Marble Race
- October 13, 2018
- Elastic Sea
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Marble Race" is a charming tribute to "Hamsterball" and "Marble Madness," where players race through colorful levels filled with obstacles, enemies, and traps. Compete against friends in a four-way battle arena or cooperative mode, and unlock secrets or build your own levels with support for various input devices. Join the community through the game's Discord server for level-building assistance.
iPad
iPhone
PC
Phone
Windows
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game successfully captures the nostalgic feel of Hamsterball, providing enjoyable gameplay and smooth physics.
- The level editor and community features allow for creativity and extended playtime, making it fun to create and share custom levels.
- Despite being in early access, the game shows potential for improvement and has an active developer who is responsive to feedback.
- The game is considered incomplete and has been abandoned, with a limited number of levels and a lack of updates from the developer.
- Technical issues such as poor mouse control optimization, a confusing UI, and lackluster sound design detract from the overall experience.
- Many players feel that the game does not live up to the quality of its predecessors, with repetitive level design and a lack of unique character or charm.
- graphics16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are a mixed bag; while some users praise the amazing physics and overall visual quality, others criticize the use of low-polygon, untextured assets that evoke a retro aesthetic reminiscent of early 1990s games. Many feel that the graphics are merely acceptable and highlight a need for significant improvement across various aspects, including detail and overall artistic execution.
“Glyph offers amazing physics and graphics, along with a compelling story and a long campaign.”
“I love creating my own stuff in games... the graphics are simple and nice.”
“The graphics are okay, but that's really all this game has going for it.”
“The lack of textures is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to disguise it under the name of 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
“Definitely needs improvement in a lot of areas (music, sound effects, UI, graphic details, etc.) to make it a complete game.”
“Worse, there's no other useful graphics tweaks.”
- music16 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been criticized for being repetitive and uninspired, with players noting that it features the same bland track throughout gameplay rather than unique soundtracks for each level. Many reviewers feel that the soundtrack lacks depth and fails to enhance the gaming experience, suggesting that the inclusion of multiple tracks would significantly improve the overall atmosphere. Overall, the music is seen as a major area in need of improvement.
“Include multiple soundtracks so the game overall feels more alive.”
“In Hamsterball, each level had its unique soundtrack fitting to the level, as compared to this game where it's the exact same bland song on repeat throughout the entire gameplay, not just the levels.”
“The music is cheap and heartless, and most of the time you just hear the same lulling, chilled melody over and over again.”
“Definitely needs improvement on a lot of areas (music, sound effects, UI, graphic details, etc.) to make it a complete game.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is heavily inspired by the mechanics of the classic game Hamsterball, which may appeal to fans of the original; however, many reviewers feel that it lacks the polish and variety of its predecessor. While the physics are described as smooth and enjoyable, the repetitive soundtrack detracts from the overall experience, making it feel less engaging.
“The physics and gameplay of this game feel smooth and nice.”
“And also fun gameplay...”
“Feels straight at home with the hamsterball gameplay and vibe.”
“Most of what you see in the gameplay is a copy of hamsterball mechanics, so you might like it if you're a big fan of that game, yet the original version of hamsterball from 20 years ago is still better crafted and trimmed than this one.”
“In hamsterball, each level had its unique soundtrack fitting to the level, as compared to this game where it's the exact same bland song on repeat throughout the entire gameplay, not just the levels.”
“Most of what you see in the gameplay is a copy of hamsterball mechanics, so you might like it if you're a big fan of that game, yet the original version of hamsterball from 20 years ago is still better crafted and trimmed than this one.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game "Glyph" is praised for its engaging story and lengthy campaign, complemented by impressive physics and graphics. In contrast, "On a Roll 3D" lacks a narrative focus, instead offering racing, puzzles, and boss battles at the end of each level.
“Glyph: Amazing physics and graphics, with a compelling story and a long campaign.”
“On a Roll 3D has races, puzzles, and bosses at the end of each level, but there is no story.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of mouse controls and the level editor is heavily criticized, with users finding them slow, unintuitive, and prone to errors, making the overall experience frustrating and inefficient.
“Mouse controls are woefully under-optimized.”
“As a game developer, I think the builder is horrendous and borderline unusable due to the slow navigation and constant mistakes that would never happen in a more optimized level editor; it is not intuitive in the slightest.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of Marble Race has been criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing frustration over its release on Steam in an incomplete state, likening it to a poorly executed mobile app rather than a legitimate PC game. The game's early access status is viewed as a reflection of the developers' greed rather than a commitment to quality.
“Marble Race is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam in an incomplete state under Valve's disastrous early access program, as if it was a real PC game (it's not)... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile devs.”
“Marble Race is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam in an incomplete state under Valve's disastrous early access program, as if it was a real PC game (it's not)... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile devs.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game exhibits some minor glitches, indicating that while stability is generally acceptable, there are occasional issues that may affect the experience.
“There are some minor glitches.”
“There are some minor glitches.”
“There are some minor glitches.”
