Hyperbolica

About

Hyperbolica is a single player puzzle game with a comedy theme. It was developed by CodeParade and was released on March 14, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

"Hyperbolica" is a single-player Comedy Adventure game with good plot, gameplay, amazing graphics, and an awesome soundtrack. Players explore a unique non-Euclidean curved space, experiencing bizarre landscapes, solving puzzles, and battling in a snowball fight. VR is supported with OpenXR compatible headsets, allowing players to explore enormous areas and navigate a labyrinth in a truly mind-bending setting. The game also features plenty of humor and a wholesome story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 971 reviews

story57 positive mentions

grinding23 negative mentions

Unique and mind-bending experience in non-Euclidean geometry.
Charming characters and humorous dialogue that adds personality to the game.
Visually stunning with a well-crafted world that encourages exploration.

Gameplay is often tedious, relying heavily on talking to numerous NPCs with little direction.
Short playtime with a lack of substantial puzzles or challenges.
Can cause motion sickness, especially in VR, making it difficult for some players to enjoy.

story
313 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
8%
The story in the game is generally perceived as simplistic and often overshadowed by its unique gameplay mechanics and visual design. While some players appreciate the lighthearted narrative and character interactions, many criticize it for being shallow, repetitive, and reliant on fetch quests, with a lack of clear objectives or quest tracking. Overall, the narrative serves more as a backdrop to explore the game's innovative non-euclidean space rather than a compelling driving force.
- “The story is charming and actually has a very well-designed mystery.”
- “The story is lighthearted and engaging, and the puzzles complement the unique aspects of the game world.”
- “I was surprised to see that it had a fairly substantial story too.”
- “The game tries way too hard to put a story behind the game and to build characters, but it would do just fine without a single NPC.”
- “The story is hardly existent and the replayability isn't all that much.”
- “The story is disappointing.”
gameplay
235 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
73%
9%
The gameplay in "Hyperbolica" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it primarily consists of walking around, talking to NPCs, and completing simple fetch quests, which can feel repetitive and lack depth. While the unique non-Euclidean geometry offers a fascinating visual experience, it is often underutilized in gameplay mechanics, leading to a sense of disappointment for those seeking more engaging interactions or puzzles. Overall, the game is seen as more of a tech demo showcasing its innovative geometry rather than a fully realized gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay can be boiled down to talking to NPCs a lot and occasionally picking up 'trinkets'.”
- “The actual gameplay is clever.”
- “I really enjoyed the little bits of gameplay spread throughout the game to show off the nature of hyperbolic non-euclidean space.”
- “The novelty of weird space wears off quickly as you realize it doesn't really matter, it doesn't change anything about how you interact with the game, it doesn't play into the game mechanics in any meaningful way.”
- “There isn't much in terms of game mechanics at all, you just walk around looking for hidden items and talking to every NPC in hope to stumble on one with a quest, and if you're extra lucky you'll stumble onto a couple of those quests that actually have a mini-game to it.”
- “The gameplay is mostly talking to a massive number of NPCs with short & fun things to say.”
graphics
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
61%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and trippy non-euclidean design, which captivates players and enhances exploration. While the art style is considered appealing and well-executed, some reviewers feel that the visuals alone cannot compensate for the game's lack of depth in gameplay and narrative. Overall, the visuals are seen as the standout feature, making the game an interesting experience, albeit one that may not satisfy those seeking substantial gameplay.
- “The visuals are solid and the geometry is trippy.”
- “It's marvelous that the game can be viewed in stereoscopic 3D despite how outlandish the visuals are.”
- “The graphics and soundtrack are beautiful and soothing.”
- “I found myself fascinated with the idea of non-euclidean geometry when watching the development of this game, but I was disappointed to find that the game is pretty bland - graphically and gameplay-wise.”
- “I can't recommend this game based on the gameplay, graphics, or level design.”
- “Unfortunately, the graphical gimmick can be tiresome for some people's eyes.”
humor
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its clever writing, funny character moments, and a variety of puns and math-related jokes. While some found the dialogue occasionally forced or basic, the overall lighthearted tone and comedic elements, particularly in character interactions and exploration, contributed to an enjoyable experience. However, a few players noted that the abundance of NPCs sometimes led to repetitive or uninteresting dialogue, detracting from the humor's impact.
- “And on top of everything, it's super cute and the characters are really funny.”
- “The writing, while not really making for a terribly creative story, has a lot of funny character moments.”
- “The dialogue is made of silly puns and cheeky scientific humor, which is perfect to have fun in the evening.”
music
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
38%
8%
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its catchy and well-crafted soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some tracks are noted for their distinctiveness and suitability to various game areas, a few players found certain tunes repetitive or annoying after extended play. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.
- “Codeparade did a phenomenal job creating this game and boy do I love the music.”
- “I found the music to be incredibly well made and catchy, with each area having a distinct sound, feeling, and appropriate tone.”
- “Along with the cute aesthetics of the world, the soundtrack adds so much to the experience; I don't feel bad at all for buying it as I will be revisiting some of the songs to listen to later.”
- “Iris - one of the recurring NPCs - has a music track that is disorienting to listen to with headphones on; it bounces between the left and right channels in an uncomfortable way.”
- “The music doesn't bring much to the experience; it was getting annoying at some moments.”
- “The music is suitable and that's about it.”
grinding
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and uninspired, with clunky mechanics and a lack of meaningful engagement. The overwhelming number of NPCs often leads to irrelevant interactions, and the absence of a quest tracker exacerbates the frustration of navigating the game world. While some appreciate the unique concepts, the repetitive and dull tasks detract significantly from the overall experience.
- “In a word, this game is tedious.”
- “The movement is really tedious.”
- “Most quests required finding stuff and talking to specific people, which is extremely tedious to do in such a large world filled with NPCs without any quest markers.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and charming storytelling, which resonates with players through heartfelt characters and personal experiences from the developer. While some find the writing to be cringeworthy, others appreciate its earnestness and the surprising depth of themes, including darker undertones. Overall, the game offers a unique emotional experience, blending fun and innovation, though it may not deliver a deeply moving narrative.
- “Some have described the writing as 'cringe', but to me, Hyperbolica radiates a wholesome earnestness that just makes me smile.”
- “The characters and stories are charming and heartfelt, and you can tell a lot of the game has been derived from the developer's personal experiences, albeit with certain impossible twists.”
- “Great story, fun characters that made me feel, and truly the most innovative thing to gaming I've seen since Portal.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily due to its short completion time of 4-6 hours and the lack of engaging content beyond a few mini-games. While some players may find enjoyment in revisiting the unique visuals and puzzles, most agree that once the puzzles are solved, the game loses its appeal for repeated playthroughs. Overall, it is viewed more as a unique experience rather than a game designed for extensive replayability.
- “It has good replayability if you happen to be craving a little more of the mental gymnastics the visuals expose you to.”
- “Once you've figured out the puzzles, the game does lose most of its replay value, but I would say that the novelty alone is worth the purchase.”
- “However, it would be nice if all minigames were replayable.”
- “The game costs $20 and can be 100% completed in about 4-6 hours with little replayability beyond a couple of mini-games.”
- “If you're looking for replayability, this probably isn't the game for you.”
- “Its main downside is that it's pretty short and has little to no replay value.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
56%
Overall, the game's stability is generally competent, with smooth performance and no major glitches reported on various platforms, including Linux and Steam Deck. However, users have noted mild bugs, particularly in VR mode, affecting navigation and puzzle completion, which detracts from the immersive experience. While the game runs well technically, issues like mouse freezing in VR and unintuitive controls in certain minigames have been highlighted as areas needing improvement.
- “On a technical standpoint, performance was great; I saw no glitches, gameplay was fluid, and the non-Euclidean spaces were perfectly represented.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck with no issues, and I had no bugs.”
- “Runs great on Linux!”
- “Basic navigation works fine, but as of writing this review, I was unable to complete several puzzles due to buggy behavior.”
- “Whilst the VR mode is mildly immersive for a short while, poor implementation, such as buggy speech bubbles and continuous non-consensual re-orienting of the player, rips one out of the experience before one can truly appreciate it.”
- “Finally, the game freezes the mouse while focused, even in VR mode, so you can't use XSOOverlay.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, drawing players into a captivating world that they are eager to revisit. However, some users express disappointment with the game's short length, feeling that it ends too abruptly despite its strong atmospheric appeal. Overall, the combination of an endearing atmosphere and interesting physics contributes to a memorable experience.
- “Even if this is more of an atmospheric, tech-demo type of game, it's still really cool.”
- “I really do not enjoy replaying games or movies; however, with Hyperbolica's amazing feel and atmosphere, I always feel excited to just open the game and be in the world.”
- “Endearing atmosphere, interesting physics, and fun!”
- “The only reason I am recommending this is because I want the developers to make a sequel that isn't so abysmally short. I am always disappointed when I'm absorbed into the atmosphere of a game and then it ends abruptly.”
- “The atmosphere felt promising at first, but it quickly became stale and uninspired, leaving me feeling disconnected from the game world.”
- “Despite the initial intrigue, the atmosphere lacked depth and variety, making it hard to stay engaged throughout the experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for running smoothly on modest hardware and showcasing a polished experience, especially considering the small development team. However, some users report severe performance issues, particularly at the main menu, indicating inconsistent optimization across different setups.
- “Runs well on modest hardware, and it's really polished and well optimized for such a small dev team.”
- “From a technical standpoint, performance was great; I saw no glitches, gameplay was fluid, and the non-Euclidean spaces were perfectly represented.”
- “I can't get past the main menu, and the performance is awful.”
- “The game constantly crashes, making it unplayable.”
- “Even on high-end hardware, the frame rates are disappointing.”