Strata
- May 29, 2014
- Graveck
Get on Steam"Strata is a single-player action game with stunning graphics and awesome music, offering a unique puzzle experience. The goal is to layer colored ribbons in a specific pattern, with hundreds of challenging levels to solve. Players can aim to perfect each grid by completing it without pulling a ribbon back, in this simple yet addicting game for all ages."
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Linux
Mobile Platform
Reviews
- Strata features a unique and engaging puzzle concept that is both relaxing and intellectually stimulating, making it a great choice for casual gamers.
- The game's minimalist art style and soothing music create a calming atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience while solving puzzles.
- With a large number of levels and a gradual increase in difficulty, players can enjoy hours of gameplay that remains challenging without becoming frustrating.
- The gameplay can become repetitive as the core mechanics do not introduce new challenges or variations, leading to a sense of monotony over time.
- There are several bugs in the menu navigation and achievement system, which can detract from the overall experience and cause frustration.
- Some players may find the puzzles lack depth after mastering the initial strategies, resulting in a diminished sense of accomplishment.
- music50 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and beautiful qualities, featuring minimalist piano melodies that enhance the relaxing atmosphere. Players appreciate the ambient soundscapes that accompany their actions, although some note that rapid puzzle-solving can lead to a cacophony of sounds. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's zen-like experience, making it an enjoyable backdrop for puzzle-solving.
“The music in the game is very beautiful and calming, and the shapes and colors really are nice to look at.”
“The music/sound is minimal, but pleasant, consisting of ethereal piano flourishes in time with your choices of moves.”
“Ambient aesthetics and musical themes make this a great little brain teaser whilst unwinding.”
“The music is minimalist but peaceful.”
“Strata is very relaxing: I'm not sure if it's the music (you hear a piano chord play each time you roll out a ribbon and a gentle tune when you finish a puzzle).”
“Each little action results in relaxed musical riffs which set a peaceful tone.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their minimalist and elegant aesthetic, creating a meditative atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While the visuals are described as beautiful and comfortable, some users noted that the game can become repetitive despite its appealing art style. Overall, the combination of simple yet lovely graphics and well-executed sound design contributes to a relaxing and engaging gameplay experience.
“The visuals are simple, yet lovely and the sound design is perfectly done.”
“Everything from the graphics to the music, to the gameplay is incredibly zen and gives you peace of mind while still managing to engage you.”
“The underlying puzzle in this game is great, and the aesthetic is pleasing, but it's all let down by the sheer number of bugs that the developer is unwilling to fix.”
“Strata is aesthetically minimalist but still manages an elegant beauty.”
“Strata is a simplistic game in a way that its graphics and its concept are really simple but great.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and elegant, providing a zen-like experience that engages players, though it can become repetitive over time as the mechanics do not evolve significantly. While some users noted interface bugs and a lack of new twists in later levels, the overall simplicity and beauty of the game contribute to its appeal. Despite its flaws, many players find themselves returning to the game for its calming nature and low price point.
“From a year ago when it started on Greenlight, it has come out as something truly zen without sacrificing gameplay for its simple and beautiful art style.”
“Everything from the graphics to the music, to the gameplay is incredibly zen and gives you peace of mind while still managing to engage you.”
“Everything, from visuals to audio and the gameplay is elegant.”
“I kept hoping that in the later sets the game would throw in some new spin or twist on the mechanics; unless it appears in the final 6x6, it never comes.”
“Strata was fun for the first ~5 minutes while I still got to know the game mechanics and figured out how it works, but then it fell into a state where the levels got bigger and bigger, but I just kept repeating what I did before, again and again.”
“While I've never had much issue with the gameplay (aside from what I think is fat fingers on my part, but I could be wrong), the interface is bugged to hell.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits notable stability issues, including a buggy menu system that can freeze if navigated too quickly and erroneous achievement notifications. Users recommend waiting before pressing the escape key to avoid further glitches. Overall, these bugs detract from the overall experience.
“The game is a bit buggy at times; for example, it sometimes freezes when you move around menus or levels too quickly, and some achievements pop up when you haven't rightfully earned them yet.”
“The menu system is a bit buggy (wait a second before pressing the escape key) and overlong.”
“[u][b]glitches / bugs[/b][/u]”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players note a moderate level of replayability, primarily driven by the desire to perfect puzzles; however, many feel that once the game is completed, they may not return to it.
“Replayable = 4 (I have a feeling that once I finish the game, I will be done with it).”
“Replayable = 4 (I have a feeling that once I finish the game, I will be done with it.)”
“Some replayability too since you'll want to go back and try to 'perfect' some of the puzzles.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is described as calming and engaging, featuring puzzle quests accompanied by soothing music, making it ideal for relaxation and mental exercise. However, users have noted minor bugs related to menu navigation that can affect the interface but do not impact the overall gameplay experience.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that grinding in the game is manageable and straightforward when playing on a 2x2 size, but it becomes significantly more tedious and challenging as the size increases.
“The game is pretty easy while playing a 2x2 size but becomes more tedious with a wider size.”
