Archimedes

About

Archimedes is a single player action game. It was developed by Joshua Hughes and was released on October 6, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

After you purchase and install Archimedes, an old operating system appears to be running, and a strange man asks for your help as you start to discover the terrible secrets behind the game. You will be required to interact outside of the game, with instances ranging from steganography and cryptography to real-world geographical puzzles and use of various external applications. The deeper you go, …

Genres & Tags

Indie

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 294 reviews

story10 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features a unique concept that blends real-world tasks with in-game puzzles, creating an immersive experience.
Players have praised the engaging story and the clever use of nostalgia through its emulated OS design.
Despite its short length, the game offers a thought-provoking experience that leaves a lasting impression.

The pacing is often slow, with long waits for NPC responses, which can lead to frustration and disengagement.
Many puzzles are overly complicated or require external resources that may no longer be available, making progression difficult.
The game lacks replayability and has a limited UI, restricting player interaction and exploration within the game environment.

story
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
86%
4%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engrossing and well-executed, while others criticize it for being overly reliant on reading and lacking depth. Many users noted that the plot is predictable and the gameplay often feels more like an interactive story than a traditional video game, leading to frustration with its execution and abrupt ending. Overall, while there are interesting elements and puzzles, the narrative leaves many players wanting more substance and coherence.
- “Really engrossing story, highly recommend!”
- “As you progress through the story, the game has you solving a variety of puzzles through analysis of in-game files and applications and search engines, as well as interactions on the real web from outside the game.”
- “This was a great experience and bravo to the creators who were not afraid to take this simple well-known story of a deadly virus 50 steps further.”
- “And perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the whole experience is that you can guess the overall plot pretty much as soon as you start.”
- “Not only is the game frustrating but the story is also boring as hell.”
- “- story: it is boring, short, has holes and doesn't even make sense in the end.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The gameplay is generally described as simple and often unengaging, with unclear hints that can make tasks feel like a chore. While some players appreciate the interesting story and setting, they criticize the reliance on external web exploration and mechanics like downloading files, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, a few moments of gameplay are noted as enjoyable, suggesting potential for improvement in future iterations.
- “The tasks are pretty simple most of the time and you always pretty much know what you have to do; still, I think it is pretty cool seeing such mechanics in a game from 2016!”
- “The game's gotten a pretty interesting story, nice setting, and about 60 minutes of gameplay.”
- “Maybe a tiny bit clunky, but pretty fun and interesting gameplay.”
- “Archimedes is an experimental adventure game with some bold ideas but fails on actual gameplay.”
- “- game mechanics: downloading files from sites like mediafire to progress is a crappy idea.”
- “I would love for the developer to hone their skills and make better, more satisfying gameplay with an ending that can pack just as much punch.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be extremely time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a "second life." While the repetitive tasks can feel tedious, some users appreciate the thought-provoking nature of the challenges, which can lead to a rewarding sense of accomplishment when solved.
- “It isn't as tedious as it might sound, though, because the character has you perform several tasks on the OS.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Pacing of the text chats is slow and very tedious.”
- “Recommended for game farming.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The graphics are praised for their nostalgic recreation of old operating system aesthetics, particularly resembling Windows 3.0. However, despite the effort, many users find the overall design to be minimal and lacking in charm, resulting in a somewhat lackluster experience.
- “The creator did an amazing job of re-creating old OS system graphics and sounds.”
- “Graphics and sound are minimal; the design tries hard to resemble a Windows 3.0 look, but still feels lackluster, without any charm.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game excels in creating a compelling atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, with many players praising its suspenseful and immersive qualities. However, some users noted that the user interface detracts from this atmosphere, impacting their overall enjoyment. Despite this, the game's ability to evoke tension and intrigue is widely appreciated.
- “The game does a very good job at setting the atmosphere.”
- “Great game, great atmosphere.”
- “The UI is clunky; it's a problem since the main atmosphere of this game depends on it.”
- “I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but I'm left wanting more of this type of ARG-esque experience. The suspense was great, but the reveal didn't spook me as much as I had built up. Maybe that's a testament to the atmosphere the game creates.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game particularly effective, noting that the dialogue begins in a way that is amusing and engaging. This initial comedic tone sets a positive precedent for the overall experience.
- “I found the way the dialogue starts to be quite funny.”
- “I found the way the dialogue starts to be quite funny.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, particularly highlighting frequent glitches that hinder gameplay progression.
- “I don't know how to get through the part where everything glitches out, though.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers minimal replayability, as players find that once they have solved the puzzles, there is little incentive to revisit the experience.
- “As with games of this type, there is pretty much no replayability; once you've solved the puzzles, it's done.”