Redactem

About

Redactem is a single player casual puzzle game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Elliott Jones and was released on August 1, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Redactem" is a demanding 2D platformer where players manipulate time and gravity to conquer intricate parkour puzzles. Levels are consistently updated for free, promising endless challenges that are addictive, albeit frustrating. Highly-rated on IndieGameStand prior to its shutdown, this cinematic space shooter guarantees a thrilling experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

65%

Audience ScoreBased on 164 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features creative mechanics like gravity manipulation and time rewinding, which add depth to the platforming experience.
The puzzles are engaging and provide a good challenge, making it a fun game for fans of the genre.
Despite its flaws, the game is enjoyable for its low price and can be completed in a short amount of time, making it a decent option for casual gaming.

The game suffers from significant control issues, including clunky movement and unresponsive jumping, which can lead to frustrating gameplay.
There are serious technical problems, such as frame rate dependency affecting gameplay, making it unplayable on higher refresh rate monitors.
The level design can be inconsistent, with some levels being overly difficult or poorly designed, leading to a lack of satisfaction in completing them.

gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
72%
6%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by innovative mechanics such as gravity manipulation and time rewinding, which offer a unique platforming experience. However, many players have noted issues with controls, hitbox sizes, and difficulty scaling, leading to frustration in later levels. While the game features creative puzzles and diverse levels, its execution often falls short, resulting in a mixed reception overall.
- “User-friendly gameplay, as you quickly get used to the commands.”
- “Gameplay focuses on gravity manipulation and time rewinding mechanics, requiring precision and quick reactions from the player.”
- “Despite its flaws, the game engages players with its innovative mechanics and diverse levels.”
- “The controls feel awkward, the hitboxes for everything feel way too big, so many gameplay bugs as well as the fact that having your game be anything over 60 fps makes it impossible due to missiles being impossibly fast.”
- “Redactem attempts to combine three mechanics in one: gravity flip mechanics, time reverse mechanics, and precision platforming mechanics, and it ultimately fails to deliver a good game due to the poor controls and the frustrating level design.”
- “At times this game borders on unplayable with its gameplay.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
58%
19%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the smoothness and charm of the visuals, while others criticize them as basic, clunky, or reminiscent of amateur designs. Many players note a lack of customization options and a general low quality that detracts from the overall experience. Despite the varied opinions, some find the graphics functional and fitting for the game's style, while others see them as a significant drawback.
- “The graphics are so good, I almost felt bad about obliterating everything in sight.”
- “Visually, the game had a charming and colorful art style that added a certain appeal.”
- “Before I talk directly about the graphics, I must give kudos to the designer who has done a splendid job creating an environment that is easy on the eyes and doesn't get annoying after the long play sessions I've had with the game (I die...a lot).”
- “Unfortunately, the game design and graphics are very repulsive - it looks as cheap as possible (nowadays we have learned how to make a cyberpunk-level picture for 30 rubles).”
- “The artwork here is terrible; it's a blend of old retro pixel 'art' used as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics, and some of the most amateurish MS Paint style drawings I've ever hurt my eyes on.”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to hire someone who can do graphics properly, or a lack of talent; regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low as a result of these decisions.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its intensity and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, likening it to a blend of epic orchestral and dubstep styles. However, others find it overly intense and repetitive, particularly criticizing its suitability for a puzzle-platformer, as it can become annoying during gameplay. Overall, while some enjoy the soundtrack's energy, others feel it detracts from the experience.
- “The soundtrack is amazing too - it's like Hans Zimmer and Skrillex had a baby and named it 'epic dubstep battle music.'”
- “The game's sound design was decent, with appropriate background music and sound effects that complemented the gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack for Redactem is great; it offers the user the kind of tunes that keep them going death after death and allowed me to continue my journey to the end of the game.”
- “The music is annoying as heck.”
- “It's basically a puzzle game with platforming thrown in, yet the music is 100% max-intensity boss fight music.”
- “Other than not being able to customize the settings a lot and the music that resets every time you die just to make you go insane, it's a good game.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game's story is largely overshadowed by its focus on gameplay, leading to a minimal or even non-existent narrative. While there are hints of potential charm and deeper themes, players feel that the storyline lacks depth and significance, reducing it to a mere backdrop for the gameplay experience.
- “There could've been so much charm within the world of Redactem and some hidden story behind game design and the character's powers.”
- “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.”
- “The game seemed to prioritize gameplay over story, resulting in a rather thin or non-existent storyline.”
- “There is no story, just simple plug-and-play gameplay.”
- “Story: the game primarily focuses on gameplay, with the story playing a minor role.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of this game has been heavily criticized as a cash grab, with reviewers accusing the developers of producing low-quality, asset-flipped games using pre-made templates and minimal effort. This practice is seen as unethical, contributing to a proliferation of shovelware on platforms like Steam, and undermining the overall quality of video games.
- “These guys do nothing but copy premade game templates and game tutorials, fill out a few things, stamp out basic levels using the construction kit templates, slap on an asset-flipped set of sprites/assets, and dump them on Steam and into cheap, nasty shovelware game bundles as cash grabs.”
- “Trying to get paid for someone else's game templates and assets... at best, this is shovelware; at worst, it's a scam and cash grab.”
- “This time it's Redactem, yet another of literally thousands of 2D retro pixel platformers infesting Steam and lowering the average quality of all video games everywhere. Badly made, minimal effort, a definite cash grab.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable, even amidst challenging gameplay. The character's movements and the game's parody elements, particularly referencing titles like "Super Meat Boy" and "VVVVV," contribute to its comedic appeal. Overall, the humor enhances the puzzle-solving experience, making it a delightful play.
- “Even if it's not that easy, it was pretty funny to play and finish.”
- “It's really good; it gets you to think. A very nice puzzle game, and the way the character moves is so funny.”
- “A funny parody of Super Meat Boy and VVVVVV.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Redactem is praised for its low hardware requirements, enabling smooth performance on a wide range of modern computers.
- “Redactem does not have high hardware requirements, allowing for smooth performance on most modern computers.”
- “The game runs exceptionally well even on lower-end systems, making it accessible to a wider audience.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by how well-optimized the game is; it maintains a steady frame rate without any noticeable lag.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
The sound design effectively complements the game's atmosphere, successfully setting the tone for each level, even if it lacks memorability. Overall, it serves its purpose in enhancing the immersive experience.
- “The sound design, while not particularly memorable, perfectly fits the game's atmosphere.”
- “Although not particularly memorable, the audio elements effectively set the tone and atmosphere of each level.”
- “While not particularly memorable, they did their job in setting the tone and atmosphere of each level.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the game's collision detection, noting that it can lead to unexpected deaths from saw blades, which detracts from the emotional immersion and can create feelings of unfairness and annoyance.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the puzzle elements of the game, but find the grinding experience frustrating due to unresponsive controls that make platforming feel tedious.
- “The puzzle part of this game is great, but the controls are not responsive, making the platforming tedious.”