Now Testing: 407

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You are Number 407, the new debugger for an upcoming sci-fi game. As a debugger, your job is simple! You will be put through a series of puzzles in order to make sure the game doesn't have any bugs or glitches. But when you find a glitch in the game's code, you can exploit it to traverse outside of the game map, mess with the game mechanics, and make the game developer really angry! Inspired by th…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

31%

Audience ScoreBased on 17 reviews

humor4 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a visually appealing design.
The puzzles are enjoyable and provide a good level of challenge, with some players finding them fun and engaging.
The concept and story are unique and creative, with humorous elements that many players appreciated.

The parkour and jumping mechanics are frustrating, with many players experiencing issues with ladders and platforming segments.
There are significant bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, leading to a lack of polish and causing players to restart levels.
The game lacks proper control settings and keyboard mappings, making it difficult for some players, especially left-handed ones, to enjoy the experience.

stability
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by numerous bugs and glitches, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences, especially when attempting to explore beyond intended paths. While the concept of exploiting glitches is central to the game, many players find that unintended bugs often hinder rather than enhance the experience. Despite these issues, there is hope for improvement, as the developer has already released updates to address some of the problems.
- “For something that bases its story around a tester inside a video game 'exploiting glitches', it sure has its fair share of glitches and bugs.”
- “It's also disappointing that for certain levels, with a little brain power, you can find yourself getting onto other ledges and areas that you normally wouldn't be able to access, but instead of a nice hidden secret, you're met with a game-breaking bug that causes you to restart the entire level.”
- “It breaks my heart to have so many negative things to say about 'Now Testing: 407' as I can tell that a lot of work, effort, and heart went into trying to make something enjoyable, but I feel even if the glitches weren't there, it just wouldn't quite be a fully polished experience.”
humor
5 mentions
80 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the witty dialogue and funny tutorials, others find the voiceover cringeworthy and the overall comedic elements inconsistent. Despite this, the story and graphics are generally well-received, contributing to a lighthearted atmosphere amidst challenging puzzles.
- “It's not perfect, but the graphics are great, the story is good and funny, and the puzzles are cool.”
- “In the video, the developer also says he 'loves games that have humorous and witty dialogue and break the fourth wall.'”
- “The tutorial is funny, and a lot of the puzzles are really difficult to figure out.”
- “The voiceover is cringey and not funny.”
- “The attempts at humor fall flat and feel forced.”
- “The jokes are outdated and fail to land.”
gameplay
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and challenging, especially for a second title from a solo developer, but it suffers from a lack of variety and is relatively short. Players have noted the simplicity of the mechanics and have experienced numerous unintended interactions and glitches, which can detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the commentary adds a unique touch, though it may come off as derivative.
- “The game is very solid for a second game created by the lone developer Keaton; the gameplay is fun and challenging, but is unfortunately short.”
- “We were constantly trying to solve the puzzles in an unintended way, abusing the broken physics to get out of bounds or fly over levels, to skip segments and just generally break the game.”
- “The game mechanics are way too simple, leading to a lack of variety.”
- “We were constantly trying to solve the puzzles in unintended ways, abusing broken physics to get out of bounds or fly over levels, skipping segments and generally breaking the game. I'm not talking about the 'in-game glitches' that are part of the game's mechanics, but actual bugs and glitches resulting from programming issues.”
graphics
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their beauty and quality, though some players experience a significant decline when forced to play on lower settings due to hardware limitations. Overall, while not flawless, the visuals contribute positively to the game's appeal.
- “The graphics are very beautiful, but due to my computer limitations, I had to play on low to medium settings, which is a huge decline in quality.”
- “It's not perfect, but the graphics are great, the story is good and funny, and the puzzles are cool.”
- “The only good thing is the visuals.”
story
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The story is generally well-received, described as good and humorous, with a unique premise involving a tester navigating glitches within a video game. While it has its imperfections, it contributes to an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
- “It's not perfect, but the graphics are great, the story is good and funny, and the puzzles are cool.”
- “Great story and a lot of fun to play; it'll make you laugh!”
- “For a game that centers its story around a tester inside a video game 'exploiting glitches', it sure has its fair share of glitches and bugs.”
- “The narrative feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged with the plot.”
- “Character development is shallow, leaving players unable to connect with or care about the protagonists.”
music
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The soundtrack is highly praised for its engaging synths, particularly in chapter 7, creating an immersive experience. However, players noted that if they take too long on a puzzle, the music will stop looping, leading to moments of silence.
- “The soundtrack absolutely slaps with interesting synths, my personal favorite being chapter 7.”
- “If you take too long on a puzzle, the music will eventually stop looping, resulting in silence.”
- “The music becomes repetitive and dull after a short while, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and lacking variety, which detracted from the overall experience.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players have noted that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious at times, with some even experiencing glitches that exacerbate the frustration.
- “There were a few tedious parts, and I think I encountered an actual glitch.”
- “The grinding feels endless and becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
- “I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which made the game feel more like a job than fun.”