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Filament

Filament is a tough puzzler that will challenge even the ardent fans of the genre and it feels like it belongs on Nintendo Switch. The new Hint system will also stop the unnecessary frustrations too.
Filament Game Cover
79%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, stability
83% User Score Based on 447 reviews
Critic Score 75%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchLinuxPCSteam DeckWindows
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Filament Game Cover

About

Filament is a single player puzzle game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Beard Envy and was released on April 23, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Filament is a single-player mystery adventure game with an intriguing story, spectacular game mechanics, great visuals, and stunning music. You'll explore a space-age facility, solving challenging puzzles and uncovering a wholesome, yet dense atmosphere. Despite lots of grinding, the game's exceptional quality makes it worth the effort, providing an engaging and enjoyable experience."

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Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
Filament screenshot
+7
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83%
Audience ScoreBased on 447 reviews
story102 positive mentions
grinding22 negative mentions
  • Filament features a unique and engaging puzzle mechanic that challenges players to think critically and creatively.
  • The game offers a rich narrative experience, with well-written logs and voice acting that enhance the overall atmosphere.
  • The variety of puzzles keeps the gameplay fresh, with new mechanics introduced throughout the game.
  • Many puzzles rely heavily on trial and error, which can lead to frustration rather than a satisfying sense of accomplishment.
  • The difficulty spikes can be jarring, with some puzzles feeling overly complex and convoluted without clear guidance.
  • The ending may leave players feeling unsatisfied or confused, as it doesn't fully resolve the narrative threads introduced throughout the game.
  • story
    255 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is a complex and engaging narrative that unfolds gradually through environmental storytelling, logs, and character interactions, primarily focusing on themes of loneliness and human connection. While many players appreciate the atmospheric and emotional depth of the story, some find it disjointed or lacking in clarity, particularly towards the end. Overall, the narrative serves as a compelling backdrop to the challenging puzzles, motivating players to explore and piece together the mystery of the missing crew aboard the spaceship.

    • “Through your interactions with her and the ship’s numerous terminals, you begin to piece together not just the story of what happened, but also a quiet meditation on loneliness, obsession, and the human need for connection.”
    • “The sense of discovery is quiet and personal; the game never resorts to overt exposition, instead trusting the player to interpret fragments of story woven into the environment.”
    • “The main story Juniper tells you is so excellently paced within the game, and the game does such a good job of giving so much personality to characters you never get to see.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story and dialogue were pretty terrible and got to the point of being irritating.”
    • “The story element is not very interesting either, and is extremely disjointed in the way it's presented to the player.”
    • “The ending also... doesn't really explain the mysteries of the story, which is definitely really unsatisfying.”
  • gameplay
    143 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in Filament revolves around a central mechanic of maneuvering a cable to activate pillars, offering a wide variety of puzzles that gradually introduce new mechanics. While many players appreciate the innovative design and the challenge of the puzzles, some express frustration with the trial-and-error nature of certain levels and the lack of clear guidance on mechanics, leading to a mixed experience. Overall, the game is praised for its depth and creativity, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its steep difficulty curve and occasional quality-of-life issues.

    • “Each puzzle is built around a single mechanic—trailing a cable from your small robot avatar to activate pillars scattered across a grid-like space.”
    • “Filament is everything you want a puzzle game to be; it starts with a very simple, but creative, core idea, then it builds on that idea in breadth, then adds depth, with cool new mechanics.”
    • “The puzzles vary and can be hit or miss, but the game has an undeniable pull to it and the main mechanic is clever.”
    • “For others, it can verge on frustration, particularly in the game’s later sections where multiple mechanics overlap in ways that can feel overwhelming.”
    • “The gameplay outside the puzzles worsens the experience though.”
    • “The biggest problem for me is the unpredictability of the wire mechanic.”
  • music
    101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and soothing qualities, effectively enhancing the puzzle-solving experience without being intrusive or repetitive. Many players appreciate the ambient electronic tones and gentle melodies that create a relaxing atmosphere, although some note that the limited variety can lead to repetitiveness over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's immersive and engaging environment.

    • “The soundtrack enhances this balance beautifully, blending ambient electronic tones with gentle melodies that ebb and flow with your progress.”
    • “The music in this game is really relaxing and suits well the purpose - you have a game with puzzles, so you need to focus really deep and the music should help with that, rather than distract you.”
    • “The music is relaxing and enjoyable.”
    • “However, inconsistent puzzle quality and repetitive music detract from the experience.”
    • “Furthermore, the game doesn't even contain a wide variety of music to compensate; it has only one track that keeps playing forever.”
    • “Music is okay, but there is not much variety, and it is a bit monotone; great for relaxing, but could be tedious too.”
  • graphics
    57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and aesthetic appeal, with many reviewers highlighting the charming art style and detailed environments. However, some players have reported graphical glitches, particularly on the Steam Deck, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the visuals are often described as captivating and well-polished, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, the keyboard keybinds are intuitive, and the music is just the right amount of soothing.”
    • “A very challenging puzzle game, with lovely graphics and music, and surprisingly good voice acting.”
    • “The graphics are just amazing, the controls work well and the puzzles are interesting, neither too easy nor too difficult (some parts are very tricky and it's likely to quit in the process).”
    • “I'm getting some weird graphical glitches with the UI on the Steam Deck that weren't there at launch.”
    • “I bought this to play on the Steam Deck since it is 'verified', but there is a graphical issue that I was unable to resolve, so on my stock deck I was unable to play it.”
    • “They have all the atmosphere and graphics, but it could have been made as a minimalist puzzle game.”
  • atmosphere
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of Filament is widely praised for its immersive and charming qualities, featuring a blend of serene visuals, engaging sound design, and a mysterious setting aboard a spacecraft. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of exploration and intrigue, with its understated storytelling and vibrant puzzle interfaces enhancing the overall experience. While some players found the puzzles challenging, the captivating atmosphere and art style kept them invested in the game.

    • “Filament, developed by Beard Envy and published by Kasedo Games and Maple Whispering Limited, is a thoughtful and atmospheric puzzle adventure set aboard a silent spacecraft adrift in space.”
    • “The ship’s interiors balance functionality with atmosphere—sterile corridors lit by glowing panels, consoles that hum softly, and puzzle interfaces that burst into vibrant color when activated.”
    • “The atmosphere does a great job of combining a soothing feeling with a clear sense of wrongness that you can't quite place your finger on.”
    • “They have all the atmosphere and graphics, but it could have been made as a minimalist puzzle game.”
    • “Many aspects of the game are missing sound cues, either in the form of generic blips and bloops, or tangible bumps and friction, as well as a general sense of atmosphere.”
    • “The world/story is apt, nothing mind-blowing but enough to set the atmosphere.”
  • grinding
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight a common sentiment that while the puzzles in the game are challenging and can be enjoyable, they often become tedious due to their complexity and reliance on trial and error. Many players express frustration with the increasing difficulty and the lack of variety, leading to a sense of monotony and diminished motivation to continue. Overall, the grinding aspect of the game is marked by a struggle between engaging gameplay and the tedious nature of solving overly complicated puzzles.

    • “The core component of the game is solid and there's decent variety, but slogging through sets of 15 puzzles that get tediously more difficult just isn't enjoyable when they get so complicated that there is too much trial and error involved.”
    • “It's a shame that the core gameplay revolves around such tedious puzzles.”
    • “They just become increasingly complicated so that you aren't so much figuring them out logically but are engaging in tedious periods of trial and error.”
  • emotional
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is deeply impactful, with players highlighting the poignant storytelling and character development that enhance the puzzle-solving experience. The voice acting, particularly that of Juniper, adds warmth to the otherwise sterile environment, making the narrative resonate on a personal level. Many players report being profoundly moved, with some even experiencing tears during gameplay, as the game masterfully intertwines challenging puzzles with a touching sci-fi drama.

    • “At first glance, it seems deceptively simple—a series of puzzles centered around connecting glowing nodes with a tether—but beneath its minimalist surface lies a complex and emotionally resonant experience.”
    • “The voice acting, particularly Juniper’s performance, brings warmth and humanity to the otherwise sterile setting, grounding the experience emotionally even as you spend hours in solitude.”
    • “The story was incredible and I cried for a full hour at one point during my gameplay, which is not something I do over video games often, much less for an hour.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game experiences notable stability issues, particularly with graphical glitches on the Steam Deck and some buggy puzzles that may hinder gameplay. While these technical problems detract from the overall experience, the puzzles themselves remain a highlight.

    • “That said: I'm experiencing some weird graphical glitches with the UI on the Steam Deck that weren't present at launch.”
    • “The game has distracting visual glitches seemingly stemming from the UI elements.”
    • “Also, a couple of puzzles are a bit buggy, and I probably wouldn't have been able to solve them without the walkthrough explaining that the puzzles are buggy.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, achieving a smooth 60fps despite some minor performance issues. The voice acting, especially Juniper's, enhances the emotional depth of the experience, compensating for the otherwise sterile environment.

    • “Optimized, buttery smooth 60fps.”
    • “The voice acting, particularly Juniper’s performance, brings warmth and humanity to the otherwise sterile setting, grounding the experience emotionally even as you spend hours in solitude.”
    • “Has some performance issues but nothing serious.”
    • “Has some performance issues but nothing serious”
    • “Optimized, buttery smooth 60fps”
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75%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews
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15h Median play time
21h Average play time
6-43h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Filament is a puzzle game with mystery theme.

Filament is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 21 hours playing Filament.

Filament was released on April 23, 2020.

Filament was developed by Beard Envy.

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

Filament is a single player game.

Similar games include WitCup 12, The Talos Principle, The Witness, Quern - Undying Thoughts, Taiji and others.