PRINCIPIA: Master of Science

About

"Principia: Master of Science" is a simulation game set in 17th century Europe, where players step into the shoes of one of 12 real scientists from the era. The goal is to perform experiments, make discoveries in various research topics such as astronomy, physics, and mathematics, and submit findings to the Royal Society of Sciences. Players can also choose to belittle rival scientists and fill their own encyclopedia of inventions and sketches. The game simulates a time when the concept of "science" was just beginning to take shape.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 46 reviews

atmosphere3 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique premise that allows players to engage with the history of science and famous scientists, making it educational and enjoyable for history buffs.
The artwork and atmosphere are appealing, providing a charming setting that immerses players in the 17th-century scientific community.
Despite its simplicity, the game can be a fun way to pass the time, especially for those who appreciate the subject matter.

The game feels incomplete and has been abandoned, with many players expressing disappointment over its lack of updates and unfinished mechanics.
Gameplay is repetitive and simplistic, often leading to a lack of engagement and excitement as players find themselves clicking through the same actions repeatedly.
The interface is rough, and there are significant issues such as loud music that cannot be muted, which detracts from the overall experience.

music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with players criticizing its repetitiveness and loudness, as well as the inability to turn it off or adjust the volume in-game. While some appreciate the style of the music, many find the short clips maddening and detrimental to the overall experience, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, the lack of diversity and control over the music significantly detracts from the game's potential enjoyment.
- “I really like the style - both graphics and music.”
- “The classical music can not be turned off in game, slowly drilling through your skull till you can not stand waiting for other scientists to complete their turn listening to the same song for the 100th time.”
- “The graphics are very simplistic, the music is very loud with no way to adjust it aside from using the computer's volume mixer.”
- “This game has some potential, but right now it's quite repetitive and the background music is awful.”
- “You're assaulted with loud music you can't shut off, so either suffer through it or mute everything with your computer.”
- “The classical music cannot be turned off in-game, slowly drilling through your skull until you can no longer stand waiting for other scientists to complete their turn, listening to the same song for the 100th time.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The gameplay has been criticized for its simplicity and repetitiveness, with many players feeling that the main loop lacks engagement and depth. Users suggest that the game would benefit from additional mechanics and mini-games to enhance the experience, as well as a more informative interface and richer content. Overall, the gameplay is seen as basic and in need of significant expansion to maintain player interest.
- “The gameplay is easy.”
- “This game could use a huge expansion of basic mechanics and just give you more to do.”
- “Making a historical game requires some information, a form of encyclopedia too, as well as more scientific stuff in the game mechanics.”
- “Awful interface, simple mechanics, and surface-only scientific description.”
- “Gameplay, UI, depth, graphics, QoS, and replayability; all pitiful.”
- “Personally, I found the gameplay very repetitive; you are essentially doing research on a topic and waiting your turn to do your research on the same topic again.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the dated yet appealing artwork and style, while others criticize the simplistic visuals and significant graphical bugs that can hinder gameplay. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some finding the graphics acceptable and others deeming them inadequate for a released title.
- “I particularly enjoyed the artwork; they are dated, but appealing nonetheless.”
- “I really like the style - both graphics and music.”
- “Graphics don't need to be changed in my opinion, they're perfectly fine.”
- “I fully recommend this game, but sadly there are some graphical bugs that render the interface unusable, which might cause you to lose progress.”
- “Aesthetically, it looks like garbage, which would have been acceptable for a newly released beta version of a game, but not for a full release.”
- “Gameplay, UI, depth, graphics, quality of service, and replayability are all pitiful.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users finding the gameplay boring and too easy. The limited design and depth contribute to a consensus that there is little incentive to play again after the initial experience.
- “I would make the real-world story and decisions each of these characters had to go through so that it would make the game replayable at least.”
- “Overall, I would rate this game a solid 4.5/10. It's pretty fun for the first 10 or so minutes, but it has limited replayability.”
- “Oh yeah... there is absolutely no replayability.”
- “The game is way too limited in design to have any form of replayability.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often questioning whether the effort will be worth the final product. While the game is described as playable and enjoyable, the shallow relationships and limited content contribute to a frustrating experience for those aiming for 100% completion.
- “Tedious and ridiculous.”
- “I doubt the final product will be worth the replay; it's very repetitive with little content that requires some grinding.”
- “Now in its current state, the game is playable, enjoyable, and beautiful, but bloody tedious, and the relationships with the other natural philosophers are sadly shallow.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The story is coherent and engaging, with a unique starting point featuring Isaac Newton that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers suggest incorporating real-world events and decisions of the characters to increase replayability.
- “The story is coherent and pleasant.”
- “If you start your game with Isaac Newton, that would be the only correct way to experience the whole story.”
- “I would make the real-world story and decisions each of these characters had to go through so that it would make the game replayable at least.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its appealing art style and overall aesthetic, contributing to a very enjoyable experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, with stunning art that draws you into the world.”
- “The game's ambiance is captivating, creating a unique and engaging experience.”
- “Every detail contributes to a rich atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game currently suffers from stability issues, including occasional freezing, although it does feature an autosave function to mitigate potential losses. Additionally, it fails to recognize Steam's language settings, which may affect user experience. Overall, these factors contribute to a recommendation against playing the game at this time.
- “I cannot recommend this game yet as it freezes sometimes (luckily it has an autosave feature).”
- “The game does not recognize your Steam language settings, which adds to the frustration.”
- “The overall stability issues make it difficult to enjoy the gameplay.”