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Sym

Sym is a strange platforming puzzle game with heavy themes, a beautifully simplistic art style, and some keyboard snapping difficulty.
Sym Game Cover
59%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story
83% User Score Based on 23 reviews
Critic Score 59%Based on 9 reviews

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Sym Game Cover

About

Sym is a single player platformer game with a horror theme. It was developed by Atrax Games and was released on May 7, 2015. It received neutral reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Sym is a puzzle-platformer that explores social anxiety disorder. Play as Josh, a teenage boy trying to reconcile a maze of two contrasting worlds that coexist within the blank spaces of each other - his perception of reality, and the world he created to avoid his fears.

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+4
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83%
Audience ScoreBased on 23 reviews
gameplay6 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Unique and haunting art style that effectively complements the game's themes.
  • Innovative gameplay mechanic involving switching between positive and negative space adds a fresh twist to puzzle platformers.
  • Meaningful exploration of social anxiety disorder, offering a deep emotional experience for players familiar with the subject.
  • Clunky, imprecise controls and poor hit detection often cause frustration and disrupt gameplay flow.
  • Lack of gamepad support and minimal game options reduce overall accessibility and player comfort.
  • Short game length with some repetitive or inconsistent level design; certain puzzles and themes feel out of place or vague.
  • gameplay
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay features a unique positive/negative space mechanic and puzzles tied closely to the theme of social anxiety, offering an intriguing and innovative experience. However, many players find the platforming controls imprecise and frustrating, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and difficulty balance. While the concept and mechanics are clever and meaningful, the execution in level design and control responsiveness limits its appeal for some audiences.

    • “It's a bit of a fresh take on puzzle platformers, and the positive/negative space mechanic is smartly designed.”
    • “It's a platformer that combines puzzles and reaction gameplay, and it was interesting for me.”
    • “It's actually really fun and has a really cool mechanic behind it.”
    • “The platforming controls are far from tight and incredibly frustrating, which is really the one thing you should get right in this genre of game.”
    • “The gameplay is alright, there's a level of precision that the controls don't really help highlight, and while the switching between worlds can make for some interesting puzzle mechanics, it just doesn't have the grasp on gameplay to really succeed in that section.”
    • “What first attracted me to this game was the unique art style, and as I continued to play I discovered its fascinating game mechanics; one drawback I found was its repeatedly frustrating stages.”
  • graphics
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a unique, striking monochromatic art style that effectively conveys themes of anxiety and depression, often drawing comparisons to Limbo's visuals. While the artwork is praised for its haunting and minimalist aesthetic, opinions on it vary, as some find the style compelling while others feel it detracts from the experience. However, the lack of graphics and sound controls is noted as a drawback.

    • “Art style and sound are very well done and further add to the sense of anxiety and depression.”
    • “Unique art style, this game’s visuals are truly haunting.”
    • “The art style caught my eye when I was browsing through some indie games.”
    • “There are no resolution or graphics controls whatsoever, nor even sound/music sliders.”
    • “Returning to the visuals, the art of sym is striking, you will either love it or hate it depending on personal preference.”
    • “This game is a very simple concept, and I love the art style as well.”
  • music
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for complementing the artwork and atmosphere with a fitting blend of moodiness and eeriness, though some users find it repetitive. However, the lack of sound or music control options is noted as a drawback.

    • “Great music that suits both the art and game design, although it can become repetitive at times.”
    • “The music in Sym is done quite well, hitting a perfect balance between moody and downright eerie.”
    • “The music is pleasant and fitting to the atmosphere.”
    • “There are no resolution or graphics controls whatsoever, nor even sound/music sliders.”
  • story
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is presented in a minimalist and surreal way, aiming to symbolize the experience of anxiety through visuals and gameplay rather than traditional narrative. However, some players find it hard to grasp the plot, as certain levels feel disconnected and the narrative elements are subtle to the point of being easily overlooked.

    • “However, what Sym tries to do is tell a unique story through its visuals and gameplay that symbolize the experience of anxiety.”
    • “Sym's story is told in minimalist, surreal fashion, about a spindly figure desperate to escape the attentions of others.”
    • “I honestly wish I could tell you what the story was about, but I simply just didn't have the chance to notice it.”
    • “Words in a background do not a story make.”
    • “Some levels just don't fit well with the plot (especially the garden ones with biblical quotes - I don't mind biblical quotes, but I haven't seen the connection to the game plot).”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is effectively conveyed through in-level writing, immersing players in the game's mood. While it appeals to fans of puzzle platformers, some forgiveness is needed for a fully satisfying experience. Overall, it provides a decent atmospheric experience for its genre.

    • “These phrases written in the levels really helped immerse me in the atmosphere.”
    • “If you like puzzle platformers and are prepared to be a little forgiving, this game might just tide you over until the next must-have atmospheric adventure arrives.”
    • “Atmosphere!”
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59%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Sym is a platformer game with horror theme.

Sym is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

Sym was released on May 7, 2015.

Sym was developed by Atrax Games.

Sym has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Sym is a single player game.

Similar games include In Between, Nihilumbra, White Shadows, LIMBO, Shady Part of Me and others.