Lowglow
- December 2, 2015
- Rockodile
Get on Steam"Lowglow" is a single-player arcade game with a good plot and fantastic graphics, described as an audiovisual puzzle journey with over 100 levels. The game features physics-driven mechanics, such as different gravitations, pushes, pulls, and portals, set in a beautifully designed world of glow and darkness. As you progress, the mechanics change, keeping the gameplay fresh, all while taking you on a journey to save the realm of Umbralite.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Mobile Platform
Reviews
- The game offers a relaxing and meditative experience with beautiful audiovisual design, making it enjoyable to play.
- Puzzles are engaging and provide a good balance of challenge without being overly frustrating, allowing for creative solutions.
- The game is user-friendly, with intuitive controls and a forgiving difficulty curve, making it accessible for players of all skill levels.
- The game suffers from a lack of depth and complexity, leading to a repetitive experience as puzzles can become tedious over time.
- Some players found the controls to be imprecise, requiring very specific angles that can lead to frustration during gameplay.
- The storyline is minimal and often feels unnecessary, detracting from the overall experience for those looking for a more narrative-driven game.
- story42 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as linear and lackluster, with many players finding it unnecessary and uninspired compared to more engaging narratives in other titles. While some appreciated the atmospheric illustrations and the moral themes of exploration and growth, others felt the storyline detracted from the gameplay experience, leading to mixed reviews overall.
“I was really impressed with the main story, and the illustrations of the 'god' figures; they helped to give Lowglow a real sense of atmosphere and context.”
“It is pretty even though it looks simple, the sounds are extremely relaxing and the story is interesting (which makes me eager to progress so I can discover more).”
“Along with 'Lowglow', gameplay is a pleasant and entertaining story of exploration, and (one presumes) spiritual growth.”
“Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
“As far as the little storyline that goes along with it, it's lacklustre.”
“Although it certainly makes for a story, you can tell the developer didn't lose much sleep on it.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's graphics have received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the simplistic 2D art assets and lack of substantial visual improvements, which detracts from the overall quality expected from a PC game. However, others appreciate the game's aesthetic, describing it as beautiful and relaxing, with a pleasing blend of visuals and sound that enhances the puzzle experience. Overall, while the graphics may not be technically impressive, they contribute to a charming and soothing atmosphere.
“The echoing, tranquil visuals and audio make for a relaxing environment, especially for some of the more challenging levels.”
“The visuals, music, and sound effects are gorgeous, completely absorbing, and endlessly soothing.”
“Such a fun, relaxing, beautiful game; the music and visuals blend into a world of fun relaxation which can help stress just melt away in its midst!”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
“Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
“Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Gameplay revolves around a simple mechanic of swiping to draw lines that balls bounce off, complemented by delightful audiovisual elements. While the linear storyline feels unnecessary, the unique worlds and evolving mechanics keep the experience engaging, though some players may find later levels increasingly reliant on luck. Overall, the game offers a charming puzzle experience with a focus on physics and exploration, despite occasional crashes and a gradual increase in difficulty.
“The audiovisual experience is downright delightful and very well integrated within the gameplay aspects.”
“Really simple concept, but the whole atmosphere and gameplay make up for it.”
“The puzzle mechanics themselves seem to be such that as soon as it seems the game grows easy, something new is encountered that must be investigated thoroughly through vigorous investigation of the effects of gravity and propulsion.”
“The story felt unnecessary, given the uniqueness of each world and the introduction of the new mechanics have nothing to do with it.”
“This has fewer mechanics and interactions, and the further you get into the game the more randomness/luck-based solutions start feeling.”
“I don’t know how long 'lowglow' gameplay lasts, but after about 2 hours I have only 2 of 12 achievements, so I suspect the increased difficulty of further levels will add quite a lot of time to game completion.”
- music24 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as soothing and relaxing, enhancing the overall calming experience of the gameplay. While some find it pleasing and well-polished, others consider it uninspiring compared to other titles. Overall, the combination of music, visuals, and sound effects creates an immersive and enjoyable atmosphere that helps players unwind.
“Well polished, pleasing music and soothing puzzles.”
“The visuals, music, and sound effects are gorgeous, completely absorbing, and endlessly soothing.”
“Such a fun, relaxing, beautiful game; the music and visuals blend into a world of fun relaxation which can help stress just melt away in its midst!”
“The music is uninspiring but inoffensive (and doesn't remotely compare to Enigmo's, some of which I thought was great), and the story is forgettable and didn't really add anything to the game for me.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“Challenging puzzles with a smooth learning curve, beautiful easy-on-the-eye graphics with chill and relaxing sound and music.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as simplistic yet immersive, enhanced by melodious sound design and engaging illustrations that create a sense of context. Players appreciate the combination of atmospheric elements with gameplay, noting that it effectively transports them to another world despite some technical issues. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
“Pleasant atmosphere, tricky but forgiving physics-based ricochet puzzles.”
“Some of the dialog is so-so, but the atmospheric mumbling noises in the background help to mitigate that, once again a praise to the sound design.”
“The atmosphere is simplistic, but melodious, making you feel like you're in another world.”
“I was really impressed with the main story, and the illustrations of the 'god' figures; they helped to give Lowglow a real sense of atmosphere and context.”
“Really simple concept, but the whole atmosphere and gameplay make up for it.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability, largely due to its under par achievements that encourage players to revisit and complete them. Overall, users consistently highlight the decent replay value as a significant aspect of the game.
“Lots of replay value.”
“The game also has a decent replay value.”
“The game also has a decent replay value because of the underwhelming achievements.”
“This is also a strong indication of replayability.”
“The game lacks significant replayability, making it hard to stay engaged after the first playthrough.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, as it often involves placing lines randomly to achieve desired outcomes. While some enjoy this process as a relaxing activity, others may perceive it as monotonous and frustrating.
“The puzzles become tedious, placing lines randomly until you finally bounce the lights off where you want them to go.”
“Personally, I play this to relax, so I don't mind spending the time to tweak lines, but I imagine some may find it mildly tedious.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has received high praise for its stability, with multiple users reporting no bugs or glitches, resulting in perfect scores of 5/5.
