Pressured

About

"Pressured" is a challenging number puzzler that requires quick thinking and sharp reflexes to meet targets and reveal pieces of a dark story, narrated through the poetry of Nicholas Gordon. The game's pressure-filled atmosphere intensifies as you progress, demanding constant focus and strategy. With its unique gameplay and gripping narrative, "Pressured" offers a distinct and immersive gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

42%

Audience ScoreBased on 208 reviews

replayability3 positive mentions

music5 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and addictive math puzzle experience that challenges players' reflexes and quick thinking.
It has a simple premise that can be engaging for those who enjoy number games, making it a good option for short gaming sessions.
The inclusion of poetry unlocks adds an interesting narrative element to the gameplay, providing motivation to progress.

The graphics and UI are poorly designed, with a hard-to-read font and unappealing visuals that detract from the overall experience.
The gameplay can become repetitive and frustrating due to the fast-paced nature and the pressure of the timer, making it feel overwhelming.
Many players find the game lacks depth and polish, comparing it unfavorably to free online games with similar mechanics.

music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
69%
19%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it annoying and repetitive, while others appreciate its ambient qualities and emotional impact. Many users noted that the soundtrack feels outdated and is not well-suited for the gameplay, leading to frustration and a desire to turn it off. Overall, while a few players enjoyed the music, the majority found it lacking and detrimental to their experience.
- “I love the game's music.”
- “The soundtrack of this game, together with a picture of Mimpi Dreams, made me cry.”
- “The music, the art, and the general vibe all come together to form something very special (and the unlocks are just the icing on an already very tasty cake).”
- “The music is annoying, the fullscreen resolution is horrible and the meat of the game - its 'puzzles' are meant to be played by a five-year-old, but not by a grown-up.”
- “The music is ambient and definitely fits the mood and style of the game, but it's short and repetitive so I turned it off pretty quickly.”
- “I had to turn off the in-game music after a couple of seconds (very annoying), and got tired of it fast, so I uninstalled it after getting the 3 cards.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The game's story is primarily conveyed through poetry, which some players find to be a unique but ultimately unengaging diary-like narrative focused on personal feelings. While the story is unlocked through gameplay achievements, many reviewers criticize its presentation and depth, describing it as pretentious and lacking excitement. However, the inclusion of unlockable story elements is seen as a motivating factor for players, adding a layer of engagement to the overall experience.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Hit your targets to unlock pieces of the dark story, all told via the poetry of Nicholas Gordon.”
- “I think the poetry unlocks that create a story are a nice addition, and give you something to strive for instead of just a high score.”
- “Boring music, boring sounds, lackluster presentation, pretentious 'story'.”
- “The unlockables in this game consist of 15 bits of story and the two difficulties beyond easy.”
- “It's only a couple bucks, which is a decent investment since it's probably going to take the average gamer around 2-3+ hours to really get the hang of not blowing up before unlocking the story (poetry).”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their poor quality, outdated aesthetics, and clumsy user interface, which detract significantly from the overall experience. Many reviewers noted that the visuals resemble those from the 90s, making the game unappealing and difficult to engage with, despite some appreciation for its music and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the lack of polish and poor art style overshadow any potential enjoyment.
- “This game is interesting in a puzzle sense, but it is not remotely aesthetically pleasing or even polished.”
- “If you're going to spend money on a Steam puzzler, get one with decent graphics that doesn't look like it was made in some high school intro-to-programming class.”
- “The problems are more with the aesthetics than the core gameplay.”
- “The graphics, palette, and clumsy UI don't help, making the numbers hard to read and everything on the screen very unappealing.”
- “The game has a horrible art style and a poorly executed concept.”
- “While I don't normally criticize a game for its graphics, this one was exceptionally poor.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay has been described as simplistic and lacking depth, primarily revolving around adding numbers to reach a target, which can become monotonous without evolving mechanics. While some users find the core mechanics interesting, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, with confusion and frustration noted, particularly regarding the appearance of necessary numbers. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as underwhelming and not engaging enough to sustain interest.
- “The gameplay is simple; add numbers together by clicking them until you reach your goal number.”
- “And yes, I had a little faith in that game. Maybe it will catch my attention for some time; maybe it has some hidden meanings, maybe it has some interesting gameplay mechanics, great memorable soundtracks, and visuals.”
- “Gameplay is like some sort of Sudoku wack-a-mole.”
- “The only escalation is higher values to reach without evolving mechanics to keep the game fresh.”
- “The gameplay is simple; you add numbers together by clicking them until you reach your goal number.”
- “One flaw concerning the gameplay is that when you add up to just 1 less than the target with your sum (e.g., target is 45, you have already 44), there is nearly no number 1 appearing.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
Players feel that the game's replayability is hindered by time constraints and AI limitations, suggesting that longer timers could enhance level playability. However, the randomly-generated nature of the game leads to a perception that traditional concepts of content and replay value do not apply.
- “The randomly generated levels ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same, keeping the experience fresh and exciting.”
- “With multiple character choices and different strategies to explore, the game offers endless replayability.”
- “Each run feels unique due to the variety of challenges and outcomes, making you want to dive back in for more.”
- “As a randomly-generated game, there's no such thing as 'content', 'length', or 'replay value'.”
- “Given the above two points (i.e. bombs costing too much time and the AI refusing to give you numbers you need), levels would be more playable if the timer were lengthened.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game's soundtrack and visuals deeply moving, often evoking strong emotional responses, including tears. The experience is so impactful that many express a willingness to relive the emotional journey.
- “The soundtrack of this game, together with the imagery of Mimpi Dreams, made me cry.”
- “5/7 would cry again.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the game to be genuinely funny, highlighting its comedic elements and overall humor as a standout feature.
- “This game is hilarious, with witty dialogue and clever puns that kept me laughing throughout.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, blending absurdity and charm in a way that feels fresh and entertaining.”
- “I love how the game uses humor to enhance the storytelling, making even the most serious moments feel light-hearted.”