RUN: The world in-between

About

"RUN: The World In-Between" is a fast-paced platform game with procedurally-generated levels, drawing inspiration from Celeste, Dead Cells, and others. Dodge traps, collect gems for unlocks, and improve your score in this challenging and replayable experience. The game offers accessibility options and a speedrunner mode, with artistic direction by Encre Mecanique and music by Thomas Barrandon.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews

music22 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

The game features fluid controls and tight platforming mechanics, making it enjoyable for speedrunning and parkour enthusiasts.
The pixel art and animations are visually appealing, complemented by an upbeat and immersive soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
The procedurally generated levels provide a unique challenge each run, encouraging players to improve their skills and adapt to new obstacles.

The difficulty spikes too quickly, making it frustrating for players who may not be able to practice specific sections due to the random generation of levels.
The procedural generation can lead to repetitive gameplay, as players may feel like they are grinding through similar sections without the opportunity to learn and master them.
Some mechanics, like wall grabbing, can feel unresponsive, leading to unnecessary deaths and hindering the overall fluidity of movement.

music
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
38%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its upbeat and engaging quality, perfectly complementing the fast-paced gameplay and enhancing the overall experience. Many players noted that the soundtrack is so enjoyable that they would consider listening to it outside of the game, with some even comparing it to the best indie soundtracks. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's atmosphere, making it addictive and enjoyable despite the challenging gameplay.
- “It matched the vibe perfectly and was honestly something I would bump while working if I downloaded the soundtrack.”
- “Music is top-notch (I'd say rivalling some of the best indies out there), stunning pixel-art and animations that get you hyped!”
- “This game would be incredible if it took a more level-based story approach, perhaps reaching different locations and slowing down with some different music and focusing more on dialogue.”
- “Apart from that, the art style is so coherent with the game as well as the sound/music.”
- “Hard as hell, but you can't really get mad while that soundtrack bops in the background.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
39%
11%
The gameplay is characterized by engaging platforming mechanics reminiscent of titles like Celeste, featuring a unique mechanic where players are pursued by a clone that mimics their movements, adding a layer of urgency. While the core mechanics are well-received and the aesthetic is visually appealing, some players find the procedural generation in later levels can lead to frustration due to inconsistent difficulty. Overall, the game offers a satisfying and addictive experience for fans of the die-and-retry genre.
- “The gameplay loop will keep you playing for a good while and losing track of time.”
- “Fun platformer in the style of Celeste, with an interesting level progression mechanic.”
- “I feel like this game has its own identity, very pleasing to the eye, and the animations are really satisfying to look at and work well with the gameplay and the pace of the game.”
- “Some base mechanics like wall jumps exist, but dashes reset on wall jumps here, unlike in Celeste.”
- “This game is not designed for lore and you have to love die & retry mechanics to embrace it completely.”
- “The procedural generation mechanic does get old in the late game where you keep dying to difficult rooms, yet the RNG doesn't favor you enough to let you practice consecutively, and thus the end game feels like rolling for a combination of easier rooms to pass a level.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their beautiful and coherent art style, which avoids a pixelated look while maintaining visual appeal. Reviewers appreciate the attention to detail and the seamless integration of graphics with sound and music, noting that the aesthetic remains fresh despite the frequent use of certain assets. Overall, the presentation is considered impressive and enhances the gaming experience.
- “The art style looks really good without looking 'too pixelated'.”
- “Beautiful graphics.”
- “Apart from that, the art style is so coherent with the game as well as the sound/music.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers high replayability due to its semi-randomized levels, four difficulty modes, and an endless mode, making it particularly appealing for speedrunners and completionists. Players can expect to find new challenges and surprises even after completing the main content.
- “This is a really polished speedrunning-focused platformer with a ton of replayability in the form of semi-randomized levels and 4 difficulty modes, in addition to an endless mode.”
- “I finished it around the 3h40m mark only to be surprised with... actually, better that I don't spoil anyone, but just know that there is replayability to the title.”
- “The replay value is quite high if you're after 100% completion.”
- “I finished it around the 3h40m mark only to be surprised with.... actually, better that I don't spoil anyone but just know that there is replayability to the title.”
- “[*] Replay value: quite high if you're after 100%.”
- “Notes: really polished speedrunning focused platformer with a ton of replayability in the form of semi-randomized levels and 4 difficulty modes, in addition to an endless mode.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is perceived as minimal but effectively sets the mood for the game. Reviewers suggest that a more structured, level-based narrative with varied locations, music, and dialogue could significantly enhance the overall experience.
- “This game would be incredible if it took a more level-based story approach, perhaps reaching different locations and slowing down with some different music and focusing more on dialogue.”
- “The story seems minimal, but at least sets the mood well.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game repetitive and tedious, often feeling stuck in a loop of replaying the same levels, which hinders the enjoyment of learning new patterns.
- “It literally feels like you're grinding the same level over and over again.”
- “This just makes training some new patterns tedious.”