Amphora

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 74 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Amphora Game Cover
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"Amphora" is a peculiar puzzle game with an interesting plot, wonderful graphics inspired by shadow theater traditions, and ingenious music. Players manipulate objects and build structures to solve unconventional problems in an unfamiliar world, while uncovering the story of a girl in a world of intertwining tales through non-verbal storytelling. The game offers a curious and unique gameplay experience with physics-based mechanics that invite creativity.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 74 reviews
story12 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that captivates players.
  • The music and sound design enhance the overall atmosphere, creating a relaxing experience.
  • Many players found the puzzles to be enjoyable and creatively designed, providing a sense of satisfaction when solved.
  • The physics mechanics are often unpredictable and frustrating, leading to a lack of enjoyment during gameplay.
  • The game lacks clear guidance or tutorials, making it difficult for players to understand what to do in certain puzzles.
  • The story is minimal and can become convoluted, detracting from the overall experience.
  • story49 mentions

    The game's story is often described as minimalistic and disjointed, making it difficult for players to fully engage with it amidst frustrating puzzle mechanics. While some appreciate the beautiful visuals and the emotional journey of the main character, many feel that the lack of dialogue and clarity detracts from the overall narrative experience. Overall, the storytelling is seen as intriguing yet overshadowed by gameplay challenges, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.

    • “In this game, you follow the story of one girl from her birth through happy times with her family, and more difficult times during war.”
    • “The story is beautifully portrayed through the speechless and text-less imagery of the game, with perfectly paced and balanced music supporting it every step of the way.”
    • “Together, all of them weave a wonderful, colorful story of growth, love, and loss.”
    • “The story, if there is one, is difficult to piece together.”
    • “The 'story' it supposedly tells is disjointed, and the few puzzles that will give you problems will make you forget the story entirely when you spend 20 minutes trying to throw a fireball at a soldier.”
    • “Another thing is I didn't totally understand the storyline because the story jumped around a bit between two characters and there was no dialogue.”
  • graphics40 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art styles, including elements like Chinese shadow puppetry and stained glass aesthetics, which create a captivating atmosphere. Many players find the visuals enchanting and well-suited to the game's calming vibe, although some note that the gameplay mechanics can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the art and audio are highlighted as standout features, making the game visually appealing despite some frustrations with its mechanics.

    • “The Chinese shadow puppetry art style is what initially drew me to this game, and each level is gorgeous and vibrant.”
    • “The artwork is gorgeous, and the concept intriguing, but the ham-fisted mechanics and poorly designed levels just make this game unbearably frustrating.”
    • “From the very first scene, I found myself completely immersed within its stained glass visuals and hauntingly beautiful music.”
    • “For a game whose visuals and music promote a calming, contemplative vibe, it's strange some of the gameplay would be so frustratingly inconsistent, narrow timed and clumsy.”
    • “I do recommend playing it for the graphics and story alone, but wait for a sale, and maybe skip this one if poor physics and obtuse puzzling frustrate you.”
    • “Despite this annoying aspect, I feel like overall the game was well done and an enjoyable experience because there wasn't much problem with the other puzzles and the visuals and the audio were so aesthetically pleasing that it was hard to dislike the game just for the little trouble it caused.”
  • music33 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its calming and enchanting qualities that complement the stunning visuals. However, some players feel that the music's effectiveness is undermined by frustrating gameplay mechanics, leading to a mixed overall experience. Despite this, the soundtrack is often described as a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact and immersive quality.

    • “The music is lovely, the sound design is great, and the game mechanics are fun.”
    • “The story is beautifully portrayed through the speechless and text-less imagery of the game, with perfectly paced and balanced music supporting it every step of the way.”
    • “From the very first scene, I found myself completely immersed within its stained glass visuals and hauntingly beautiful music.”
    • “The music when beating a level just cuts out.”
    • “The music is more just soft sounds in the background that make you think of wind chimes, with a giggling child sound occasionally being triggered.”
    • “For a game whose visuals and music promote a calming, contemplative vibe, it's strange that some of the gameplay would be so frustratingly inconsistent, narrowly timed, and clumsy.”
  • gameplay26 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players enjoying the innovative puzzle mechanics and intuitive controls, but expressing frustration over inconsistent mechanics, vague objectives, and poorly designed levels. While the visuals and audio create an engaging atmosphere, the gameplay often relies on trial and error, leading to tedious experiences and a lack of depth in puzzle challenges. Overall, the game showcases potential but suffers from balancing issues and accessibility concerns that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “I actually had a lot of fun messing with the core gameplay elements.”
    • “The puzzle mechanic is pretty straightforward, and evolves as the game goes on.”
    • “The visuals, audio, and gameplay all worked together to produce a memorable and enjoyable experience.”
    • “For a game whose visuals and music promote a calming, contemplative vibe, it's strange that some of the gameplay would be so frustratingly inconsistent, narrowly timed, and clumsy.”
    • “I got stuck many, many times, sometimes from not understanding what the puzzle even wanted me to do, to not knowing how to solve the puzzle itself, to knowing how to solve it but repeatedly not being able to get the physics to do what I want, to not even realizing when critical new game mechanics were introduced.”
    • “The artwork is gorgeous, and the concept intriguing, but the ham-fisted mechanics and poorly designed levels just make this game unbearably frustrating.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its beautiful atmosphere, touching story, and a culturally diverse soundtrack that enhances the experience. While players appreciate the emotional relief provided by the narrative, some feel that a narrator could have strengthened the connection to the storyline. Overall, the game evokes strong feelings, making it memorable despite questions about its replayability.

    • “I love it, but I'm not sure how much replayability it has - but I would play it again for its beauty, atmosphere, and emotional soundtrack!”
    • “Touching story and music.”
    • “The music used throughout this touching tale is a cross-cultural mix and is a pleasure to listen to.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the excellent graphics, immersive music, and effective sound effects that collectively create a captivating experience. The soundtrack is particularly noted for its strong alignment with the game's mood, enhancing the overall ambiance.

    • “I liked the atmosphere, music, graphics, and the smoke effects were excellent.”
    • “The soundtrack fits perfectly with the atmosphere; I love it.”
    • “With matching music and sound effects, it creates a fantastic atmosphere.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and boring, particularly when attempting to achieve 100% completion, as missing an achievement requires replaying the entire game. The reliance on trial and error further contributes to the repetitive nature of the gameplay, making it feel laborious over time.

    • “The game is pretty, but playing gets tedious and boring very fast.”
    • “This isn't too bad, except when going back through for the achievements; if you miss the achievement on level 36 and don't restart the level before level 37 loads, you have to play the whole game over again to get to that point (and with 41 levels, that gets tedious).”
    • “Most of the gameplay is done through trial and error, which can get pretty tedious.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Overall, the game has limited replayability, with most users noting its short duration of 2-3 hours and minimal incentive to replay. However, its beauty, atmosphere, and emotional soundtrack may entice some players to revisit it, particularly if it is available at a discounted price.

    • “I love it, but I'm not sure how much replayability it has - but I would play it again for its beauty, atmosphere, and emotional soundtrack!”
    • “Not a lot of replay value.”
    • “I would pick this game up when it's on sale, because it's only a 2-3 hour game with very little replayability.”
    • “I love it, but I'm not sure how much replayability it has - but I would play it again for its beauty, atmosphere, and emotional soundtrack!”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, stability in the game is mixed; while some users experienced occasional glitches requiring a restart, others reported a smooth experience without any issues.

    • “No glitches or half-done elements, just pure eye and ear candy from the first colors to the end.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes, providing a seamless experience throughout.”
    • “I appreciate the consistent frame rate and lack of bugs, which really enhances the overall enjoyment.”
    • “There are glitches that made me have to exit the game and go back in to fix the level, but I didn't have to do that more than twice.”
    • “No glitches or half-done stuff, just pure eye and ear candy from the first colors till the end.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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