Degrees of Separation

About

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 612 reviews

story86 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and art style that enhance the overall experience.
Engaging co-op gameplay that encourages teamwork and communication.
Challenging puzzles that vary in difficulty and require creative thinking.

Controls can feel clunky and imprecise, leading to frustrating moments.
The story and narration can be overly sentimental and not very engaging.
Some puzzles may feel repetitive or too straightforward, lacking depth.

story
234 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
53%
10%
The story in "Degrees of Separation" revolves around a romantic narrative between two characters from different worlds, exploring themes of connection and sacrifice through engaging gameplay mechanics. While the visuals and music are praised for their beauty, the storytelling is often described as cliché and simplistic, with some players finding it either charming or lacking depth. Overall, the game offers a light-hearted yet emotional experience, appealing particularly to those who enjoy cooperative puzzle-solving with a romantic backdrop.
- “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.”
- “Absolutely beautiful art style and interesting puzzles that challenge you that builds the split screen mechanic into the story itself.”
- “Unfortunately, the story itself fell a bit flat for me.”
- “The biggest blemish on the game is the story, which is not fantastic.”
- “The story is very mediocre and only exists for the sake of having a plot.”
gameplay
227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
3%
The gameplay of "Degrees of Separation" is characterized by its unique co-op mechanics that revolve around the contrasting environments of warmth and cold, requiring players to work together to solve inventive puzzles. While many players appreciate the variety and creativity of the mechanics introduced in each level, some find the gameplay can become repetitive and occasionally frustrating due to its reliance on synchronization between players. Overall, the game offers a charming experience with beautiful visuals and engaging puzzles, though it may not provide the depth or challenge some players seek.
- “A great co-op experience with unique puzzle-solving mechanics.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Gameplay is original but not entertaining enough.”
graphics
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
24%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and harmonious integration with the soundtrack. However, some players noted issues with animation quality and occasional graphical glitches that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its charm and appeal.
- “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.”
- “Absolutely phenomenal cooperative puzzle platformer with a breathtaking art style and a beautiful story.”
- “The narration by Kira Buckland (2B in Nier: Automata) is wonderful, the music is serene and endearing, and the visuals are fantastic: having the world painted in blues and yellows and shifting back and forth between the two worlds makes for a memorable experience that melds great with the narration and overall ambiance.”
- “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.”
music
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
25%
3%
The music in the game is widely 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, describing it as relaxing and well-suited to the game's themes, while some note that it significantly contributes to the immersive experience. Overall, the combination of captivating 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 soundtrack is relaxing and fits really well with the theme.”
- “The narration by Kira Buckland (2B in Nier: Automata) is wonderful, the music is serene and endearing, and the visuals are fantastic: having the world painted in blues and yellows and shifting back and forth between the two worlds makes for a memorable experience that melds great with the narration and overall ambiance.”
- “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.”
- “Beautiful graphics with an amazing soundtrack; however, the movement can be very clunky and the puzzles can get pretty tedious!”
atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
30%
10%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, engaging music, and thoughtful storytelling, creating a peaceful and immersive experience. However, some players noted that bugs can detract from the overall ambiance, and the intrusive voiceover may disrupt the immersive quality. Overall, the contrasting color palettes and artistic design contribute significantly to the game's enchanting atmosphere.
- “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.”
- “The story by Chris Avellone (Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity) that narrates your journey through the game creates a peaceful and encouraging atmosphere, although there are hints of melancholy as well.”
- “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 spoil 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 story is simple but cute, for lack of a better word, but 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.”
emotional
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt narrative and the contrasting relationship between the two main characters, which aims to evoke a sense of connection and warmth. While the story is described as beautiful and touching, some players feel that the lack of dialogue between characters diminishes the emotional impact, making it less engaging. Overall, the game successfully combines mind-bending puzzles with a simple yet profound exploration of themes like love and understanding, appealing to those who appreciate emotional storytelling in gaming.
- “Prepare for a truly wholesome adventure that will warm your heart and leave you with a profound sense of connection.”
- “For the full price of $20, I'd say there could be a couple more puzzles in the game, but it's definitely a beautiful and emotional story.”
- “Overall, the mind-bending puzzles, unique gameplay mechanics, and the fact that it is all wrapped up in an intense and heart-warming emotional story make it the go-to game for those who love romance, puzzle solving, and romancing while puzzle solving.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits several stability issues, including minor glitches such as disappearing players, vanishing interactive objects, and occasional freezing or sinking elements. While these bugs can be frustrating, they are generally considered manageable and do not significantly detract from the overall experience. As the game is new, players can expect some teething problems, but most find them to be relatively minor.
- “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.”
- “[Some puzzles may be a bit frustrating, a few graphical glitches, non-professional narrator, 'call partner' control doesn't always work, short gameplay duration]”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by amusing physics-related bugs that lead to unexpected and entertaining moments, as well as a delightfully over-the-top voice-over narration. Players find the combination of these elements both funny and engaging, contributing to an overall entertaining experience.
- “Very funny, entertaining, and puzzling!”
- “The voice-over narration is hilariously flowery and all over the place.”
- “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 scarfs. I recommend this game 100%.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the beautiful graphics and amazing soundtrack, but many find the grinding aspect tedious due to clunky movement and repetitive puzzles.
- “It got tedious.”
- “Beautiful graphics with amazing soundtrack; however, the movement can be very clunky and the puzzles can get pretty tedious.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as mediocre, with many players finding it unremarkable and lacking depth. Despite this, some reviewers suggest that the game's other aspects may compensate for these shortcomings.
- “The story and character development in this game is pretty 'meh' to be honest... but in my opinion, that's where the downsides end.”
- “Mediocre story with mediocre character development.”
- “Mediocre story with mediocre character development.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game features only about five levels and lacks significant replayability, leading many users to feel that it does not offer good value for the price. Overall, the experience is described as not particularly challenging, further diminishing its replay potential.
- “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.”
- “[Not so challenging, not much replay value]”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's controls are criticized for being unresponsive and poorly optimized, 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 (auto attach to rope but only sometimes, having to do multiple keypresses to climb a ledge, etc.).”