Brain Break
- November 18, 2020
- Astralis Games
- 3h median play time
Get on SteamBrain Break is a fast-paced, physics-based puzzle game. Players must navigate through increasingly complex levels by rotating and moving a cube to guide a ball to the goal. With simple controls and challenging gameplay, Brain Break offers a fun and engaging experience for players of all ages.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Brain Break offers a fun and challenging puzzle experience with a variety of levels that increase in difficulty, providing satisfying 'AH-HA' moments.
- The game features a simple and minimalistic design complemented by enjoyable music, making it a pleasant experience overall.
- Many players appreciate the nostalgic feel of the game, reminiscent of classic Sokoban-style puzzles, while also enjoying the unique mechanics and challenges presented.
- The controls are often described as clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay where players may accidentally move cubes multiple spaces instead of one.
- There are significant issues with the camera angles and lack of an undo feature, which can make solving puzzles unnecessarily difficult and tedious.
- The game has limited content with only 20 levels, and some players have reported bugs, particularly with achievements and level completion, detracting from the overall experience.
- music33 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being enjoyable, fitting well with the gameplay, and enhancing the overall experience. However, many users expressed frustration over the lack of a menu to adjust audio settings, with some finding the music too loud at times. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated, the absence of volume control detracts from the experience for some players.
“The game is made in a simple and concise style, which is very well combined with the musical accompaniment.”
“I especially liked the presence of nice music and well thought out levels.”
“A cool puzzle game with a lot of thoughtful levels and all this is accompanied by pleasant music.”
“Just a few minutes in, I wanted to turn off the music, and then noticed there is no menu; changing settings is done through the game's main board... weird and unintuitive.”
“When entering the game, I found an unpleasant moment - there is no slider to reduce the volume of music.”
“Also, there is no menu at all to adjust or toggle sounds/music.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of intriguing mechanics and frustrating inconsistencies. While some players appreciate the complex puzzles and engaging soundtrack, many criticize the unintuitive controls, delayed responses, and lack of clear tutorials, which can lead to confusion and hinder the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game offers enjoyable challenges across various levels, with ongoing improvements from the developers.
“A complex game with interesting gameplay, cool mechanics and animation.”
“The game has many different levels, interesting gameplay, and simply amazing music.”
“Enjoyable gameplay, very interesting to play.”
“The exact mechanics are unintuitive - when the green box is right between a blue box and a wall, sometimes it can push the blue box and sometimes not, and there is no hint whatsoever as to why or when.”
“It's inconsistent regarding gameplay; for example, there are two types of blue blocks that are moved differently, and there's no way to tell them apart until you try moving them.”
“The controls are super inaccurate; keeping a button pressed will mess up everything, which makes fast gameplay (which I guess is the challenge behind this, as there are timers everywhere) almost impossible.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many players appreciating the art style and quality, describing it as pleasant and immersive. However, some users noted that the visual experience can feel off during gameplay, particularly due to control issues that lead to frustrating movement mechanics. Overall, while the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, they are somewhat hindered by the gameplay's responsiveness.
“The concept of the game is good and the graphics quality is fine.”
“Good graphics, good music.”
“Also, there are quite nice graphics and great music.”
“The art style doesn't look that bad in the screenshots, but once you're playing it and seeing it move... it feels a bit off.”
“You don't even notice the simple graphics while playing, because you are completely immersed in blurring about the passage.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including unresponsive controls, poor performance, and uncomfortable camera movement. Players have noted clunky gameplay and frequent interruptions from achievements, indicating a need for substantial improvements. Despite these flaws, there is optimism that the game will still attract a player base.
“The game has a solid foundation, and with ongoing optimization, it has the potential to become truly exceptional.”
“I appreciate the developers' commitment to improving performance; the optimization updates have made a noticeable difference.”
“While there are still some bugs to address, the optimization efforts are clearly enhancing the overall gameplay experience.”
“The controls are unresponsive, the performance is bad, and the camera movement is hard on the eyes.”
“Poor performance, clunky controls, and annoying achievements all the time for every level.”
“Yes, there is a lot to work on in terms of bugs and optimization, but I am sure that the game will be played by many.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, as it often involves navigating around specific challenges or "gotchas" rather than engaging in enjoyable gameplay.
“Once you figure out what the intended 'gotcha' is, you just have to work around it, which is not fun, just tedious.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“I find myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which quickly becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Current reviews suggest that the game's replayability is limited, with some users expressing hope for future updates to enhance its playability. As it stands, many do not recommend it due to these concerns.
“Perhaps future updates will make the game more playable, but for now, I wouldn't recommend it without the above caveats.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return, making the replayability quite lacking.”
“The game feels like a one-and-done experience; after finishing it, I found no reason to dive back in.”
