SoundSelf

SoundSelf is a single-player simulation game that uses your voice to generate a mesmerizing world of sounds and visuals, creating an exhilarating journey into altered states of consciousness. This unique experience, backed by cognitive neuro-science, takes you through a tunnel of light, shapes, and meditative trance, while your own voice harmonizes with the emergent music. Dim the lights, turn up the volume, and let your voice guide you through an immersive odyssey of color and sound.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

SoundSelf offers a unique and immersive meditation experience that effectively helps users achieve a relaxed state of mind.
The audio-visual feedback from the program is engaging, allowing users to explore their voice and create a personalized meditative journey.
Many users report that SoundSelf has significantly improved their meditation practice, helping them focus and feel more centered.

The game is criticized for being underdeveloped, with limited content and functionality, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness.
Technical issues, such as bugs and poor microphone recognition, can disrupt the experience and detract from immersion.
Many reviewers feel that the price point is too high for the current state of the software, suggesting it should be more affordable given its limitations.

graphics
29 mentions
28 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are described as visually striking and beautifully executed, with a mix of 3D environments and 2D visualizer-like sequences that enhance the meditation experience. However, some users noted issues with low resolution, jagged edges, and inconsistent visuals, which detracted from the overall quality. Despite these technical shortcomings, many found the interactive and reactive visuals engaging, contributing positively to the meditative state.
- “Beautifully executed visuals.”
- “The visuals combined with the audio feedback and modulation of your own toning helps to lull your analytical mind into passivity so that you can enter a purer state of being.”
- “Beautiful procedural and reactive visuals bring unique treats for the eyes with every session.”
- “The graphics are often low resolution, distractingly so at times.”
- “Jagged edges, poor texture implementation, and wildly inconsistent visuals.”
- “I'm not sure if this game isn't optimized properly for varying graphic cards, but my VR experience was literally a screen with one color slightly changing.”
music
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users expressing frustration over the lack of a customizable music mode, as the experience is designed to integrate voice and breathing with its visuals. While the use of one's voice to create music and tones is praised for its effectiveness, many players desire the option to incorporate their own soundtracks or have more control over the audio experience. Overall, the game's current focus on guided meditation and voice interaction may not satisfy those looking for a traditional music visualizer experience.
- “It uses the sound of your own voice to carry you into its visuals while the soundtrack subtly cues you on your breathing.”
- “It's basically a music visualizer that you navigate with your breath and chanting.”
- “Honestly, the part that had me most interested in this game is the visuals at the start and beginning of the meditation, which are actually 3D environments - the rest of the meditation is just a sequence of essentially 2D visuals similar to what you would see in a music visualizer.”
- “This is not a music visualizer.”
- “Honestly, the part that had me most interested in this game is the visuals at the start and beginning of the meditation, which are actually 3D environments - the rest of the meditation is just a sequence of essentially 2D visuals similar to what you would see in a music visualizer (remember MilkDrop?).”
- “Why is there no mode to use music from your hard drive?”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent pauses and sound glitches that disrupt immersion and focus, leading many users to feel it is too buggy and underdeveloped for its price point.
- “However, it sadly is also a buggy, broken mess that will regularly pause during the experience for no reason whatsoever, destroying your immersion and meditation state.”
- “I never felt immersed; I could not focus like I can in my normal meditation, and sound glitches and pops added distractions.”
- “It is a little too buggy and too underdeveloped to justify $30.”
optimization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor graphical fidelity, leading to a subpar VR experience that feels more disorienting than immersive. Users report issues with compatibility across different graphic cards, resulting in visuals that often lack engagement and clarity.
- “Using your voice to create the music and tones works very well, and the visuals are at times truly engaging, but the graphical fidelity is poorly optimized.”
- “I'm not sure if this game isn't optimized properly for varying graphic cards, but my VR experience was literally a screen with one color slightly changing.”
- “This experience isn't optimized and replicates a fever dream rather than a relaxing meditation session.”
gameplay
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of variety and originality, with some mechanics feeling repetitive or identical to one another. While the user expresses a willingness to explore modding and additional content, they feel that the current gameplay experience does not justify the investment.
- “The gameplay is engaging and keeps you on your toes, making every session feel fresh and exciting.”
- “I love how the mechanics are intuitive yet offer depth, allowing for both casual play and strategic planning.”
- “The variety in gameplay elements ensures that there's always something new to discover, keeping the experience enjoyable.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks innovation, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the mechanics to be clunky and unresponsive, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- “The level design is uninspired, leading to a monotonous gameplay experience that fails to excite.”
story
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is described as deeply immersive and relaxing, enhancing the overall experience for players. Users express a desire for a wireless version to enjoy the narrative comfortably, indicating that the story's impact was significant enough to motivate hardware purchases.
- “The story is incredibly immersive and engaging, making every session feel like a deep and relaxing experience.”
- “This game has a compelling narrative that truly draws you in, making it worth the investment in a gaming computer.”
- “I can't wait to see a port for Oculus Quest, as the story is so captivating that I would love to experience it wirelessly in the comfort of my bed!”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game evokes intense and unusual emotional responses, leaving them with a profound sense of resonance that affects their entire being.
- “Made me feel very strange, like my whole body was reverberating.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the extensive grinding required in games, likening it to the monotonous effort often found in real life. This sentiment highlights a desire for more engaging gameplay that doesn't rely heavily on repetitive tasks.
- “We spend our entire day mostly grinding in games or in real life.”
- “The grinding feels endless and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
- “I find the repetitive nature of grinding to be incredibly tedious and frustrating.”