Bacteria
- March 23, 2016
- Sometimes You
Get on Steam"Bacteria" is a puzzle game based on Conway's "Game of Life" cellular automaton. The goal is to add cells to a stable game field, aiming for a halted or cleared state after a few steps. You can add single points or use "Gliders" and "Lightweight Spaceships" patterns, with the difficulty level determining the allowed area for new cells. The game offers both colored and black and white modes.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and interesting concept based on Conway's Game of Life, providing a relaxing experience with ambient music.
- Players can enjoy over 30 levels that challenge their understanding of cellular automata, making it accessible even for those without a strong math background.
- The graphics and aesthetic are visually pleasing, creating a calming atmosphere while watching the patterns evolve.
- The game lacks a tutorial or clear instructions, forcing players to rely on an external Wikipedia link to understand the mechanics.
- Gameplay can feel random and frustrating, as players often have to guess the correct placements without any feedback or precision tools.
- Quality of life issues, such as an inaccurate cursor and the absence of a reset button, hinder the overall experience and make it difficult to engage with the game.
- music16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and ambient qualities, enhancing the overall experience with soothing and hypnotic tracks. Many players find the soundtrack to be a highlight, describing it as epic and relaxing, making it worth purchasing separately. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the tranquil atmosphere of the game.
“The ambient music adds to the overall experience, creating a calming atmosphere while you play.”
“I enjoyed very much the chillout soundtrack of this game and the binary stacked levels.”
“The music is fantastic and I should have bought the bundle to begin with.”
“The music is kinda hypnotic and soothing, but the game itself, even though called relaxing, isn't really.”
“The music is ambient space age music, very relaxing.”
“It's Conway's classic game of life, now color-coded for living and dead cells with a CRT monitor overlay and soothing psychedelic music.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the aesthetic and find it fitting for the game's premise, others criticize the muddy visuals and outdated 4:3 aspect ratio, which detracts from the overall experience. The design is likened to a horror game, which some find ironic given the game's nature. Overall, the graphics are described as pleasing by some, but unappealing and unnecessary by others.
“Knowing the premise of the game, the graphics suit it just fine.”
“It has a good aesthetic and the speed toggle is really nice!”
“Mesmerizing to look at: as a simulation, it does a good job and is graphically pleasing.”
“On top of that, the whole game runs in 4:3 with black bars on the sides (who has a 4:3 monitor in this day and age), windowed mode didn't work, and the graphics are this muddy mix of a microscope and a CRT screen that is just unappealing and unnecessary.”
“It actually has graphics styled more like a horror game, which is ironic considering you'd probably go mad if you played this for longer than an hour.”
“The graphics are presented on an interface that resembles the old cathode ray tube (CRT) design monitors, with a convex screen.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for lacking new mechanics and becoming repetitive, with a reliance on randomness that can lead to frustration. Players find the absence of a tutorial and difficult menu navigation detracts from the experience, as the core puzzle elements fail to provide clear objectives or engaging challenges. Overall, the gameplay feels tedious and unstructured, leaving many players unsatisfied.
“When I play a puzzle game, I need to know what I'm doing, or at least what I should achieve; that's the heart of puzzle gameplay!”
“Gameplay consists of turning off a screen/field of tessellating geometric figures that are in a 'steady state,' or fixed repeating pattern.”
“The gameplay is somewhat random in nature; you are supposed to eliminate 'unstable cells,' but to do this you have to create unstable cells to interact with other unstable cells and essentially pray that they cancel one another out, although generally they just create more unstable cells and the cycle continues.”
“No new mechanics; it's the same thing over and over again.”
“The game was okay initially, but the menus are hard to navigate and the gameplay is boring, and it doesn't help that there is no tutorial.”
“I still don't like how the gameplay works. The developer says this is a 'try things and see what happens' kind of game, and I don't like this approach; it bores me.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story is perceived as a motivational journey about resilience and unexpected life outcomes, but many users feel it lacks depth and coherence, criticizing the developers for providing insufficient narrative content and relying on external sources like Wikipedia for context.
“The moral of the story is that you never know what life has in store for you. If I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“The devs could've at least given us a solid storyline instead of linking us to a Wikipedia page.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks any real depth or engagement.”
“I found the plot twists to be predictable and uninspired, making it hard to stay invested.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's ambient music significantly enhances the experience, contributing to a calming and immersive atmosphere that enriches gameplay.
“The ambient music adds to the overall experience, creating a calming atmosphere while you play.”
“The game's visuals and sound design work together to immerse you in a beautifully crafted world.”
“Every corner of the environment feels alive, enhancing the sense of exploration and wonder.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players generally recommend grinding for effective game farming, suggesting that it can be a beneficial strategy for resource accumulation and character progression.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I spent hours grinding for resources, but the rewards just aren't worth the time invested.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding in this game quickly becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
