SAMUDRA
- September 28, 2021
- Khayalan arts
Get on Steam"Samudra" is a single-player fantasy platformer game with a good plot. It is an environmentally focused 2D puzzle game, featuring hand-illustrated underwater creatures and a polluted sea. 100% of profits from the game's sales in June support ocean conservation organizations in Indonesia. Samudra is a winner of the Unity for Humanity Grant.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Beautiful art and music that create an engaging atmosphere.
- Puzzles are challenging yet satisfying to solve, providing a sense of accomplishment.
- The game delivers a meaningful story about ocean pollution, making it thought-provoking.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks fluidity, with clunky controls and unresponsive inputs.
- Many players experienced bugs and glitches that hindered the overall experience.
- Some puzzles lack clear instructions, leading to frustration and confusion during gameplay.
- story34 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is often highlighted as a strong point, featuring a deep and engaging narrative set in a post-apocalyptic underwater world, complemented by beautiful visuals and music. While many players appreciate the simple yet enjoyable storytelling, some criticize the vague symbolism that can lead to confusion in story progression. Overall, the narrative is seen as a key attraction, especially for those who prioritize story over gameplay.
“The game has a deep story and lore about a post-apocalyptic world where the main character, a kid, lives underwater and explores what really happened to the ocean across the world.”
“The character and creature designs are adorable, the environments are gorgeous, and the story is melancholy and sobering.”
“Come for the art style, stay for the unique story and puzzles.”
“Everything about this game is horrible... no story, controls suck, couldn't take more than a half hour... deleted!”
“- There are explanations through symbols but they are vague and misleading, which can result in wrong decisions for story progression that cannot be undone.”
“Especially if you like more story and not the gameplay.”
- music20 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players finding it relaxing and complementary to the gameplay. While some noted that music is not always present, the soundtracks are described as beautiful and fitting, contributing significantly to the emotional depth of the experience. Overall, the combination of music, art, and gameplay creates a charming and immersive environment that players appreciate.
“Beautiful soundtracks; the game itself is too.”
“Relaxing music, deep story, good puzzle game.”
“There is some music, but not all the time.”
“The music adds so much to the atmosphere of Samudra; it really complements it.”
“I hope the soundtrack of this game wins Steam Game Awards.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Samudra" are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, making them a standout feature of the game. While the visuals and animations are generally well-received, some players note that certain animations appear somewhat rough. Overall, the game's graphics, combined with its music and story, create an appealing experience, though gameplay may feel limited.
“Samudra, which means ocean in English, is a very graphically beautiful game.”
“Come for the art style, stay for the unique story and puzzles.”
“Cute game with nice music, story, and visuals.”
“- The graphics are obviously the main draw of this game, but be aware that some animations look quite raw still.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many users noting clunky controls and poorly designed interaction mechanics, particularly with ladders, which detracted from the overall experience. While the platforming elements are simple and accessible, the puzzles vary in difficulty and can be enjoyable to solve, though the emphasis on story over gameplay may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the visual style is praised, but the unrefined mechanics hinder the game's potential for suspenseful moments.
“Simple platformer gameplay with easy hints on what to do next.”
“Plus, the visual style is great and the game mechanics are easy to play (you just need to focus on pressing the spacebar, arrow keys, and combinations of these two types of buttons on the keyboard).”
“Gameplay-wise, the puzzles range from straightforward to obtuse, but are still enjoyable to solve.”
“The controls were also pretty clunky, and the mechanics felt unrefined.”
“I died a lot due to control mechanics, so the suspenseful moments and chase scenes were pretty meh.”
“Ladder and other interaction mechanics are not designed well.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Samudra" is highly praised, particularly for its evocative music that enhances the immersive experience. Despite its flaws in gameplay, the game's rich atmosphere captivates players, making it a recommended choice for fans of atmospheric walking simulators.
“The music adds so much to the atmosphere of Samudra; it really complements it.”
“This game is by no means perfect, and you should not expect high-quality platforming aspects, but I would highly recommend this game to people who love atmospheric walking simulator-type games.”
“It's quite rare for me to finish a game with so many flaws, but the world still has an atmosphere that made me keep going.”
“It's quite rare for me that I finish a game with so many flaws, but the world still has an atmosphere that made me keep going.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with multiple users reporting frequent bugs that significantly impact gameplay.
“The game is incredibly buggy.”
“There are numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay.”
“The stability issues make it hard to enjoy the game.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often overshadowed by frustrating mechanics and unclear design, leading players to feel that the challenges are more irritating than amusing. Many users express that the game's janky mechanics and the need for precise timing detract from any comedic elements, making the experience less enjoyable.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with puzzles that are overly simple and lack variety, leading to a monotonous experience.
“The puzzles are very simple and tedious, often feeling repetitive.”
“The grinding aspect of the game is incredibly monotonous and lacks variety.”
“The repetitive nature of the tasks makes the grinding feel like a chore rather than an engaging experience.”
