Sensorium

About

Sensorium is a single player open world puzzle game. It was developed by tcordle and was released on August 28, 2020. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Sensorium is a single-player, open world game that immerses players in a mysterious, abandoned world. The game stays true to the Myst-vania genre, with no direct explanations given and a focus on exploration, puzzle-solving, and discovery. Players must use their senses to uncover clues and figure out how to return home."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 320 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

optimization2 negative mentions

Sensorium offers a unique and engaging puzzle experience centered around the five senses, with clever mechanics that keep players thinking.
The game features a variety of puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge without becoming overly frustrating.
The simple yet effective art style and calming soundtrack create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.

Some puzzles, particularly in the sound and smell areas, can be overly challenging or confusing, leading to frustration for players.
The game may require note-taking for certain puzzles, which can detract from the flow of gameplay and make it feel tedious.
There are inconsistencies in puzzle clarity and difficulty, with some puzzles feeling unfair or poorly communicated.

gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The gameplay in Sensorium is a delightful exploration of puzzle mechanics that effectively engages four of the five senses, offering a variety of clever interactions and a gradual increase in difficulty. While some mechanics, particularly those related to taste and memorization, may feel less innovative or tedious, the overall experience is enjoyable and reminiscent of titles like The Witness, with a non-linear structure that allows for creative problem-solving. Despite some rough edges in its 2D art, the game successfully combines simple mechanics into a captivating journey for puzzle enthusiasts.
- “Sensorium is a puzzle game about the 5 senses, and the gameplay hits 4 of 5 senses quite well.”
- “I found all of my time with the game to be a total delight, the mechanics were interesting and explained well without a single piece of text, each area innovated on its concepts brilliantly and led to some magnificent puzzles.”
- “Overall, a very enjoyable exploration puzzle game with a nice variety of mechanics.”
- “As for the actual puzzles that did have consistent, reoccurring mechanics, very few of them were worthwhile.”
- “Normally this would mean you'd just dislike 20-40% of the game, but then they mix it up so those bad mechanics appear in the other style of puzzles as well, ruining the rest of the game at one point, so more than half the game is ruined with them.”
- “They are not trivial, but there aren't many that feel like deep, clever investigations of the puzzle mechanics, and the mechanics themselves are not too novel.”
graphics
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
76%
8%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple and minimalist art style that enhances puzzle visibility and understanding, allowing players to focus on gameplay rather than the environment. While some reviewers noted the visuals as "programmer art" or lacking in finesse compared to other titles, many appreciated the clean design and calming ambiance, which effectively supports the puzzle-solving experience. Overall, the graphics are deemed adequate for the game's purpose, with some unique ideas and a pleasant aesthetic that complements the gameplay.
- “The art style is vivid and cel-shaded, all things I like to see in a video game.”
- “A fantastic mixture of puzzles, secrets, logic gates, clean simple art style, calming music, and a lot of colorful buttons to press.”
- “The simple aesthetic helps distinguish visual elements while also providing contextual clues, and there are additional accessibility options for the color and tone-based puzzles.”
- “The ambiance is chill, but the somewhat grating graphical style and clunky player movement don't do the game any favors.”
- “Ehhh it's basically The Witness, but the puzzles aren't as interesting and the visuals/world are light years behind.”
- “The graphics are basically 'programmer art', but still an enjoyable game.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it pleasant and calming, enhancing the overall atmosphere, while others criticize it as sharp and lacking subtlety, detracting from the experience. Accessibility options, such as a tone-deaf mode, are appreciated, especially for those less musically inclined. Overall, while the soundtrack has its strengths, including variations based on location, some players feel it could be improved, particularly regarding the length of music loops.
- “The environments and soundtrack are extremely pleasant and relaxing.”
- “A fantastic mixture of puzzles, secrets, logic gates, clean simple art style, calming music, and a lot of colorful buttons to press.”
- “The soundtrack is excellent and has interesting variations depending on your location.”
- “Speaking of the music, I think the game's music is, unfortunately, its weakest point -- it's too sharp and not subtle enough, and somewhat ruins the atmosphere of the game, especially in the touch area.”
- “The music loops were a little short in some areas, which is unfortunate because the music was actually quite well suited to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Please note that this game would be very difficult to complete for someone who is hard of hearing or visually impaired; I had to turn up the brightness and turn down the music to sufficiently perceive certain puzzles.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The story in Sensorium is primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling and the discovery of objects related to the puzzle areas, rather than a traditional narrative with characters or dialogue. While players appreciate the intriguing elements and the atmosphere, many feel that the story lacks depth and cohesion, often leading to an unceremonious conclusion after solving puzzles. Overall, the game is recommended for puzzle enthusiasts who enjoy uncovering a subtle backstory amidst engaging gameplay.
- “Sensorium is a satisfying gameplay experience with enough story to be intrigued by, solid content to have hours of fun with, and a ton of extra secrets to find afterwards.”
- “I remember seeing this game on Reddit and thinking something like 'huh, maybe it's worth a shot' and boy it was. The game is incredible so far, really clever and well-thought-out puzzles, and there seems to be some kind of story going on within the game and some secret areas that I still have to uncover, which I think is a major plus point.”
- “There is no actual story in itself, but lots of objects here and there about the puzzle areas' development.”
- “Admittedly, there doesn't seem to be much story to put together - you solve all the puzzle buildings, complete the endgame, and then you win unceremoniously. The puzzles and the general atmosphere (and the soundtrack, which is surprisingly good) are all very enjoyable, and I did get a lot out of this, though I'm not sure exactly how much it'll stick in the memory either.”
- “All in all, I highly recommend this game to puzzle lovers who enjoy the unfolding of an experience, without dialogue or characters, and with mere suggestions of a backstory.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its mysterious and inviting qualities, enhancing the overall experience beyond the puzzles. However, the music is a point of contention, with some finding it too sharp and not subtle enough, which detracts from the atmosphere, despite others appreciating its suitability. Overall, the environment is engaging and encourages exploration, though the lack of a strong narrative may affect its lasting impact.
- “The music loops were a little short in some areas, which is unfortunate because the music was actually quite well suited to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Not quite as ambitious in scope as those, but tightly designed intelligent puzzles and an atmosphere of mystery to encourage deeper exploration and understanding successfully give this game the same feeling.”
- “Speaking of the music, I think the game's music is, unfortunately, its weakest point -- it's too sharp and not subtle enough, and somewhat ruins the atmosphere of the game, especially in the touch area.”
- “It's hard to capture the mysterious but inviting atmosphere that this game has, which elevates it beyond its puzzles.”
- “Admittedly, there doesn't seem to be much story to put together - you solve all the puzzle buildings, complete the endgame, and then you win unceremoniously - the puzzles and the general atmosphere (and the soundtrack, which is surprisingly good) are all very enjoyable, and I did get a lot out of this, though I'm not sure exactly how much it'll stick in the memory either.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
62%
25%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised, with players reporting solid performance at 4K max settings and no significant bugs or issues. Some users noted minor performance dips related to VRAM usage, but many expressed a willingness to trade some performance for improved graphical quality, such as higher quality shadow maps.
- “I didn't encounter any issues with performance or bugs in my playthrough.”
- “Given the game takes up a whopping 1.29GB, I would happily 'pay' the performance cost for some higher quality shadow maps.”
- “Performance was solid throughout playing at 4K max settings, with only minor dips due to VRAM usage (I think).”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by a significant amount of tediousness, particularly due to the over-reliance on memorization as a puzzle mechanic, which detracts from the overall challenge. While puzzle enthusiasts may find enjoyment in the obscure secrets, the experience is often marred by lengthy and repetitive elements.
- “It is long and tedious.”
- “Mostly tedious.”
- “I would say this was a fun time for a puzzle-lover looking for something like The Witness (though this is quite a lot easier), with its weakest element being its over-use of memorization as a puzzle mechanic, which is more tedious than challenging.”