Recursive Ruin

About

"Recursive Ruin" is a challenging precision platformer where you manipulate time to avoid deadly traps and solve puzzles. Journey through a decaying digital world as you uncover the truth behind the bitrot pandemic. Each level is a complex maze of hazards that will require quick reflexes and strategic thinking to navigate.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+10

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 173 reviews

story33 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and unique fractal environments that create a mesmerizing experience.
The puzzles are clever and engaging, often requiring lateral thinking and providing satisfying 'a-ha' moments.
The narrative, while dark and heavy, resonates with players and adds depth to the overall experience.

The story is often convoluted and presented in a way that can feel tedious, with long dialogue sequences that detract from the puzzle-solving experience.
Many players found the pacing uneven, with excessive walking simulator segments that interrupt the flow of gameplay.
Some mechanics, such as transitioning between levels, can feel clunky and disrupt immersion.

story
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
72%
10%
The story in the game is polarizing, with many players finding it either deeply resonant or overly tedious and disconnected from the gameplay. While some appreciate the emotional depth and artistic presentation, others criticize its length, pacing, and perceived pretentiousness, often feeling that it detracts from the puzzle-solving experience. Overall, the narrative's heavy themes and delivery style may appeal to some players, but many recommend approaching the game with a mindset focused on puzzles rather than story.
- “Incredible visuals, voice acting, and soundtrack, satisfying puzzles, and a story that really resonated with me and had me sobbing by the end.”
- “The best way to think of this is not as a story with some puzzles attached - the two are inextricably intertwined, right from the first memory to the final revelation.”
- “The story does handle some unexpectedly heavy themes, and the visuals, while beautiful, can weird out those sensitive to motion sickness and vertigo.”
- “The story on the other hand is lame, and told in an abysmal way.”
- “The story feels forced and the aesthetics feel odd and out of place.”
- “The story is overwhelmingly depressive and attempts to be overly tragic on every axis.”
gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by innovative mechanics and unique puzzle designs that often draw comparisons to titles like "Antichamber" and "Superliminal." While many players appreciate the stunning visuals and the recursive mechanics, there are mixed feelings about the overall execution, with some finding the puzzles lacking depth and the story disconnected from the gameplay. Overall, the game offers a blend of intriguing mechanics and artistic direction, but its inconsistent puzzle quality and narrative coherence leave some players wanting more.
- “To begin with, I was absolutely mind-blown by the way the level mechanics were designed in this game!”
- “The puzzles are great, the mechanics mesh well, and the puzzles are satisfying to beat.”
- “The gameplay is rather innovative, which makes it the cleverest part of this game.”
- “Puzzle design is mediocre, with no interesting mechanics. The level design is okay, but I don't care about the plot or the intentionally obscure lore.”
- “The story doesn't mesh well with the gameplay, and every other level feels like just clicking random objects for some edgy monologues.”
- “For the most part, it feels like each area has its own gimmick, and once that area is done, you never see that mechanic again. There's no real difficulty curve either; each area has its own difficulty but then restarts at the next area, making it feel shallow given the potential of the puzzle mechanics.”
graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
35%
5%
The graphics in "Recursive Ruin" are widely praised for their stunning and unique aesthetic, featuring beautiful fractal patterns and a surreal art style that enhances the gameplay experience. While many reviewers highlight the visuals as a standout aspect of the game, some note that the repetitive elements can become monotonous, and the overall execution may lead to discomfort for sensitive players. Overall, the visuals are considered a major draw, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and appeal.
- “The recursive element is absolutely fantastic, and the visuals are awesome.”
- “Recursive ruin also has an amazing art style, and thanks to its theme of recursion, expressed through the art and the puzzle design, it produces some truly amazing visual moments that are elevated by the music.”
- “Absolutely astounding visuals where even flat images like posters and paintings are beautiful.”
- “However, the visuals got boring from time to time as you saw the red and white fractal pattern all over the place; more variation would have been nice.”
- “The character movements and the graphics/texture of the map feel sluggish and unfinished.”
- “The puzzles are one-note, the writing is pretentious, and the visuals are garish.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
32%
14%
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the visuals, with many reviewers noting its emotional resonance and fitting nature. While some find it repetitive or tedious, the majority appreciate its quality and integration into the gameplay experience, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the game. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, elevating the game's artistic and narrative elements.
- “Incredible visuals, voice acting and soundtrack, satisfying puzzles and a story that really resonated with me and had me sobbing by the end.”
- “Recursive ruin is a trippy, mind-bending puzzle game with an expressive, engaging narrative, beautiful graphics, and an amazing soundtrack.”
- “Great music, astonishing visuals and character designs, and really well-thought architecture.”
- “The music is very tedious - I found myself putting the music volume to 0 and just listening to some other relaxing music.”
- “If they could lose the meta-drama on top of the game, there would be a beautiful puzzle game, with a fantastic (albeit repetitive) soundtrack.”
- “Retried the game music now and then with new levels but it really doesn't add to the atmosphere of the game.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
90%
10%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as both heavy and impactful, with a narrative that explores themes of trauma and familial abuse, particularly through the protagonist's relationship with their father. While some players find the story to be heart-wrenching and beautifully crafted, others criticize it for being overly dramatic and detracting from the gameplay experience, leading to a mixed reception regarding its emotional depth. Overall, the game attempts to deliver a meaningful narrative but risks becoming melodramatic, overshadowing its puzzle elements.
- “This game is incredibly heavy emotionally, incredibly gorgeous and makes you think pretty hard and adjust what you know about spaces, and is full of confusion.”
- “A heart-wrenching game that takes playing the whole thing through to understand the story.”
- “And I was not expecting at all for the game to tell such a dramatic and emotional story.”
- “Super janky physics, a boring story that is presented in a way that feels weirdly self-important, and dull puzzles overall make for a rather disappointing time.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively long and tedious, often feeling like filler that detracts from the overall experience. The repetitive nature of NPC interactions, lengthy soundscapes, and frustrating puzzles contribute to a sense of monotony, leading some to mute the music entirely. Overall, the grinding elements are criticized for lacking engagement and efficiency.
- “They're far too long for what they are, can be tedious and don't offer much to the story; they feel like filler.”
- “Though having to tell the NPCs to continue talking every few sentences did get tedious.”
- “The music is very tedious - I found myself putting the music volume to 0 and just listening to some other relaxing music.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its eerie music and impressive sound design, which effectively enhance the experience. While some visuals and effects are highlighted as exceptional, the overall mood leans towards a depressive and abstract tone, though opinions on the music's contribution to the atmosphere are mixed.
- “The eerie music matches the atmosphere perfectly.”
- “The sound design is perfect for the atmosphere, and the visuals and effects of some levels were hands-down the best I've seen in any game.”
- “What it does deliver is a depressive atmosphere and abstract melodrama.”
- “Retried the game music now and then with new levels, but it really doesn't add to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “I enjoyed the puzzles and the atmosphere, but the ending was disappointing.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it offers visually appealing environments, players report performance issues in larger story areas. Additionally, the separation of levels from backgrounds may contribute to these performance limitations, though the overall audio design is well-received.
- “The music and sound design are great, contributing to the overall experience.”
- “I'm guessing the reason for the limitation is both for performance reasons and to make it less confusing separating the level from the background.”
- “Visually a delight, albeit some performance issues in more spacious story-based areas.”
- “The voice acting is mixed; a bit stiff, and the plot-within-a-plot never really makes sense.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
While the character designs are visually captivating and contribute to an intriguing narrative arc, the actual character development is limited, as they primarily engage in repetitive animations and dialogue without significant progression.
- “I'm here for the whole demon cat vs celestial being arc, and the character design is so intriguing and otherworldly. Absolutely play this game.”
- “The character designs were fascinating, but they don't do much other than float in place with looped animations and talk.”
- “I felt like the characters lacked depth; their development was predictable and uninspired.”
- “The interactions between characters were shallow, making it hard to connect with their stories.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky premise, with users noting its amusing take on the puzzle genre through a funny fractal theme.
- “I saw a funny fractal game, touting itself as a puzzle game.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's stability has been criticized for its janky and buggy implementation, which detracts from the otherwise interesting gameplay mechanics.
- “The gameplay mechanics are interesting, but the implementation feels janky and buggy at times.”
- “I frequently encounter crashes that disrupt my gaming experience.”
- “The game often freezes during critical moments, making it frustrating to play.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players find that Recursive Ruin offers high replayability due to its unique fractal design, which allows for varied exploration and problem-solving experiences with each playthrough. The innovative mechanics encourage players to revisit levels to uncover new strategies and solutions, enhancing the game's longevity.
- “Recursive Ruin is a first-person narrative-driven puzzle game where the entire playable level is a giant fractal of itself, shifted 0 or 180 degrees. This unique design creates a captivating experience that encourages players to explore and replay levels from different angles.”
- “The game's intricate mechanics and layered puzzles provide endless opportunities for discovery, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
- “With its innovative level design and narrative depth, Recursive Ruin invites players to revisit and uncover new strategies, ensuring high replayability.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replaying it feel like a chore rather than an adventure.”
- “Once you've solved the puzzles, there's little incentive to go back and experience them again.”
- “The narrative doesn't change on subsequent playthroughs, which diminishes the excitement of replaying.”