Hypogea

About

Hypogea is a single player action game. It was developed by Charlie Wagner and was released on November 9, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Hypogea is a short, atmospheric 3D platformer where you play the role of a staff-wielding automaton trying to escape from an abandoned underground megastructure. Travel through the mysterious structure using your hooked staff to pole-vault, swing, climb, catch yourself and more. Restore the puzzling mechanisms of the facility and help its automaton inhabitants. Explore the cavernous h…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 486 reviews

gameplay89 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features a unique and satisfying pole vaulting mechanic that enhances the platforming experience.
It has a beautiful atmosphere with well-designed environments that evoke a sense of exploration and nostalgia.
The story is conveyed effectively through environmental storytelling and character interactions, creating an emotional connection without dialogue.

The game is relatively short, lasting only about 2-4 hours, which may leave some players wanting more content.
There are occasional janky controls and animation issues, particularly with ledge grabbing and movement responsiveness.
Some players may find the lack of a more complex narrative or challenging gameplay elements to be a drawback.

gameplay
185 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The gameplay in this platformer is characterized by its innovative pole vaulting mechanics, which are engaging and intuitive, allowing for creative exploration and traversal. Players appreciate the atmospheric environments and the gradual introduction of new mechanics that keep the experience fresh, despite some minor frustrations with controls and repetitive elements. Overall, the game offers a satisfying and enjoyable short adventure, blending unique movement mechanics with a charming aesthetic.
- “The platforming mechanics feel smooth and responsive, and the addition of the pole vault/hook makes for a different experience from other platformers.”
- “The gameplay is the main reason it reminded me of Tomb Raider, as it requires a lot of near-miss ledge grabs and mild acrobatics to get around.”
- “The pole-vaulting movement mechanics are sublime, slowly mastered throughout the course of three hours and tested via increasingly enchanting platforming sequences.”
- “Having questionable grabbing mechanics and a 'race against the clock' type ending where you need to do everything perfectly per battery or you have to try over and over again was the most frustrating part for me personally, but it's doable, just tedious.”
- “Although I don’t agree with most of the points brought up in other negative reviews, one comment which stood out to me was that every jump was either just far enough away or high enough up that you’ll need to constantly use the ledge grab mechanic, which very quickly gets slow and repetitive.”
- “The gameplay has some rough edges - inputs are overloaded and will cause accidental death leaps, and there's a bit of weird momentum - but the game is generally easy and forgiving enough (with very lenient snapping) so it doesn't get frustrating.”
atmosphere
133 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
22%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, featuring beautifully designed environments that evoke a sense of melancholy and exploration. Players appreciate the combination of charming visuals, engaging soundtracks, and subtle storytelling that enhances the overall experience, making it a standout in the atmospheric platformer genre. Despite some minor mechanical issues, the game's rich atmosphere and unique setting leave a lasting impression on players.
- “Fantastically atmospheric, melancholic retro platformer.”
- “This world was really speaking to my tastes, this retro-future, post-apocalyptic aesthetic with rust, pipes, cables, megastructures and simple robots; all this wrapped into this serene and peaceful atmosphere, it was beautiful and relaxing.”
- “The atmosphere is sublime, with the architecture feeling large and monumental.”
- “Animations are smooth, but very rarely flow into each other due to ledge-grabs suddenly interrupting them as the character snaps into place, and there’s a mismatch of various visual elements which makes the atmosphere feel like it never reaches its full potential.”
- “The art direction has a bleak quality with the often gray and brown environments, but it fits the atmosphere of the setting.”
- “The game has a somber atmosphere, and delivers its narrative through its environments without any dialogue; nothing is fed to the player, leading them to come to their own interpretations as they explore.”
story
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
62%
3%
The game's story is primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling and collectibles, creating a minimalist yet impactful narrative experience without dialogue. Players appreciate the touching themes of friendship and exploration within a post-apocalyptic setting, though some feel the story's brevity and ambiguity may leave them wanting more. Overall, the combination of atmosphere, visual storytelling, and character design effectively engages players, making the journey memorable despite its simplicity.
- “No dialogue, no combat, just exploring a huge derelict and crumbling space populated by a few robots and enormous machines, yet clearly explaining the story of this post-apocalyptic world.”
- “The story is good; the way the robots help each other simply because there's no reason not to is touching, and while part of me really wants to know more about what happened in the past, I recognize that leaving it this ambiguous was a great storytelling decision.”
- “The game is very atmospheric while also managing to weave a pleasant story about two robots trying to escape a mysterious cave.”
- “Plus, the story is so bare bones that there isn't even dialogue, though the game is just over 2 hours, so there's not much narrative to get invested in.”
- “The experience is let down, however, by a generic setting and story and a noticeably short runtime.”
- “There’s no real story either, not even any text for the collectibles.”
graphics
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
36%
5%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their unique aesthetic, often described as reminiscent of early 2000s platformers with a charming retro style. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals, fluid movement, and well-designed environments that enhance the overall atmosphere, creating a captivating experience. While some textures may appear lower resolution, the overall art direction and ambiance contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout in its genre.
- “Great graphics and music set a mysterious and wondrous mood that makes me want to stay inside the game for ages.”
- “The world and aesthetic of the game were amazing; the mechanics and controls, though simple, were super fluid and honestly make me want to speed run the game.”
- “The art style, atmosphere, and overall mood have that specific warm charm of PS2 era experimentalism, with wordless storytelling carried by some incredibly charming, expressively animated robots.”
- “The aesthetics remind me of late PS1 or early PS2 style.”
- “The textures are drab and dirty in a way that fits, but the game is still crisp and readable.”
- “Graphics: decent”
music
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
41%
8%
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many players noting its ambient and calming qualities that complement the visuals and gameplay. While some reviews mention that the soundtrack can be lowkey or lacking in energy, others highlight its effectiveness in creating emotional depth and supporting the game's themes. Overall, the music is described as beautiful and fitting, contributing significantly to the immersive experience, despite some calls for more variety and energy.
- “Great graphics and music set a mysterious and wondrous mood that makes me want to stay inside the game for ages.”
- “Amazing music and atmosphere.”
- “The world, the style, the music, the plot -- it's all so gorgeous and well implemented together.”
- “I think the main weak points are the soundtrack (which, I understand the game is meant to be very downtempo, but I think a little more energy and melody probably would have gone a long way for the game's energy - it feels just a smidge lethargic and same-y as-is), and the somewhat weak butterfly area, which didn't have especially interesting navigation, nor an especially interesting gimmick.”
- “Music is sparse, appearing only when necessary to underline tension or discovery, allowing silence to do much of the emotional work.”
- “The platforming is a little jank but very fun, and for some reason in some of the cutscenes the music plays loud as hell.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a touching story about friendship that resonates with players, often leading to tears by the end. The narrative's ambiguity enhances its impact, while the minimalist use of music allows the emotional weight of the story to shine through. Overall, players find the experience heartwarming, engaging, and reminiscent of other emotionally-driven titles.
- “A kinetic platformer with a touching story about friendship.”
- “The story is good; the way the robots help each other simply because there's no reason not to is touching, and while part of me really wants to know more about what happened in the past, I recognize that leaving it this ambiguous was a great storytelling decision.”
- “It's been a while since a game made me shed a tear, and this one did.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
80%
The game's stability is marked by occasional animation glitches and collision issues, which can lead to frustrating soft locks or tedious gameplay experiences. While it generally runs well on the Steam Deck at ultra settings, these bugs detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck at ultra settings.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “Combined with the lack of story, boring environments, and occasional glitches, this is a game that is okay, but not much more than that.”
- “A few animation glitches throughout, plus collision issues here and there, nothing ruinous though.”
- “Nice atmosphere to start with but gets repetitive, and so buggy currently - one wrong move and you've soft locked yourself, or you drop to a previous checkpoint and if not soft locked you just have some tedious climbing up again that you've already done.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's replayability is somewhat limited due to its linear levels and puzzle-solving mechanics, but it offers incentives through collectibles and is particularly enjoyable for speedrunning enthusiasts. While some players may find the replay value lacking, the fun platforming elements and the desire to collect items can motivate players to revisit the game. Overall, replayability is present but not a primary focus.
- “Relatively short, but there are collectibles around the map that incentivize replayability, and the platforming is so much fun that you'll want to pick it back up at some point anyway, in my opinion.”
- “And yeah, my only two real complaints are something I consider to be nitpicks, as replayability is neat but not needed for every game under the sun.”
- “It does have some replayability through collectibles, which is where I experienced the cutscene skip.”
- “My only two real complaints are something I consider to be nitpicks: replayability is neat but not needed for every game, and the cutscene skip I only discovered after beating the game once already. I didn't want to skip anything during the first playthrough, and I assume anyone else playing will feel the same.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is geared towards speedrunners and players seeking to master efficient routes, but it may lack engaging content for those who prefer a more casual experience.
- “It's meant to be replayed if speedruns and optimized routes are your thing; otherwise, there's not much else to do.”
- “The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frustrating performance issues.”
- “I found the lack of optimization to be a major drawback, as it affects the overall gameplay experience.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted through impressive character designs that enhance the wordless storytelling, effectively drawing players into the experience. The combination of engaging environments and enjoyable movement mechanics contributes to a satisfying gameplay experience, despite the game's brevity. Overall, the character designs play a crucial role in fostering player investment in the narrative.
- “Character designs are all great, which does a lot of work in investing you in the wordless story.”
- “Fantastic movement and character designs.”
- “Nice short game, cool environments, and character design; simple but effective puzzle platforming and pretty fun movement.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing design of characters, such as a quirky, triped robot that adds a lighthearted and whimsical touch to the experience.
- “The funny-looking tripod robot looked at me :)”
- “The humor in this game is absolutely delightful and keeps me laughing throughout!”
- “I love the witty dialogue and clever puns that make every interaction enjoyable.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to questionable mechanics and a punishing "race against the clock" ending that requires perfection, leading to repetitive gameplay. While the atmosphere is initially enjoyable, the experience becomes tedious and buggy, often resulting in soft locks or the need to redo previously completed sections.
- “Having questionable grabbing mechanics and a 'race against the clock' type ending where you need to do everything perfectly per battery or you have to try over and over again was the most frustrating part for me personally, but it's doable, just tedious.”
- “Nice atmosphere to start with but gets repetitive, and so buggy currently - one wrong move and you've soft locked yourself, or you drop to a previous checkpoint and if not soft locked you just have some tedious climbing up again that you've already done.”