Liminalcore

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Descend into the Depths of the UnknownA man gasps for air as he surfaces from water—only to find himself trapped in a room of white tiles and endless pools. This is Level 37, the Poolrooms, a place where the familiar dissolves into the unknown. In this surreal journey, you will explore spaces that exist between worlds—hauntingly empty, disturbingly quiet, and yet strangely familiar. As you traver…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 188 reviews

graphics30 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Stunning graphics and immersive atmosphere that effectively captures the essence of liminal spaces.
Engaging sound design that enhances the eerie experience without relying on jump scares.
Unique gameplay experience that allows exploration of creatively designed environments without the pressure of being chased by monsters.

Significant performance issues, including frame rate drops and poor optimization, making it difficult to play on lower-end systems.
The game is relatively short, with many players wishing for more content and longer playtime.
Some areas are excessively dark, leading to frustration as players struggle to navigate without clear visibility.

graphics
51 mentions
59 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, immersive atmosphere, and detailed aesthetics, particularly enhanced by the use of advanced engines like Unreal Engine. However, players have noted significant optimization issues, with some experiencing performance drops and crashes when adjusting settings, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these technical challenges, the game's beautiful graphics and eerie sound design contribute to a captivating and atmospheric gameplay experience.
- “The graphics were stunning, and the immersive atmosphere added to the overall experience.”
- “The visuals are stunning.”
- “The sunning graphics and wonderful sound effects make you feel like you really are in this dream-like place!!”
- “It's aesthetic horror.”
- “I tried adjusting the graphics settings to be lower, but while the menu gives you the options of 'low, medium, high, ultra', all the options under ultra looked identical and seemed atrocious. Textures were barely even displaying on high, with blurry pixels the size of my fist. I had to choose between letting the game look decent but run at an immersion-breaking 10fps or turning the graphics down to the lowest settings so it runs smoothly but doesn't look realistic.”
- “The game crashed during the second chapter while I was trying to fix the frame rate by lowering graphical settings after lowering the resolution; there's a chance it crashed trying to apply these settings near a ball pit.”
atmosphere
32 mentions
66 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals and eerie sound design, creating an immersive and unsettling experience that draws players in from the start. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke feelings of mystery and tension without relying on traditional horror elements, making it a standout in the liminal space genre. Overall, the combination of well-designed environments and atmospheric soundscapes contributes to a captivating and haunting ambiance that enhances exploration and engagement.
- “The stunning architecture and eerie atmospheric sounds enhance the experience.”
- “Incredibly atmospheric and engaging.”
- “Amazing and unsettling atmosphere that you really feel lost in.”
- “The atmosphere is terrifying and oppressive; the level structure is very well done. I enjoyed myself greatly playing this.”
- “The sound effects and atmosphere are very unsettling, though.”
- “It's a feeling, an atmosphere, a 'vibe' that no monster chase can conjure.”
optimization
22 mentions
27 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, stuttering, and frame drops even on capable hardware. While some users noted improvements after recent updates, the consensus is that the game still requires substantial optimization to run smoothly at higher settings. Overall, players are hopeful for future patches to enhance performance further.
- “The update made a significant difference in performance and my PC fan now runs mostly quiet.”
- “Aside from performance issues, this game is great and I hope it gets optimized better and patched up more in the future.”
- “It runs smoothly on ultra settings (ancient GTX 1080 Ti).”
- “I don't have a supercomputer, but the parts I do have (Ryzen 9 5950X and RX 6700XT) are still very capable, and so the performance, especially considering the game uses forced upscaling, is really bad.”
- “The game, however, does need a desperate amount of optimization.”
- “The performance is just so bad: as much as I wanted to play this all the way through, by the time I got to chapter 3 the game became practically unplayable; I had to refund it.”
gameplay
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique psychological experience enhanced by exquisite sound design, though some players found the visuals to be darker than expected, impacting visibility. While the core gameplay primarily involves walking, it is complemented by beautiful art design, offering around three hours of playtime. Overall, players enjoyed the experience despite some similarities to other games and the limited gameplay mechanics.
- “The exquisite sound design adds a psychological aspect to the gameplay, which makes for an equally unique and interesting experience.”
- “You'll get about 3 hours of full gameplay out of Liminalcore, so consider this before you buy.”
- “My game was very dark and shiny, not quite what the gameplay video looks like.”
- “There isn't too much else to review since gameplay centers around walking, but the visual and art design are beautiful to look at.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is too similar to pools in terms of both visuals and gameplay.”
story
10 mentions
20 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely ambiguous and open to interpretation, with some players appreciating its artistic approach while others find it confusing or lacking substance. While there are hints and visual storytelling elements that may require multiple playthroughs to fully grasp, many reviewers feel that the narrative is minimal or non-existent, leaving much to the player's imagination. Overall, the story aspect is polarizing, with some enjoying the intrigue and others feeling disappointed by its execution.
- “I definitely love the story and I'm waiting for more games from the developer!”
- “The game contains a story told through visuals and locations you find, and may require a second or third playthrough to have a better understanding of what's happening.”
- “The story of liminalcore is too confusing and doesn't really make sense.”
- “Furthermore, there's an element of intrigue in the sense that there's the odd clue as to what the underlying story may be, but it's ultimately left to the player's imagination.”
- “This one is more 'artsy', exploring the capabilities of level design creation and it tries to tell a story, whether it makes sense or not it's up to your own imagination though.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mixed emotional experience, with some players feeling that repeated encounters lack the initial impact, while others praise the game's ability to evoke deep emotional connections and personal reflection through its narrative and visual elements. Overall, the emotional resonance is seen as a significant strength, fostering a sense of connection during life's transitions.
- “Liminalcore also taps into deep emotional currents.”
- “This emotional depth allows individuals to connect with their personal narratives as they navigate through life’s transitions.”
- “Its visual appeal combined with emotional resonance makes it a compelling movement that encourages reflection and connection among its followers.”
music
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its eerie and liminal qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere with random old radio tracks that contribute to a thrilling experience. Players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to evoke a sense of unease, making it a standout feature that adds depth to the gameplay.
- “I love where random old distant radio music will play in some places, making the game even more liminal in nature.”
- “It's an amazing game so far and I'm already looking forward to the other chapters and soundtrack.”
- “Not even putting on music and speedrunning made it salvageable.”
- “Soundtrack: liminal”
- “This game is really thrilling with eerie music.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with a lack of environmental diversity contributing to the monotony. Many feel that the time investment required for grinding is excessive, suggesting it could take a significant amount of time to achieve progress.
- “I expected so much more diversity in environments, but the grinding becomes tedious when you expect more.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of funny and creepy elements, exemplified by the character of Pepe, which adds a unique and unsettling charm to the overall experience.
- “The first Pepe was both funny and creepy.”
- “The humor in this game is brilliantly absurd and keeps you laughing.”
- “I love how the jokes are cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every moment enjoyable.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with only a few minor glitches and occasional freezes reported, but nothing significantly disruptive to the gameplay experience.
- “There were a few minor glitches and game freezes, but nothing too major.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced constant lag and stability issues that ruined the overall experience.”