Superliminal

About

"Superliminal" is a first-person puzzle game that manipulates perspective and optical illusions, where perception is reality. Players solve impossible puzzles by thinking outside the box and expecting the unexpected in a subdued, dream-like world. The game features a voiced narrative and showcases the strangely bizarre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 15,215 reviews

gameplay870 positive mentions

stability59 negative mentions

gameplay
2,424 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
62%
2%
The gameplay of *Superliminal* is centered around a unique forced perspective mechanic that allows players to manipulate the size of objects based on their viewpoint, creating a series of mind-bending puzzles. While the game introduces various mechanics throughout its short runtime of about 2-4 hours, many players feel that it doesn't fully explore or combine these mechanics effectively, leading to a sense of repetitiveness and simplicity in the puzzles. Despite its brevity and occasional lack of challenge, the innovative gameplay and engaging atmosphere have garnered praise, making it a memorable experience for fans of puzzle games.
- “The gameplay experience is tight overall with good atmosphere, minimal bugs, and strong level design that contextually teaches you how to play the game while you're in it.”
- “This core mechanic is brilliantly simple yet opens up endless possibilities, as players must continuously adjust their perspective to solve puzzles.”
- “The gameplay is amazing, and caused me to be constantly on my feet as to what reality is in this game.”
- “The game fails to be easy because of how quickly the game mechanics change between levels, and the lack of build up or cohesion between different game mechanics which forces frustrating gameplay in many areas.”
- “The gameplay gets stale, the story is boring almost immediately, the narration gets old fast.”
- “The puzzles never really became difficult, i was waiting for the point where everything started coming together and there were larger scale puzzles that brought in many different mechanics, but that never came.”
story
1,757 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
57%
6%
The story of "Superliminal" is often described as intriguing yet minimal, serving primarily as a backdrop to its innovative puzzle mechanics. While some players appreciate its philosophical themes and emotional depth, others find it lacking in substance and coherence, comparing it unfavorably to titles like "Portal" and "The Stanley Parable." Overall, the narrative is seen as a vehicle for the game's unique gameplay, with a mix of humor and existential reflection that resonates differently with each player.
- “The story unfolds through these voiceovers, revealing insights into the nature of reality, perception, and the subconscious mind.”
- “This game is pure genius, forcing you to think outside of the box with brilliant and mind-bending puzzles with a beautiful story to match.”
- “The story is simple, but has a nice message that resonated with me personally.”
- “The story is a bit hit-or-miss, but if nothing else, Superliminal's ending sequence provides a genuinely useful and touching theme.”
- “The story gets laughably pretentious by the end, to where I was quipping at it MST3K-style... it feels like they started with a quirky mechanic and tried to build a theme around it instead of really trying to use the puzzles to make a point.”
- “The story is rather dry and some things are never explained, more in a confusing than mysterious way.”
music
745 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
39%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its soothing and immersive qualities, often described as a calming blend of jazz and piano that enhances the overall atmosphere. Many players find the soundtrack to be a standout feature, complementing the game's surreal visuals and engaging puzzles, while some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's relaxing and dreamlike experience, making it a memorable aspect for players.
- “The soundtrack is composed of soothing piano and synth tracks that complement the dreamy visuals and keep players immersed, while the occasional shifts in tone remind them of the lurking strangeness of their situation.”
- “Together, the sound and music create a sense of calm that enhances the surreal experience without detracting from the game’s subtle undercurrent of tension.”
- “The music is a pleasure to listen to and I was very surprised with how well handled the ending is.”
- “The soundtrack is mediocre, but listening to the same track repeated over and over gets really tiresome.”
- “The music gave me a headache (it's basically constant elevator music) and since I usually play with music on in these types of games, I refused to turn it down but it got so bad that I had to turn it off and use my own Spotify playlist.”
- “The music is incredibly boring.”
graphics
588 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
45%
2%
The graphics in "Superliminal" are widely praised for their stunning and surreal aesthetic, effectively enhancing the game's unique perspective-based puzzles. While some players noted minor graphical glitches and a lack of cutting-edge detail, the overall visual presentation is described as clean, polished, and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's dreamlike atmosphere. Many reviewers appreciated the clever use of color and design, which aligns well with the game's themes, making it a visually captivating experience.
- “The graphics are stunning, with a clean and minimalist aesthetic that perfectly captures the game's surreal and dreamlike atmosphere.”
- “The visuals are captivating, the story is interestingly told.”
- “The graphics are amazing, the sound is great, and the game has lots of tiny quirks that make it fun if you are into exploring.”
- “I'll say it's a very good game, the only complaint I have is that sometimes there are graphical glitches, like the screen briefly going black, that break immersion.”
- “The graphics are rather poor and repetitive.”
- “The graphics kept crashing my computer (though that's not the game's fault).”
humor
389 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in "Superliminal" is often described as clever and whimsical, drawing comparisons to the comedic styles of "Portal" and "The Stanley Parable." Players appreciate the game's ability to blend funny moments with mind-bending puzzles, though some feel the humor can be hit-or-miss or overly derivative at times. Overall, the game is noted for its unique perspective-based mechanics that lead to unexpected and amusing situations, making it an entertaining experience despite some criticisms of its narrative depth.
- “Good puzzles delivered with fresh gimmicks, funny writing, and a captivating world.”
- “The humor and story are iffy, but it does have some fun world elements with perspective.”
- “The game impresses in so many ways: creative puzzles, technical feats, humor.”
- “Superliminal is a puzzle game with 1 or 2 puzzles that it does endlessly and a really unfunny narrator character with a funny catchphrase.”
- “I'm not funny.”
emotional
284 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game has resonated deeply with players, often leading to unexpected tears and profound reflections on life. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke a wide range of feelings, from joy and cleverness to sadness and introspection, particularly during its heartfelt conclusion. Overall, players describe it as a touching experience that combines engaging puzzles with a meaningful narrative, leaving a lasting emotional impact.
- “This game has become the game I play when I'm depressed; I've gained more emotional maturity from this game alone than that of my parents.”
- “The ending made me cry, the puzzles were fun and challenging, and the presentation was perfectly executed.”
- “I am very impressed that this game surprised me as many times as it did, and even more impressed that they managed to wrap a lovely emotional theme together by the end that left me with a feeling that stuck with me for the rest of the day.”
- “No real challenges at all and a boring story. I really wanted to like this game, but I just can't.”
atmosphere
261 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
The atmosphere in "Superliminal" is widely praised for its surreal and dreamlike quality, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and clever level design that immerses players in a unique experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from calming to unsettling, while its visual and audio elements work harmoniously to create a memorable ambiance. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal and enjoyment.
- “Its unique use of perspective-based mechanics, surreal environments, and atmospheric design create an experience that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.”
- “The atmosphere, the visuals, and the narration are all so aesthetically pleasing, and the gameplay is phenomenal.”
- “The atmosphere grows increasingly captivating and eventually mind-bending.”
- “After a fairly strong introduction, the mid portion has very little plot advancement and is essentially just a series of unrelated levels, including one long section with no puzzles that tries to evoke a horror atmosphere but only succeeded in boring me because there was no sense of threat.”
- “The writing and atmosphere falls incredibly flat as it heavily relies on the nostalgia of games like Portal and The Stanley Parable.”
- “Almost all chapters are fine, but one of the earlier chapters has significantly creepier atmosphere, bordering on horror genre: blood trails, bloody hand-prints, doors slamming shut in your face, references to murder, etc. I was planning to play this with my kids and I'm glad I tried it by myself first.”
replayability
189 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
61%
13%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting its short playtime of 2-4 hours and limited single-player content, which diminishes its overall replay value. However, features like multiplayer modes, challenge runs, collectibles, and user-generated content through Steam Workshop provide some incentive for players to return. While some players find replayability lacking, others appreciate the hidden secrets and achievements that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “The game also includes a variety of different environments, each with their own unique puzzles and challenges, which adds to the game's replayability.”
- “There's a lot of extras to go for in subsequent playthroughs as well as challenge mode, multiplayer, and a handful of other things that are nice to have for replayability.”
- “Integration with steam's workshop adds a lot of replayability.”
- “Most people will complete the game in 2.5-3.5 hours and there's no replay value for the single player modes.”
- “It's a decent game but has very little replayability, unless you want to get all the challenge achievements, since there is very little variation to puzzle solutions.”
- “It's a fun experience the first or second time but don't expect much replayability.”
stability
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
1%
87%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various bugs and glitches, particularly in co-op mode and during physics-based puzzles. While some users experienced minimal issues and found the game generally stable, others noted significant problems, including graphical glitches, falling through the map, and frustrating freezes. Overall, the game's stability appears to be inconsistent, with a notable number of players expressing that the bugs detracted from their enjoyment.
- “Very well made and great physics, no glitches at all.”
- “It is not very buggy.”
- “- Bug free: the game is extremely polished, do not expect to exploit or glitch your way past any game spaces.”
- “The game is buggy.”
- “It's messy, it's buggy, it breaks the puzzles and the game, but it's fun and incredibly unique.”
- “Multiplayer is so unbearably buggy it makes Cyberpunk 2077 on release look polished.”
grinding
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
25%
70%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to a lack of engagement as the novelty wears off quickly. Many reviews highlight that while the initial gameplay can be enjoyable, the reliance on similar puzzles and mechanics can make the experience feel monotonous, especially when aiming for 100% completion or achievements. Some players appreciate the game's aesthetics and unique elements, but the grinding nature detracts from the overall enjoyment for many.
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Too much grinding.”
- “The doctor's narration is repetitive and grinding.”
- “This game is incredibly tedious and whilst the concept is great, and the first hour is incredible, the novelty wears off really quick.”
- “The end result is rather tedious and self-indulgent.”
optimization
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
57%
20%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing solid performance and smooth gameplay, while others reported significant stuttering, bugs, and frame rate drops, particularly on lower-end systems or specific platforms like Mac. Despite its visually appealing design, many users noted that the game's performance issues detracted from the overall experience, suggesting that further optimization is needed, especially for less powerful hardware. Overall, while some players praised the game's optimization efforts, others found it inconsistent and frustrating.
- “Considering it's their first release, it's quite incredible to see they optimized such a visually complex game to run at 170 fps on an RTX 2080 on ultra at 5x1440.”
- “Kudos for the extra effort that went into the optimization here.”
- “Visuals looked clean and performance was good even with all the special effects.”
- “But no, it's littered with poor optimization, awful physics and bugs.”
- “I first played it on Xbox Series S via Game Pass, and although the wow factor was there, unfortunately there were many moments where the performance would tank for no apparent reason; punching the immersion in the gut every time it happens.”
- “There are some either extremely demanding or badly optimized levels where my FPS dropped from a solid 60 down to barely playable 10 FPS.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
78%
The monetization aspect of the game primarily revolves around microtransactions for in-game purchases, which some players feel detracts from the overall experience. While the game's concept and advertising are intriguing, many reviewers criticize it for relying on repetitive challenges and misleading marketing that oversells its puzzle elements. Overall, players caution against being swayed by the promotional material, as the gameplay may not live up to expectations.
- “Microtransactions are well-balanced and don't feel intrusive.”
- “The in-game purchases enhance the experience without being necessary to enjoy the game.”
- “I appreciate that the monetization model allows for free play while offering optional purchases.”
- “Don't be tricked by the advertising or cool premise, this is a walking simulator hyped up as a puzzle game.”
- “Despite the advertising, this game reuses simple challenges quite a lot, allowing me to race through the game.”
- “Microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development in the game is criticized for being insufficient, lacking the necessary depth and world-building to create an emotionally impactful conclusion, resulting in a narrative that feels superficial and self-indulgent.
- “It lacks the world-building or character development necessary to earn an emotional ending, making it feel superficial and forced.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the story, leaving their arcs feeling unfulfilled.”
- “There is little to no growth in the characters, which makes it hard to connect with their struggles and triumphs.”