Sands

About

Sands is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Alex Hutkouski and was released on March 7, 2023. It received negative reviews from players.

"The sands have no pity." The inhabitants of Zetta-115 often say that. The same they instill in their children from an early age. And this is what they whisper about, sitting in their dilapidated shacks, waiting for the impending storm...

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

37%

Audience ScoreBased on 92 reviews

story13 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game has a good atmosphere and visuals, reminiscent of Dune, which some players found enjoyable.
The story and world-building elements are interesting, providing a narrative that some players appreciated.
It's a free game, making it accessible for players who want to try a short walking simulator experience.

The gameplay is often tedious, with long stretches of walking and slow pacing that can lead to boredom.
Many players experienced frustrating bugs, including soft locks and issues with puzzles that hindered progress.
The puzzles are often seen as pointless or overly simplistic, detracting from the overall experience.

story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
33%
13%
The story of the game is generally considered interesting and atmospheric, with a rich lore that enhances the experience. However, many players feel that the storytelling is shallow and lacks depth, often overshadowed by tedious gameplay mechanics that detract from the narrative. While the visuals and initial backstory are praised, the overall execution leaves players wanting more substantial content and engagement.
- “I enjoyed the storytelling and atmosphere; the game brings to life a whole universe rather than just one desert.”
- “The deep story and the exciting features create a pleasant atmosphere, and time flies by while playing.”
- “The story rich lore of the planet falls smoothly into its gameplay and journey through the sands.”
- “Tl;dr: tedious mess, it kinda felt like the developer wanted to tell a story rather than making a game.”
- “The story he gives you is too shallow to really care about.”
- “The story has some potential and the visuals are good but the game itself is boring.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
10%
20%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the visuals and atmosphere, often likening them to a "Dune vibe." While some appreciate the world-building and overall aesthetic, others criticize the lack of detail in certain elements and describe the graphics as occasionally lazy or simplistic. Overall, the game is noted for its good visuals, but opinions vary on their execution and impact on gameplay.
- “I like the world building of the game, the back stories, the graphics are really good; they really give me a Dune vibe.”
- “This is a free game with some nice visuals.”
- “Amazing atmosphere and visuals.”
- “The story has some potential and the visuals are good, but the game itself is boring.”
- “Visuals are just as lazy; the endless desert looks fine enough, but you'd think that in a game where you're surrounded by sand and are riding a single rail cart to occasionally encounter some broken down debris, you'd have the models for those limited number of things be highly detailed. However, that's not the case, as they all look very primitive and simple.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The gameplay is well-integrated with the story and lore, enhancing the overall experience, but some players find the mechanics lacking, particularly the requirement to move straight to sprint instead of allowing strafing. Additionally, there are calls for improved visual mechanics, suggesting that the gameplay may feel superficial at times.
- “The story-rich lore of the planet falls smoothly into its gameplay and journey through the sands.”
- “The game mechanics are perfectly fine for this game; however, I didn't like that you had to be moving straight to sprint rather than being able to strafe and sprint.”
- “The game needs better-looking mechanics.”
- “Is it just gameplay for the sake of gameplay?”
- “35 minutes of gameplay!”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive storytelling and ability to create a vivid universe, enhancing the player's experience of survival and tension. While the visuals and soundtrack contribute significantly to the overall ambiance, some players express a desire for additional atmospheric elements, such as fog, to enhance depth. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, though pacing issues with puzzles may detract from the experience.
- “I enjoyed the storytelling and atmosphere; the game brings to life a whole universe rather than just one desert.”
- “The narration brings you further into the overall atmosphere of surviving and making it to your destination, along with the terror and struggle of a certain moment in the game (no spoilers).”
- “The narration immerses you deeper into the overall atmosphere of survival and the struggle to reach your destination, capturing the terror of certain moments in the game (no spoilers).”
- “Loving the soundtrack and atmosphere, taking it all in.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with repetitive puzzles and tasks that detract from the storytelling experience. What begins as an engaging narrative quickly devolves into a series of monotonous challenges, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Overall, the grinding feels more like a barrier to the story than a meaningful gameplay element.
- “I like walking sims, but this game is tedious for the sake of being tedious.”
- “After completing that, you continue and get a loading screen. I thought this meant the game would finally start and not just tedious puzzles, but no.”
- “What starts off as a rather interesting story-driven game becomes tedious, especially when you encounter the worm underground and have to keep moving while trying to find and fit batteries into a vault door.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting frequent glitches that can disrupt gameplay, while others have experienced no issues at all. Notably, certain puzzles, like the door puzzle, are highlighted as particularly prone to bugs. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary significantly among players.
- “I personally experienced no glitches at all.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or interruptions.”
- “I've played for hours without encountering any stability issues.”
- “One is whether the game glitches out on you and makes you start a new game.”
- “Boring and buggy.”
- “Pointless door puzzle that glitches more often than not.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The music in the game is highly praised for its immersive soundtrack and atmospheric qualities, making it a great choice for fans of the Dune series. Players appreciate the relaxing and ambient tunes, which enhance the overall experience, although some suggest that if the gameplay becomes frustrating, it's perfectly fine to simply enjoy the music alongside visuals of the game.
- “Loving the soundtrack and atmosphere, taking it all in.”
- “If you are a fan of the Dune series and have 30 or so minutes to spare, this is a good choice to spend it with (especially since it's free at the time of writing this). The ambient music enhances the experience, so if the puzzles start to take you out of it, don't feel ashamed to quit and just enjoy the visuals with the music.”
- “If you just want to vibe with the relaxing music reminiscent of Half-Life and Garry's Mod, go for it!”
- “If you are a fan of the Dune series and have 30 or so minutes to spare, this is a good choice to spend it with (especially since it's free at the time of writing this), but if at any moment the puzzles start to 'take you out of the experience', don't feel ashamed to quit the game and just go look at screenshots of it while listening to appropriate ambient music.”
- “Was just trying to see if those doors can kill me, but then again I found a glitch and now I'm outside of the map. Other than that, if you just want to vibe with the Half-Life/GMod/relaxing music, go for it.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game lacks replayability due to the absence of achievements and trading cards, which diminishes the incentive for players to revisit it.
- “Lastly, there's no achievements, no trading cards, and no replayability.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game raises concerns among users, as its quality is often compared to that of asset flips or cash grab scams, leading to skepticism about its value. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, players feel the need to approach the game's monetization with caution.
- “There's no evidence, so we need to give the benefit of the doubt... regardless, asset flip or not, the quality here is indistinguishable from many asset flip/cash grab scams, and that's a problem in itself.”