The Looker
- June 17, 2022
- Subcreation Studio
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamIn "The Looker" , explore a mysterious island with over 55 creative puzzles in this single-player game designed for intelligent players. Over a compact two-hour playing duration, you'll encounter unique challenges, thoughtful ideas, and light-hearted in-jokes. The game respects your time, offering genuine puzzles and reminding you that friendships made are precious memories worth cherishing. No information available on the release date or developer/publisher.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The humor in 'The Looker' is clever and engaging, providing a hilarious experience that resonates well with fans of 'The Witness.'
- The atmospheric music and colorful mid-poly graphics create an immersive and captivating environment that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- The game's story features depth and emotional impact, with strong character development and unexpected plot twists that leave players feeling connected and moved.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues such as crashes and lag, particularly on lower-end hardware.
- Some players found the puzzles to be tedious and frustrating, with a lack of replayability due to their straightforward nature.
- The character development was criticized for being minimal and rushed, leaving some players wanting more depth in the narrative.
- humor1,644 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in "The Looker" is widely praised for its cleverness and ability to poke fun at the pretentiousness of its source material, "The Witness." Many players found themselves laughing out loud at the game's witty dialogue, absurd scenarios, and unexpected punchlines, particularly in the ending. While some jokes may not resonate with those unfamiliar with "The Witness," the overall comedic experience is considered engaging and entertaining, making it a standout free title in the parody genre.
“The looker is brilliant and hilarious, and it's free.”
“A hilarious must play if you have played the witness.”
“This game is hilarious and will make you want to rip your hair out.”
“The narrator is boring and unfunny.”
“I guess it's supposed to be funny but I just can't bear this American postmodern anti-aesthetic, anti-everything nonsense.”
“The gameplay was okay, but the 'humor' was just incredibly unfunny.”
- gameplay259 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Looker" is characterized by its clever and humorous take on puzzle mechanics, primarily involving drawing lines to solve mazes. While the core mechanic is simple, it evolves throughout the game, introducing varied and creative challenges that keep players engaged. Although some found the gameplay a bit short and occasionally frustrating, the overall experience is praised for its originality, humor, and well-crafted design, making it a standout in the puzzle genre.
“The gameplay is creative and something I haven't seen before.”
“The looker excels in delivering a seamless and intuitive gameplay experience.”
“The gameplay revolves around the core mechanic of drawing on and solving simple mazes, which unlock the next element in the game.”
“The puzzles are relatively easy and the gameplay is very much a walking simulator.”
“The main thing I didn't like about the game is that the line drawing mechanic sometimes felt a bit unforgiving.”
“Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this puzzle mechanic much, but it's fine for a 1-hour game.”
- story192 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its depth, emotional impact, and intricate plot twists, often leaving players in awe and even tears by the end. Many reviews highlight the clever integration of storytelling with gameplay, featuring a rich narrative filled with humor, philosophical themes, and a diverse cast of characters. However, some players found the story to be convoluted or lacking substance, suggesting that it may not resonate with everyone.
“The obelisk of knowledge isn’t just a plot device; it is a central motif that represents an elusive goal: understanding all that is, transcending all that was.”
“Absolutely fantastic game with a heart-wrenching story, deep and complex characters, and a harrowing ending.”
“The story was truly captivating, especially the ending; I truly got emotional, it really shows you what humankind has and will achieve.”
“The puzzles were some of the most challenging that I ever faced, and the story had me hooked until the closing.”
“Just today I finished The Witness with my girlfriend, and while we loved 90% of the puzzles and our general time with the game, the 'story' and ending left us completely disappointed.”
“I personally loved The Witness, its mundane puzzles and over-pretentious ramblings, its complex, interwoven story that is so needlessly convoluted to justify its $40 price.”
- graphics132 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their colorful mid-poly art style and aesthetic appeal, effectively capturing the essence of its predecessor while offering a cozy and welcoming environment. However, many users noted issues with optimization, lack of graphical options, and high system requirements, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the visuals are often described as beautiful and fitting for the game's style, contributing positively to the gameplay.
“The graphics and sound design fit well with the game’s style, featuring a colorful mid-poly art style that is pleasing to the eye.”
“The looker immediately captivates players with its stunning visuals and minimalist art style.”
“Its engaging gameplay mechanics, mesmerizing visuals, and subtle storytelling combine to create an experience that will leave players awestruck.”
“It is not very well optimized, which stinks, and the graphics definitely reflect the price.”
“The lack of basic video and graphics settings caused me to experience lag and low fps throughout my time playing the game.”
“Kinda wish it had a settings menu so you could turn down the graphics a bit, but that's the only real gripe I have.”
- emotional126 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke a wide range of feelings, from laughter to tears, particularly through its impactful and heartfelt ending. Players frequently mention being moved to tears, experiencing profound emotional connections, and feeling both intelligent and challenged throughout their journey. Overall, the game is praised for its touching narrative and the emotional rollercoaster it provides, making it a memorable experience for many.
“Playing The Looker was an emotional journey for me, stirring a whirlwind of feelings that I had never experienced before.”
“Absolutely fantastic game with a heart-wrenching story, deep and complex characters, and a harrowing ending.”
“The ending is an emotional roller coaster that really makes you think.”
- music46 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth, with many players praising the soundtrack as stunning and fitting for the game's themes. While some noted limitations in sound options, the overall composition, including ambient sounds and orchestral elements, contributes significantly to the immersive experience. Many reviews highlight the music's role in creating memorable moments, with some tracks evoking strong emotional responses.
“The atmospheric music and ambient sounds further immerse players in the captivating world of the game, creating a mesmerizing experience that transcends traditional puzzle games.”
“The game is a masterpiece, with astonishing gameplay, a heartwarming soundtrack, and an ending so meaningful that it brought tears to my eyes.”
“The music builds the atmosphere perfectly in this bizarre world you find yourself in.”
“Could not change to windowed mode, or adjust the volume, turn off music, change the resolution, etc.”
“Soundtrack is scarce, but fitting.”
“Also, lacking in other settings of music volume, sound volume, fov, etc. Game is great though.”
- optimization24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 42 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its poor optimization, requiring high system specifications that do not align with its relatively simple graphics. Many users report performance issues, including crashes and significant lag, particularly on lower-end hardware, and there are no options to adjust settings to improve performance. Overall, the lack of optimization detracts from the gaming experience, despite some positive aspects of the gameplay.
“It's a fun parody, but it desperately needs an optimization pass -- for as relatively little as is going on here, it ends up straining resources considerably.”
“This game does suffer a little bit from unoptimized geometry, but it doesn't detract from the experience that much.”
“The impressionist and simple style of small team indie games is becoming a bit uninspired but for projects like this it's likely to aid performance.”
“It crashed several times under Linux, and it is not exactly optimized (it asks for 24GB of RAM in the recommended settings...), but it is free.”
“The graphics are nothing crazy and yet you need surprisingly capable specs to run it well, which I'll chalk up to poor optimization.”
“My only complaint is that it's really badly optimized.”
- atmosphere21 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a captivating blend of quirky humor, colorful visuals, and serene backgrounds, creating an immersive and entertaining experience. Players appreciate the combination of atmospheric music and ambient sounds that enhance the storytelling, while the puzzles encourage contemplation and creativity. Despite some frustrations with certain challenges, the overall ambiance is celebrated as a delightful tribute to similar puzzle games, particularly for fans of "The Witness."
“The quirky humor and light-hearted atmosphere keep things entertaining as you explore the colorful world.”
“The game boasts a captivating blend of colors and serene backgrounds that create a soothing and immersive atmosphere.”
“The atmospheric music and ambient sounds further immerse players in the captivating world of the game, creating a mesmerizing experience that transcends traditional puzzle games.”
“The whole thing has this decadent atmosphere while at the same time, presenting absurd narratives and ridiculous puzzles.”
“The atmosphere really left me contemplating life's mysteries.”
“It was met with largely positive reviews for its atmosphere and puzzle design; but there were many players--myself included--who found it frustrating due to how easy it was to learn the wrong lessons when working out its cryptic puzzles, not to mention the air of pretentiousness it can give off with its attempts to be philosophical.”
- grinding18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, particularly with certain puzzles like the snake puzzle, which many describe as painfully monotonous. While some appreciate the game's attempt at humor and its fresh take on puzzle mechanics, the repetitive nature of the gameplay and poor controls detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of boredom over time.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The snek part is painfully tedious.”
“It was fun when I started, but it grew tedious and boring.”
- stability11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and a generally buggy experience that hampers gameplay. Many players have noted issues with the interface and controls, making it difficult to solve puzzles effectively. While some users found the game to run well on specific platforms, the overall consensus is that the game feels unfinished and unstable.
“Runs great on Proton.”
“It's free, not buggy, great graphics... what more could you need?”
“Bad game, freezes frequently; annoying walls have ruined multiple puzzles. One puzzle was unseeable even after turning the lights off. A lot of the puzzles are fun and easy, but the minority of them are enough of a reason that I can't recommend the game.”
“It's buggy and the interface is crude.”
“I just wish I could tell you for sure because this game freezes up at the loading screen every time I try to boot it up, even though my PC is above the minimum requirements.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, primarily due to its short duration and straightforward puzzles, making it more of a one-time experience. While some players appreciate the hidden achievements and humor that may encourage a return visit, the consensus is that it lacks substantial content for repeated play. However, as a free puzzle game, it offers a decent, enjoyable experience for those who appreciate maze-type challenges.
“Infinitely replayable.”
“All in all, while it doesn't have a ton of replay value, I'm very happy with the experience of this game - and for a free game, it's surprisingly well-thought-out and filled with content.”
“The puzzles aren't too difficult and there's not too much replayability, but this game is a good hour of pure enjoyment; it's just nice to have multiple options in a puzzle game, and the fact that it's free just makes it worth a shot.”
“The game contains next to no replay value, but that just means you can uninstall easily when you are finished.”
“I completed it in about 1.5 hours, but I don't anticipate playing it again due to its limited replayability.”
“Not much in terms of replayability, but it's free.”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is praised for its depth and unexpected twists, complemented by engaging puzzles and humorous dialogue. Reviewers highlight the strong storytelling and world-building, noting that it elevates the overall experience significantly. Overall, the character arcs are considered a standout feature, contributing to the game's exceptional quality.
“A lot of interesting puzzles and some hilarious dialogue, as well as unexpected character development and world-building.”
“Character development, FPS, the obelisk of knowledge, ghosts: if 'The Witness' didn't have it, this one does.”
“A phenomenal game with amazing storytelling and character development; an absolute 11/10. Games have never been able to go this far in human history.”
“The character development of the main character was lacking.”
“Character development was minimal and felt rushed.”
“The game had potential, but the character development fell flat.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users expressing frustration over the absence of microtransactions that would allow for cosmetic upgrades, such as glowy skins. While the game adheres to its advertising, some players find the puzzle mechanics to be unnecessarily annoying, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The only downside is that there are no microtransactions, so I was unable to apply expensive glowy skins to my red marker.”
“My only criticism is that, true to the advertising blurb for the looker, this game truly has a way of being unnecessarily frustrating with its puzzles.”
