Krystopia: A Puzzle Journey
- October 16, 2019
- Antler Interactive
Get on Steam"Krystopia: A Puzzle Journey" is a single-player game where you play as space explorer Nova Dune, investigating a mysterious distress signal on a desolate planet. The game features 3D puzzle-solving, object interactions, and secrets hidden throughout the world. Your goal is to uncover the truth behind the vanished civilization and the planet's desertion.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- Krystopia features beautiful graphics and a charming art style, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the puzzle-solving experience.
- The puzzles are generally enjoyable and vary in complexity, providing a satisfying challenge as players progress through the game.
- The narrative is engaging, with a compelling story about exploring a lost civilization, complemented by well-done voice acting and comic-style cutscenes.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including clunky controls and bugs that can hinder gameplay, such as puzzles not registering correctly.
- Many players find the game to be too short, with only four chapters that can be completed in a few hours, leaving a sense of incompleteness.
- There are concerns about the game's origins as a mobile app, leading to a simplified interface and design choices that may not meet the expectations of PC gamers.
- story25 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story in Krystopia is generally regarded as intriguing, set against a backdrop of a lost civilization on an abandoned planet, with players uncovering mysteries through exploration and puzzle-solving. However, some reviewers noted that the narrative can feel disjointed and lacks a satisfying conclusion, with certain plot holes detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the combination of engaging storytelling and visually appealing art style keeps players invested in the game's world.
“Krystopia is a puzzle game with a compelling story line.”
“The combination of puzzles + story works well because the reward is actually knowledge.”
“The story starts out pretty interesting - you play a scavenger in a sci-fi setting, who lands on an abandoned planet, searches the ruins, and is intrigued by the mysteries she discovers.”
“The storytelling is quite a mess.”
“Started somewhat strong, but both the story and the gameplay kind of fell into incoherence by the end.”
“The story does have a few plot holes - e.g. the natives of the planet conveniently leave each other message pads in plain English - but the plot remained interesting throughout the game.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received largely positive feedback, with many users praising the vibrant visuals, unique art style, and immersive world-building. The aesthetics are described as beautiful and pleasing, enhancing the overall experience of the game, while options for high-resolution settings further elevate the graphical quality. However, some users noted that the graphics are tailored for mobile devices, which may limit their overall impact.
“All around, vibrant visuals and refreshing palettes of color flood the screen.”
“As you traverse the bizarrely beautiful backdrops and lushly-lit vistas, it's clear that something catastrophic has occurred, despite its utopian aesthetic on the surface.”
“The graphics themselves fit nicely, as they also create quite the beautiful scenery to look at while you try to find creative ways to solve your way forward.”
“Bad puzzles and bad graphics.”
“Graphics are pretty, although the game is obviously designed for phones.”
“The game uses stylized, low-poly graphics similar to Firewatch, but manages to look pretty good in my opinion.”
- music16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as pleasant, atmospheric, and fitting for the puzzle-solving experience. While some players wish for more control over the audio levels, the ambient score effectively enhances the game's mystical setting and overall immersion. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the gameplay, creating a calming backdrop that complements the visuals and puzzles.
“Fun graphics, peppy music, and challenging puzzles made it a nice afternoon romp.”
“On that rather musical note, the ambient score is surreal, yet serene.”
“Setting the scene to a significant degree, the in-game OST paints the perfect picture of an unexplored planet, steeped in magic and mysticism.”
“You are limited in that you cannot separate the music from the spoken audio and background sounds; however, overall this isn't a huge problem.”
“Menu options I would like to see include an option to reduce background music and effects, since I personally don't like when music is loud and blaring, but it's nice to take in the ambient sounds instead.”
“The music and sound effects don't really stand out, except for the song during the final puzzle, but it's pleasant all the way through.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by simple yet methodical mechanics that guide players through an archaeological exploration, blending story and puzzles seamlessly. While some puzzles are easy, the difficulty gradually increases, providing a satisfying challenge as new mechanics are introduced. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and colorful, though some players noted a decline in coherence towards the end.
“Everything is so bright and colorful, and the game has a taste of that satisfying tactile gameplay reminiscent of the room and its sequels.”
“Both highly challenging and deeply compelling, Krystopia blends story and gameplay seamlessly.”
“Started somewhat strong, but both the story and the gameplay kind of fell into incoherence by the end.”
“The gameplay itself consists only of puzzles that start off easy, and gradually get harder as you progress throughout the game.”
“With simple, methodical mechanics, you make your way through something of an archaeological dig to discover exactly why this planet is no longer inhabited.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a relaxing and awe-inspiring ambience, enhanced by a pleasing soundtrack and visually engaging cutscenes. Players appreciate the other-worldly elements that contribute to an immersive experience, making the journey feel worthwhile.
“What makes the journey worthwhile, though, is its awe-inspiring ambience and otherworldly atmospherics.”
“As soon as I loaded up the game, I was met by a pleasing atmospheric soundtrack and a short comic book-like cutscene.”
“The sounds create a nice, relaxing atmosphere.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Krystopia: A Puzzle Journey" has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that it is a poorly executed mobile app rather than a legitimate PC game. The simplistic gameplay and subpar controls contribute to the perception that the developers prioritize profit over quality.
“Krystopia: A Puzzle Journey is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. This mobile app is very simple and shallow, with a low-poly scene that you can swipe around on your iPhone screen. The swiping action is poorly executed, feeling floaty and erratic.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely driven by the voice acting, which is noted to be good and occasionally funny, particularly influenced by the items players choose to interact with.
“The voice acting was good and funny at times, depending on the items you pick up.”
“The humor in the dialogue kept me laughing throughout the game.”
“I loved the quirky jokes and puns sprinkled throughout the gameplay.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, requiring minimal system resources to run effectively, and has a relatively small file size.
“You won't need much to play this game either, as it's pretty well optimized and its size isn't that big.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers little to no replay value, which is typical for its genre; however, its low price point compensates for this limitation by providing a satisfactory user experience.
“There is no replay value (as usual for this genre), but the cheap price is more than adequate for the user experience it provides.”
