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Induction

Induction Game Cover
86%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, replayability
88% User Score Based on 118 reviews
Critic Score 75%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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Induction Game Cover

About

Induction is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by Bryan Gale and was released on February 7, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Induction" is an abstract puzzle game about time travel and paradoxes, featuring over 50 meticulously designed puzzles. Players explore the logic of time travel, mastering its internal rules to construct solutions like paradoxical time loops. With minimalist visuals and a responsive soundtrack, players experience the satisfaction of mastering an imaginary yet consistent set of physical laws. Game's official description was used to create this summary.

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Induction screenshot
Induction screenshot
Induction screenshot
Induction screenshot
Induction screenshot
Induction screenshot
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88%
Audience ScoreBased on 118 reviews
gameplay21 positive mentions
story2 negative mentions
  • Induction features a unique and clever time travel mechanic that challenges players to think creatively and strategically.
  • The minimalist design and atmospheric audio create an engaging and immersive experience that enhances the puzzle-solving process.
  • Many players find the satisfaction of solving complex puzzles rewarding, with a strong sense of accomplishment after overcoming difficult challenges.
  • The game lacks clear tutorials or explanations for its mechanics, which can lead to confusion and frustration, especially in later levels.
  • Some puzzles require excessive waiting and precise timing, which can detract from the overall enjoyment and flow of gameplay.
  • The linear progression of levels can be frustrating, as getting stuck on one puzzle can prevent players from moving forward and exploring other challenges.
  • gameplay
    75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Induction" is characterized by its minimalist design and innovative time travel mechanics, which challenge players to explore and understand the rules without explicit tutorials. While many players appreciate the depth and cleverness of the puzzles, the lack of clear guidance can lead to confusion, especially as new mechanics are introduced in complex levels. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging and thought-provoking puzzles, though some players find the difficulty curve steep and the mechanics occasionally obtuse.

    • “Induction has a very interesting concept with its time travel mechanic, making the levels feel more clever and about timing than difficulty.”
    • “The game does a great job of teaching you its mechanics and then having you apply that mechanic in a more complex situation.”
    • “Great puzzle game with a unique time-traveling mechanic: instead of time traveling yourself, you make the world around you travel back in time and create a clone of yourself in the process.”
    • “The mechanics of the game are never explained, which isn't an issue for the first dozen stages or so, but becomes one as more problems are introduced.”
    • “Of all of those puzzle games, I think Induction takes the cake for being the hardest to make sense of what you're doing, at least while mechanics are still being introduced and haven't had time to settle.”
    • “I'm all for mind-bending puzzle games, but besides not explaining new concepts or mechanics (which is okay), Induction doesn't even try to introduce them smoothly with simple levels: they just show up in already complex levels and you're by yourself to figure them out.”
  • graphics
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are characterized by a striking minimalist and abstract style that effectively complements its puzzle mechanics, creating an aesthetically pleasing experience. While the visuals are generally well-received for their elegance and color richness, some players find them challenging to interpret, particularly in terms of vertical navigation and understanding puzzle layouts. Overall, the combination of simple yet effective graphics and a non-intrusive soundtrack enhances the game's atmospheric quality, making it appealing to fans of abstract puzzle games.

    • “The atmospheric visuals and audio lend an outstanding aesthetic.”
    • “The graphics are minimal yet effective; the music is outstanding; and the puzzles are amazing.”
    • “The visuals feature an abstract, colorful and cubic style with a wonderfully hypnotizing and relaxing ambiance supplied by its soundtrack.”
    • “The downside is that its graphics can make it hard to figure out where things are, especially vertically, and it's a bit hard to understand which direction is which.”
    • “There's another issue on top of the timing and that's the visuals.”
    • “A difficult puzzle game with a very simple art style.”
  • music
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its outstanding quality, with many reviewers highlighting its ambient and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall experience. The minimalist soundtrack complements the elegant visuals, creating a hypnotizing and relaxing ambiance that responds to player progress. While some find the background music to be subtly forgettable, it effectively supports the game's focus on complex puzzles and abstract concepts.

    • “Tim Shiel has created a wonderfully ambient soundtrack that responds to your progress in an equally seamless way as the shifting colors of the levels.”
    • “The further you spiral into the rotating selection of levels, the more beats and rhythm are added to the meditative soundtrack.”
    • “Not the visuals or soundtrack, though these are aesthetically pleasing as well.”
    • “The music of induction also deserves a specific mention.”
    • “The graphics and soundtrack are both minimalistic, which works well for focusing on the abstract concepts of the game's puzzles.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning visuals and excellent audio, creating a peaceful and immersive experience. Players appreciate the combination of a chill ambiance with clever puzzle designs, enhanced by atmospheric music and sound effects that contribute to the overall aesthetic.

    • “The atmospheric visuals and audio lend an outstanding aesthetic.”
    • “With its chill atmosphere, players embark on a peaceful journey of logical reasoning.”
    • “Excellent atmospheric music and sound effects.”
  • story
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is primarily focused on abstract puzzles rather than a traditional narrative, with no plot or action to speak of. However, players appreciate the immersive experience of feeling like a character in a time travel story, highlighting the elegance of the puzzle design over storytelling elements.

    • “Bryan Gale has done an excellent job honing in on those moments where you feel like a character in a time travel story.”
    • “Induction is all about puzzles, no plot or action.”
    • “Other games have different strengths (e.g. the story/themes in Talos Principle are incredible) but in terms of sheer elegance of puzzles, I've never seen anything like Induction.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express concerns about the game's replayability, noting the absence of uniquely designed levels and multiple puzzle solutions. Many feel that the short playtime of 2-4 hours does not justify the price, leading to a perception of limited replay value.

    • “The game offers a variety of choices and paths, making each playthrough feel unique and encouraging multiple runs.”
    • “With different character builds and strategies to explore, the replayability is high and keeps the experience fresh.”
    • “The dynamic events and random elements ensure that no two playthroughs are the same, enhancing the overall replay value.”
    • “There aren't user-designed levels, so replay value is tied to revisiting the same levels.”
    • “The asking price is slightly high for me, especially considering there is no replay value.”
    • “I am concerned about replayability as I didn't see any puzzles that had more than one way to solve them, and it looked to be a 2-4 hour playthrough, which is a bit light on content considering the price.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly during the re-recording of timelines and the execution of certain puzzles. However, this process also provides a chance for strategic thinking and planning, which some users appreciate.

    • “The only complaint I have is that the actual execution of some of the puzzles can be tedious.”
    • “You'll need some patience as the process of re-recording timelines can get a little tedious at times, but it's a good opportunity to think and plan your next move.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.

  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that the game exhibits excellent stability, with no glitches or annoyances affecting gameplay.

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75%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Induction is a puzzle game.

Induction is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and others.

Induction was released on February 7, 2017.

Induction was developed by Bryan Gale.

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

Induction is a single player game.

Similar games include Snakebird, Patrick's Parabox, Can of Wormholes, The Bridge, Timelie and others.