Camera Obscura
- February 19, 2015
- Anteater Games
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Camera Obscura" is a puzzle-platformer game where you ascend a crumbling tower using an 'afterimage' mechanic to clone and manipulate the architecture, creating paths and solving puzzles. With 57 levels, the game offers multiple paths to the summit and a custom level editor for player-created challenges. Use your photographic skills to freeze moving platforms, cage enemies, and eventually reach redemption.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Unique gameplay mechanic that allows players to manipulate the environment using a camera snapshot.
- Challenging puzzles that require creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Charming pixel art style and a soothing soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Controls can feel floaty and imprecise, leading to frustrating gameplay moments.
- Repetitive level design and mechanics that may become tedious over time.
- Some levels lack clear instructions, making it difficult for players to progress without trial and error.
- gameplay201 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Camera Obscura" revolves around a unique camera mechanic that allows players to manipulate the environment by taking snapshots, creating temporary platforms to navigate through levels. While this innovative concept offers intriguing puzzle-solving opportunities, many players find the execution frustrating due to repetitive gameplay, imprecise controls, and a lack of variety in mechanics. Overall, the game presents a mixed experience, with some praising its originality and challenge, while others criticize its tediousness and poor level design.
“It's a game with a very intelligent and unique mechanic where you have to use your camera to manipulate the environment by taking a snapshot of your surroundings.”
“Camera obscura is a unique puzzle platformer that will test your problem-solving abilities, even with the simple mechanics.”
“The gameplay is surprisingly devious, to the point where it can get frustrating or be really innovative, depending.”
“While it does have an interesting take on the platforming genre with the photo mechanic, it is the only mechanic.”
“Camera mechanic gets overused and boring real fast.”
“I found this game to be nearly unplayable due to the camera flash mechanic and gave up out of frustration.”
- music96 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its calming and atmospheric qualities, while others criticize its repetitiveness and limited variety. Some reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience, despite it becoming monotonous over time. Overall, while the music is generally well-received, there is a consensus that more variety and depth could have significantly improved the auditory experience.
“The music is a vibe, kinda laid back but with enough going on that you can keep focused on what you're doing.”
“This game is adorable, that paired with an interesting mechanic, wonderful graphic design and a peaceful calming soundtrack to boot, I highly recommend this game, especially given its low price.”
“The music is far and away the best part of the game, equal parts mysterious, calming, hectic, and adventurous.”
“The developer could have made the musical choice more varied in the first two floors; it's one track on repeat the whole way through.”
“One thing that began to annoy me after a while is the music: the soundtrack is very limited (only a handful of tracks), and I ended up disabling it entirely towards the end of the game.”
“The music is simple and repetitive; you may get tired of it after some time playing.”
- story89 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is presented through collectible polaroids that reveal snippets of a mysterious plot, which some players find engaging while others consider it poorly written and lacking depth. While the narrative adds a layer of intrigue, it is often overshadowed by the gameplay mechanics, with many players feeling that the story is not the main focus of the experience. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some appreciating the atmospheric storytelling and character development, while others criticize its execution and coherence.
“The game starts off with a great setup and a mysterious plot to the tower, hooking you in pretty well.”
“The story itself is fairly engaging and reveals itself through 'mementos' - collectible photographs containing a piece of the story.”
“The story, hidden in the collectibles, is pretty moving and sad, equal parts a character study of our heroine and a look at the cult that built a tower to the sun.”
“The story is given to you through polaroid camera printouts of white Arial text on a black background.”
“Also, the 'story' is just a series of polaroids with text which is as badly written as a fan fiction.”
“The storytelling is lackluster and seems more to be there to simply make up for the fact that the only thing going for the game is a platforming mechanism that loses its shine within the first few minutes.”
- graphics56 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the pixel art style as inconsistent, poorly executed, and reminiscent of outdated 1990s aesthetics. While some appreciate the charm of the retro visuals, others find them unpolished and lacking cohesion, leading to a disjointed visual experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the game's potential despite its interesting mechanics and gameplay.
“This game is adorable, that paired with an interesting mechanic, wonderful graphic design and a peaceful calming soundtrack to boot, I highly recommend this game, especially given its low price.”
“Beautiful pixel graphics and serene sound effects.”
“The art style has a great deal of charm even if, in my opinion, the animation is a bit choppy here and there.”
“The graphics are remarkably bad, although they are strikingly similar to some of the worst graphics from the 1990s -- a decade this game pays clear homage to.”
“Aside from gameplay, the game assets and graphics look like they belong to a game maker from the sprites, as they don't really come together nicely; the different environments are very much disconnected from each other, the dirt and the metal look as if they belong in two different games.”
“The graphics try to be old school and pixelated, but they aren't very well done (as you can see from the pictures the platforms themselves are mostly the same texture repeated over and over).”
- grinding13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game becomes increasingly tedious and frustrating, particularly in the later levels, which are criticized for poor design and excessive trial-and-error gameplay. Players note that while the initial levels are engaging, the latter stages devolve into monotonous tasks and slow-paced mechanics that detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite some appreciation for the game's art style and mechanics, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding experience is more frustrating than fun.
“The last few levels are the definition of the worst trash ever produced. They are quite possibly the most dull kind of stages you can have in any puzzle game, including extremely tedious long 'escort' missions with a monster that moves at a pace so grudgingly slow that it clearly shows there were no more ideas left for the last few stages. They're designed so poorly that it's not challenging anymore; it's just really tedious and no longer enjoyable.”
“Unfortunately, the later levels get really grindy, and the final levels just leave you wondering what you are supposed to do.”
“They had such good level design and a great game mechanic in the first half that I found myself continuing to play through the tedious, grindy trial-and-error design of the second half in hopes that it was just a few bad levels.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game features several elements that enhance its replayability, such as challenges, achievements, and a level editor that allows for user-generated content. However, some players feel that the difficulty spikes and lack of proper tutorials can detract from the experience, leading to mixed opinions on its overall replay value. Despite these concerns, many reviewers acknowledge that the game offers good value for its price in terms of replayability.
“The game boasts about replay value by adding a 'least photos taken' challenge and a 'fastest complete time'.”
“The fact that there's a workshop for this game infinitely increases replayability (that is, as long as people keep making levels for it using the built-in editor).”
“Replay value: 8/10 - more than one way to finish a level, achievements, level editor.”
“The game 'boasts' about replay value by adding a 'least photos taken' challenge and a 'fastest complete time'.”
“I don't really think replayability is high.”
“Between the three, they are meant to create replay value for the game; however, the absurd increase in difficulty without proper tutorials creates frustration, especially when in-game text about your controls is spread few and far apart.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as a mix of intriguing and engaging elements, with some players appreciating its storytelling and exploration potential, while others criticize the production values and lack of cohesive atmosphere. Despite this, many find the atmosphere to be fun and cute, contributing positively to the overall experience, though it can sometimes clash with the gameplay's fast-paced demands.
“The levels are interesting and the overall atmosphere pushes you to explore more.”
“Fun, cute, and oddly atmospheric, this is actually a quite great game.”
“This game is a platformer with a nice atmosphere, an entertaining gimmick, and great speedrunning potential.”
“Production values are bad and there's next-to-no atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack and setting of the game imply a slower, contemplative atmosphere, but the frequent need for fast reflexes often contradicts it.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with some players experiencing significant glitches and design flaws that can lead to frustrating moments, while others report a smooth experience with no bugs. Overall, the game seems to have inconsistent stability, with issues like poor controls and problematic environmental interactions affecting gameplay for some users.
“No bugs, no glitches, and no worries.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes, making for a seamless experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it allows me to focus on strategy rather than technical issues.”
“I must add there are also some glitches and design flaws that will have you tearing your hair out at times, but they aren't bad enough to detract from the overall enjoyment.”
“I think it's safe to say I got pretty frustrated playing this game. I was almost done with a puzzle after spending 10 minutes transporting a slime, and then it glitches and dies in a wall. I got so angry that I kicked my dog against the wall and then stomped my goldfish.”
“Now onto the game itself, a simple platformer with poor controls, really buggy interaction with the environment and the character (you literally float on slopes), and ironically enough with this game's name, the camera is terrible and makes me nauseous.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, with moments of profound realization and personal struggle that evoke tears and discomfort. The narrative effectively explores themes of rebellion and overcoming fears, enhancing the emotional journey of the protagonist. However, some players also mention that certain gameplay mechanics can detract from the overall emotional experience.
“Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
“These small bits of writing unveil the emotional journey of this girl, as she appears to be rebelling against the fears and doubts of those who have failed to ascend this 'tower'.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, with players finding it both funny and enjoyable, particularly highlighting the hilarious death animations. Overall, it successfully combines humor with puzzle-solving elements.
“However, it turned out to be a funny and enjoyable puzzle game.”
“The death animation is hilarious.”
“It's hilarious.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deep character development, which is complemented by great music and a variety of challenges that engage players for an extended period, making it a worthwhile experience despite its cost.
“The character development is quite deep, featuring great music and a variety of challenges that will keep most players engaged for days, despite its cost-efficiency.”
“The depth of character development really stands out, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
“I was impressed by how the character arcs evolved throughout the game, adding emotional weight to the overall experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the optimization aspect highly engaging, as it encourages them to meticulously plan routes for speedrunning and repeatedly reset levels to achieve flawless runs with minimal errors.
“It gets very addicting as you first route the best path to speedrun, then you keep resetting a level over and over again until you achieve that perfect run with minimal mistakes and high optimization.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it frustrating to play at times.”
“I found myself constantly battling against poor optimization, which detracted from the overall experience.”
“Despite its potential, the lack of proper optimization leads to frequent performance drops and glitches.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization in this indie game scene is viewed negatively, with users expressing disdain for cash grabs and emphasizing a commitment to quality over profit-driven tactics.
“Welcome to the world of amazing indie games, where cash grabs are rampant.”
