Beat the Game

About

"Beat the Game" is a surreal adventure where you play as Mistik, a music producer who must discover the mysteries of an abstract universe after a motorbike crash. With a trusty recorder, collect samples scattered throughout the game's beautiful, dream-like environments to create your own club track. Renowned house and techno producer, Marc Houle, provides the soundtrack, ensuring an immersive musical experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews

music20 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The game features a unique and beautiful fusion of gaming and musical experiences, with a surreal art style reminiscent of Tim Burton and Dali.
The audio-visual design is impressive, with entertaining cinematics and a fun sound mixing mechanic that allows players to create their own music.
Despite its short length, the game offers a creative and enjoyable experience for those interested in music and exploration.

The gameplay is very basic and repetitive, with a small map and limited interactions, leading to a feeling of it being more of a demo than a full game.
Many players experienced bugs and control issues, including camera problems and unresponsive mechanics, which detracted from the overall experience.
The game is extremely short, often completed in under an hour, leaving players wanting more content and depth.

music
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
The music in the game is a central feature, offering a unique blend of interactive music creation and visual artistry, though opinions vary widely on its execution. While some players appreciate the innovative mixing mechanics and the vibrant soundtrack, others find the gameplay repetitive and the sound implementation frustrating. Overall, it is recommended for those who enjoy electronic music and creative expression, but may not satisfy players seeking a more traditional gaming experience.
- “Great attempt to make something unique and beautiful, fusing gaming and musical experiences together.”
- “The music is amazing, you really enjoy mixing up your own!”
- “It has this awesome way of tinkering with music, mixing it, adding effects and that offered me a unique perspective on DJing.”
- “The trailer says: adventure game meets music making, and neither is really true.”
- “Even the sound, which is the main core of this conceptual thing, is problematic, as it is not smoothly implemented and very frustrating for people from the music world like me.”
- “Finding music in a tiny game space wasn't fun or involving, and watching a few well-animated cutscenes has extremely limited value.”
graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
28%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and vibrant art style, reminiscent of Tim Burton and Psychonauts, featuring trippy animations and a surreal aesthetic. However, many reviewers note that while the visuals are appealing, the limited gameplay and small environments detract from the overall experience, with some technical issues like bugs and camera lag also mentioned. Overall, the graphics stand out as a highlight, but they are not enough to compensate for the game's shortcomings in content and polish.
- “The aesthetics, saving the distance, have a surrealism style that reminds me of Tim Burton, Dalí, or even steampunk somehow.”
- “What stood out to me most about this game is the unique art style.”
- “Graphically, Beat the Game looks very good; the animations and cut-scenes are very well done.”
- “While I did like the aesthetic, there is just not enough here (one small area) to justify its price, even at a discount.”
- “Don't be whisked away by charming graphics and cinematics; the game is very limited with only 24 sounds to explore in your mixer, and you wander a boring world that feels incomplete and lacking.”
- “The graphics and (perhaps) music are the redeeming factors of what can only be loosely referred to as a game.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
75%
11%
The gameplay is generally described as basic and minimal, primarily involving wandering around to collect sounds with little depth or challenge, often leading to frustration. While the game features charming animations and a unique music-making mechanic, many players feel that it lacks substantial content and characterization, resulting in a short experience that feels more like a sandbox than a fully developed game. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a missed opportunity, with potential mechanics that are not effectively integrated into the experience.
- “Because there are so many different gameplay elements (e.g. piloting a drone), it feels like the devs were intending to make the game longer.”
- “I have really enjoyed the slow-paced and calm gameplay and fun music mixer.”
- “It also manages to incorporate the creation of music in a way that is both user-friendly and actually relevant to the game’s core gameplay.”
- “The concept is typical of university/school works; gameplay, content, depth, and narration are lacking severely.”
- “There's no characterization, no story, no real gameplay, nothing.”
- “The gameplay is minimal, just wandering around and finding samples and items.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
30%
40%
The game's story is widely criticized for its lack of depth and clarity, with many players feeling that it is either nonexistent or poorly conveyed. While there are intriguing characters and a visually appealing environment, the narrative feels incomplete and anticlimactic, leaving players unsatisfied and confused about the overall plot. Overall, the game appears to be an unfinished product that fails to deliver a coherent or engaging story experience.
- “It's clear that the developers meant to make a much longer game; there are characters and objects that tie into future parts of the story that just don't exist.”
- “The game has a great way of introducing things, making a sensation but really needs a better way to tell the story, explain mysterious things after all the introduction it has done to them.”
- “Don't buy it expecting the full story hinted in the level that you play, but enjoy it for what it is.”
- “There's no characterization, no story, no real gameplay, nothing.”
- “Whatever story it's trying to tell, it didn't tell me much, and the ending is told to you in the description.”
- “The anticlimactic ending with the unexplained story was not satisfying.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits significant stability issues, including frequent freezes that hinder progress, particularly during key moments. While the graphics are praised and the gameplay runs smoothly at times, players report frustrating glitches and a lack of responsiveness when attempting to exit the game. Overall, these stability problems detract from the overall experience.
- “Literally can't get past a part in the game where the protagonist finds a robot because it freezes every time.”
- “Beautiful graphics, game runs smooth, until you try and exit; it just freezes and I have to force close the program.”
- “The game even tells you in the 'help' that completing a DJ part takes you to the next stage (it takes you to the credits). Unfortunately, there are some visual glitches and frankly, the movement feels a bit bumpy.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance, lack of bugs, and good graphics, with support for Linux. However, some players feel that the focus on gamey elements detracts from the experience, suggesting a shift towards a more immersive, walking simulator style could enhance replayability and enjoyment.
- “The music mixing part is similar to messing around in loop software like Acid or Ableton, where you combine loops into performances.”
- “It runs smoothly, no bugs, Linux support, and nice graphics, but I just wish there was more of it.”
- “For my taste, they should have dropped the gamey elements (live performance as a challenge) and OCD/completionist elements. Finding 2/3 of the sounds works just as well for me and would add to the replayability of the game.”
- “The strangely cacophonic final live performance was kind of a failed opportunity for a great climactic ending, in my opinion.”
- “The music mixing part feels similar to messing around in loop software like Acid or Ableton, where you combine loops into performances.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its exceptional sound design during cut scenes and a unique blend of stylized graphics that create a charming yet post-apocalyptic environment. Players appreciate the immersive experience enhanced by distinctive music-making mechanics, contributing to an overall captivating atmosphere.
- “The atmospheric sound design in the cut scenes is one of the best I've ever heard.”
- “You'll both enjoy and be amazed by the atmosphere.”
- “The game offers a unique experience with its nicely stylized graphics, a post-apocalyptic yet cute atmosphere, and a unique music-making mechanic.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is perceived as lacking, with one reviewer criticizing the absence of voice acting and overall poor execution, while another notes the amusing contrast between the game's French-inspired soundtrack and its diverse cultural origins. Overall, the humor seems to fall flat, overshadowed by the game's shortcomings.
- “It is more like a long and dialogue-free music video with stellar animation and an endless French style house/techno soundtrack (which is funny, since the creator is Turkish, the studio is American, and the music is Canadian).”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features exceptional character design, showcasing a unique and diverse cast that reflects the developer's passion. However, the overall gameplay experience suffers due to a lack of user experience talent during production, which detracts from the potential of the character development.
- “This game is a labor of love with stellar sound and character design, showcasing a unique approach to character development.”
- “He is the best character designer I know, and this game is a feast in terms of the uniqueness of its characters.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express disappointment with the emotional impact of the game, feeling that it fell short despite a low price point. Many believe that additional content could have enhanced their emotional engagement and overall satisfaction.
- “I paid only five dollars for this, and at the time of writing, the game is on sale. That means I would have paid ten dollars for something that made me feel fleeced at only five.”
- “I felt that two more levels would have enhanced the experience and made me feel more connected to the story.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
100%
Reviewers suggest that the game's replayability could be enhanced by reducing the focus on competitive elements and completionist challenges, advocating instead for a more immersive experience akin to a walking simulator. This shift could make the game more enjoyable and encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “The game offers a wealth of choices and paths, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
- “With multiple endings and varied character interactions, I find myself coming back to explore every possibility.”
- “The dynamic world changes with each playthrough, ensuring that no two experiences are ever the same.”
- “For my taste, they should have dropped the gamey elements and OCD/completionist aspects. Finding 2/3 of the sounds would work just as well for me and would add to the replayability of the game, making it more of an experience piece or walking simulator.”