InFlux

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 88 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
InFlux Game Cover
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InFlux is a single-player platformer puzzle game with excellent mechanics, stunning visuals, and a memorable original soundtrack. As a mysterious metal sphere, you'll explore and solve cubic puzzle structures within beautiful, naturalistic environments, while discovering secrets and interacting with a majestic humpback whale. Ideal for relaxation, InFlux supports keyboard and mouse or Xbox 360 controller.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews
gameplay7 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and serene environments create a relaxing atmosphere.
  • Engaging puzzles that provide a decent challenge without being overly difficult.
  • The game offers a unique blend of exploration and puzzle-solving, reminiscent of other indie titles.
  • Controls can be clunky and imprecise, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • The game is short, with many players finishing it in under an hour, leading to concerns about value for money.
  • Lack of a coherent story or clear objectives can leave players feeling lost and unmotivated.
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay is generally praised for its smoothness, simplicity, and engaging mechanics, particularly the fun of flipping cubes and solving puzzles without being overly challenging. While the game offers a relaxing atmosphere and a unique setting, some players noted issues with loading pauses, camera controls, and linearity in certain areas, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game successfully fosters a sense of attachment to its characters and environment, making it enjoyable for casual play.

    • “The gameplay is smooth, simple, and solid, though it keeps along a similar theme.”
    • “It has an incredibly calm atmosphere, lush graphics, ridiculously smooth gameplay, and aims to bring a new light to problem-solving and virtual puzzles.”
    • “Its originality in terms of both puzzles and overall gameplay really gives off a great vibe, and in my opinion, it feels like the developers really knew what they wanted from this game.”
    • “Loading models sometimes caused momentary pauses in the middle of gameplay, and jumps in model level-of-detail are sometimes incongruent.”
    • “Once the game introduces the boost mechanic, all semblance of ball relevance goes right out the window, as you can use it to easily turn on a dime at tight angles and even essentially freeze time in mid-air to target perfect landings.”
    • “The gameplay inside the lighthouses suffers from the controls and camera problems.”
  • graphics19 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and lush visuals, especially when settings are maxed out, creating a calm atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. However, some players report performance issues, such as high RAM usage and graphical glitches, particularly on lower-end systems, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. While the visuals are a highlight, there are mixed opinions on their execution and how they compare to more recent titles.

    • “Yeah, there are many points where Influx is definitely a game, aka the glass house puzzle sequences, but most of your playthrough will be exploring the main world and marveling at the gorgeous visuals and heavenly soundtrack.”
    • “It has an incredibly calm atmosphere, lush graphics, ridiculously smooth gameplay, and aims to bring a new light to problem-solving and virtual puzzles.”
    • “The graphics are amazing, the puzzles are inventive and challenging, and with an open world environment, you truly get a feeling of freedom from the enclosed spaces of puzzles.”
    • “Just make sure you either tone down the graphics, or make sure you have a decent graphics card.”
    • “I wouldn't know, I played on low graphics settings and at times I found myself rolling up a hill whose texture looked like I was rolling up/through a set of stairs.”
    • “The game tries to focus itself around visuals and fails.”
  • music17 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful, relaxing, and melodic qualities, creating a serene and calming atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight how the soundtrack complements the stunning visuals and gameplay, making it a perfect fit for exploration and puzzle-solving. Overall, the combination of soothing music and elegant design contributes to a peaceful and immersive gaming experience.

    • “The soundtrack is nice, soft and comforting, aiding in an almost tropical experience.”
    • “Influx offers a serene ambience with melodic music that produces a peaceful environment that is calming.”
    • “The music and the beautiful graphics are just one of the things that I love about this game.”
    • “Not too sure on what the story (if there is one) seems to be but the level design, music and just general flowing style of play make this game really cool.”
    • “The rhythmic music and simplicity of Influx creates at times a very peaceful experience.”
    • “The 'outside world' is relaxing, with very serene scenery and ambient music.”
  • story16 mentions

    The story in the game is largely considered vague and underdeveloped, with many players expressing disappointment over its lack of depth and clarity. While some appreciate the bizarre and organic storytelling woven into the gameplay, others find it insufficient to engage them fully, leaving them wanting more context and motivation behind the protagonist's journey. Overall, the narrative aspect is seen as a secondary concern, with the game's exploration and environment taking precedence over a compelling storyline.

    • “The 'story' is pretty bizarre and I love it for that.”
    • “Influx is the story of a small ball and its adventure to complete mazes, explore an island, and collect orbs.”
    • “It has a small story being told organically through the world, and it's just a really satisfying time.”
    • “If you want a story about why you're a ball, what your goal is, and why these puzzle places are around, I'm afraid the game gives nothing on that front, which is too bad.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game lacks a story, which I was hoping would eventually show up but didn't.”
    • “The game offers a very vivid environment without any traces of even the simplest story.”
  • atmosphere11 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful scenery, smooth gameplay, and fitting soundtrack, creating a calm and immersive experience reminiscent of the Myst genre. While the art and settings are visually stunning, some players feel that the lack of narrative explanation detracts from the overall experience. Nonetheless, the seamless integration of elements contributes to a dream-like quality that keeps players engaged.

    • “The art and settings are nice, gameplay is fairly smooth, and the music fits the mood into a nicely relaxed atmosphere.”
    • “Overall, this game is a very atmospheric experience.”
    • “Without spoiling anything (or too much anyways), at first glance you would figure this combination to clash with the original atmosphere of the game, but it's quite the opposite; the transfers are done so seamlessly that the player remains undisturbed, and continues to flow through the calm, dream-like gameplay that is influx.”
    • “It has an incredibly calm atmosphere, lush graphics, ridiculously smooth gameplay, and aims to bring a new light to problem-solving and virtual puzzles.”
    • “I'm pretty smart! On another topic, this is a very 'artsy' game, and the atmosphere has to be (and is definitely) executed beautifully.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues even on lower settings, particularly with older graphics cards like the GTX 560 and RTX 2060. While the game is visually appealing and initially runs smoothly, stuttering occurs when loading larger maps, indicating a need for further optimization improvements.

    • “The game is beautiful, runs smoothly, and works fine at first.”
    • “I like marble games, but this is just so poorly optimized that I can barely play it on low settings with my RTX 2060.”
    • “I initially had some issues with it stuttering fairly heavily when loading new areas of larger maps, even after turning my settings all the way down.”
    • “The optimization for the GTX 560 is lacking.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous glitches and buggy controls that lead to erratic movement and unintended interactions with the environment. Players have reported frustrating experiences, such as getting stuck in objects and being pushed outside the game world.

    • “I really liked the idea of this game, but it started to punch me in the face as soon as I discovered how many glitches there are.”
    • “The controls are loopy; for example, pressing forward and left should result in the ball rolling left, but instead, it feels like an invisible force is pushing the ball diagonally, like a kid playing with a Hot Wheels car. The game is buggy, especially with the boost feature. I found myself going through walls and other solid objects, dropping outside the world or getting stuck in places I couldn't escape from, like inside the model of a tree.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Users find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some describe the puzzles as tedious and monotonous, others appreciate the engaging challenge that keeps their minds actively working.

    • “The puzzles themselves are tedious and monotonous.”
    • “Impromptu games create a fantastic puzzle mystery which keeps the gears in your brain continually grinding.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Many users express disappointment in the game's replayability, citing a lack of content that fails to justify its cost, with some feeling it offers little incentive to play again after the initial experience.

    • “It was fun, and I did enjoy it, but to pay anything at all for a game that doesn't even have enough content to last one hour, and offers zero replayability for anyone that doesn't have dementia is not something I can recommend.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as lacking, with some noting that while the physics may be questionable, they do not elicit laughter. Overall, the comedic elements fall flat and do not significantly enhance the gaming experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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