Degrees of Separation

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 299 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Degrees of Separation Game Cover
It is a simple tale, but a thoughtful and heartwarming one that explores duality, love and understanding.
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In "Degrees of Separation," players control Ember and Rime, two beings with elemental powers in a beautiful world separated by temperature. They must solve puzzles and navigate environments by using their powers to manipulate heat and cold, working together to overcome obstacles. The game explores themes of cooperation, love, and the power of partnership in overcoming differences.

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Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 299 reviews
story41 positive mentions
stability4 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and art style that create an enchanting atmosphere.
  • Clever and engaging puzzles that require teamwork and communication to solve.
  • A charming story that adds depth to the gameplay experience, making it a great choice for couples.
  • Gameplay can become repetitive and some puzzles may feel tedious or overly simplistic.
  • Controls can be clunky and imprecise, leading to frustration during platforming sections.
  • The online co-op feature was initially missing, which disappointed some players looking for remote play options.
  • story113 mentions

    The game's story is a charming yet cliché love tale about two characters from different worlds striving to be together, enriched by beautiful visuals and a soothing soundtrack. While some players appreciate the emotional depth and thematic exploration of relationships, others find the narrative simplistic or lacking in substance, with mixed opinions on its execution and pacing. Overall, it serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, appealing primarily to those who enjoy cooperative puzzle experiences with a romantic twist.

    • “The game's captivating storytelling, stunning visuals, and harmonious gameplay mechanics create an experience that celebrates the beauty of connection and reminds us of the importance of understanding and supporting one another.”
    • “While simple, the narration, which reflects the characters' thoughts towards the solution for each puzzle, is poignant, weaving a story of the progress of infatuation, optimism, trial and doubts, conflicts, the harshness of reality, and ultimately to the final decision of what each is willing (or not) to sacrifice for a new life together.”
    • “Beautiful art and touching story with very fun puzzles.”
    • “The story itself was nothing particularly memorable, but it was completely serviceable, and the voiced narration that went along with it was solid.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story itself fell a bit flat for me.”
    • “The biggest blemish on the game is the story, which is not fantastic.”
  • gameplay109 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by its unique co-op mechanics that revolve around a split-screen environment, where players must navigate contrasting elements like hot and cold. While many reviews praise the inventive puzzle designs and the satisfying collaboration required to solve them, some players find the gameplay can become repetitive or frustrating due to its reliance on synchronization and occasionally clunky controls. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing and engaging experience, particularly for cooperative play, though it may not provide enough challenge or depth for all players.

    • “A great co-op experience with unique puzzle-solving mechanics.”
    • “The core mechanic of the game - two characters of opposing elements who cannot touch each other, but must work together - is unique and captivating.”
    • “Every world has a unique and often very interesting and creative mechanic that completely changes the game and prevents it from going stale.”
    • “Graphically looks nice at first but the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive and fiddly.”
    • “Ok coop mechanics but just generally boring and slow.”
    • “It's a cool concept and a pretty fun game but it feels like it's not quite polished and the different mechanics can feel clunky at times.”
  • graphics75 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, creating a visually captivating experience that enhances the overall atmosphere. While many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and charming art direction, some note issues with animation fluidity and occasional clarity problems in distinguishing interactive elements. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal and enjoyment.

    • “The graphics are gorgeous.”
    • “Absolutely phenomenal cooperative puzzle platformer with a breathtaking art style and a beautiful story.”
    • “The visuals are beautiful, the music adds to the atmosphere, the controls are simple and responsive, and it's clear enough to play with your significant other or kids.”
    • “The graphics are decent and the environmental art is well-done, but there is room for improvement: various ropes and foreground barriers are sometimes hard to see and/or hard to distinguish from background decorations.”
    • “The music and graphics are unique and enthralling, though the animation is a bit rough and unpolished.”
    • “It's like... when something more complicated is done with a graphic (freezing, explosion, different weathers in one place because of balls) the game can't handle that so it crashes.”
  • music53 mentions

    The music in the game is consistently praised for its beauty and soothing qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and complementing the stunning visuals. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, contributing to a relaxing and immersive experience, although some note that the music can be forgettable at times. Overall, the combination of beautiful music and art creates a charming and engaging environment for players.

    • “The music is gorgeous and soothing, and the ambiance and art of the game are lovely.”
    • “The music is soothing and ambient, and the narration is professional-sounding.”
    • “The music is soothing and ambient, and the narration is professional-sounding - though I admit I mostly tuned it out.”
    • “The music and graphics are unique and enthralling, though the animation is a bit rough and unpolished.”
    • “The soundtrack is relaxing and fits really well with the theme.”
  • atmosphere15 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, engaging soundtracks, and thoughtful storytelling, creating a captivating and immersive experience. However, some players noted that bugs can detract from the overall ambiance, and there are suggestions for more cinematic moments to enhance emotional depth. Overall, the contrasting color palettes and seasonal themes contribute to a rich and inviting atmosphere, though some find the voiceover slightly intrusive.

    • “From the start you see that there is much love in this game; storytelling, atmosphere, and art are just overall lovely and smoothly told and shown.”
    • “Fabulous soundtracks, beautiful story, fantastic atmosphere, and intelligent puzzles... definitely recommend.”
    • “The visual style also makes the game's swapping seasons pop, and the soundtrack adds to the atmosphere whenever a bit comes up.”
    • “Too many annoying bugs, which really spoils the relaxing atmosphere of the game.”
    • “- a smaller gripe of mine: the storyline and atmosphere of the game could use some cutscenes/moments of relief.”
    • “The voiceover could be less intrusive: the creators seemed to go after a 'telling a story' approach, but that kind of minimized possibilities for getting lost in the atmosphere with no distractions.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    The game offers a heartfelt adventure that emphasizes emotional connection through its contrasting characters and touching narrative, leaving players with a profound sense of warmth. While the story is beautifully delivered and the puzzles are engaging, some players felt a lack of character dialogue diminished the emotional depth, making it less impactful than it could have been. Overall, it is praised for its beautiful art and emotional storytelling, despite some critiques regarding character interaction and narrative delivery.

    • “Join forces with a friend and embark on a heartfelt adventure where two contrasting characters must overcome obstacles, solve puzzles, and bridge the gap between them.”
    • “Prepare for a truly wholesome adventure that will warm your heart and leave you with a profound sense of connection.”
    • “Beautiful art and a touching story with very fun puzzles.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by amusing physics-related bugs that lead to entertaining moments, as well as a delightfully over-the-top voice-over narration that adds to the comedic experience. Players find the game both funny and engaging, often laughing at its quirks and inventive puzzles. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect that enhances the enjoyment of the game.

    • “There were a few funny bugs here and there, but it was mostly related to the physics, and some of it even granted us great laughs and inventive ways of getting the scarves. I recommend this game 100%.”
    • “Very funny, entertaining, and puzzling!”
    • “The voice-over narration is hilariously flowery and all over the place.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game exhibits some stability issues, including minor glitches like disappearing players and interactive objects not functioning properly, which may require reloading. While there are a few small bugs present, they are generally not significant enough to detract from the overall experience.

    • “A nice time-waster, but a little buggy, too.”
    • “Having only played online, I don't know if this applies to the base game, but there were a few glitches such as one player disappearing, interactive objects vanishing, and a scarf that couldn't be collected when touched, requiring the game to be reloaded.”
    • “Considering that the game is brand new, there are a couple of small glitches (curly braces button placeholders in the main menu, falling into and getting stuck in the ground), but none of them were a big deal.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players appreciate the beautiful graphics and soundtrack, but find the grinding aspect tedious due to clunky movement and repetitive puzzles.

    • “It got tedious.”
    • “Beautiful graphics with an amazing soundtrack; however, the movement can be very clunky and the puzzles can get pretty tedious!”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as mediocre, with many players finding the story and character arcs to be uninspired and lacking depth. Overall, this aspect does not significantly enhance the gaming experience.

    • “Mediocre story with mediocre character development.”
    • “The story and character development in this game is pretty 'meh' to be honest.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game features only about five levels and lacks replayability, leading players to feel that it does not offer good value for the price.

    • “Overall, there were around 5 levels, and the game has no replayability, so I feel like you can get much better value for the price.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization of the game has been criticized for unresponsive controls, with issues such as inconsistent auto-attachment to ropes and the need for multiple keypresses to perform simple actions like climbing ledges.

    • “The controls feel a bit unresponsive and unoptimized, with auto-attach to rope working only sometimes and requiring multiple key presses to climb a ledge.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

Buy Degrees of Separation

Play time

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

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