Cypher

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 326 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Cypher Game Cover
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Cypher is a single-player puzzle game focused on cryptography, where players explore a museum and learn about the history of encryption, from simple substitution ciphers to the Enigma machine. With an outstanding soundtrack, players must decipher over 40 challenging puzzles using a pen and paper, expecting to spend around 7 hours to beat the game. This intellectual journey through the world of codes and ciphers offers a unique and engaging experience for puzzle enthusiasts.

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

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 326 reviews
music23 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The game features a calming atmosphere with soothing classical music and a minimalist art style that enhances the experience.
  • It serves as an excellent introduction to cryptography, providing educational content alongside challenging puzzles that encourage critical thinking.
  • Players appreciate the sense of achievement when solving puzzles, as well as the opportunity to learn about different types of ciphers.
  • The game can be extremely difficult, with some puzzles being frustratingly complex and lacking sufficient hints, which may deter casual players.
  • It requires a significant amount of pen and paper work, as there is no in-game system for solving puzzles, making it feel more like a book than a game.
  • The game is not very friendly to those who are not proficient in English, as many puzzles rely on understanding English words and phrases.
  • music38 mentions

    The music in the game is predominantly classical, featuring well-known composers like Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy, which enhances the calming and immersive experience. Players appreciate the soothing and reflective nature of the soundtrack, although some note that the limited number of tracks can lead to repetitiveness. Overall, the music complements the minimalist aesthetic and puzzle-solving gameplay, creating a sophisticated and relaxing atmosphere.

    • “I really like the minimalist design and feel that it fits perfectly with the excellent choice of calming classical music.”
    • “The restful and reflective piano music of Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and others perfectly complements the overall museum ambience of the game while the wall displays in the virtual museum provide interesting historical notes and clues to some of the puzzles.”
    • “Oh, plus, there's relaxing classical music which offers a sort of lubrication to those grinding gears in your brain and adds to the already very classy feel of the setting.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game does not have its own unique music.”
    • “The background music list is very short; the music repeats too frequently.”
    • “The music and visuals are simple, but well done.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist and clean aesthetic that complements its cryptographic themes, evoking a museum-like atmosphere. While some players appreciate the soothing visuals and classical music, others find the simplicity may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the graphics are polished and well-executed, enhancing the relaxing experience of solving intricate puzzles.

    • “Although I've only played it for a short while, its overall simple art style, combined with such soothing music, makes people feel calm during the process of playing.”
    • “The aesthetic is very pleasant, with the music making me melancholic in a good way.”
    • “Graphics are minimalistic, but it feels appropriate for the content.”
    • “Cypher is highly polished graphically, but incredibly scant both in terms of information on cryptography and actual puzzles.”
    • “It's a maxim of game design that visuals cannot make up for weak play.”
    • “If you like cracking coded messages, then Cypher's minimalist graphics won't bother you one bit.”
  • gameplay15 mentions

    The gameplay in Cypher primarily revolves around solving cryptographic puzzles, which can be engaging for those interested in the subject matter, but it often reduces to simply typing in solutions after researching them online. While the game effectively teaches various cipher mechanics and offers a rich historical context, the lack of interactive elements may leave some players feeling that it lacks depth beyond its puzzle-solving aspect. Overall, the experience is enhanced by beautiful visuals and music, but the gameplay may not appeal to everyone due to its limited interactivity.

    • “Cypher is, both nominally and mechanically, a video game about cryptography.”
    • “I really liked everything from the gameplay, the problems, the stuff that you learn, and even the music.”
    • “Teaches you the different mechanics of deciphering codes super well.”
    • “You just read the text, grab a notepad and type in the answer when you're done, even at the enigma and 'challenge' puzzles.”
    • “After the monoalphabetic cipher (the 2nd of the 6 subsets), gameplay was basically reduced to googling the decrypted text and typing it into the game.”
    • “The three enigma puzzles are just the very, very simple examples of the mechanics of the enigma machine itself.”
  • story11 mentions

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized, with many users noting that it lacks a substantial narrative and primarily focuses on solving ciphers. While some appreciate the challenge and intelligence of the gameplay, they agree that the absence of a story may leave players wanting more, especially for the price point. Overall, the game is seen as more of a puzzle experience than a narrative-driven one.

    • “I never thought there was an advanced section, and I sure as hell didn't expect there to be some story and data about every single type of cypher presented in the game.”
    • “I just beat level 1 with all 8 missions done in about 1 and a half hours, and it's been an incredibly smart and challenging game.”
    • “I think it would be better on sale, and all you do is solve ciphers, so there is not much story or anything else to it.”
    • “But unless your mission in life is to marry cryptography, have its baby, and then name that baby fijz 0110 and dare people to figure out what its name is, then you are going to waste your money here.”
    • “You often find games costing upwards of fifty dollars dedicated to giving an experience, a story, or simply a competitive environment.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find it hilarious, others feel it misses the mark or is too complex to be funny. Overall, a majority of reviewers appreciate the comedic elements, though there are notable dissenting opinions.

    • “Hilarious game”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be tedious, especially for players without programming skills, while others find it manageable with the aid of tools. The inclusion of relaxing classical music enhances the experience, making the grinding feel more enjoyable and fitting within the game's classy atmosphere.

    • “I wrote some code to help me solve the substitution ciphers faster and had an okay time, but solving those without programming knowledge seems like it would be extremely tedious.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Oh, plus, there's relaxing classical music which offers a sort of lubrication to those grinding gears in your brain and adds to the already very classy feel of the setting.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its ability to evoke feelings of sadness due to sensitive subject matter, while also celebrating the joy and satisfaction derived from solving puzzles. Despite some personal insecurities, the overall sentiment is one of love and admiration for the game's impact.

    • “This game is amazing! I'm in love with it, and all the puzzles made me feel so smart even though I am actually really dumb.”
    • “<3 If only there wasn't some sensitive subject matter that made me feel sad. I mean, there wasn't, but that's okay... but still, wow!”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is praised for its minimalistic and surreal dreamlike quality, enhanced by pleasant music. It effectively creates an other-worldly experience that resonates with fans of similar projects, even for those who may not engage with all gameplay elements like cryptograms.

    • “I love the minimalistic and surreal dreamlike atmosphere, and the music is very nice.”
    • “If you don't regularly do the cryptograms in the papers, you may still enjoy Cypher because it creates that other-worldly atmosphere that many of us love.”
    • “But, if you don't regularly do the cryptograms in the papers, you may still like Cypher because it creates that otherworldly atmosphere so many of us love (like we did with Rodinia Project).”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly without any noticeable bugs or logical errors in the puzzle design.

    • “The game runs smoothly, and I haven't run into any bugs or found any logical errors or mistakes with the puzzle design.”
    • “The optimization is impressive; everything feels responsive and well-tuned.”
    • “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Users express concerns about the game's replayability, noting a perceived lack of incentives or content that encourages multiple playthroughs.

    • “There seems to be a lack of replayability.”
    • “The game doesn't offer enough variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
    • “Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

8hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
3-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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