Lifeslide

About

"Lifeslide is a single-player arcade game with exceptional visuals, music, and innovative gameplay. You'll fly a paper plane using simple controls, but mastering the flight mechanic requires significant skill and quick reflexes. The game tells an implicit story about life through its atmospheric environments, with an original score that combines electronic, rock, and orchestral elements."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+14

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 264 reviews

music59 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Lifeslide offers a beautiful and relaxing experience with stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the gameplay.
The game features intuitive controls that are easy to learn but challenging to master, providing a satisfying sense of speed and momentum.
With multiple play modes, including a story mode and a zen mode, Lifeslide caters to both casual players looking for relaxation and competitive players seeking challenges.

The game can feel frustrating due to its reliance on upgrades and a grinding mechanic, which may hinder the enjoyment of the core flying experience.
Some players find the level design repetitive, leading to a lack of variety and excitement as they progress through the game.
The time constraints and mechanics can create a sense of stress rather than relaxation, contradicting the game's intended chill vibe.

music
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
35%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers describing it as beautiful, immersive, and fitting for the game's atmosphere. While some found the soundtrack to be repetitive or lacking in variety, the majority appreciated its soothing qualities and how it complements the stunning visuals and gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional and relaxing journey.
- “The music and art style and overall experience are just amazing.”
- “The soundtrack fits the setting of each level and positively adds to the atmosphere.”
- “The music is fantastic and the visuals are right up my alley in this geometric kind of style.”
- “I don't know if it was the vaguely inspirational faux-deep vibe or the irritating music, but there's just something wrong with this game.”
- “Don't get me wrong, this game is very beautiful to look at and play, but that's all. The controls are terrible since you're constantly controlling a paper airplane that, if you turn slightly right to get some time pieces to increase your time, you'll just stop flying and then listen to the same song of the chapter repeat over and over because you keep dying to the terrible controls.”
- “The art is awesome, it runs well, and the music is not great, but it is serviceable for what the game is.”
gameplay
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
5%
The gameplay in Lifeslide is characterized by its engaging flight mechanics, intuitive controls, and a variety of levels that introduce new challenges and mechanics, keeping the experience fresh and enjoyable. Players appreciate the balance between relaxation and challenge, enhanced by a charming art style and soothing soundtrack, although some feel the upgrade system may detract from the core mechanics. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of fun, challenge, and aesthetic appeal, making it a delightful experience for players.
- “But in reality, Lifeslide is full of fun mechanics and enough variation to keep you entertained.”
- “The gameplay is fun and challenging, and the soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The gameplay presents a good amount of challenges to the player, without getting boring or too tough to learn.”
- “The upgrade system makes me think that the developers did not have enough confidence in their game's basic mechanics to keep a player going and had to tag on a system that is comparable to mobile runner games.”
- “The bad news is that as a metaphor for adulthood and life in general, the game fails horribly, and the 'story' mode mostly showcases the very limited mechanics available to the player.”
- “The flying mechanics reward inactivity (going up left or right slows you down) as long as you don't learn how to switch from slide to slide on other levels, and you can honestly say that succeeding a run mostly depends on luck rather than skill.”
graphics
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
47%
6%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning visuals and unique art style, combining low-poly and voxel aesthetics with a colorful, rhythmic design that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the polished visuals and how they complement the gameplay and soundtrack, creating an immersive atmosphere that is both relaxing and engaging. Despite some minor graphical glitches, the overall presentation is considered a masterpiece, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “Everything from the graphics, to gameplay, to the soundtrack is a masterpiece.”
- “This game is very graphically interesting; you can tell the developers put a lot of time into it, and it looks great and feels great, making it extremely satisfying to play.”
- “The visuals, sound design, and soundtrack create some powerful emotions, and combined with the seamless transitions between stages of life, Lifeslide is a wonderful, cohesive journey.”
- “The graphics are the typical untextured stylized low-poly affair.”
- “A very minor ding here is that there are some graphical glitches present in the game.”
- “When I first saw this game on Reddit, I expected a fairly basic indie game with a middling low-poly aesthetic.”
story
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
77%
7%
The story mode of the game is relatively short, taking about 2 to 6 hours to complete, but it offers a profound and relatable journey through the metaphor of flying a paper plane, which resonates with players on a personal level. While some find the gameplay grindy and the narrative lacking in depth, others appreciate the charming visuals, continuous music, and the emotional impact it can have, making it a worthwhile experience despite its brevity. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop for engaging gameplay, with players encouraged to explore additional modes for a more relaxed experience.
- “Crazy how the journey of a paper plane in an indie game is more profound and relatable than any character story arc in a major title in recent memory.”
- “A charming, colorful little indie game that gets you thinking about life and might even have you tearing up a little by the end.”
- “Absolutely worth experiencing for something that is just some good fun, and I highly recommend setting up a couple of hours to do the story mode in one go to help really cement that sense of momentum and continuity.”
- “The bad news is that as a metaphor for adulthood and life in general, the game fails horribly, and the 'story' mode mostly showcases the very limited mechanics available to the player.”
- “The story mode isn't long, but it still wears out its welcome before it's done.”
- “There is technically a story here for those that really seek one out and follow the metaphorical journey that’s going on, but nothing here is critical or carries world-building lore, nor does it need to.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
38%
The atmosphere in Lifeslide is widely praised for its charming and beautiful low-poly visuals, complemented by a calming soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a serene yet engaging environment, making it enjoyable for both challenging gameplay and relaxing moments. The combination of art and music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, showcasing a well-crafted atmosphere that invites exploration and immersion.
- “Lifeslide is a charming little roguelite game about an airplane going on a weird yet charming meta-commentary on life struggles and enjoyments, with incredibly charming atmospheres and landscapes, tight gameplay and customization, and an overall aesthetic that inspired me to 100% the game completely.”
- “You play as a paper airplane set in a beautiful low-poly world that, when combined with the calming soundtrack, makes for a beautiful atmosphere.”
- “And don't even get me started on the beautiful atmosphere created by the stunning art and soundtrack.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to engage players fully.”
- “Despite the interesting premise, the game fails to create a compelling atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “The environments are repetitive and fail to evoke any sense of wonder or immersion.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate the deep, immersive experiences and emotional journeys it offers, others find it tedious and prefer a more straightforward gameplay experience. Lifeslide, in particular, is noted for effectively capturing the emotional challenges of different life stages, enhanced by its enchanting environments and soundtrack.
- “Lifeslide gives you an emotional, mechanics-driven experience, where each stage of a human's life takes on different challenges and emotions.”
- “It really captures you emotionally.”
- “Aside from the speedrunning aspect of this game, it can be a deeply emotional experience if you allow yourself to be immersed in the environments and soundtrack, both of which are magical.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
43%
29%
The game offers strong replayability through various modes, including a customizable "zen" mode and challenge modes with leaderboards. Players appreciate the level variability and the depth of symbolism, which encourages exploration and repeated play to uncover all details. While the game is relatively short, its unlockables and thoughtful design contribute to its lasting appeal.
- “It's very relaxing, but it can also be challenging sometimes, and has good replayability.”
- “Full of symbolism which adds to the replayability for me - I want to capture and experience every little thing and detail, behind which, it is obvious, a lot of thought has been put into.”
- “Game's fairly short for the price, though it does have some replay value with the 'zen' mode (lets you build a custom playlist of levels to just zoom through as you desire) and challenge modes with leaderboards.”
- “Even this relatively simple game has some mechanics that promote some replayability and meaningful progression.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
17%
67%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and excessive, often feeling like a forced collectathon that detracts from the experience. While some appreciate the noticeable progression in stats and the distinctiveness of different planes, many still feel that the grinding is unnecessary and detracts from the enjoyment of the story mode.
- “The different planes actually feel different, and the progression system gives noticeable increases in stats, but it isn't grindy or prohibitive to advancing through the game.”
- “On paper, I like the concept very much, but the finished product has too many problems resulting in a tedious experience.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The story mode feels a bit too grindy to me but has to be played to get access to the maps for zen mode.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game "Lifeslide" features a visually appealing design and a serene soundscape, but players have noted issues with optimization, particularly regarding confusing mechanics that lead to frequent failures. Despite its charming presentation, the game's performance does not meet expectations, leaving some players frustrated. However, the game encourages retrying with helpful prompts and upgrade options to enhance gameplay.
- “The game is well optimized and has a genuinely serene soundscape, making for a cozy and enjoyable experience.”
- “Any time you might fail (and spoiler alert: it would happen lots of times), the game will invite you to try again by showing how much path was left for reaching the next checkpoint, as well as the possibility to upgrade your plane and improve its performance.”
- “A game that looks like this has no right to be so badly optimized.”
- “The performance issues are frustrating, especially given the game's visual quality.”
- “It's disappointing to see such a lack of optimization in a game that has so much potential.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running well on various platforms, including the deck. However, players have noted some minor graphical glitches that slightly detract from the experience.
- “The good news is that the Zen mode is exactly what it says it is; the competitive mode is kind of fun, and the game runs great on the deck.”
- “There are some graphical glitches present in the game.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy.”
- “I experienced several bugs that disrupted my gameplay.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game largely stems from the confusion over solid objects and save points, leading to amusing and unexpected situations during gameplay.
- “The only thing I can't really get the hang of is finding out when the game saves your progress and which flowers/objects are solid and which we can pass through while flying, but on the bright side, that makes for really funny situations.”