Caffeine

21%
Game Brain Score Based on 37 reviews
  • graphics
  • optimization
  • gameplay
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Caffeine is a quirky first person adventure game with environmental puzzles and a touch of psychological horror. Set in the near future, the entire population of Earth is vigorously addicted to coffee. Massive space stations built by the biggest corporations roam the stars mining minerals to create a synthetic caffeine.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

21%
Audience ScoreBased on 37 reviews
atmosphere4 positive mentions
stability8 negative mentions
  • The game has a unique and interesting premise centered around a future where caffeine is mined in space, which adds a quirky touch to the narrative.
  • The atmospheric design and sound quality are commendable, creating a chilling environment that enhances the horror experience.
  • Achieving all 11 achievements is relatively easy, making it a quick completion for players looking for a short playthrough.
  • The game feels unfinished and buggy, with numerous glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
  • Gameplay is largely unengaging, consisting mainly of walking through empty corridors and solving overly simplistic puzzles, which can lead to a sense of monotony.
  • The lack of a save function and the need to complete the game in one sitting can be frustrating, especially given the game's short length and potential for crashes.
  • graphics13 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally considered decent, particularly when played on high-end NVIDIA RTX graphics cards, showcasing beautiful visuals despite some clunky and low-poly assets. However, many users noted issues such as graphical glitches and a lack of optimization, which detracted from the overall experience and contributed to a sense of incompleteness. While the visuals are a highlight, they are often overshadowed by gameplay and technical shortcomings.

    • “If you have a high-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card, this is actually a graphically nice game to play; graphics are the focus, while the story (although still very significant) and the rest are secondary.”
    • “- Even if it is poorly optimized, the graphics are incredibly beautiful.”
    • “I did enjoy the great looking visuals aspect of the game, but really loved the audio more; it really set the theme of the game so well.”
    • “Anyway, while it looks okay thanks to the venerable Unreal Engine, and there's even an array of graphics tweaks, the in-game assets are somewhat clunky and low poly.”
    • “The graphical glitches sure didn't help suit the horror mood, and caused the game to lean more toward the funny side once more.”
    • “Caffeine, as of this writing, v118, looks like what I imagine games in progress look like when they are about 60% complete: the basic artwork is done, the coarse world map is drawn, and simple sound effects and background music are prepared.”
  • optimization13 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant performance improvements following updates, while others still report poor optimization and performance issues, including missing textures and frame rate drops. Overall, many users recommend waiting for further optimization before fully engaging with the game, as its current state detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Released in late 2015 by Incandescent Imaging, Caffeine has already had quite a few updates in order to iron out some of the performance issues it has suffered since its release.”
    • “The framerate was rather steady; even with everything on high, I was maintaining about 80 fps with no dips, so whatever patches they released to update the optimization must have worked.”
    • “But as for the current optimization, it needs a lot of improvement.”
    • “Had potential, but it's abandoned and unoptimized.”
    • “Stay away until this game is optimized better.”
    • “Due to the poor performance of this game, it's hard to really enjoy it as it was intended, which is a real shame, as I had incredibly high hopes for Caffeine.”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay is criticized for being overly simplistic and unpolished, primarily consisting of walking through long corridors and using keycards to unlock doors, which lacks depth and engagement. Players report frustrating mechanics, such as poor camera control, slow movement speed, and a lack of essential features like an inventory system and save functions, leading to a hollow and unsatisfying experience. While the game attempts to create an atmospheric setting, it is marred by bugs and clunky controls, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

    • “Pretty short adventure game with walking simulator style gameplay.”
    • “I'm hoping the bugs will be ironed out, and the future episodes will add more interesting gameplay.”
    • “Story, narration, combat, gameplay, NPCs, puzzles, play testing, optimization.”
    • “Speaking of clunky... the gameplay is annoyingly unpolished and the camera sways around wildly and unintuitively... it seems little gameplay testing was done.”
    • “Basically the whole gameplay is walking around long corridors and opening doors with your keycard.”
    • “Terrible physics, no save function, no quit to menu function, walking speed as fast as a snail's fart, bad flashlight mechanics, virtually no gameplay, absolutely no directions on how to progress (unless I'm supposed to read every stupid sticky note littering the environment), I could go on.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and graphical glitches that detract from the intended horror experience, often making it feel more humorous than frightening. While some players find the gameplay enjoyable despite these flaws, the overall lack of polish and the presence of laggy, glitch-filled chapters hinder a full recommendation.

    • “The graphical glitches sure didn't help suit the horror mood, and caused the game to lean more toward the funny side once more.”
    • “I would really love to have a pristine single chapter rather than multiple buggy, lag-filled chapters.”
    • “Overall, I can't completely recommend the game because it's an interesting idea, but frustrating at times due to the glitches.”
  • story7 mentions

    The story is generally considered weak, with minimal character development and a lack of clear objectives, leaving players feeling disconnected. While it features some light horror elements and a unique setting on an abandoned space station, the narrative fails to engage, overshadowed by a focus on graphics and simple puzzles. Some players appreciate the out-of-the-box ideas, but overall, the plot does not fully captivate.

    • “Here's the story: you're a tiny child in the not-too-distant future, livin' it up on a space station.”
    • “Story-wise, it has some light horror elements since you're located on an abandoned space station.”
    • “The story, although still very significant, is secondary to the graphics.”
    • “Story-wise it's nothing special; some light horror elements since you're located on an abandoned space station which is flooded with coffee, and the puzzle elements of the game are really simple.”
    • “While the graphics and sound are decent enough to look at and hear, the complete lack of story, or even a sense of what your goal is, really tears this title down.”
    • “Of course, caffeine is not the best game, but for episode 1, the plot and story didn't fully hook me in; however, it did keep me going with some out-of-the-box ideas.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game is praised for its outstanding and chilling atmosphere, enhanced by impressive level design and audio. However, some users note that broken physics and annoying mechanics detract from the overall experience.

    • “The atmosphere in it is outstanding.”
    • “It's a chilling atmospheric feel in both level design and audio that is very impressive.”
    • “Oozing with atmosphere.”
    • “The game does a decent job at building up atmosphere and creeping you out, but the overall experience is hurt by a lot of annoying mechanics and bugs.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky elements, such as mining coffee and amusing post-it notes scattered throughout the environment. However, this comedic tone often clashes with the intended psychological horror, leading to a lack of suspense and fear, further exacerbated by graphical glitches that inadvertently enhance the game's comedic aspects.

    • “There's an obvious quirky sense of humor within the game, the fact that you're aboard a mining ship that mines coffee of all things, and the various post-it notes located around the suffocating corridors are usually rather funny.”
    • “The graphical glitches sure didn't help suit the horror mood, and caused the game to lean more toward the funny side once more.”
    • “One funny glitch was that my character shrunk in size further while crouching in a water-flooded area.”
  • music2 mentions

    The music in the game is described as menacing, complementing the eerie atmosphere created by sound effects, including unsettling voices. However, it appears to be in a rudimentary state, reflecting the game's early development stage with basic sound elements that may not yet fully enhance the experience.

    • “The music tries to sound menacing at times, enhancing the atmosphere and adding depth to the experience.”
    • “The background music is well-prepared, contributing to the overall ambiance of the game.”
    • “The sound effects and music create an immersive experience that draws players into the game's world.”
    • “Caffeine, as of this writing, v118, looks like what I imagine games in progress look like when they are about 60% complete: the basic artwork is done, coarse world map is drawn, simple sound effects and background music prepared.”
    • “The music tries to sound menacing at times and some sound effects can pop in like voices.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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