Payload

About

Payload is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by BlackBansheeStudios and was released on November 5, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

Hack into the retro-futuristic world of Payload! A 3D isometric puzzle-oriented game played on a cube. Its striking graphics and gripping narrative offer a noteworthy experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

music1 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The core concept of the puzzle is engaging and offers a challenging experience that appeals to players looking for a thoughtful timekiller.
The game is fully free, demonstrating the developers' confidence in their work and providing value without hidden costs.
The music is pleasant and adds to the overall atmosphere, enhancing the gameplay experience.

The graphics are minimalistic and often described as lazy, which detracts from the visual appeal and overall enjoyment of the game.
The user interface and controls are unfriendly, lacking mouse support and making navigation and puzzle-solving cumbersome.
The story becomes repetitive and fails to maintain player interest, leading to a lack of emotional connection with the protagonist.

story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The story is set in a dystopian corporate environment, resonating particularly with adults familiar with corporate culture, and features intriguing characters and a mysterious narrative that unfolds as players progress through the puzzle levels. While the story starts strong and maintains a consistent tone, it may appeal more to a niche audience due to its complex themes and intellectual undertones. Overall, it complements the gameplay well, enhancing the experience with a compelling backdrop.
- “Wonderful puzzle game with consistent progression in difficulty, and a fun story to go with it.”
- “But a puzzle game, especially if it's in this hardcore setting and has a story about some IT guy's job at a sci-fi corporation, targets maybe an audience with an IQ of 120+ (much like that of the students who made the game).”
- “The story starts strong and will resonate with adults who have worked for corporations.”
- “Watch the story unfold as you reach the end to discover the truth behind the madness.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing them as "lazy" and a significant factor in the game's failure to attract players, despite the developer's description of them as "striking." Conversely, others appreciate the retro aesthetics and minimalistic design, suggesting a divide in player preferences regarding visual appeal. Overall, the graphics seem to be a major point of contention among gamers.
- “There are complimentary adjectives almost for each substantive in the text ('striking graphics', 'gripping narrative').”
- “Visually appealing retro aesthetics and graphics.”
- “I found it striking that anyone could be so lazy about doing the graphics for their game but still think it was remotely okay to publish it anyway.”
- “The bad graphics are understandably a turn off for a lot of gamers, and it's a big contributor to the failure of the game to attract gamers despite having no up-front cost.”
- “Minimalistic interface and graphic design.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant, but players note that the limited number of tracks leads to repetitiveness over time.
- “The music is very pleasant, though there are too few tracks and it does get repetitive after a while.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game’s store listing, indicating that it effectively incorporates comedic elements that resonate with players.
- “By the way, I found the store listing funny.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews suggest that the emotional appeal of the product is perceived as superficial, primarily resonating with less discerning audiences, such as young children or casual mobile gamers. Critics argue that the use of emotionally charged but vague descriptors fails to create a meaningful connection.