Out There Somewhere

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,800 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • story
Out There Somewhere Game Cover
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"Out There Somewhere" is a puzzle-platformer game where players manipulate time and space to help the stranded astronaut solve complex puzzles and navigate through dangerous environments. Players must collect and manage resources while exploring multiple dimensions to repair their spacecraft and return home. The game features unique mechanics, hand-drawn art, and a minimalistic narrative that emphasizes exploration and discovery.

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Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,800 reviews
gameplay376 positive mentions
grinding17 negative mentions
  • Unique teleportation mechanics that create engaging puzzles.
  • Charming pixel art and a catchy soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
  • Short playtime that doesn't overstay its welcome, making it a fun, quick gaming session.
  • Very short game length, typically completed in under two hours.
  • Limited enemy variety and combat mechanics feel underdeveloped.
  • Some players may find the controls frustrating, especially with keyboard input.
  • gameplay823 mentions

    The gameplay of "Out There Somewhere" is centered around a unique teleportation mechanic that allows players to shoot a projectile and teleport to its impact point, creating engaging puzzles and platforming challenges. While the game is relatively short, typically lasting around 1-2 hours, it effectively introduces and builds upon its mechanics without overstaying its welcome, offering a satisfying experience for fans of puzzle-platformers. However, some players noted that the gameplay could feel repetitive and expressed a desire for more depth and variety in mechanics and level design.

    • “The gameplay is exactly what you see in the trailer, so if that looks appealing, give it a shot.”
    • “In such a short time, the game twists its few mechanics enough so there isn't a moment of boredom.”
    • “The gameplay is fun, challenging without being overly frustrating, and the music is great!”
    • “Between frustrating mechanics, repetitive gameplay, and the janky hitboxes, this was not a good experience.”
    • “The gameplay is very basic, and it could get boring and repetitive if it took too long.”
    • “The teleport gun is a neat mechanic, but it is largely wasted as environmental obstacles and puzzles are repeatedly reused in the same handful of ways.”
  • music623 mentions

    The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising its catchy chiptune soundtrack that complements the retro aesthetic and gameplay. While some found the music repetitive or generic, others highlighted it as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience, making it worth the price of admission. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as enjoyable and fitting, contributing significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.

    • “The soundtrack is amazing and at some points the game actually gets pretty challenging.”
    • “The music is phenomenal, and I can certainly see why they chose to make it DLC to get a little more cash out of those who want to support the developers a bit.”
    • “The music is great, the graphics are well done if you like the retro pixel style.”
    • “The music is generic and the writing is boring and entirely unnecessary.”
    • “The music was waaay too repetitive.”
    • “The sound effects are unremarkable, and while the music isn't inherently bad, it's extremely loud even on the lowest setting and gets grating fast.”
  • story387 mentions

    The game's story is generally described as short, simple, and lacking depth, often serving merely as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a focal point. While some players appreciate its charm and straightforwardness, many feel it falls short of expectations set by inspirations like *Cave Story* and *Metroid*, with a narrative that is often deemed forgettable or cliché. Overall, the consensus is that while the story may not be substantial, the engaging gameplay and mechanics compensate for its brevity.

    • “The story is simple but nice, and it doesn't take that long to beat.”
    • “A charming story and setting cap off an experience that is short but easily worth five times its price tag.”
    • “The story is short but you can't go wrong for its price.”
    • “This is a pretty short game, and the story is incredibly shallow.”
    • “The story is definitely the game's weakest point though, and there's really not much more to it than what's described on the store page.”
    • “The story may as well not be there, as it does nothing to intrigue the player beyond giving a background to the puzzles to come.”
  • graphics301 mentions

    The graphics of "Out There Somewhere" are predominantly pixel art, which elicits mixed reactions from players. While many appreciate the nostalgic charm and functional design of the retro-style visuals, some criticize them as bland or overdone in the indie game scene. Overall, the graphics are generally considered well-executed for the game's genre, complementing its gameplay and atmosphere effectively.

    • “The graphics and the soundtrack are amazing and I'm really hoping to find more games like this one.”
    • “The pixel art graphics look good and the portal theme in 2D is interesting.”
    • “Out there somewhere hits on nostalgia with beautiful pixel art graphics and energetic songs, and lights up your brain with clever puzzle challenges that can be solved in different ways.”
    • “The aesthetic is bland and the music generic.”
    • “Alas, there's not much else to this one-hour adventure: the visuals are cheap (even for pixel art), the audio is mediocre, the writing is poor and the whole affair's scope and ambition are on point with the asking price.”
    • “The worse part is that the game doesn't even have complex graphics, I'm able to run games like OpenArena, Minecraft and other games at 60 fps at some points, this game goes like at 5 fps and the graphics are just horrible simple.”
  • replayability118 mentions

    The game's replayability is primarily driven by achievements and collectibles, appealing to completionists and speedrunners. While many players note its short length—often completed in under two hours—there are enough hidden secrets and challenges to encourage multiple playthroughs. Overall, the replay value is considered decent, especially for those who enjoy exploring and mastering the game mechanics.

    • “The game has this high replay value thanks to a large quantity of bonus sections, which are accessible from the get-go but you haven’t learned the ins and outs of the teleport gun yet.”
    • “It's a cute little game with a bit of replay value, but it's so much fun!”
    • “The replay value is immense, and every achievement makes every playthrough seem like the first time ever playing.”
    • “The game is rather short though, and the replay value of the game goes drastically down.”
    • “I also read of guys who finished the game in half an hour or something, and for 1€ it's not enough, especially considering the fact that there's no plot and there's also no replay value since it's the same and you can't do that much else.”
    • “Incredibly short game, with almost no replay value.”
  • humor55 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with many players finding it funny, clever, and engaging, often highlighting the amusing dialogue, absurd storylines, and retro aesthetics. While some noted that the humor may not be groundbreaking, it effectively enhances the overall experience, making the game enjoyable and memorable. The combination of tongue-in-cheek humor, quirky character design, and entertaining mechanics contributes to its charm, making it a delightful choice for those seeking a lighthearted gaming experience.

    • “The story (ending) is hilarious.”
    • “Out there somewhere is a perfect blend of challenging puzzles, a simple yet intriguing game mechanic, and a wonderful amount of tongue-in-cheek humor that all together keeps your mind actively engaged and your funny bone thoroughly tickled.”
    • “Stylish presentation, clever environmental puzzles, some funny dialogue, and an awesome chiptunes soundtrack combine to make this a memorable little experience.”
  • atmosphere31 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its surreal and nostalgic qualities, enhanced by excellent pixel art and a stellar soundtrack that evokes a compelling alien world. Many reviewers appreciate how the atmosphere complements the gameplay, creating an engaging experience despite some criticisms regarding the game's length and depth. Overall, the combination of visuals, music, and design contributes to a memorable and immersive environment that resonates with players.

    • “The storyline can be dismissed; its only purpose is to set the atmosphere of the game, and I personally really like it.”
    • “Art is just pixel art, but it's very good pixel art, and the music is stellar; overall, the alien atmosphere feels very well-fleshed-out.”
    • “The platformer's atmosphere on a distant desolate planet devoid of human life is just surreal and comfortably perfect.”
    • “The atmosphere was nostalgic with the pixel art designs and the 8-bit tunes; even the story felt quite familiar as it went along the lines of a hero defeating the big bad.”
    • “The game is nice with simple mechanics and an interesting atmosphere, but it's rather short and could use some fleshing out.”
  • grinding20 mentions

    Overall, reviews indicate that while some players found moments of grinding and tedium, particularly in specific sequences or boss fights, the game generally avoids excessive grinding and filler content. Many appreciated the well-designed puzzles and achievements that are not needlessly grindy, contributing to a concise and engaging experience. The game's short length is seen as a positive, allowing for a focused gameplay experience without repetitive elements.

    • “The puzzles were just the right amount of challenge to make you think a bit, but weren't tedious.”
    • “It’s also got interesting, not grinding, achievements which is always something worth noting – and also ones that you probably won’t unlock by accident whilst merely idling through.”
    • “But too often, you just spend 5 minutes figuring out the hitboxes to get past this room with a tedious puzzle, just to walk into another room with broken hitboxes, where you die because there was less than 10 pixels between you and an enemy. Then you go back to that first room and do that tedious puzzle again, because for some reason they didn't give you a checkpoint.”
    • “It is extremely short, and the beginning and very end are extremely tedious, but the middle part is quite alright.”
    • “3/10 - cool (ok borrowed) concept and music with nice pixel visuals, but it all goes down the drain due to a tedious and unforgiving boss fight, and the lack of content or emotional investment/story development overall.”
  • optimization11 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing performance issues such as stuttering and slow loading times, while others report smooth gameplay at 60 fps even on lower-end systems. Adjusting settings from 'high performance' to 'performance' has helped some users improve their experience, but overall, the game could benefit from further testing and additional features to enhance usability.

    • “Setting it from 'high performance' to 'performance' did the trick.”
    • “The game never crashed and ran absolutely without performance problems on both my desktop (Windows 7 64-bit) and an older single-core laptop (Windows 7 32-bit).”
    • “It runs smoothly, has a nice soundtrack, and the difficulty is pretty challenging at times (which is a good thing in my opinion).”
    • “This game isn't perfect by any stretch; it has some performance issues. I do not expect such a simple game to stutter for any reason whatsoever, even when loading a chunk of the map. It could definitely have done with more testing and a few more features, like disabling the speech and tutorial dialogs, and remapping controls in a way that allows you to use what you actually want to use.”
    • “I normally try to make well-written reviews, but due to this game's slow performance, I'm not even able to play it.”
    • “This game has terrible performance!”
  • character development11 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as simplistic, with memorable and cute designs that evoke a nostalgic "90s" aesthetic. While the character interactions and dialogue can be repetitive and lack depth, the overall gameplay mechanics and level design are appreciated, though some players feel that the character development does not significantly enhance the experience.

    • “I enjoyed the edgy character design and the problem solving is definitely there.”
    • “The music sounds good, the character design is cute and the game mechanics work without any hassle.”
    • “Nice character design and funny dialogue.”
    • “There is a certain lack of character development when it comes to the intelligent aliens, which will only interact with you with the same line of dialogue, which in most cases doesn't make any sense.”
    • “I hated the character design and to 100% the game is incredibly unforgiving, but all in all, the puzzles were well designed and while the game did not have a concrete ending, it was still an incredibly entertaining game.”
    • “It's got cute character designs, neat gameplay designs, but there's not much more to the game than jumping around, some minor puzzles, and waiting for monster cycles.”
  • emotional9 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke nostalgia and joy, with players appreciating the humorous yet touching writing and the impactful music that elicits strong feelings. While some reviews note a lack of depth in the story and frustrating gameplay elements, many still find the experience rewarding and emotionally engaging, particularly for fans of retro gaming. Overall, the game successfully resonates with players, making it a worthwhile emotional investment despite some criticisms.

    • “And ninety percent of that comes from the writing, which is humorous, but still touching.”
    • “Recommended 100%! Give it a 10/10. It's a beautiful game that helped me heal my cold, and the songs made me cry tears of happiness. Best purchase I've ever made.”
    • “Out There Somewhere is well worth your time, money, and emotional investment.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, players have mixed experiences regarding stability; while some report a glitch-free and enjoyable gameplay, others encounter bugs that can disrupt the experience.

    • “It's buggy, and sometimes you won't be able to progress.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization model of the game has been criticized for charging players on Steam, as many feel it is more suited for free-to-play platforms like Kongregate or Armor Games, where ad support is common.

    • “Basically, this is a game that belongs on Kongregate or Armor Games but decided to ask people to pay money for it on Steam instead of tolerating ads to play it at one of those places.”
    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, as it seems more focused on squeezing money from players than providing a fair gaming experience.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

90% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
2-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 21 analyzed playthroughs

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