Beat the Game
- September 6, 2017
- Worm Animation
Get on Steam"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.
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a unique and imaginative art style reminiscent of Tim Burton and offers a surreal interactive experience.
- The music and sound design are engaging, allowing players to create their own mixes and enjoy a fun auditory adventure.
- It's a short but enjoyable experience, making it accessible and easy to try out, especially since it's free.
- The gameplay is very short, typically lasting only 30-60 minutes, which leaves players wanting more content and depth.
- Controls are reported to be stiff and unintuitive, making navigation and interaction frustrating at times.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and lacks clear objectives, leading to confusion and a feeling of incompleteness.
- music37 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its creativity and fun, providing an engaging experience for those interested in electronic music and sound creation. However, many reviewers noted that the implementation feels incomplete, with issues like overlapping sounds and a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, leading to a short and somewhat frustrating experience. Overall, while the art and soundtrack are highlights, the game struggles to fully realize its musical potential.
“The music is so much fun and I really loved living out my professional DJ dreams.”
“It's like it's trying to put forth some musical mood, with the strangeness being like an enhancing visualizer to the feeling of the music, but the game is kind of short, so it's like a dream that goes away after in the morning.”
“If you like to create your own music, this game is the right one.”
“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.”
“It's very relaxing game with great art of 3D world, models, animations and music.”
“If you ever tried composing music on PC, you will find a familiar 8-step sequencer as the focus of this game (like a beat VST), which is a really cool concept, but the game does not incorporate it well into gameplay.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are generally praised for their unique and appealing art style, reminiscent of titles like Psychonauts, with vibrant, cartoony visuals that enhance the experience. However, many players report significant technical issues, including bugs and performance problems, which detract from the overall enjoyment. While the graphics are considered good quality, the limited play area and lack of content leave some feeling that the visuals alone do not justify the game's price.
“What stood out to me most about this game is the unique art style.”
“I love the art style, the soundtrack, the original idea of the game but really feel like a little more work needs to go into giving the player more to do in the world and have actions build on each other.”
“It has very appealing cartoony visuals that remind me of one of my favorite video games of all time, Psychonauts.”
“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.”
“- 1 bug at low graphics, before entering the DJ set to play for the public, is still not solved.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being overly simplistic and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its short duration of just over an hour and a lack of meaningful challenges or puzzles. While the unique mechanic of an 8-step sequencer offers some creative potential, it is poorly integrated into the overall experience, resulting in a game that feels more like a sandbox tool than a cohesive gameplay experience. Overall, the gameplay is described as frustratingly shallow, with little narrative or character development to engage players.
“Was a bit needlessly frustrating at times but made up for it with some charming scenes, animation, and gameplay.”
“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.”
“If you ever tried composing music on PC, you will find a familiar 8-step sequencer as the focus of this game (like a beat VST), which is a really cool concept but the game does not incorporate it well into 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.”
“It is just kind of there as a sandbox tool and it did not create any worthwhile gameplay elements.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its lack of depth and development, with many users expressing disappointment over the minimal plot and characterization. Reviewers noted that the game feels incomplete, hinting at a larger narrative that is never fully realized, leading to an unsatisfying and anticlimactic ending. Overall, players suggest that while the game has potential, it falls short in delivering a coherent and engaging story.
“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.”
“Don't buy it expecting the full story hinted in the level that you play, but enjoy it for what it is.”
“Wish there was more of it - longer, finer plot development and more extensive mixer tool.”
“There's no characterization, no story, no real gameplay, nothing.”
“Whatever story it's trying to tell, it didn't convey much, and the ending is explained in the description.”
“The anticlimactic ending with the unexplained story was not satisfying.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for frequent freezing issues, particularly during key gameplay moments, requiring players to force close the program. While the graphics are praised and the game runs smoothly at times, players have reported visual glitches and inconsistent movement that 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 to exit the game; 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.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is highly praised, with users expressing both enjoyment and amazement at its immersive qualities.
“The atmosphere is both captivating and immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
“Every detail contributes to an incredible atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
“The game's atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, creating a sense of wonder and intrigue.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express disappointment with the emotional impact of the game, feeling that even a low price of five dollars does not justify the lack of engagement or fulfillment it provided, leading to a sense of being cheated.
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional character design, showcasing a diverse and unique cast that enhances the overall experience.
“He is the best character designer I know, and this game is a feast in terms of the uniqueness of its characters.”
