Somber

About

Somber is a single player platformer game with a horror theme. It was developed by Mikaela Marti and was released on October 12, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

Somber is an atmospheric action-platformer that takes place in the semi-open world of Gloom. A hand-painted game filled with stunning environments, Somber demands absolute precision from players who wish to unlock its many secrets.

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 12 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Beautiful and charming art style with fascinating backgrounds and a moody, atmospheric environment.
Accessible and fluid gameplay, with multiple platforming abilities unlocked over time and plenty of checkpoints.
Runs well on platforms like Steam Deck with solid performance, fitting music, and voiceover narration enhancing the experience.

The game is short with limited depth, leading some players to feel it is more like a demo and less fulfilling in terms of content.
Some gameplay mechanics, such as the dash and wall cling, feel unpolished and restrict exploration.
Controls can feel limiting, with lack of mouse support and some issues in level design and story coherence, including a confusing plot.

story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The story is atmospheric and enhanced by fitting music and voiceovers, but it feels loosely developed with a confusing ending that may leave players uncertain if they've reached the true conclusion. Many wish for a longer, more detailed narrative similar to games like Ori, expressing hope for future expansions or deeper storytelling.
- “The game features very fitting atmospheric background music and sounds, as well as a voiceover to guide the player through the story.”
- “I like this game a lot and hope there is more like it, or more to the story in the future.”
- “The plot is loosely sketched and ends with a twist I don't even really understand.”
- “Love the story feeling but I don't think I reached the true ending?”
- “Longer story and more abilities like Ori would improve the experience.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful, cohesive art style, featuring detailed environment art, character design, and a striking color palette. While some find the visuals somewhat one-note, the overall aesthetic effectively enhances the mood and complements the gameplay, making for a visually engaging experience.
- “I really love this aesthetics: the whole environment art, character, VFX, and color palette.”
- “Nice and fun game with beautiful visuals!”
- “A fun and challenging platformer with an incredibly moody and somber art style!”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay features familiar metroidvania mechanics like unlocking abilities such as double jump and dash, with a notable grapple mechanic that has potential but feels underpolished. While it offers decent value and some replayability, the moment-to-moment gameplay experience is generally seen as lacking compared to similar titles. Overall, gameplay alone may disappoint, but combined with visuals and story, it holds more appeal.
- “The gameplay of 'Somber' reminded me a lot of other metroidvanias like Ori and Hollow Knight - abilities are unlocked as you play the game like double jump, dash, etc.”
- “I picked up 'Somber' during the Steam Autumn Sale for around 5 bucks which is great value for around 1 hour of gameplay and even some replayability to collect all in-game upgrades and items.”
- “And there are some platforming ideas here - the grapple mechanic is pretty cool and with some polish could be used in interesting ways.”
- “The gameplay of "Somber" reminded me a lot of other metroidvanias like Ori and Hollow Knight - abilities are unlocked as you play the game, like double jump, dash, etc.”
- “If you consider just the gameplay and the story, I'd say no.”
- “If you look at how much effort was put into the visuals, and then add the gameplay and the story, then maybe yes.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praise the game’s atmosphere for its charming, artfully designed world and fascinating backgrounds. The fitting background music, sounds, and voiceover effectively enhance the immersive experience and storytelling.
- “A charming, short game - I loved the atmosphere of the world; the backgrounds are fascinating works of art.”
- “The game features very fitting atmospheric background music and sounds, as well as a voiceover to guide the player through the story.”
- “Love the atmosphere that is built in this game.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's music is praised for its atmospheric background tracks and complementary sound effects, enhancing the immersive experience. Additionally, voiceovers effectively guide players through the story, contributing to the overall engaging and beautiful presentation.
- “The game features very fitting atmospheric background music and sounds, as well as a voiceover to guide the player through the story.”
- “This game is beautiful with both music and scenery!”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game runs smoothly and reliably on the Steam Deck, demonstrating strong stability without notable issues.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers good replayability through collecting upgrades and items, providing additional value beyond its roughly one-hour gameplay. It is considered a worthwhile purchase, especially at a discounted price.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features excellent optimization with fast loading times, smooth performance, and no stuttering or crashes reported. Users experience seamless gameplay without any technical issues.
- “Excellent loading times, no stuttering or crashes, no issues whatsoever.”