Four Sided Fantasy

At the very least, Four Sided Fantasy is a welcome addition to the flourishing pool of indie puzzle platformers, and is yet more proof that there’s still plenty of life left in the genre.

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"Four Sided Fantasy" is a surreal puzzle-platformer where you can wrap around the screen edges to loop between the game's four sides. Experiment with this mechanic to solve creative puzzles and explore a world filled with beautifully designed landscapes and compelling narratives. The game features four chapters, each with a unique atmosphere, offering a fresh take on the screen-wrapping concept.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 355 reviews

gameplay93 positive mentions

stability50 negative mentions

The game features a unique and clever screen-wrapping mechanic that adds depth to the puzzles.
Visually appealing with charming art style and relaxing music that enhances the overall experience.
Puzzles are engaging and provide satisfying 'Aha!' moments, making it enjoyable for puzzle enthusiasts.

The game is quite short, typically taking around 1-2 hours to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
Numerous bugs and glitches, especially in later levels, can lead to frustrating experiences, including softlocks and disappearing characters.
Lacks a substantial narrative or story, leaving the gameplay feeling somewhat hollow despite its interesting mechanics.

gameplay
243 mentions
38 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Four Sided Fantasy" is centered around a unique screen-wrapping mechanic that introduces a variety of puzzles, keeping the experience fresh and engaging. While the game effectively explores its core mechanics through clever level design, many players noted critical bugs, particularly in the latter half, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite its short playtime of about 1-2 hours, the game is praised for its artistic style and innovative approach to puzzle-solving, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre, albeit with some caveats regarding its polish and length.
- “Definitely an impressively executed bit of work, with an extremely clever 'screen wrapping' mechanic that opens up the game into something endlessly fun!”
- “The puzzles are well-crafted, with a great learning curve to introduce you to the mechanics, and by the end you will have explored all the potential exploits of the format.”
- “The gameplay is really simple, but the developers introduce twists to keep the game fresh and interesting the entire way through.”
- “Unfortunately, this game is too short, about 1 hour or so of gameplay time.”
- “The game also suffers from some bugs, especially in the stages that feature the split screen mechanic.”
- “Just when things were starting to get interesting, the level would end and they would have a new take on the puzzle mechanic in the next level.”
graphics
114 mentions
54 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their colorful and charming aesthetic, with many reviewers noting the beautiful art style and fluid animations that enhance gameplay. However, some criticism arises from inconsistencies in the visual presentation, such as pixelated static that clashes with the artwork, and the game being more demanding on hardware than expected. Overall, while the visuals contribute positively to the atmosphere, they are sometimes overshadowed by technical issues and a lack of depth in content.
- “The graphics are simple and clean, and the soundtrack is also well matched with simple, light tones to give an appropriate atmosphere.”
- “The visuals and music are stunning, and the mechanics are incredibly creative.”
- “The game has some other very nice touches to it; the graphics are charming, and the animations really enhance the game mechanic -- in one level, the characters swap between foreground and background, and the lighting will change accordingly.”
- “My computer sounded like it was running a Witcher game, not a 2-hour indie with rudimentary graphics quality.”
- “A large chunk of the visuals of this game is just pixelated static that clashes with the rest of the rather pretty artwork (one of the worst art directions I've ever seen).”
- “Also, the game is somewhat more graphically demanding than it should be.”
music
102 mentions
55 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as calming, atmospheric, and fitting well with the visuals, creating a pleasant and immersive experience. While some players appreciate the tranquil soundtrack and its ability to enhance the gameplay, others find it somewhat simplistic or not particularly memorable. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, though options for volume control and music customization would have been welcomed by some users.
- “The art and music are perfect for putting your brain in the right mood to solve some screen-bending puzzles.”
- “The music is pretty chill, atmospheric, and kind of soothing.”
- “A peaceful, ambient soundtrack throughout gives just the right amount of music to carry the player along without really even feeling there’s a soundtrack at all.”
- “An option to disable music and a volume control would have been nice...”
- “The music/sounds were too loud and you couldn't turn them down.”
- “The music isn't going to end up on your playlist, and the art isn't going to blow anyone away.”
stability
50 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of glitches, particularly in split-screen mode and during specific levels. Players have experienced issues such as characters falling through the floor, collision detection problems, and the need to reset stages multiple times due to bugs. While some users found the game enjoyable despite these issues, the overall consensus is that it feels unfinished and unpolished, detracting from the overall experience.
- “But unfortunately it is unfinished, unpolished, and buggy.”
- “The fifth level, however, is unforgivably buggy.”
- “Collision detection is buggy, particularly where size changes are involved.”
story
34 mentions
29 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal or non-existent, with many reviewers noting that it lacks depth and fails to engage players. While some appreciate the beautiful visuals and music, they feel the narrative is either too light or poorly developed, often relying on external sources like Kickstarter for context. Overall, the consensus is that those seeking a compelling story will likely be disappointed.
- “Hue has whole sections where it's just climbing (usually jump-climbing) ladders and walking around to the next area, but there's a voice-over happening telling you the game's story in a beautiful British accent.”
- “In Limbo, it's the beautiful art and nonverbal storytelling that still makes it engaging to walk between levels.”
- “The animation is beautiful and the storyline is simple and sweet.”
- “There's no real story.”
- “The downside of the game is that there is actually no story or even scenario, and there are minor bugs (like your character may occasionally fall through solid objects in one or two certain scenes and disappear from the screen and you have to restart the act; I've completed New Game+ and got the corresponding achievement but my achievement for completing the game has not been unlocked).”
- “I guess even though the game was successfully funded on Kickstarter, the idea of writing a story for this title wasn’t that big of a priority.”
atmosphere
28 mentions
79 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its tranquil and soothing qualities, enhanced by pleasant graphics and a well-matched soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the combination of simple yet effective visuals and chill music, which together create an immersive and enjoyable experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a significant strength, contributing positively to its appeal.
- “This is a fun little game, with a very tranquil atmosphere.”
- “Pleasant graphics, nice music, amazing atmosphere.”
- “Wonderful, relaxed atmosphere coupled with clever puzzles and mechanics that create an enjoyable and easily digested experience.”
- “Look...there is this negative I really have to mention: the atmosphere.”
- “What ultimately pushes the game into the positive side is the general atmosphere it gives off.”
replayability
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers limited replayability, with most players completing it in about 90 minutes to 2 hours. While some users note a few challenge achievements that provide minor incentives to replay, the consensus is that the game lacks substantial replay value.
- “The game looks great and definitely has replay value.”
- “Expect about 90 minutes of gameplay with no replayability.”
- “The replayability is pretty much non-existent.”
- “It's quite short; I played it through in one sitting, about 2 hours, but there are a few challenge achievements that give it some replay value.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is overshadowed by numerous glitches, particularly in the split-screen mode, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and comedic experience.
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as the lack of meaningful progress and repetitive scene changes diminish the enjoyment of the otherwise interesting puzzle mechanics.
- “The puzzle gimmick is interesting, but the game never gives you any sense of progress outside of occasionally changing scenes, which makes the game feel really tedious to play.”
optimization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game's optimization is a significant concern, with multiple users highlighting performance issues that affect gameplay. Overall, the game's performance appears to be subpar, leading to a less enjoyable experience for players.