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Teslagrad

Teslagrad is an exceptional example of non-verbal storytelling, relying on delightfully smooth animation and clever puzzles to see the player through to the end.
Teslagrad Game Cover
78%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, replayability
80% User Score Based on 1,231 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 19 reviews

Platforms

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Teslagrad Game Cover

About

Teslagrad is a single player arcade platformer game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Rain Games and was released on December 13, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Teslagrad is a 2D puzzle-platformer game with action elements, focusing on magnetism and other electromagnetic powers. Players explore the Tesla Tower, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets in the Kingdom of Elektropia, all through visual storytelling. With hand-made graphics, innovative gameplay, and no in-app purchases, Teslagrad offers a unique mobile gaming experience.

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Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
Teslagrad screenshot
+14
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80%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,231 reviews
story229 positive mentions
grinding53 negative mentions
  • Beautiful art style and hand-drawn graphics that create an engaging atmosphere.
  • Clever puzzles that utilize magnetism mechanics, providing a unique gameplay experience.
  • Interesting non-verbal storytelling through puppet shows and collectibles that enhance the narrative.
  • Frustrating boss fights that require perfect execution and can lead to tedious repetition.
  • Controls can feel imprecise and floaty, making platforming sections more challenging than they should be.
  • The game is relatively short, and some players may find the requirement to collect scrolls for progression to be annoying.
  • story
    586 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Teslagrad* is primarily conveyed through visual storytelling, utilizing puppet theaters and collectible scrolls to reveal its narrative without any dialogue. While some players appreciate the minimalist approach and find the story engaging, others feel it lacks depth and can be confusing, often requiring backtracking to fully understand the plot. Overall, the unique presentation and charming art style contribute to a compelling, albeit simple, narrative experience that resonates with many players.

    • “The story of the game is great (and I've played Teslagrad 2 so I know it gets deep later) but the best thing about it is how it's delivered, a perfect example of 'show, don't tell'.”
    • “An absolute masterpiece and a wonderful romp from start to finish, Teslagrad's unique setting and a 'show, not tell' approach to lore and storytelling will captivate and engage you.”
    • “The story is told without words or dialogue, instead using puppet theaters to explain the backstory of your family and of the people you are fighting against.”
    • “The story is very bare-bones and there is pretty much no real investment in it, so all there is is the puzzles – and while they’re okay, it just does not excite.”
    • “The story is sparse, but cute.”
    • “The story is told purely visually with no dialogue or narration whatsoever.”
  • gameplay
    545 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Teslagrad is characterized by its unique magnetism mechanics, which are creatively integrated into puzzles and platforming challenges. While many players appreciate the innovative design and beautiful art style, there are significant criticisms regarding control precision, frustrating boss fights, and a trial-and-error approach that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a mix of engaging puzzles and platforming, but its execution can lead to moments of frustration, particularly in later stages.

    • “The gameplay is engaging, and the story is pretty good.”
    • “The mechanics are solid and the game paces them very well so that you are constantly being introduced to something new and unique; I don't feel like there's a lot of rehashing old puzzles or mechanics, the game just builds on everything you've done and makes it new.”
    • “An excellent puzzle platformer with fun mechanics.”
    • “The mechanics are confusing.”
    • “The gameplay itself, however, does not include any fighting mechanics.”
    • “The game mechanics are horrible.”
  • graphics
    368 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Teslagrad have received widespread acclaim for their stunning hand-drawn art style, which combines steampunk aesthetics with intricate animations and vibrant visuals. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to convey its story through visuals alone, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While some critiques mention minor graphical inconsistencies, the overall impression is that the artwork significantly elevates the game's appeal, making it a standout in the indie platformer genre.

    • “The art style is beautiful, the music is done really well, the graphics and animation are pleasant to watch.”
    • “The artwork is superb, plenty of 2D eye candy and interesting scenery changes.”
    • “The graphics are charming and really enjoyable from the backgrounds and foregrounds, to characters, to story cards to the informational plays.”
    • “Some have praised the art style, but I found it quite bland and repetitive.”
    • “Speak of graphics, the images are not very detailed (or it's just its unique art style?).”
    • “Very polished graphics and reasonable base platforming, but marred by poor controls and arbitrary, inconsistent, and unrewarding level design.”
  • music
    243 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players noting its fittingness to various gameplay moments, particularly during boss fights. While some found the soundtrack to be occasionally repetitive or ambient, the majority praised its charm and emotional resonance, contributing significantly to the game's immersive storytelling and aesthetic appeal. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack creates a memorable and engaging atmosphere for players.

    • “The music is fantastic, very atmospheric and matches the current action quite well.”
    • “The soundtrack is engaging and charming and has its amazing moments at key points of the game.”
    • “The hand-drawn art and backgrounds are all beautiful to look at, and there’s no shortage of good music, both of the catchy and atmospheric variety.”
    • “The soundtrack is either incredibly dull or non-existent in some areas.”
    • “Teslagrad also suffers from some very lackluster music with it being ambient to the point of it being as good as white noise while you go through the game.”
    • “As for the music, while it is pretty at first, the tracks are very short loops and you'll be darned fed up real quick after you're respawned at the beginning of the section for the damned 10th time.”
  • atmosphere
    65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in Teslagrad is widely praised for its captivating art style, haunting music, and immersive world-building, creating a mysterious and engaging environment that enhances the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to convey emotions and storytelling through its visuals and sound design, despite some criticism regarding occasional silence in certain areas. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics, atmospheric soundtracks, and intriguing lore contributes to a rich and memorable atmosphere that resonates with players.

    • “The atmosphere is the best I've seen in a long time, and it all fits together perfectly.”
    • “The atmosphere, the music, the lore, everything is perfect.”
    • “The visuals are vibrant and gorgeously animated, and the atmosphere of the game struck me in a way that I haven't felt from an indie game in a long time.”
    • “The game feels unfinished due to some areas having absolutely no ambient sound, leaving you with absolute silence to stand around in while solving puzzles, while others have a melodic atmosphere.”
    • “Game play can be all from standing still, looking around the room thinking of possible solutions to get around in the room to the next area, to quickly do impulsive choices while being chased by things that want you as their breakfast; the atmosphere is a combination of something sad, horror, and motivating as you fight through skeleton-filled dungeons and bosses made out of the weirdest machines.”
    • “There's a slightly haunting atmosphere that develops as you continue to explore and uncover the story of a twisted king and what had transpired in the past to lead up to this point.”
  • grinding
    53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tediousness, particularly in boss fights and puzzle sections that require repetitive trial and error due to one-hit deaths and a lack of checkpoints. Many players found the gameplay frustrating, with long sequences that must be repeated after a single mistake, leading to a sense of monotony and irritation. While some appreciated the challenge, the overall sentiment leans towards the experience being overly grindy and unbalanced, detracting from the game's potential enjoyment.

    • “The boss fights would have benefited from some of the same checkpointing that the rest of the game used - restarting from the beginning because of a small mistake became tedious.”
    • “It's not challenging, it's just tedious, repetitive, and boring.”
    • “However, as the game instantly kills your character when hit, boss fights quickly devolve into a tedious process of trial and error as you slowly learn how to dodge each attack before promptly dying to the next one.”
  • emotional
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players finding it heartwarming and impactful due to its touching narrative and beautiful art style, while others criticize the story as generic and lacking depth, leading to minimal emotional connection. The game effectively conveys emotion through its environment and soundtrack, yet some feel that the gameplay's focus on puzzles detracts from the overall narrative experience. Overall, it offers moments of genuine emotional resonance, particularly in certain scenes, but struggles with consistency in storytelling.

    • “When I saw the old man that chased me from the start, I was emotionally moved by it.”
    • “It was a real emotional journey.”
    • “Much like its platform brothers, it has a silent, touching narrative told through its excellent soundtrack and beautiful art style.”
    • “It's a generic, semi-walled off, boring story with nothing unique about it.”
    • “You walk into a room that looks like a theater, and suddenly you are greeted with dull puppet exposition on an even more boring story.”
  • replayability
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers some incentive through collectible scrolls and tarot cards that can lead to different endings or challenges, many players find the core experience short and lacking in substantial replay value. The game can be completed in about 4-6 hours, and while some enjoy the thrill of speedrunning or hunting for collectibles, others feel that the limited content does not justify a high replayability score.

    • “There are 36 scrolls in the whole game, but to finish it you only need 15. The rest is for replayability, and if you gather them all and return to the last boss, the ending is completely different.”
    • “You can even increase the replay value by collecting all the tarot cards hidden in hard-to-reach places.”
    • “It's a short 4-5 hour game depending on if you look for 100% completion, with lots of replayability. Because of this, I give it an 8/10.”
    • “There isn't a lot of replay value in puzzle platformers.”
    • “Not much to offer in terms of replayability, but that's not really a problem in my eyes.”
    • “Replay value is just about absolute 0”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mix of playful frustration and unexpected moments, often eliciting laughter from players despite occasional design flaws. Many reviewers appreciate the game's ability to provoke a range of emotions, from facepalming to outright laughter, particularly in relation to its unpredictable physics. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the experience, making it enjoyable even amidst challenges.

    • “Funny little platform with beautiful graphics and inspired landscapes.”
    • “This game made me facepalm, laugh, yell, and laugh out loud (at myself for being so stupid) and frustrated.”
    • “Even though I was frustrated, I found myself laughing often, and that's not easy for any puzzle or platformer game to do.”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing intermittent bugs and glitches that negatively impacted their experience, while others reported a smooth and stable gameplay without any technical issues. Overall, the game appears to have a solid foundation, but the presence of bugs may detract from the experience for some users.

    • “It was consistently smooth, with no glitches, stutter, or lag at all. The game feels very solid and stable in general.”
    • “Everything runs great.”
    • “That isn't helped by somewhat intermittently buggy mechanics.”
    • “Another annoying thing is the few bugs and glitches I encountered with the game; this sadly ruined my experience, plus the amount of checkpoints there are are very few.”
    • “Fun, but buggy and teaches its mechanics with death.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs well on lower-end machines and offers options to adjust lighting effects, players report floaty controls and performance hitches that detract from the experience. Some users experienced significant frame drops in certain areas, indicating that the game could benefit from further optimization, especially for controller use. Overall, the visual appeal and enjoyable gameplay are somewhat overshadowed by these technical issues.

    • “Now while there's no deep options menu, the lighting effects can be toned down, which is where most of your performance issues will arise. It's also not capped at 60fps (thank you!!!) and runs fairly well even on my low-end machine.”
    • “It was a delight to play through the first time, and just as fun on repeat performances.”
    • “Overall, it's a puzzle platformer about magnetics, with really gorgeous art and decently moody music.”
    • “Floaty, imprecise controls and weird performance hitches ruin what otherwise could have been a charming puzzle/platformer.”
    • “Weird performance issues - I don't have the fastest computer, true, but still, I would not expect the game dropping down to 30 fps in a few areas.”
    • “Now while there's no deep options menu, the lighting effects can be toned down, which is where most of your performance issues will arise. It's also not capped at 60 fps (thank you!!!) and runs fairly well even on my outdated machine.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is highlighted by unexpected plot twists and moments that enhance its melancholic atmosphere, contributing to a deeper emotional experience. Additionally, the distinct and beautiful character designs complement the overall tone, enriching the narrative and visual appeal.

    • “At first, I admit, I didn't think there was anything particularly special about the story, but I was caught off-guard by a plot twist and a couple of moments of character development that really helped drive home the game's melancholy mood.”
    • “The character designs also vary and are very beautiful and distinct from each other.”
    • “The character designs are simple, cartoonish, and pleasing, while the environments and bosses have what I feel to be the perfect degree of detail and fidelity to fit in with the tone of the game.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on an emotional level.”
    • “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which detracted from my overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “Despite some interesting concepts, the character development is poorly executed, leaving many storylines feeling unresolved and unsatisfying.”
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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 19 critic reviews
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8h Median play time
6h Average play time
3-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Teslagrad is a arcade platformer game with science fiction theme.

Teslagrad is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, iPhone and others.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Teslagrad.

Teslagrad was released on December 13, 2013.

Teslagrad was developed by Rain Games.

Teslagrad has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Teslagrad is a single player game.

Similar games include Outland, MO:Astray, Unbound:Worlds Apart, Hob, Out There Somewhere and others.