Sensorium

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 334 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Sensorium offers a unique and engaging experience with puzzles based on the five senses, providing a refreshing take on the genre.
The game features a variety of clever puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty, rewarding players with a sense of accomplishment.
The minimalist art style and calming soundtrack create an inviting atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.

Some puzzles, particularly in the sound and smell areas, can be frustratingly difficult or poorly communicated, leading to confusion.
The game may require note-taking for certain puzzles, which can detract from the immersion and flow of gameplay.
While the game is enjoyable, it is relatively short, and some players may find the lack of depth in the story and world disappointing.

gameplay
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The gameplay of Sensorium is praised for its engaging puzzle mechanics that creatively explore the theme of the five senses, with most puzzles being enjoyable and well-integrated. While some mechanics, particularly related to taste and touch, are seen as less effective, the overall experience is described as delightful and innovative, offering a non-linear exploration of puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty. Despite some criticisms regarding memorization and the depth of certain mechanics, the game is considered a fun and clever journey for puzzle enthusiasts, reminiscent of titles like The Witness.
- “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
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
7%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist and simple art style that enhances puzzle visibility and understanding, allowing players to focus on gameplay rather than aesthetics. While some reviewers noted the visuals as appearing cheap or amateurish, others appreciated the clean design and vibrant colors, which contribute to a calming ambiance. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose effectively, though there are calls for more polish and refinement in certain areas.
- “The art style, in its simplicity and smoothness, makes one focus more on the puzzle rather than the world surrounding them.”
- “A fantastic mixture of puzzles, secrets, logic gates, clean simple art style, calming music, and a lot of colorful buttons to press.”
- “The graphics here are pretty good, especially for a team this size.”
- “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
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
50%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it pleasant and immersive, while others criticize it as the weakest aspect, describing it as sharp and lacking subtlety. Many appreciate the calming soundtrack that complements the puzzle-solving experience, although some note that the music loops can be short and may not suit all players, particularly those with hearing difficulties. Overall, while the music enhances the atmosphere for some, it detracts from the experience for others, highlighting the game's accessibility options as a valuable feature.
- “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.”
- “Most puzzles are well designed but I did encounter a few flawed ones, most of them being related to hearing puzzles that can be tedious for someone who doesn't have an ear for musical tones.”
- “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.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
39%
17%
The story in Sensorium is minimal and primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling, with players discovering hints and secrets as they progress through the game. While some reviewers appreciated the intriguing elements of the narrative, many noted that the focus is more on challenging puzzles and atmospheric gameplay rather than a cohesive story. Overall, it appeals to puzzle enthusiasts who enjoy an experience that unfolds without traditional dialogue or character development.
- “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
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its mysterious and inviting qualities, enhancing the overall experience despite a lack of narrative depth. While the world and environment are engaging, the music is often criticized for being too sharp and not subtle enough, detracting from the atmosphere in some areas. Overall, the combination of enjoyable puzzles and a captivating atmosphere makes the game appealing, though the music's shortcomings are noted as a drawback.
- “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.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of well-designed puzzles and tedious elements, particularly those relying on memorization and musical tones, which can frustrate players. While puzzle enthusiasts may find enjoyment in the challenge, many reviews highlight the overall experience as lengthy and often tedious, detracting from the game's potential.
- “Good puzzle game with some obscure secrets, but also some obnoxiously tedious bits.”
- “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.”
- “It is long and tedious.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
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 off 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 1.29 GB, I would happily 'pay' the performance cost for some higher quality shadow maps.”
- “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).”

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