Ctrl Alt Ego

About

Ctrl Alt Ego is a single player role playing shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by MindThunk and was released on July 22, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

Ctrl Alt Ego is a narrative-driven game where players control multiple characters' thoughts and actions, shaping their personalities and decisions. The game explores themes of identity, morality, and mental health, and offers branching storylines based on player choices. With a unique focus on emotional intelligence and character development, Ctrl Alt Ego delivers an immersive and introspective experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+20

Skip User Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 641 reviews

gameplay56 positive mentions

optimization9 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and creative gameplay mechanic where players can possess various robots and devices, allowing for multiple solutions to problems.
The level design is intricate and encourages exploration, providing a satisfying sense of freedom and agency in how players approach objectives.
The writing and humor are charming, with a lighthearted tone that complements the gameplay and keeps players engaged.

The game can feel clunky at times, with some frustrating physics and movement issues that may detract from the overall experience.
There are instances of performance drops, particularly in later levels, which can disrupt gameplay and immersion.
The story may not be as compelling or original as some players expect, leading to a less engaging narrative experience.

gameplay
203 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
69%
3%
The gameplay of "Ctrl Alt Ego" is characterized by its innovative possession mechanic, allowing players to control various electronic devices and robots within expansive, sandbox-like environments. While the core mechanics offer a high degree of freedom and encourage creative problem-solving, some players find the gameplay can become repetitive and the initial learning curve steep. Overall, the game is praised for its emergent gameplay, diverse approaches to challenges, and engaging mechanics, making it a strong entry in the immersive sim genre despite some technical shortcomings.
- “The gameplay is fun and encourages creativity with both your toolset and the environmental design.”
- “The core gameplay mechanic of being able to look through most objects in the game combined with a generous usage of one-way transparent objects means that you'll usually have more or less perfect information for each encounter.”
- “Ctrl Alt Ego is the rare game that coherently integrates its mechanics of play with its setting and storytelling with its world dynamics, each deepening the others with unexpected but perfectly sensible resonances.”
- “The gameplay gets a little repetitive towards the end, but only a little.”
- “The core gameplay concept is very solid, but there isn't enough diversity of enemies and ways to interact with the world.”
- “The inherent awkwardness encourages you not to save, so then when you inevitably get caught due to the trial-and-error mechanics, you need to decide if you want to go back 20 minutes or give up on stealth altogether.”
story
139 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
67%
2%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and humorous, while others describe it as convoluted, unoriginal, or lacking depth. Although the narrative isn't the main focus, it features interesting themes related to consciousness and technology, with a quirky sidekick that adds charm. Overall, while the storytelling has its merits, many players feel it doesn't fully capitalize on its potential, leaving some aspects feeling underdeveloped or unsatisfying.
- “The story was surprisingly engaging, although I will say that the ending left me wanting a bit more from it, and the art style, while minimalistic, is charming as a result.”
- “The story is interesting, deep, and funny at the same time.”
- “Ctrl Alt Ego is the rare game that coherently integrates its mechanics of play with its setting and storytelling, with each deepening the others in unexpected but perfectly sensible ways.”
- “The story didn't entice me to go further; it's just boring and unfunny.”
- “The story is a bit convoluted, in part because the subject matter (consciousness and advanced technology) is complex, and I definitely had trouble following some of the finer points during the second half of the story.”
- “The story also felt kind of barebones in the early hours, only really getting fleshed out with more characters and backstory after the first third or so of the game, at which point I was kind of already checked out.”
humor
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
5%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, often drawing comparisons to British comedic styles reminiscent of Douglas Adams and the witty writing found in titles like Portal. Players appreciate the blend of absurdity and dry humor, with many highlighting the engaging dialogue and quirky moments that enhance the overall experience. However, some found the humor inconsistent, with a few feeling it lacked the depth to keep them invested in the story.
- “Just an endlessly lovable gem...the jank, the ultra-specific nature of the humor and aesthetic influences, and the pictures of the dev's cat that accompany the achievements.”
- “The writing/story/humor/lore/etc is incredible, hands down the best I've had from a video game in 2023.”
- “The story and world are interesting and consistently well written, with a sense of humor that is both absurd and restrained, making for some very genuinely funny moments.”
- “The story didn't entice me to go further; it's just boring and unfunny.”
- “The humor fell flat and often felt forced, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “I expected some laughs, but the jokes were stale and predictable.”
graphics
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
71%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a charming yet simplistic aesthetic that evokes a retro-futuristic vibe. While some criticize the visuals as lackluster or reminiscent of early 2000s games, others appreciate their consistency and personality, arguing that they complement the engaging gameplay. Overall, the graphics may not be the standout feature, but they contribute to the game's unique charm and immersive experience.
- “The art style's charming--reminiscent of System Shock, but less spooky and occasionally cute.”
- “The graphics and environments are super simplistic, which I suppose is due to this being developed by like 2 people, so I don't exactly blame them for that, but it's hard to get the same level of enjoyment out of the exploration as triple-A immersive sims.”
- “The visuals are simple but consistent and fit the setting well, and that's about the only vague complaint I have.”
- “Fun and interesting gameplay, but the visuals are very lackluster, especially with samey walls and corridors everywhere.”
- “The graphics and physics are extremely cheap and unrealistic.”
- “The graphics just look kind of off, like they have detailed materials but no real textures.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
53%
10%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its engaging and diverse soundtrack, with each interactable object featuring its own unique theme, enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers noted the nostalgic feel reminiscent of retro games, with a blend of electronic and ambient styles that contribute to the game's immersive atmosphere. Many players expressed a desire to purchase the soundtrack, highlighting its quality and the emotional depth it adds to the gameplay.
- “The attention to detail is impeccable, and the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack only serves to enhance the immersive experience.”
- “The music is wonderful; I definitely recommend getting the soundtrack as well.”
- “The game has a fun and unique style, as well as a great soundtrack.”
- “Nevertheless, the game has dork charm even if the art, writing, and music aren't captivating.”
- “Instead of music, local environments produce humming and buzzing of machinery.”
- “The music is this sort of grand sci-fi stuff, being sort of electronic and not at the same time.”
optimization
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
52%
36%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some players reporting stable performance and good framerates, particularly after a recent update, while others experience significant issues, especially in busier environments or specific areas. While many appreciate the game's complexity and immersive design, performance dips, stuttering, and frame drops remain common complaints, particularly on lower-end systems. Overall, the optimization shows promise but still requires further refinement to enhance the experience for all players.
- “Edit: indeed, performance is way better after the update!”
- “Performance-wise, I have no complaints. I've had no crashes, no bugs (or none that I've noticed at least), and a stable 60+ framerate at 1440p with a Ryzen 3600 + RTX 3070.”
- “The game is well optimized and carefully polished: I never encountered moments of frustration due to long loading times, fluctuating frame rates, inputs not read properly, features missing, or crudely implemented.”
- “The game is clearly having to process a lot and the performance tanks in busier environments, especially when going to hack.”
- “The unity engine also causes some severe performance dips later in the game, particularly in areas that have a lot of enemies or have mirrors.”
- “For one, the performance suffers in certain areas even though this game is not a looker, which I put down to poor optimization.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
18%
19%
The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse character builds, multiple play styles, and customizable missions, allowing players to experience unique gameplay with each run. Users appreciate the sandbox challenge mode, which generates random layouts for added variety, and the ability to approach levels in different ways enhances the overall replay value. With a solid campaign length and numerous upgrades, players find the game engaging and fun to revisit.
- “Different character builds give vastly different experiences, and the game has enormous replay value as a result.”
- “The campaign has a very good length and a lot of replayability; I have played the game by stealthing around everything and by going head-on into the enemies, and both were very fun experiences.”
- “Great sandboxy levels where your approach and chosen upgrades make the walkthrough unique, so I think the replayability is great as well.”
- “The campaign took me about 15 hours to complete on my first playthrough (on moderate mode). It's very replayable and there are so many different approaches you can take to the levels.”
- “There is also obvious replay value here, which involves changing the difficulty, or trying a different play style/upgrade.”
- “I haven't tried the standalone missions, but the main game offers a lot of replayability in terms of ways of completing tasks and abilities to acquire.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some users report minor glitches and occasional loading issues, the developer is actively engaged in addressing these problems and provides support to players. Most glitches are not game-breaking, and many players experience smooth gameplay, indicating ongoing improvements and responsiveness from the development team.
- “The developer was responsive when I reported a few glitches, such as ending up stuck in level geometry and unable to leave.”
- “Other glitches, such as explodable barrels not functioning correctly (and exploding immediately in your face if you were moving forward at all while trying to throw them), were never fixed during the time I was still playing the game after reporting them to the dev team.”
- “Cons: occasionally very bad loading times/freezes.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling overwhelmed by difficulty spikes and cumbersome mechanics like possessing doors. The gameplay is criticized for requiring excessive setup for simple tasks and for relying on tedious pixel hunting to progress, detracting from the overall experience. While the concept is appreciated, the execution leads to a sense of monotony and annoyance.
- “It's not immersive, it's just tedious.”
- “A lot of the 'challenge' of making progress is just noticing things that you need to progress and the game makes them annoyingly hard to notice at times, resulting in tedious pixel hunting.”
- “Cool concept but highly tedious gameplay.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotionally resonant story that blends humor with deeper existential themes, featuring cute robots and cerebral gags. Players find the narrative surprisingly impactful, with moments that evoke a range of feelings from fun to heartbreak, particularly in its exploration of consciousness. Overall, it successfully balances lightheartedness with poignant emotional depth.
- “It's a touching story that poses morbid existential questions and an effortlessly humorous adventure full of cute robots and cerebral gags.”
- “The funny messages become cryptic, serious, and even heartbreaking.”
- “The story was surprisingly good, touching on the nature of consciousness without taking itself too seriously.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game excels in various areas such as level design and humor, the monetization aspect is noteworthy as it may mislead potential players into thinking it relies solely on a gimmick, rather than offering a well-rounded experience.
- “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating that the game constantly pushes in-game purchases, making it feel more like a cash grab than a genuine gaming experience.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is impressively crafted, especially considering it was developed by just two individuals, rivaling the quality of larger AAA studios. Players appreciate the cohesive blend of gameplay and ambiance, noting a refreshing experience with minimal bugs.
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion that I was hoping for.”
- “Despite the impressive visuals, the atmosphere fails to engage, leaving the world feeling empty and lifeless.”
- “The game has a promising premise, but the atmosphere is dull and doesn't draw you into the experience.”