The Game of Sisyphus
- April 11, 2024
- cream
Get on SteamIn "The Game of Sisyphus" , you step into the mythological tale, becoming Sisyphus, tasked to roll a boulder up a mountain. With various obstacles and the boulder's inertia to consider, patience is key in this slow-paced, challenging experience. New boulders can be earned, increasing the difficulty, making each accomplishment a hard-fought victory.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game provides a surprisingly relaxing experience, allowing players to reflect and find joy in the process of pushing the boulder.
- Many players appreciate the challenge and satisfaction that comes from overcoming obstacles, making it a rewarding experience.
- The game is seen as a unique retelling of the Sisyphus myth, encouraging players to embrace patience and perseverance.
- The ice section is poorly designed, leading to frustration and a feeling of unfairness that detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- The gameplay can become tedious and monotonous, with some players feeling that it lacks meaningful challenge and variety.
- Many players criticize the controls and physics, stating that they can feel janky and inconsistent, leading to a lack of control over the boulder.
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a slow-paced, methodical approach that requires patience and focus, which may not appeal to all players. Critics note that the mechanics feel disjointed, with a lack of recovery options for mistakes, and repetitive stage design that could benefit from more variety. Overall, it is recommended for fans of simple mechanics but may frustrate those seeking more dynamic gameplay.
“Sure, you'd fail more, but losing progress wouldn't be nearly as painful and the actual gameplay itself would be a bit more involved.”
“Would recommend if you're a fan of simple mechanic games where you just need some patience and focus to master it.”
“Before delving too far into the gameplay and stage design of this game, the first thing that should be mentioned here is how the controls actually work, seeing how easy it is to get a false impression of the controls if you base the movement entirely on Sisyphus himself since simply pushing him against the boulder to move it upwards will only get you so far as mastering the pushing of the boulder requires the use of the mouse buttons to turn the boulder from one side to the other or to prevent it from falling out of your grasp and back down the long trail you worked so hard to climb up.”
“The mechanics feel slapped together.”
“The slow-paced gameplay of the game of Sisyphus will likely put off players who are not into games that demand a careful approach with plenty to lose with a mere slip of focus.”
“One stage, Rock Mountain, is repeated three times with little differences to terrain and gameplay, which simple graphical changes would easily reduce the repetition.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious rather than challenging or enjoyable, often comparing it to repetitive tasks that lack meaningful progression. While the initial experience may be engaging, the prolonged nature of the grinding leads to frustration and a sense of monotony, detracting from overall enjoyment.
“When I first started playing this game, I kept complaining how the game wasn't hard but tedious.”
“Gets a bit tedious and stressful after a while, but without the immediate reward you get upon passing a hard part, because you can see there's more ahead, but you can't see the top, just a straight line.”
“Interesting game, had some promise, the first hour was kinda fun but then the realization comes that the game doesn't really get harder, just tedious.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's story is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Sisyphus, emphasizing themes of punishment, perseverance, and the struggle against seemingly meaningless tasks. Players find that the narrative serves as a lesson in patience and resilience, reflecting on the character's eternal struggle and the moral implications of their journey. Overall, the story transforms the gameplay into a profound exploration of life's challenges and the importance of persistence.
“Moral of the story, you never know what life holds in store for you, and if I would have given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“But as I went through each level and after I learned the story of Sisyphus, I realized this game isn't a game for fun difficulty; it's a punishment.”
“The game is meant to be a lesson, as is the story of Sisyphus, of patience, perseverance, and seemingly meaningless tasks.”
“When I first heard of this most unusual game and its development several weeks back, I was quite intrigued as to what kind of experience one would have when going into what appears to be a retelling of the ancient Greek mythology of Sisyphus in his quest to atone for his misdeeds against the gods for having both cheated death as well as extreme cruelty towards his guests by means of rolling a boulder up atop the mountain Tartarus as part of his divine punishment.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are criticized for lacking intentional and varied level design, leading to a repetitive experience, particularly with one stage being reused multiple times with minimal changes. However, the introduction of different visual effects for purchasable 'boulders' adds some replayability and visual interest. Overall, the visuals do not significantly enhance the gameplay experience.
“Further replayability is added for those who seek to make the trip once more, as gold and coins earned from overall performance and each hike to the top can be used to buy a variety of new 'boulders' with different visuals and effects.”
“One stage, Rock Mountain, is repeated three times with little differences in terrain and gameplay, which simple graphical changes would easily reduce the repetition.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the detail expected from modern games, making the overall experience less immersive.”
“Character models are poorly designed and lack variety, which detracts from the visual appeal of the game.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through the inclusion of various boulders with unique properties and visual effects, allowing players to enhance their experience with each playthrough. Additionally, players can earn gold and coins from their performance, which can be used to unlock new boulders, further incentivizing repeated gameplay. Overall, users find the game to be infinitely replayable and enjoyable.
“Fun game, nice ending, infinitely replayable.”
“There is replayability, with more boulders that have different properties.”
“Further replayability is added for those who seek to make the trip once more, as gold and coins earned from overall performance and each hike to the top can be used to buy a variety of new boulders with different visuals and effects.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, providing a relaxing atmosphere, though some users feel it could benefit from a few additional tracks to prevent repetition. Overall, it enhances the experience, allowing players to unwind, but the option to play their own music is appreciated for those who may tire of the game's soundtrack.
“The music was nice; it could have had one or two more songs, but for those who might take longer to finish, they could always play their own.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes to this music, long enough to realize that I was going to be okay.”
“The music is so repetitive that it quickly becomes annoying.”
“I found the soundtrack to be bland and forgettable, lacking any real impact.”
“The background music feels out of place and doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game is well-received, as players are rewarded with gold and coins based on their performance, which can be used to unlock various boulders for enhanced gameplay. This system not only encourages replayability but also allows players to customize their experience, adding both aesthetic flair and additional challenges.
“For those who accomplish the great feat, you are awarded an amount of gold that varies depending on your overall performance, including how long it took, how many times the boulder went 'out of bounds', and the overall distance traveled, alongside a single coin as acknowledgment of your victory. Both the gold and coins can be spent on various boulders that were locked at the start of the game, giving a second run either a new fancy flair or, for the sadistic, adding even further challenge to an already arduous test of one's stoicism!”
“Further replayability is added for those who seek to make the trip once more, as gold and coins earned from overall performance and each hike to the top can be used to buy a variety of new boulders with different visuals and effects.”
“The optimization in this game is severely lacking, making it frustrating to achieve the desired performance metrics.”
“The mechanics for earning gold and coins are convoluted, which detracts from the overall experience and makes optimization feel tedious.”
“The game requires a lot of grinding to unlock new boulders, and the optimization of the rewards system feels unbalanced and unrewarding.”
