Echo Grotto

About

"Echo Grotto" is a first-person puzzle-adventure game set in a mysterious, abandoned cave system. Players must navigate the depths, solve intricate puzzles, and uncover the secrets of the grotto's past. With a unique art style and atmospheric soundtrack, the game offers a captivating and immersive experience for players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Echo Grotto offers a relaxing and immersive cave exploration experience with stunning visuals and atmospheric sound design.
The game features procedurally generated caves, providing a sense of discovery and replayability as players explore new environments.
The unique locomotion system, which involves throwing a teleporter, adds an engaging layer to the exploration, making players feel more connected to the environment.

The controls can be finicky and unintuitive, leading to frustration when trying to interact with objects or navigate the caves.
Many players have reported bugs, such as items falling through the floor, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
While the caves are randomly generated, some players noted a lack of variety in cave features, leading to repetitive exploration.

graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
The game's graphics are praised for their stunning visuals and immersive low-poly aesthetic, enhanced by dynamic lighting that creates captivating environments. While some players note that the textures and artwork could benefit from further investment, the overall visual experience is considered impressive, especially given the game's performance optimization for lower-end hardware. Many users find the graphics adequate, with breathtaking vistas that complement the sense of exploration.
- “The visuals rouse awe, and I find myself regularly staking out good vantage points to sit and get a good view to admire the caves from.”
- “An incredibly great game with stunning visuals and fascinating environments. 10/10.”
- “The caves are very pretty and the art style is perfect for it.”
- “It's a shame the textures and artwork didn't get more investment as I'm sure that would have added something that took it in the direction of jaw-dropping.”
- “The graphics are adequate (some of the vistas can be quite breathtaking), the sound is adequate, and the gameplay is simple.”
- “Although graphics options are available, most people won't need to touch them - I'm playing with a GTX 960, below the Vive recommended minimum, and on the highest graphics settings I only had performance issues in the largest caves!”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
9%
27%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive sound design and visually striking environments, creating a calm yet eerie exploration experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail that enhances the feeling of navigating through dark, mysterious caves, although some suggest that additional auditory elements and creature variety could further enrich the atmosphere. Overall, it is considered a standout feature that appeals particularly to fans of exploration games.
- “A calm and atmospheric game with awesome sound design and intuitive controls.”
- “Overall, I think the atmosphere is great; the environments look cool and a little spooky in the limited light of your flashlight or glow stick, and for the most part, the controls are quite good.”
- “More auditory additions such as the chirping of crickets or sloshing of eel-occupied water would do even more for the atmosphere and help telegraph the occasionally startling creatures.”
- “I hope the developer adds a lot more creatures, variety in caves, and atmosphere.”
- “This really nails the atmosphere of a deep, utterly dark tunnel system of caves.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The gameplay is characterized by leisurely exploration with mining and advancement mechanics, appealing to those seeking a non-threatening experience. While some players desire more challenge and replayability, the game offers a serene atmosphere with simple movement mechanics and attention to detail. However, configuration tweaks may be necessary for a smoother experience, and certain mechanics, like throwing, could use improvement.
- “You enjoy leisurely, non-threatening freeform exploration with a few mining and advancement mechanics.”
- “As you can see, there's an amazing attention to detail in the game mechanics, and the atmosphere is just incredible.”
- “What this game doesn't have in the stunning graphics department, it more than makes up for in the gameplay element.”
- “Unless you have a lot of patience, I suggest the following configuration tweaks: for a less frustrating gameplay experience, turn off hand collisions and change the interaction mode to pointing.”
- “The graphics are adequate (some of the vistas can be quite breathtaking), the sound is adequate, and the gameplay is simple.”
- “I take issue with the current throw mechanics though.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game's replayability is bolstered by its randomly generated caves and various scenario challenges, offering a fresh experience with each playthrough. However, some players note that the repetitive features can lead to boredom over time, suggesting that while the potential for replayability exists, it may be limited without additional content. Overall, it strikes a balance between a game and an experience, appealing to those seeking leisurely VR exploration.
- “Caves are randomly generated, so there's a lot of replayability.”
- “The procedurally generated cave system and the assorted scenario challenges make it very replayable.”
- “If you're looking for something with more gameplay and replayability than some readily available VR experiences, this is a great choice.”
- “Overall: halfway between game and experience, Echo Grotto is an enjoyable leisurely VR escape that could use more content for replayability.”
- “You're looking for something with a bit more gameplay and replayability than some of the readily available VR experiences, but that isn't too action-oriented.”
- “Because of this, you will soon start to recognize (and get bored of) certain features from previous cave runs, which heavily reduces replayability.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and sound design in the game are highly praised for their immersive quality, featuring subtle background music that enhances the atmosphere alongside realistic environmental sounds like dripping water and distant breezes. Players enjoy using the music as a backdrop while exploring, particularly in serene locations like crystal caverns.
- “The sound design is extremely well done, featuring dripping water and softly moaning breezes in the distance, with just the slightest hint of background music to add vague ambiance as you dive deeper into the dark.”
- “I highly suggest using this music in the background while playing.”
- “Personally, I just enjoy listening to music and wandering around the crystal caverns.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game offers a range of graphics options, but most players find the default settings sufficient for smooth performance, even on lower-end hardware like the GTX 960. While some performance issues may arise in larger environments, the overall graphics quality is praised, and players can adjust settings to optimize their experience as needed.
- “Graphics are very nice, and there are options to balance performance vs graphics.”
- “Although graphics options are available, most people won't need to touch them - I'm playing with a GTX 960, below the Vive recommended minimum, and on the highest graphics settings I only had performance issues in the largest caves!”
- “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate even on lower settings, making it frustrating to play during intense moments.”
- “Despite having a powerful rig, I experienced frequent stuttering and lag, which severely impacted my overall experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate the variety of locomotive options available, which helps alleviate the tedium often associated with grinding in the game, making the experience more enjoyable for those who prefer a faster pace.
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “I find the grinding to be a major chore, taking away from the enjoyment of the overall experience.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the fun.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted to have some bugs, but despite these issues, it is considered a hidden gem in the VR space.
- “A bit buggy, but it's one of the VR hidden gems, really.”