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
- The game features beautiful graphics and sound design, creating an immersive atmosphere.
- Puzzles are enjoyable and range from straightforward to challenging, providing a sense of accomplishment when solved.
- The story is deep and meaningful, addressing important themes like ocean pollution while being engaging and captivating.
- Gameplay can feel restrictive and unpolished, with clunky controls and unclear mechanics leading to frustration.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt the experience, including issues with interactions and respawning.
- Some players found the pacing and timing of certain sections to be overly precise, leading to repeated failures and a lack of enjoyment.
- story17 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's story is often highlighted as a strong point, featuring a simple yet enjoyable narrative set in a beautifully crafted environment, with themes of exploration and post-apocalyptic lore. While some players appreciate the depth and emotional resonance of the story, others criticize the vagueness of its presentation, which can lead to confusion in gameplay. Overall, the storytelling is a significant draw for those who prioritize narrative over gameplay mechanics.
“Adventure puzzle game with a beautiful environment and story.”
“The game has a deep story and lore about a post-apocalyptic world where the main character 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.”
“Everything about this game is horrible... no story, controls suck, couldn't take more than a half hour... deleted!”
“Especially if you like more story and not the gameplay.”
“- There are explanations through symbols but they are vague and misleading, which can result in wrong decisions for story progression that cannot be undone.”
- music10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players noting its relaxing qualities and how it complements the gameplay and story. While some mention that music is not always present, the soundtracks are described as moving and well-crafted, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. Overall, the combination of music, visuals, and narrative creates a captivating experience that players find enjoyable and immersive.
“Beautiful soundtracks; the game itself is great 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.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, making them a major highlight. While the visuals and animations are generally appealing, some users note that certain animations appear somewhat rough. Overall, the game's graphics complement its unique story and gameplay experience.
“Samudra, which means ocean in English, is a very graphically beautiful game.”
“Cute game with nice music, story, and visuals.”
“Come for the art style, stay for the unique story and puzzles.”
“- The graphics are obviously the main draw of this game, but be aware that some animations look quite raw still.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding the controls clunky and interaction mechanics poorly designed, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay. While the platforming elements are simple and accessible, the puzzles vary in difficulty, offering both straightforward and more challenging experiences. Overall, the visual style is praised, but those seeking a more refined gameplay experience may be disappointed.
“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.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Samudra" is highly praised, particularly for its evocative music that enhances the overall experience. Despite its flaws in gameplay, the game's immersive environment 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.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy, indicating frequent issues that disrupt gameplay.
“The game is incredibly buggy, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered numerous stability issues that disrupted my gaming experience.”
“Frequent crashes and glitches really detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- humor1 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 comedic elements are undermined by janky gameplay and overly precise timing requirements.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with puzzles that lack complexity, leading to a monotonous experience.
“The puzzles are very simple and tedious, often leading to a repetitive experience.”
“Grinding feels like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
“The repetitive nature of the tasks makes the grinding aspect feel monotonous.”
