Pneuma: Breath of Life

Pneuma: Breath of Life didn't completely rock our world, but it did make for a captivating and satisfying afternoon in front of the television. If puzzle adventures are your thing and you don't mind linear progression, there's a lot to like here. From clever challenges to sleek visuals, playful humor to a stimulating theme, as long as you can stomach the thought of your hand not being held, it's a pretty entertaining ride from start to finish. But it should be clearly stated that this isn't the type of game that will appeal to everyone, so be sure that you've read our review thoroughly before spending your money.

56%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

music, optimization

71% User Score Based on 150 reviews

Critic Score 50%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Pneuma: Breath of Life" is a first-person puzzle game that explores themes of consciousness and existence. You play as a god-like being, Pneuma, who must solve increasingly complex puzzles to uncover the truth about their own creation. The game features stunning visuals and a thought-provoking narrative that challenges players to question their perception of reality.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 152 reviews

story17 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
Puzzles are clever and engaging, often requiring players to think creatively about perspective and observation.
The narrative, while sometimes annoying, offers thought-provoking themes and a unique twist at the end.

The game is very short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, which many players feel does not justify the price.
The narrator's constant commentary can be irritating and detracts from the immersion of the game.
Some puzzles are poorly communicated and can lead to frustration, as they often rely on obscure mechanics.

story
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
58%
11%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its philosophical themes and character development, while others find it self-indulgent and distracting from the puzzle-solving experience. The narrative is often described as interesting yet short, with a charming aesthetic, but it can feel pretentious and overly complex at times. Overall, while the story has its moments and a unique twist, it may not resonate with everyone, especially those primarily focused on gameplay.
- “Clever and fun puzzles, interesting story.”
- “Not to mention the very interesting story, and a (metaphorically) explosive ending!”
- “The story, being about God and figuring out what's in the mind of God, is interesting, accompanied by witty and funny narration.”
- “The story is told through a narrator who believes he is God, and who spouts all kinds of philosophical nonsense throughout the entire game.”
- “Extremely short, simple puzzles, unpolished graphics, and a story that has been told better in other games.”
- “The game's world looks great and the narration is very well done, but the story isn't interesting and sometimes comes across as a bit pretentious with its constant attempts at being philosophical.”
graphics
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
22%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and immersive design that enhance the overall experience. While some mention minor issues like graphical glitches and a lack of options for adjusting settings, the general consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. Overall, players appreciate the combination of great visuals with creative puzzle mechanics, making it a visually engaging experience.
- “First off, the graphics are gorgeous, beautiful, and detailed!”
- “With really beautiful and stunning graphics, interesting approach to the puzzle genre, Pneuma: Breath of Life is a game that should be experienced.”
- “Great looking graphics, tight controls, and puzzles that are just hard enough to give you a little surge of pride as you make your way through the game.”
- “The graphics look fine for an indie puzzle game, although they do look very sterile at the same time.”
- “There are a lot of graphical glitches, though.”
- “Extremely short, simple puzzles, unpolished graphics and a story that has been told better in other games.”
gameplay
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by unique observation-based mechanics that require players to manipulate sight to solve puzzles, which can be both clever and frustrating. While some puzzles are engaging and introduce new mechanics, others suffer from poor communication and can feel overly simplistic or confusing. Overall, the experience is described as decent but derivative, with a mix of beautiful visuals and a narrative that some players found distracting.
- “Other than a few buttons, almost everything is controlled by the direction you are facing, which is a clever mechanic.”
- “The game is very fun, the puzzles are well made, and the changing mechanics keep you on your toes throughout the game.”
- “Ridiculously clever puzzle mechanics, and a chatty and super-confused 'god.' Short and sweet.”
- “Unfortunately, though there are some original puzzle mechanics, the game as a whole feels very derivative of other games, most notably of 'The Talos Principle' in its look, feel, and thematic discussion.”
- “Altogether though the game does not come together as engaging, and is both repetitive, gimmicky, linear, and involves a nauseating camera puzzle mechanic.”
- “The game is very short, and the puzzles are very easy, with the occasional one having such obscure mechanics that it becomes more of an annoyance than a challenge.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The music in the game is praised for its relaxing and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience without being repetitive or distracting. Reviewers noted its varied nature, with some tracks evoking a sense of majesty or creepiness, and highlighted its ability to complement the game's themes effectively. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's immersive environment.
- “I love how relaxing the music is and doesn't keep looping on the same track.”
- “When there is music playing, it's demure and atmospheric - spheric even, which does fit the game's theme of 'I am (a) god'.”
- “The soundtrack was varied and always set a good tone.”
- “The music is often absent.”
- “At least one of the tunes contains some long, low notes that made my speakers rumble, so I had to turn down the music volume through the game menu.”
- “Same with the soundtrack, the music was sometimes a tad creepy, sometimes really majestic.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its humorous narrative and witty soliloquies, with a protagonist who humorously grapples with existential themes while navigating puzzles. Players appreciate the clever and playful humor reminiscent of characters like Wheatley from Portal, although some found the presentation of humor to be somewhat awkward at times. Overall, the blend of comedy and engaging challenges contributes to an entertaining experience.
- “The game starts off humorous, with your character thinking he's the center of the universe with an 'oh, I'm amazing, because I made this amazing place!' Later, he starts questioning what's going on, and instead of following the kind of philosophical tone the game is developing, he dives straight into an existential crisis.”
- “Listening to the narrator is hilarious and has humorous remarks about society and we as people.”
- “From clever challenges to sleek visuals, playful humor to a stimulating theme, as long as you can stomach the thought of your hand not being held, it's a pretty entertaining ride from start to finish.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The game's atmosphere is described as polished and detailed, evoking a holy Roman-era setting, complemented by soothing and atmospheric music that enhances the experience. While many find it enjoyable and fitting for a puzzle game, some players feel that excessive dialogue detracts from the intended relaxing ambiance. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate atmospheric puzzle games.
- “The atmosphere makes it look like a holy ground in a Roman era... but very polished and detailed!”
- “When there is music playing, it's demure and atmospheric - spheric even, which does fit the game's theme of 'I am (a) god'.”
- “Very soothing, enjoyable, and atmospheric.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, while the game generally runs smoothly and boasts impressive visuals, many users report significant performance issues, particularly with framerate drops even on the lowest settings. There is a consensus that further optimization is needed to improve fps and reduce judder.
- “For the most part, it runs smoothly (especially if you turn off anti-aliasing) and always looks amazing.”
- “The performance is very bad; it dropped my framerates even on the lowest settings.”
- “I rate it a 2 because of performance; the developer needs to do some updates to fix the framerates.”
- “Needs optimization for better FPS so the judder isn't so bad.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews on the emotional aspect of the game are mixed; while some players found the story and ending deeply moving, leading to a strong emotional response, others felt disconnected during key moments, resulting in a lack of engagement with the emotional climax.
- “I love everything about this game; the gameplay, the story, and the ending almost made me cry.”
- “Emotional whiplash.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game offers some replayability for achievement hunters and speedrunners, but many players find its short length and lack of challenge diminish its overall value, making it less appealing to revisit.
- “It was also good that there was a significant amount of replayability if you want to go back and get all the achievements.”
- “Its lack of challenge or replayability, as well as its very short length, makes it absolutely not worth its full price.”
- “There is some replay value for speedrunners; apparently, I missed two puzzles and all of the secrets. I'm not sure I'd consider it worth going back if I didn't intend to run it.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting beautiful graphics and solid puzzles, while others experience frequent graphical glitches, including lighting issues and persistent black panels. Overall, the game appears to have notable stability concerns that detract from the experience.
- “Beautiful graphics, bug-free, solid puzzles.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or stutters.”
- “There are a lot of graphical glitches.”
- “There are lighting glitches and black panels that might go away, or not.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly in the final section, which detracts from the overall experience. Achievements are also noted as requiring excessive effort, contributing to a sense of monotony.
- “It made the last section of the game tedious.”
- “I beat the game in less than 2 hours, and the only reason I'm at 3 hours is because I went back to unlock a few achievements (which are incredibly tedious, by the way) and because I paused for a bit to microwave and eat some chicken nuggets.”