JEF

About

"JEF" is a short, surreal 3rd-person indie adventure game where you play as an alien from Karzalinx with amnesia. Your planet has been taken over by a giant evil spa cult, and you must escape through a space-time ganglion to various alien colonies, aiming to reach Earth where aliens are righting human wrongs. The game focuses on experience over mechanics, and takes around 1-2 hours to complete all achievements. Despite its short length, it is resource-heavy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 91 reviews

graphics5 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

JEF offers a unique and surreal experience with bizarre visuals and a captivating narrative that encourages players to reflect on deeper themes like capitalism and depression.
The game features a variety of gameplay elements, including minigames and exploration, which keep the experience engaging despite its short length.
Many players appreciate the artistic style and creativity of JEF, describing it as a fascinating piece of art that stands out in the indie game scene.

The game suffers from technical issues, including poor optimization and performance problems that can hinder the overall experience.
Some players found the narrative and character development lacking, feeling that the messages presented were disjointed and not well integrated into the gameplay.
The camera controls and movement mechanics can be frustrating, leading to motion sickness for some players and detracting from the immersive experience.

graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
23%
The graphics of "jef" are celebrated for their unique, surreal art style and psychedelic designs, creating a visually captivating experience that enhances the gameplay. While not aiming for realism, the bizarre and trippy visuals, paired with a thought-provoking soundtrack, contribute to a distinctive identity that players find both challenging and enjoyable. However, the game may require a decent computer to run smoothly, even on lower settings.
- “★★★★★ jef is a surreal trip through a world of bizarre minigames and fabulous visuals with a marvelous soundtrack.”
- “The visuals of jef are gorgeously weird and trippy in their own right.”
- “It's absolutely no feat of realism or extreme graphical accuracy but it's definitely a great looking game that will challenge your sense of what you're used to.”
- “I tried all 3 graphic settings as well and still had the same result.”
- “That said, make sure you're running it on a decent computer, as even on the lowest graphic settings it's been giving my laptop quite a challenge running the game.”
- “Let me rephrase myself in saying the game truly is weird with visuals that constantly confuse you every second of the way and the camera controls are equally 'lopsided' to throw you off in a fun and challenging way where the camera occasionally hits an object and bounces away from what you were trying to achieve.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some praising its phenomenal and fun elements, particularly the flight mechanics, while others find the mechanical aspects unsatisfying and overly simplistic. Despite a straightforward approach, the game offers a variety of gameplay experiences, including minigames and diverse areas, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.
- “Phenomenal gameplay.”
- “It has one of the best flight mechanics in any game I have played.”
- “Even if it was short, it was still amazing as the graphics are flawless, and the gameplay was very fun.”
- “It has one of the worst flight mechanics in any game I have played.”
- “The gameplay is pretty straightforward despite everything else being a seemingly messy confusion.”
- “There are some minigame-like segments here and there that require a bit of diverse gameplay.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
22%
33%
The music in the game is described as a surreal and eclectic soundtrack that complements its bizarre visuals and gameplay. While some reviewers note that it may be one of the weaker aspects, they appreciate its fittingly odd and varied styles, suggesting that it enhances the overall experience. There is a desire for more original compositions in future titles to better align with the game's unique aesthetic.
- “★★★★★ jef is a surreal trip through a world of bizarre minigames and fabulous visuals with a marvelous soundtrack.”
- “The music is one of the weaker parts of the game, but not bad at all. I would love to see the developer create some new interesting songs for their next game, something that fits with the surreal style.”
- “On top of the odd visuals and dialogue, there is an equally surrealistic soundtrack.”
- “It's equally whacky and out of place and strange like the game itself, and it constantly throws you into different music styles and moods.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The game's story is described as immersive, entertaining, and surprisingly cohesive, with a surreal quality that enhances the overall experience. While some players appreciate the variety in levels and the depth of the narrative, others note that the unconventional storytelling can leave them feeling aimless. Despite minor control issues, the story's engaging nature encourages players to fully immerse themselves in the game's unique world.
- “Very immersive and satisfying storytelling.”
- “Surprisingly cohesive story.”
- “The story is surreal but cohesive and is all tied together in the end.”
- “Surprisingly cohesive story”
- “Overall the controls are a bit janky, but for a game that is predominantly story-driven, it's not a problem. However, the plethora of invisible walls makes some actions, like climbing stairs, a bit of a hassle.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's optimization is generally criticized, with many users noting poor performance and unpolished elements, which is somewhat expected given it is one of the developer's early titles. While some players experienced frame rates between 30-45 at medium settings, others found the resource drain and visual glitches detracted from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game's unique and engaging content may still appeal to those willing to overlook the optimization shortcomings.
- “I also saw performance being an issue for people, and while it didn't run the best, it was still not an issue for me. I got a solid 30-45 frames at medium settings and 20-30 at high.”
- “Yes, there are a few quirks and things that could be optimized, like the game draining resources significantly and occasional visual mishaps. However, all in all, if you want a trippy and weird yet fun experience, Jef is definitely a game for you!”
- “Technically, it is clearly poorly optimized and a bit unpolished, but completely reasonable since it's one of Couillard's first games.”
- “I wanted to continue playing this game so badly, but unfortunately it is very unoptimized.”
- “Yes, there are a few quirks and things that could be optimized, like the game draining resources excessively, occasional visual mishaps showing up, and a big epilepsy warning on the tin wouldn't be amiss.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its clever satirization of capitalism and relatable exploration of depression, blending social critique with odd yet effective comedic moments. Players find the humor interesting and appreciate its ability to evoke laughter while addressing deeper themes.
- “I liked how it incorporated the critique of capitalism; it's an obvious satire but effective, and how it explored depression in a relatable and clever way, always oddly funny.”
- “Interesting and has some funny moments.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game's atmosphere is highlighted as a captivating blend of surreal elements and thought-provoking artwork, creating an engaging experience. However, some players find that navigation issues can detract from this immersive quality. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a significant strength of the game.
- “The annoyances with moving around would end up distracting from the atmosphere, which was what I enjoyed about the game.”
- “The surreal atmosphere paired with thought-provoking artwork makes this game an infinitely fascinating experience that's well worth the price of admission.”
- “The game fails to create an immersive atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected and uninspired.”
- “Despite its potential, the atmosphere feels flat and lacks the depth needed to engage players fully.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players note that the game's pacing can be disrupted by moments of confusion regarding objectives, leading to a frustrating halt in progress.
- “There are also some moments where the momentum of the game comes to a grinding halt as you're wondering what exactly you need to do next (what happened to the map?!).”
- “The constant need to grind for resources feels tedious and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
- “I found myself spending hours on repetitive tasks just to progress, which made the experience feel more like a chore than fun.”