InnerSpace

InnerSpace is a visually stunning game that ultimately fails to connect. It wants the player to explore and uncover its secrets, but places them in an environment that is deliberately confusing to the point of frustration.

62%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

grinding, optimization

62% User Score Based on 187 reviews

Critic Score 63%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $1.89

Buy NowGet on Steam$19.99

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About

InnerSpace is an exploration flying game set in the unique world of the Inverse, where gravity pulls outward, and inside-out planets hold the last remains of ancient civilizations. As the Archaeologist, fly through the skies and oceans, discovering lost history and memories before they are lost forever. Embark on a journey of exploration and discovery in this visually stunning game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+13

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 187 reviews

story22 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful art style that creates an immersive experience.
The ambient soundtrack enhances the relaxing atmosphere, making it a calming exploration game.
The unique concept of flying and swimming in inverted worlds offers a fresh take on exploration gameplay.

The controls are frustrating, especially on PC, as they are not intuitive and can lead to disorientation.
The game lacks clear direction and objectives, making it easy to get lost and unsure of what to do next.
There are technical issues, such as poor menu navigation and a lack of mouse support, which detract from the overall experience.

story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
7%
The story of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it heartwarming and engaging, while others criticize it for being generic, poorly explained, or lacking closure. Many appreciate the artistic presentation and the potential of the narrative, but feel that it is often overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and excessive text. Overall, the story is seen as a pleasant addition to the exploration experience, though it may not resonate with everyone.
- “I really love the vibe and the story of this game; it's genuinely really heartwarming and pleasant 💗”
- “A gorgeous game that was full of beautiful pastel colors and immersive puzzle-filled environments with a simple but interesting story.”
- “The story and lore of Innerspace was surprisingly enticing and perhaps one of my favorite aspects of it.”
- “The story had potential, but the ending is extremely inconclusive; it ends out of nowhere with no closure.”
- “You're thrown into some world we're expected to care about, expected to want to 'fix' without any explanation or drive to do so other than a few text boxes here and there.”
- “Unfortunately, you can't do anything without having to wade through inane text that's ostensibly explaining the story.”
graphics
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
47%
5%
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with some players praising the beautiful, colorful art style and atmospheric visuals that create a mesmerizing experience, while others criticize the minimalist, low-polygon design reminiscent of early 90s games. Despite the aesthetic appeal, some reviewers find the lack of detail and awkward controls detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the visuals are often described as stunning and relaxing, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere, even if they may not appeal to everyone.
- “The visuals are mesmerizing, and the ambient soundtrack adds to the relaxing atmosphere.”
- “On the plus side, the visuals and sound design are amazing, some of the best I've ever seen.”
- “The visuals are truly stunning, and I found myself being pulled into the game time and time again.”
- “The lack of textures is a method that lazy developers often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to pass it off as 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
- “I find myself hating the disorientation induced from the graphics and the abysmal scheme of control.”
- “First, the art style: a 3D game with no graphical video options, a broken resolution option selector, and graphics that can only really be described as 'iffy' don't set the greatest stage for a title about exploration and experience.”
music
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with beautifully composed soundtracks that fit the various environments. While some players noted the music can be repetitive and occasionally lacks variety, many found it integral to the game's aesthetic and exploration, creating a serene and immersive atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's identity and emotional impact.
- “The wonderful music and awe-inspiring world designs make this game a treat to play.”
- “A beautifully made game centered around exploring a mix of simple and complex environments with very beautifully created music to fit each of the areas.”
- “The innerspace soundtrack is perfectly blended for the environment.”
- “Music is also repetitive.”
- “Music and sounds is an important element in this game (also), and thus don't let monotone control sounds take over - which it unfortunately did.”
- “The music drops out and then picks up again, but what I have had pointed out to me is the design of the game and again not a big issue.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
70%
6%
The gameplay of Innerspace is characterized by its fun flying and swimming mechanics, offering a unique exploration experience with a beautiful art style and integrated music. However, players have noted that the controls can be disorienting and the game lacks depth, often relying on escort quests and basic interactions that may frustrate those seeking more engaging mechanics. While the game encourages exploration and puzzle-solving, it does not provide extensive guidance, which can lead to a sense of aimlessness for some players.
- “Beautiful art style and music, fun, simple gameplay, though a bit of an awkward finish; thankfully it doesn't overstay its welcome.”
- “I love the unique art style, the flight (and underwater) mechanics, and the story is so cute and laid-back.”
- “The gameplay focuses on exploration, and it tends not to hold your hand, allowing you to solve where to go next and figure out how to solve each puzzle organically.”
- “First and foremost, the gameplay in this game has nothing that is going to blow you away. It consists of flying through some tunnels, or into an orb, or sometimes escort quests (because gamers just love those). In fact, the final boss consists of about seven escort quest-like objectives.”
- “Innerspace spatially inverts its flight simulation explorative gameplay by innovatively concaving its barren worlds, but by doing so limits the true freedom of flying whilst introducing an arduous control scheme.”
- “The gameplay is unlocked from the start and doesn't really progress, although we do unlock airframes that offer different strengths and weaknesses.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
22%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its mesmerizing visuals, soothing ambient soundtrack, and unique art style, creating a sense of mystery and tranquility. While the lack of intense action and some control issues detract from the experience for a few players, the overall ambiance is described as beautiful and immersive, making exploration enjoyable despite minor frustrations.
- “The visuals are mesmerizing, and the ambient soundtrack adds to the relaxing atmosphere.”
- “The variety of music is nice and the general atmosphere exudes mystery and wonder rather than stress or confusion thanks to the low level of challenge when flying around.”
- “Innerspace is a wonderfully atmospheric flight exploration game with a unique and wonderful art style.”
- “I absolutely adore the art, the music, the sound design, and the warm fuzzy atmosphere of the game, so it's a huge shame that playing the darn thing is so annoying.”
- “Music also isn't the greatest, ranging from uninspired to weird, and simply missing from the moment in terms of atmosphere across the board.”
- “There's not much intense action, but that helps the atmosphere of the game more than hurts it.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its heartwarming and touching story, creating a pleasant atmosphere that resonates emotionally with players. While it isn't overtly sad, the experience leaves a lingering sense of melancholy upon completion. However, some players noted that the atmosphere could induce feelings of nausea.
- “I really love the vibe and the story of this game; it's genuinely heartwarming and pleasant. 💗”
- “It's not exactly sad, but it's just touching enough that I was sad to finish the game.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with activities like item gathering and exploration becoming stale over time. The initial enjoyment of the meditative journey is overshadowed by the prolonged nature of these tasks.
- “Flying around the Sunchamber to find that last accordion bloom for an hour was tedious...”
- “Unfortunately, this meditative journey becomes stale and tedious after too long.”
- “From the exploration to the item gathering, everything quickly became rather tedious.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent crashes and significant performance issues, particularly in the early worlds. In contrast, some players noted that other titles, like Innerspace, offered a much smoother experience and better scaling to higher resolutions.
- “Performance-wise, Innerspace was an entirely smooth experience and it scaled perfectly to 4K resolution.”
- “Beautiful views, crappy performance. I've literally lost count of how many times this game has crashed. In the first world, I honestly had to delete several saves and reinstall the whole game twice. Seriously, I thought the first world was unplayable. When I got to world 2, the framerate tanks, and then the game crashes.”
- “The optimization is a mess. I can't enjoy the game because it constantly stutters and lags, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I was really excited to play, but the performance issues are unbearable. The game freezes at random times, and I've had to restart it multiple times.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Replayability is limited, primarily appealing to those who enjoy thorough exploration and seeking to uncover all content. The game's longevity largely depends on individual playtime and exploration efforts.
- “The longevity and replayability of the game heavily depend on how much time you spend exploring each world.”
- “There is a lot of replay value if you want to try and find everything.”
- “Not much replay value unless you want to try and find everything.”
- “The longevity and replayability heavily depend on you and how much time you spend exploring each world.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the stability feature that freezes the ship in space, enhancing the experience by allowing for free exploration and contributing to a more immersive 6DOF flight simulation feel.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is noted for its self-awareness and satirical commentary on gaming trends, particularly the prevalent "no handholding" mentality. However, some users feel that the humor can be hit-or-miss, with certain analogies and jokes potentially falling flat or becoming convoluted.
- “The humor in this game is refreshingly clever, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions.”
- “The game’s quirky sense of humor kept me engaged and made the experience truly enjoyable.”