Existensis
- November 28, 2020
- Librarium Studios
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Get on itch.io Store"Existensis" is a single-player Fantasy Platformer game, where you journey as an artist known as 'The Mayor', seeking inspiration and the meanings of life and death. Hand-drawn by Ozzie Sneddon, explore over fifteen unique areas, meet colorful characters, and experience branching paths and multiple endings in this vibrant world. The game features around 3-4 hours of hand-crafted content, available to play in the demo.
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Reviews
- The game features absolutely gorgeous art and music, creating a visually stunning and immersive experience.
- Existensis offers a unique and engaging narrative that explores profound themes about life and creativity, making it a thought-provoking journey.
- The gameplay is smooth and enjoyable, with each level providing unique mechanics and elements that encourage exploration and replayability.
- Some players found the game to be a bit broken up and discontinuous, affecting the overall flow of the experience.
- Navigation can be confusing, particularly with the level selection screen, leading to accidental region travel without confirmation.
- The gameplay lacks challenge and can feel repetitive, especially when trying to achieve all endings, which may deter some players.
- music38 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and hypnotic qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a well-suited soundtrack that varies by area. While some players find certain tracks annoying, many appreciate the soundtrack's ability to evoke emotions and encourage exploration, often returning to areas just to enjoy the music and lore. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's beauty and immersive storytelling.
“The soundtrack of the game is a masterpiece; every area's soundtrack gets better as you spend more time in the area and proceeds only to get better each time you revisit, being the reason I have over 15 hours in this game, re-experiencing it over and over.”
“The music is atmospheric and hypnotic, and the design-by-subtraction gameplay is surprisingly satisfying.”
“You would keep returning to areas just for the music and the lore; it is splendid.”
“Highly annoying music, awkward gameplay, idiotic interactions... I admit I held out for 13 minutes before requesting a refund.”
“Essentially, it doesn't matter if gameplay-wise this game doesn't offer much, although it tries to tweak some things with little mechanics here and there, if it's too short, if the music is sometimes irritating, and if lore bits are ciphered from stupid people like me (thanks for the tip ozzie, tho) — all these things are negated by what it leaves afterwards, that is, reemerged feeling of childish joy and excitement.”
“The music is... odd sometimes, but ultimately sets the mood quite well.”
- story26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story of "Existensis" is a captivating journey that follows a wandering artist, the mayor, as he seeks inspiration for his magnum opus across beautifully illustrated environments. Players are drawn into a rich narrative that explores profound themes about life and creativity, enhanced by engaging characters and dialogues. The game's unique storytelling method and enchanting lore keep players invested, making it a standout experience even for those who typically shy away from fantasy genres.
“The lore is beautiful, starting off with a simple story of an artisan seeking inspiration for his magnum opus, a tower representing the meaning of life and death, and delves deeper and deeper, ending with a banger after having experienced every area in the game.”
“It's not only a well-told story, but one that meshes especially well with an idiosyncratic, one-person project like this one.”
“I did not expect to be so entranced by this world – especially because I rarely play fantasy games and I'm never interested in fantasy lore – but the more I play, the more I want to discover more areas, more characters, and more of the story.”
“🔲 this game has no story”
“🔲 like playing temple runners for the story”
“~ story ~”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by smooth mechanics and a casual, accessible experience, featuring short levels that encourage exploration and replayability without significant challenge. While it lacks complexity and offers simple interactions, the unique elements in each level and the atmospheric soundtrack contribute to a satisfying and enjoyable experience, evoking a sense of nostalgia and joy. Overall, it serves as a perfect distraction for players seeking light-hearted entertainment.
“Gameplay is smooth and of middle length; you need to replay some levels several times to gain access to all the following stages, but the levels are relatively short so it doesn’t get frustrating. I liked that every level had something unique in them, a mechanic or element not seen in others.”
“On the mechanical level, the game runs and plays well - movement is wonderfully fluid, and while the levels are relatively small, there are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore.”
“The gameplay is good; your job is to traverse and explore areas, interact with the characters to expand yourself into the lore, achieve different endings, find secrets, and make decisions.”
“There is not a lot of challenge here, gameplay-wise, nor is there meant to be.”
“The gameplay itself is fairly simple, with some minor platforming puzzles, no damage or game overs.”
“The gameplay is exceedingly simple; you can move left, right, jump, and interact with the people and world around you.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style, created by a solo developer, which complements the imaginative writing and character design. Reviewers appreciate the beauty of the visuals and the overall aesthetic experience, often highlighting the game's philosophical depth and the emotional impact of its soundtrack. Despite some opinions that graphics may not be the primary focus, the consensus is that the visuals significantly enhance the gameplay experience.
“The imaginative writing is matched with the equally imaginative art style and character design.”
“For a solo dev project that was literally made by hand, I cannot find fault in the writing, visuals, or soundtrack.”
“🔲 Graphics don't matter in this game.”
“Prices are set regionally by the developer and are affordable; one can say it is under-priced not for the length of gameplay it offers, which is average, but for the lore, the soundtrack, the visuals, and the experience.”
“Depending on the person, the game lasts; I spent my time repeating areas because the game was so beautiful in terms of the soundtrack, visuals, the lore, and the will to complete it to 100% because of its magnificence.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
While some players find the grinding aspect to be somewhat tedious, it is often viewed as the only drawback in an otherwise captivating game. The shortness of the areas helps mitigate the grind, making the journey to the final ending feel rewarding.
“This can be a little tedious at times, but is the only downside to this otherwise fascinating world.”
“Because of how short the areas were, it avoided becoming tedious and reaching the final ending was rewarding.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users consistently highlight the game's "infinitely replayable" nature, indicating that it offers a compelling experience that encourages multiple playthroughs without losing its appeal.
“The game is infinitely replayable, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
“I love how the game is infinitely replayable; there's always something new to discover.”
“With its infinitely replayable nature, I find myself coming back to this game time and time again.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users have reported excellent optimization, experiencing no performance or stability issues during gameplay.
“I am happy to report I experienced absolutely zero performance or stability issues.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its hypnotic and immersive music, which complements the satisfying design-by-subtraction gameplay, creating a captivating experience for players.
“The music is atmospheric and hypnotic, and the design-by-subtraction gameplay is surprisingly satisfying.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be heart-warming and emotionally uplifting, highlighting its overall pleasant and nice experience.
“It's heart-warming, just such a nice game.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the character development is enhanced by imaginative writing and a unique art style, creating a cohesive and engaging experience. The creativity in both narrative and design contributes significantly to the depth of the characters.
“The imaginative writing is matched with the equally imaginative art style and character design.”
