Stephen's Sausage Roll
- April 17, 2016
- increpare
- 31h median play time
On its website, developer Stephen Lavelle calls Stephen’s Sausage Roll “a simple 3D puzzle game for Windows, Mac, and Linux”.
Get on Steam"Stephen's Sausage Roll" is a puzzle game where players control a chef named Stephen, who cooks sausages on a grill. Players must navigate complex levels and adjust the heat of the grill to cook sausages to perfection, while also avoiding burning them. The game features a unique physics-based mechanic and gradually increasing difficulty, providing a challenging and engaging experience for puzzle fans.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Incredibly well-designed puzzles that challenge players to think creatively and outside the box.
- The game gradually introduces new mechanics, keeping the experience fresh and engaging throughout.
- Satisfying 'aha' moments when solving puzzles, providing a strong sense of accomplishment.
- The game has a steep difficulty curve, which may frustrate players who are not experienced with challenging puzzles.
- Lack of tutorials or guidance can leave players feeling lost, especially in the early stages.
- Graphics and presentation are minimalistic and may not appeal to everyone.
- gameplay538 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Stephen's Sausage Roll" is characterized by its deceptively simple mechanics, primarily revolving around pushing and rolling sausages to grill them without overcooking. Players are consistently challenged with intricate puzzles that evolve naturally, introducing new mechanics through exploration and experimentation rather than explicit tutorials. This design fosters a rewarding sense of discovery, as each puzzle requires creative thinking and mastery of the mechanics, resulting in a deeply engaging and often mind-bending experience.
“This game does an incredible job layering mechanics, and builds on itself in such a creative way with some of the most challenging puzzles I have played.”
“The game's mechanics are absolute genius and the game is constantly giving you new toys to play with; even over the course of a 30+ hour playthrough the game hardly ever felt stale or repetitive and it kept surprising me.”
“The way this game builds upon its seemingly simple mechanics to build ever more complex puzzles using the same set of tools as before is astounding, and I was never bored despite the almost minimalistic set of tools at your disposal.”
“The game has mediocre graphics, nearly non-existent music, and gameplay looks dull at first glance.”
“Hard to get into, the first world is really open and non-directed, coupled with some really hard puzzles and generally unique and challenge mechanics it is really easy to quit with only a few or no completed puzzles.”
“New mechanics introduced are too few and far between.”
- graphics148 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players describing them as simplistic, blocky, and reminiscent of early 3D aesthetics, often labeling them as "ugly" or "hideous." However, some players appreciate the unique charm and abstract beauty of the visuals, suggesting that the graphics serve the gameplay well and enhance the overall puzzle experience. Ultimately, while the graphics may not appeal to everyone, they are often seen as secondary to the game's well-designed puzzles and engaging mechanics.
“The aesthetic is bizarre and beautiful, and I just think it's a game that speaks for itself like no other in the puzzle genre.”
“The graphics are simple but evoke a beautiful atmosphere.”
“The graphics are low-fi, the music is generic, and the controls are awkward, but you know what?”
“The visuals are...not as elegant as the level design, to put it mildly.”
“Graphics are unacceptable even if it is just a puzzle game there is no need for it to look this bad.”
“On first impressions, this game title is silly, the graphics are horrible and the cost seems way overpriced for a 'simple 3D puzzle game'.”
- story88 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often overshadowed by its puzzle mechanics, with many players initially unaware of its existence until later stages. However, those who engage with it find a surprisingly deep and thought-provoking narrative that contrasts with the game's lighthearted premise, featuring philosophical themes and a tragic backstory. Overall, while the storytelling may be sparse, it adds an unexpected layer of intrigue that enhances the gameplay experience for some players.
“It, in fact, has a wonderful, thought-provoking story with some deeply philosophical and dark themes that contrast wonderfully with the game's silly premise.”
“The story revealing itself slowly in the background was super interesting and it's a game I'll remember for sure.”
“Great puzzle game with a great albeit small story.”
“There's a very small amount of story here told over a dozen or so text logs.”
“The story is slim, and there’s no rich world to explore.”
“This game is 100% puzzles with virtually no story attached.”
- music70 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as calming and atmospheric, fitting well with the puzzle-solving experience, though it often lacks memorability and can be considered generic or minimalistic. Some players appreciate the soothing background sounds, while others find the music either too experimental or insufficient for long play sessions, suggesting that it may not be engaging enough on its own. Overall, while the soundtrack contributes to the game's ambiance, it is not a standout feature and is often overshadowed by the gameplay itself.
“Though it's becoming increasingly challenging, past the point of picking a puzzle for a quick break, the music is lovely and fits the odd atmosphere of this little saucy gem.”
“The randomly generated music is pretty chill.”
“Even though the puzzles are excruciatingly hard, the environment and chill music still helps you keep calm.”
“The game has mediocre graphics, nearly non-existent music, and gameplay looks dull at first glance.”
“There's not really any music, so you might want to put on something to listen to in the background, unless you really want to focus on the puzzles.”
“The graphics are low-fi, the music is generic, and the controls are awkward, but you know what?”
- emotional20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game elicits a profound emotional response, ranging from feelings of frustration and confusion to moments of joy and empowerment, as players navigate its puzzles. Many reviewers noted that it uniquely combines a wholesome atmosphere with intense emotional highs and lows, leading to experiences that can evoke tears and a sense of achievement. Overall, it is described as a rollercoaster of emotions, making players feel both intellectually challenged and deeply connected to the gameplay.
“A supreme puzzle game that made me cry at the end.”
“This is the only game that has made me cry at mechanics alone.”
“About two hours in, I came across a level called 'the great tower', and it filled me with very real emotional dread.”
- grinding18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the early puzzles engaging and well-designed, but many report that the experience becomes tedious in the later stages, as the difficulty does not significantly increase. While the game avoids excessive repetition and maintains a sense of accomplishment with each solution, the enjoyment can diminish as the puzzles start to feel more like a chore than a challenge. Overall, the game is praised for its elegant solutions, but the grinding aspect may deter some players as they progress.
“Starts to feel tedious and more like work than play in the later levels, but up until that point it was really fun and engaging!”
“Puzzles at the start are pretty good, but get very tedious later on while not becoming much more difficult.”
“It started feeling tedious after a while.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its calming and beautiful qualities, enhanced by lovely music and simple yet evocative graphics. Players appreciate how the ambiance allows for deep focus on puzzles, with the evolving colors and minimal instructions contributing to an engaging experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a perfect backdrop for thoughtful gameplay.
“They really succeeded in creating a calm and clean atmosphere that helped me think about nothing but the puzzle in front of me.”
“The atmosphere, the evolving color of the objects, the almost complete lack of instructions: I love every aspect of this game.”
“The graphics are simple but evoke a beautiful atmosphere.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally considered lacking compared to titles like Portal 2, with users noting that while there are some incidental moments that elicit laughter, the writing and voice acting fall short. The difficulty of the puzzles can lead to moments of amusement upon solving them, but overall, the game's comedic elements do not live up to expectations set by its quirky premise.
“So hard it made me laugh when I finally solved a puzzle 😂”
“There are a few incidental moments that have made me laugh.”
“But don't be fooled by its funny name or silly premise.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report a high level of stability, noting that they encountered no glitches or bugs during their experience.
“There are no glitches or bugs that I encountered.”
“There are no glitches or bugs that I encountered.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the game offers significant replayability, particularly due to the complexity of its puzzles, which can be easily forgotten over time, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
“I'm definitely going to get some replay value out of it; I've already forgotten how most of the puzzles work!”
“And I'm definitely going to get some replay value out of it: I've already forgotten how most of the puzzles work!”
