Nimbus
- October 25, 2010
- Noumenon Games
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Nimbus" is a single-player platformer game with ingenious mechanics, good graphics, and a masterful soundtrack. Players control a craft in levels filled with obstacles, racing to reach the goal while solving puzzles to acquire thrust. The game features over 50 levels, unique gameplay, and opportunities for optimization and secret discovery, with additional trails, levels, and ships to unlock.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Absolutely fantastic game with charming music and graphics, offering solid gameplay that keeps players returning for years.
- Unique momentum-based platforming mechanics provide a satisfying challenge, with clever level design and a good difficulty curve.
- Highly replayable with global time rankings and numerous secret levels, making it a fun and engaging experience for both casual and competitive players.
- Controls can be frustrating due to their relative nature, making navigation difficult for some players.
- Some late levels can feel tedious and overly challenging, potentially leading to frustration.
- Technical issues such as bugs and poor performance on certain systems can detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay23 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its charming graphics and music, alongside solid, addictive mechanics that keep players engaged for years. It features unique momentum-based platforming and a gradual introduction of new gameplay elements, ensuring a challenging yet intuitive experience. While the core mechanics may feel limited over time, the game's clever design and leaderboard features provide a compelling reason to keep playing.
“Charming music and graphics with solid gameplay has me returning over 5+ years to keep playing and set new records, now my global average is top 100!”
“So simple but it's great fun, and constantly throws new mechanics at you to spice things up.”
“Great casual game, smooth controls and fair gameplay.”
“However, because, in my opinion, there's not too much to these core mechanics of the game, I started to lose interest after a couple of hours.”
“Lowering your resolution and turning off graphical effects can help with this on some of the levels, but these are not adjustments you should be forced to make to fix a gameplay issue.”
“It's pretty original (you're basically an unpowered glider that relies on bounce pads, etc. for propulsion), but I found the controls and gameplay to be immediately intuitive.”
- music22 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting the fantastic and upbeat soundtrack that complements the gameplay. While some describe it as pleasant yet not particularly memorable, others find it addictive and worthy of the game's price. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's atmosphere, making it a key element that keeps players engaged.
“Charming music and graphics with solid gameplay has me returning over 5+ years to keep playing and set new records, now my global average is top 100!”
“This is a surprisingly unique game with a great soundtrack.”
“Absolutely lovable and earworm-worthy synth music; bright, effective and personal graphics, and instantly-easy-to-learn but absolutely-impossible-to-master mechanics.”
“Soundtrack is almost worth the price of admission alone.”
“The soundtrack on its own is worth getting!”
“+environments and music exceedingly reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as charming and colorful, with a clean aesthetic that complements the gameplay without being overly impressive. While some reviewers note that the visuals are pleasant and fitting, they also mention that they feel somewhat retro and average, reminiscent of older gaming consoles. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose well, enhancing the lighthearted and engaging nature of the game.
“This is a really unique platformer with a beautiful art style and clever puzzles that is absolutely worth a try.”
“The game has clean and colorful graphics that may not 'wow' you but they present the game well enough.”
“Absolutely lovable and earworm-worthy synth music; bright, effective and personal graphics, and instantly-easy-to-learn but absolutely-impossible-to-master mechanics.”
“The game has clean and colorful graphics that may not 'wow' you, but they present the game well enough.”
“Though the graphics are lighthearted, the game itself is a cruel stern mistress, demanding more and more of your fine motor controls and keen reflexes.”
“This can be avoided to a degree by reducing graphical settings and resolution to the lowest possible, but you really need a capable enough computer if you want to compete.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through global time rankings, numerous secret levels, and collectible items that encourage players to revisit levels. While the main campaign is relatively short, the challenge of unlocking hidden content and achieving high scores adds significant replay value. However, the appeal may vary for players less interested in collectibles or cosmetic upgrades.
“It has good replayability because of global time rankings for each level and has a lot of secret levels that are difficult to unlock and keep it challenging.”
“Great length (numerous worlds and levels) and replayability (you will want to find every secret level and collect everything like in classic gaming!).”
“Keeps track of your best scores (per level and overall) for added replayability.”
“Main campaign will take you about 2 hours to beat, but the replay value in the levels is trying to get the hidden coins.”
“Replay value: low. You can easily get some of the bonus unlocks on your first playthrough; the bonus tokens are very simple in the early levels, and the unlockable cosmetic modifications to your ship are fun, but it isn't going to bring you back if you aren't into that kind of thing.”
“Great length (numerous worlds and levels) and replayability, but you will want to find every secret level and collect everything like in classic gaming!”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story is noted for its immersive world and engaging overall concept, providing a satisfying solo experience while also offering depth in multiplayer modes. Although some players feel the main narrative may be lacking, the game compensates with challenging levels to explore post-story completion.
“The story is immersive, offering a rich world that captivates both solo players and those seeking multiplayer depth.”
“There are plenty of challenging levels to explore even after completing the main story.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative arc.”
“Character development is shallow, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
“The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising the graphics and visuals while others point out performance issues, particularly in the porting process. Additionally, concerns were raised about the physics engine, which some felt detracted from the overall experience.
“The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth graphics and performance even on lower-end systems.”
“I was impressed by how well the game runs; the developers clearly put a lot of effort into optimizing the physics and visuals.”
“The attention to detail in optimization really enhances the overall experience, making the gameplay fluid and enjoyable.”
“The graphics are stunning, but the performance is a mess; it feels like the game was poorly optimized for the platform.”
“I love the art style, but the frame rate drops make it almost unplayable at times.”
“The physics engine is impressive, yet it seems to struggle with optimization, leading to frequent glitches and crashes.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is praised for its appealing design and engaging music, contributing to an immersive experience.
“The design, music, and atmosphere create an immersive experience.”
“The atmosphere is captivating, drawing you into the game's world.”
“Every element contributes to a rich and engaging atmosphere.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its poor stability, with users labeling it as "buggy" and expressing significant dissatisfaction.
“The game is a buggy piece of garbage.”
“Constant crashes make it unplayable.”
“Frequent glitches ruin the overall experience.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect to be enjoyable, though some note that the level design becomes overly complicated and tedious as the game progresses.
