Paradox Wrench

About

Paradox Wrench is a single player action game. It was developed by David Mulder and was released on January 16, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Paradox Wrench" , you participate in a mysterious experiment, wielding a unique tool that alters the physical dimensions of objects and yourself. Solve puzzles by switching between the normal, blue, and orange dimensions, using your wit to understand and master this unusual device.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews

humor2 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features a cool concept with interesting puzzle mechanics that can be challenging and enjoyable.
Voice acting is surprisingly decent, adding a level of engagement to the gameplay.
It's a lightweight and simple puzzle platformer that can be fun for those looking for a quick gaming experience.

The game suffers from significant technical issues, including unresponsive controls and a lack of customization options, making it frustrating to play.
Visuals are low-quality and untextured, resembling outdated graphics that detract from the overall experience.
The game is very short, with many players finishing it in under two hours, leading to a lack of content and replayability.

gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Gameplay features a mix of decent puzzles and frustrating mechanics, particularly with the poorly implemented pickup function and lack of clear instructions on tool capabilities. While the controls are intuitive and the puzzle mechanics evolve interestingly, players may find themselves struggling with the initial learning curve. Overall, the game offers engaging challenges reminiscent of Portal, with potential for additional content.
- “Other than that, the controls make sense and the puzzle mechanics were great in the levels I've played so far.”
- “Obviously, some comparison to Portal must be made here, but the color-switching gun really takes the box/orb style puzzles to another level along with the new mechanics that support it.”
- “Easy to learn the mechanics; later levels get pretty difficult.”
- “Gameplay-wise, some of the puzzles were actually decent; however, the designer didn't do a great job easing you into the rules of your tool's capabilities. You would get thrown into a puzzle room and had to figure out the new rules they introduced. One extra annoyance is that the pickup function was not implemented well because you cannot pick up a block if you are too close to it. It was super frustrating when I was clicking to pick up the only block that could be picked up, and nothing happened. Not to mention, the key prompt doesn't show up when you are targeting the block to pick up; instead, it just keeps slowly fading in and out in the middle of the screen every minute.”
- “I've beaten the game in 1.5 hours, and I bet it can be done way quicker because a couple of times I made pauses in gameplay without quitting the game.”
- “Better yet, I'd certainly buy a reasonably sized level pack for a few quid (maybe with a new mechanic or two). Again, I have no idea how extensive the base game is as I have not yet finished it due to the low sensitivity.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The graphics of Paradox Wrench are criticized for their simplistic, low-polygon, and untextured aesthetic, resembling early 1990s 3D games. Many reviewers view the minimalist design as a cover for a lack of artistic effort, likening the visuals to "programmer art" and suggesting that the developers may be using the retro style as an excuse for poor execution. Overall, the visuals are seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the gaming experience.
- “The lack of textures is a method that lazy developers often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to pass it off as 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
- “In general, the visuals look rather like 'programmer art', which is understandable if this was a one-person project but still worth mentioning.”
- “Paradox Wrench is a simplistic thematic ripoff of Portal. It's a first-person 3D platformer with a minimalist aesthetic and a gimmick where you phase different blocks of different colors using your color gun. If some blocks don't match the color of your gun, you can phase through them.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music aspect of the game is notably lacking, with some players reporting the absence of any background music and the presence of irritating sound effects, particularly a high-pitched noise during jumps. While the voice work is considered decent, the riddles presented by the narrator are criticized for being poorly integrated, often leading to confusion and diminishing their impact.
- “It has multiple problems, some of which include no music and annoying sounds. There is a high-pitched sound at the end of jumping that drove me mad, so I had to disable sounds. While the voice work itself was actually decent, the riddles used as a script were bad. When you would enter the room, the narrator would ask a riddle, and then it would give the answer when you completed the puzzle. By the time I ended the level, I had totally forgotten what the original question was, making the answer pointless.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
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The story is perceived as straightforward and uncomplicated, appealing to those who prefer a less demanding narrative experience.
- “If you don't want a tiresome plot to clog your head with, this is fine by me!”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users find the stability of this game to be superior to that of Polarity and significantly less buggy compared to Colortone and Blik, indicating a more reliable gaming experience.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game features some amusing dialogue, but it is often overshadowed by an overzealous narrator and an abundance of riddles, which may not resonate with all players.
- “It has some funny dialogue, but most of it consists of riddles and a narrator trying too hard.”