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ETHEREAL

ETHEREAL Game Cover
87%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
grinding, story
90% User Score Based on 110 reviews
Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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ETHEREAL Game Cover

About

ETHEREAL is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by Nonsense Arts and was released on March 7, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

ETHEREAL 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.

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ETHEREAL screenshot
ETHEREAL screenshot
ETHEREAL screenshot
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews
gameplay17 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Ethereal features beautiful visuals and an exceptional sound design that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • The puzzles are cleverly designed, providing a satisfying challenge that encourages abstract thinking.
  • The game introduces new mechanics gradually, allowing players to learn and adapt without feeling overwhelmed.
  • The lack of an undo feature and the inability to backtrack to previous levels can lead to frustration, especially for achievement hunters.
  • Some players found the game tedious due to its maze-like structure and minimal guidance, making navigation difficult.
  • Technical issues, such as bugs that can softlock players and unskippable animations, detract from the overall experience.
  • gameplay
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by its unique mechanics and gradual introduction of new elements, creating a satisfying puzzle experience that evolves in complexity. While the initial maze-like structure can be challenging and occasionally frustrating, players appreciate the clever design and aesthetic appeal. However, some mechanics may lack clarity, leading to confusion, and the overall execution has room for improvement, particularly in control responsiveness.

    • “Challenging, and feels like a maze at first, but genuinely becomes a puzzle as you start to understand the mechanics.”
    • “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 and 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.”
    • “Some mechanics could use some clarification, as well as labeling on the levels and level maps.”
    • “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.”
  • graphics
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful abstract aesthetics, complemented by immersive sound design. Players appreciate the minimalist yet varied visuals that enhance the overall experience, although some have noted that certain effects, like the fisheye distortion, can be disorienting. Overall, the art style and audio create a pleasant and engaging atmosphere, making it a visually appealing puzzle game.

    • “A logical game with clever mechanics and beautiful abstract aesthetics.”
    • “Unique and beautiful visual aesthetic, fun and challenging puzzles, and an exceptional sound design.”
    • “The visuals are really nice too: simple yet varied, with just enough decoration to make it pleasant without being distracting.”
    • “Those visuals quickly turned sour when the fisheye effect made me queasy after 10 or so minutes each play session, which is quite weird because I play VR for hours at a time with no problem.”
    • “On a few occasions the graphics or level layout confused me, but maybe I'm just a little dumb.”
    • “Graphics and sounds are okay.”
  • music
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music and sound design in the game have received high praise for their quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players noting the excellent combination of ambient soundscapes and minimalist soundtracks that create a sense of immersion. While some players desire more musical variety, the existing soundtrack is described as chill and fitting for the game's atmosphere, contributing to its unique flow and aesthetic appeal. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and puzzle mechanics effectively.

    • “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.”
    • “A beautiful eye candy with puzzles that live in an intriguing world, it has an incredible sound design and music.”
    • “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.”
    • “There are resolution options, windowed mode, and only a single volume slider, but there's no real background music, so it's fine.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its intriguing and relaxing qualities, enhanced by ambient sounds and a unique, abstract presentation. Players appreciate the combination of excellent puzzles and a captivating environment, making it a rewarding experience to return to after breaks. Overall, the atmosphere significantly contributes to the game's appeal, complementing its innovative mechanics.

    • “The game has its atmosphere, and returning after a break is a pleasure.”
    • “Abstract and somewhat weird presentation, ambient sounds and good pacing create a relaxing atmosphere.”
    • “Puzzling in an atmospheric, abstract place with highly unique properties.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be more tedious than challenging, with maze navigation and mechanics like rotation contributing to frustration rather than enhancing difficulty. While there are many interesting levels, the movement challenges often detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “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.”
  • story
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is perceived as less dramatic than suggested by the trailer, with players finding it more casual and straightforward during gameplay. Overall, the narrative is described as nice and compact, fitting well within the quest platformer genre.

    • “The trailer seems to imply a more dramatic story than what you experience in a casual playthrough.”
    • “Nice, elegant, compact quest platformer.”
    • “The trailer seems to imply a more dramatic story than what you actually experience during a casual playthrough.”
    • “The narrative feels disjointed and fails to engage the player on any meaningful level.”
    • “Character development is shallow, leaving the story feeling flat and uninteresting.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has limited replayability, primarily offering value for players who may want to uncover missed secrets, and is considered short in duration. It is recommended for fans of puzzle games, but those seeking extensive replay options may be disappointed.

    • “It has no replay value (unless you missed some secrets), is pretty short and I recommend it if you enjoy puzzle games.”
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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

ETHEREAL is a puzzle game.

ETHEREAL is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, Xbox and others.

ETHEREAL was released on March 7, 2019.

ETHEREAL was developed by Nonsense Arts.

ETHEREAL has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

ETHEREAL is a single player game.

Similar games include COCOON, Linelight, Hue, The Pedestrian, The Swapper and others.