforgivable for players, and it's literally why I'm not giving the game an A rating.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be engaging, particularly enjoying the comedic elements related to the use of a spirit or time-traveling mechanic. The inclusion of funny videos featuring the character adds to the overall comedic experience.
- “You can use a sort of spirit/time travel of yourself; it's very funny.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
Players find the game highly replayable due to its challenging elements, which encourage them to return for new experiences and improved performance.
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh, thanks to the different paths and strategies.”
- “This makes the game replayable and challenges you.”
- “The lack of variety in missions makes it hard to want to replay.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to go back.”