Pid

About

"Pid" is a comedic shooter game featuring single-player and local co-op modes for up to 2 players. The game follows a boy named Kurt, who is stranded on a strange planet and must use gravity beams to solve puzzles and defeat enemies to find his way home. With over 12 hours of gameplay, 22 locations, and a memorable soundtrack, "Pid" offers a unique and immersive action-adventure experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 321 reviews

gameplay42 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Pid features stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
The game introduces unique mechanics, such as gravity beams, that provide inventive puzzle-solving opportunities.
Many players find the game to be a rewarding challenge, with a charming story and engaging level design.

The controls can feel clunky and imprecise, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Checkpoints are poorly placed, often forcing players to repeat large sections of the game after dying.
Some players find the difficulty spikes to be unfair, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.

gameplay
170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
11%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique mechanics, such as the antigravity beams, but criticizing the clunky controls and slow-paced movement. While some found the puzzle elements engaging and the level design creative, others felt that the lack of polish and frustrating gameplay mechanics detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game showcases potential but suffers from execution issues that may hinder enjoyment for some players.
- “It is a puzzle platformer that gets a surprising amount of usage out of its mechanics.”
- “You know it's great gameplay when you find yourself doing complex maneuvers without even realizing how.”
- “Pid introduces a fun mechanic of antigravity beams to the platformer genre, and even if the story is a little obtuse, it's a stunning game that is a lot of fun to navigate.”
- “The gameplay felt clunky and unresponsive.”
- “While [i]pid[/i] has very attractive visuals and a great soundtrack, they don't do much to distract from the maddening controls and incredibly slow-paced gameplay.”
- “I got about 4 hours of gameplay before getting frustrated to the point where I never want to play again, and not because of difficulty, but rather because of poor checkpoints, poor controls, and annoying enemies.”
story
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
46%
3%
The story of "Pid" is generally described as charming and engaging, revolving around a boy named Kurt who finds himself stranded on a foreign planet after falling asleep on a spacebus. While many reviewers appreciate the unique premise and captivating visuals, some feel the narrative progresses slowly and lacks depth, with gameplay often overshadowing the story. Overall, it is considered a heartwarming tale that complements the game's aesthetic and puzzle mechanics, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of indie platformers.
- “The story was wonderful and interesting while being built on the simple premise of needing to catch a bus.”
- “Pid is a lovely 2D platforming puzzle adventure game with a gorgeous visual aesthetic, and a charming, somewhat extraordinary story about a boy who, on his bus ride home from school, gets lost and trapped on a distant planet where the interplanetary traffic has died down for centuries.”
- “The story itself weaves these pleasant moments into a charming tale of a marooned little boy forced to fix the bus schedule of an alien world.”
- “However, Pid is a wonderful platformer and anyone who prefers puzzles over the plot might like it.”
- “It's just another example of how the game likes to grind its gameplay and story to a halt so you're forced to spend more time with it.”
- “The story line lags, but the world tells a surrealist fable that's hard not to love.”
graphics
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
16%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their gorgeous art style, smooth visuals, and atmospheric design, which enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the unique character designs and the effective use of color, creating a visually appealing backdrop that complements the game's music. However, some players note that while the graphics are impressive, they do not compensate for the game's frustrating controls and slow pacing.
- “The graphics and music are very nice, the story is unique and the game has a great atmosphere.”
- “The art style is amazing and I love all of the unique and crazy characters; many of the enemies, like the searchlight robots, are genuinely creepy.”
- “The graphics are enjoyable and beautifully rendered; the style is great, and character design and everything are fantastic.”
- “Even on the lowest graphical settings, the performance is mildly laggy.”
- “And this game on low graphics has 20 fps.”
- “And once you start playing through these challenge rooms, stripped down to just the mechanics with all the visuals removed, the clunkiness of the character movement and mechanics becomes even more obvious.”
music
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
27%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its stunning quality, with many reviewers highlighting its jazzy and bluesy elements that create a cozy and atmospheric experience. While some found the soundtrack to be soothing and well-complementing the visuals, others noted that it could become repetitive or annoying during challenging gameplay sections. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's standout features, enhancing the overall aesthetic and emotional impact.
- “The music has a certain 'cozy' aspect which can change enough to set the tone.”
- “The music is great with soothing melodies to keep you from getting frustrated during more complex levels, but picking up the pace during boss fights to make it feel more dramatic and give you a rush.”
- “The art style is just memorable and the music is relaxing and complements the art so well.”
- “Gorgeous graphics and music don't offset how relentlessly tedious this game can be.”
- “I also found the music, although well polished, to be quite boring.”
- “The music is okay in itself and definitely sports a colorful variety, but it gets fairly annoying in die-a-lot sections.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
15%
5%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a nostalgic, dreamlike quality enhanced by a smooth, jazzy soundtrack that complements its unique art style. Players appreciate the clean graphics and atmospheric lighting, which create an engaging world that feels both inviting and ominous at times. Overall, the combination of music, visuals, and thematic elements contributes to a memorable and immersive experience.
- “This game has quite the nostalgic flair to it, a dreamlike atmosphere and a killer soundtrack if you like jazzy tunes.”
- “You know what to expect: really catchy tunes mixed with more atmospheric, non-intrusive themes, clean sounds for every instrument (no distortion at all in most cases). It can feel somewhat ominous at points too, which fits perfectly with the nightly atmosphere of some levels.”
- “The graphics and music are very nice, the story is unique, and the game has a great atmosphere.”
- “The style of the graphics, or the focus, I say, is the lighting and atmosphere. They have very noise-free textures and focus more on the models and the edges. I have to say that most of the time I loved it, although it never reached a crazy level of amazement.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with repetitive backtracking and exploration detracting from the overall experience. While the graphics and music are praised, they do little to alleviate the monotony of gameplay, although some moments, like the maze level, can provide brief respite through effective audio-visual design.
- “Gorgeous graphics and music don't offset how relentlessly tedious this game can be.”
- “This makes replaying even short sections quickly feel tedious.”
- “Also, some sections require exploration and a lot of backtracking, which I normally don't mind for something like a metroidvanian game, but with Pid it's just tedious.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
38%
The reviews indicate a lack of character development in the game, with players acknowledging its solid gameplay, enjoyable graphics, and beautiful character designs. While the overall presentation and music are praised, the absence of meaningful character growth detracts from the experience, leading to mixed recommendations.
- “The graphics are enjoyable and beautifully rendered, the style is great, character design and everything are fantastic.”
- “Great game - beautiful to look at, lovely character designs, wonderful music, but hard.”
- “There is absolutely no character development.”
- “The game lacks any meaningful character development.”
- “I was disappointed by the complete absence of character development.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game "Pid" is praised for its beautiful visuals and heartwarming story, reviewers feel it falls short in fostering emotional investment in the characters, which detracts from the overall experience. The potential for a deeper emotional connection is recognized, but ultimately, the lack of character development leaves players wanting more.
- “Because it is a beautiful game with a simple but heartwarming story and is one of the greatest indie games you can get.”
- “And if I did such a thing, certainly my experience with this game would be much more profound and emotional.”
- “I admire games that could potentially get me emotionally invested into the characters as they grow stronger and get through obstacles.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized, as players report experiencing mild lag even when running on the lowest graphical settings.
- “Even on the lowest graphical settings, the performance is mildly laggy.”
- “Even on the lowest graphical settings, the performance is mildly laggy.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game boasts high replayability due to its amazing soundtrack, impressive graphics, and engaging gameplay, creating a complete and enjoyable experience for players.
- “Amazing soundtrack, good graphics (they are better than you imagine!) and awesome gameplay makes this game a complete experience, with high replay value.”