ETHEREAL
- February 3, 2019
- Nonsense Arts
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreETHEREAL is a single-player puzzle game featuring sensational mechanics and pretty visuals. Winner of the Audience Award at IGF 2019, it offers a non-verbal narrative through its beautiful minimalist art style and awarded music and sound design. Explore 4 different worlds with 24 hand-crafted levels, taking your time to solve puzzles and uncover secrets.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Unique and beautiful visual aesthetic combined with exceptional sound design creates an immersive experience.
- Puzzles are cleverly designed, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
- The game offers a relaxing yet engaging atmosphere, making it enjoyable for puzzle enthusiasts.
- Lack of backtracking and save file deletion after completing the game can be frustrating for players.
- Some puzzles can feel tedious and lack satisfying mechanics, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- Controller compatibility issues and bugs can hinder gameplay, causing potential softlocks and movement frustrations.
- gameplay29 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique blend of mechanics that progressively introduce new challenges, fostering a satisfying and rewarding puzzle-solving experience. While some players find the movement mechanics a bit confusing and the introduction of new elements occasionally unclear, the overall design is praised for its cleverness and elegance, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging throughout. The game effectively balances simplicity with depth, making it accessible yet thought-provoking for players.
“The gameplay is simple but satisfying, leaning towards the easy side so far.”
“Incredible little game, the puzzles are well designed and the introduction of new mechanics is done in an easy to understand and natural way.”
“Every puzzle and mechanic is so elegantly designed, making for slick gameplay and non-stop moments of euphoria, allowing it to keep things fresh even to the final levels.”
“It's not that I didn't have fun at all, but the maze aspect combined with mechanics like the rotation can render everything rather tedious and even frustrating sometimes.”
“The primary mechanic of the game mainly serves to make basic movement slightly harder and more confusing without actually making the puzzles more interesting, which compounds the fact that the keyboard controls aren't great.”
“My only gripe with the game is that although it introduces new game mechanics one by one, it was on several occasions completely unclear to me what the new mechanic was and I only stumbled upon the new mechanic by accident after much trial and error.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful aesthetic, featuring a simple yet varied art style that enhances the overall experience without being distracting. Players appreciate the strong integration of visuals and audio, creating an immersive environment that complements the engaging puzzles. Overall, the game's aesthetics are considered a standout feature, contributing to a pleasant and enjoyable gameplay experience.
“The visuals are really nice too: simple yet varied, with just enough decoration to make it pleasant without being distracting.”
“A quite original puzzle game, the difficulty is okay and the visuals are very well done.”
“The whole game is aesthetically pleasing, not just because it's affixed to a grid pattern, but because the gameplay naturally generates interesting structures.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game have received high praise for their quality and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience. While some players appreciate the minimalistic approach that contributes to a sense of solitude, others express a desire for more musical elements. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and visuals creates a captivating atmosphere that complements the gameplay.
“Great music, great sound, great visuals.”
“I've only played the first world (of 4) so far, but I can already recommend this game for the sound design and music alone.”
“The sound design and soundtrack is also excellent, and I loved how it all came together in the climax. Never underestimate abstract imagery.”
“I think that they could put more music, but I understand that the design of the game is to give you this sense of eternal solitude, so it's okay.”
“I love the sound design, but I wish it were a little more musical.”
“The combination of music, sound effects, and animations with puzzles that aren't easy gives a good sensation of immersion, something beautiful.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its intriguing and unique world-building, creating an engaging backdrop for the puzzles. Players appreciate the combination of abstract elements and a well-crafted environment, enhancing the overall experience and making it a worthwhile investment in terms of gameplay hours.
“An interesting puzzle game with a good atmosphere.”
“Intriguing puzzle, neat atmosphere.”
“Puzzling in an atmospheric, abstract place with highly unique properties.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious rather than challenging, with maze-like mechanics and rotation elements contributing to frustration. While there are many interesting levels, the movement difficulties often feel more like a chore than a genuine test of skill.
“Isn't particularly difficult, just tedious.”
“It's not that I didn't have fun at all, but the maze aspect combined with mechanics like the rotation can render everything rather tedious and even frustrating sometimes.”
“Many interesting levels, though in some the difficulty of moving around doesn't add real difficulty so much as tediousness.”
- story1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users note that the game's trailer suggests a more dramatic narrative than what is actually experienced during casual gameplay, indicating a potential disconnect between expectations and the story delivered.
“The narrative is rich and engaging, drawing you into a world filled with complex characters and unexpected twists.”
“I was captivated by the depth of the story; it kept me guessing and emotionally invested throughout.”
“The storytelling is masterfully crafted, blending lore and character development in a way that feels both immersive and rewarding.”
“The trailer seems to imply a more dramatic story than what you actually experience during a casual playthrough.”
“The narrative felt disjointed and failed to engage me throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of character development and depth in the storyline.”
