The Portal Trial

About

The Portal Trial is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Espale Studios and was released on January 19, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

BUY THE FULL GAME WISHLIST OTHER GAMES About the GameEmbark on an intergalactic adventure as Rina, a cunning thief in the year 2512 within the corrupt Galactic Empire. Get a preview of the game's start and tackle some tricky levels. Can you beat the challenges and triumph in this futuristic journey? Get ready for a wild ride in a tricky platformer with mind-bending challenges and seamless …

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 87 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

monetization4 negative mentions

The game features interesting and challenging platformer levels that combine classic mechanics with portal elements.
The gameplay is fun and engaging, with smooth mechanics and a satisfying challenge that keeps players coming back.
The visuals and audio design are appealing, enhancing the overall experience of the game.

The controls are often frustrating, with issues like awkward key bindings and momentum that can make precise jumps difficult.
The game feels incomplete, with some mechanics not fully realized and a lack of variety in level design.
Many players find the difficulty spikes to be unfair, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.

gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
45%
14%
The gameplay is characterized by its fast-paced, challenging platforming mechanics that blend traditional elements with innovative features like portals and a binoculars mechanic for room navigation. While many players appreciate the tight controls and satisfying level design, some express frustration with the camera angles and certain mechanics that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a mix of fun and difficulty, appealing to fans of precision platformers, though it may require some adjustment to fully enjoy.
- “Can't understand the complaints about the controls, I felt like it was extremely tight, reminded me of Meat Boy (the original, not the autorunner) in terms of how the gameplay felt.”
- “Gameplay: 9/10 - fun, difficult, and fast.”
- “Nice platformer with portal-like portals; sometimes they have a clever use, sometimes not, but overall the gameplay is really tense and the last level (the one with a flying robot chasing you) made me sweat.”
- “The problem is that while this game is a whole lot faster, it relies heavily on the binoculars mechanic from Celeste, where you can view the entire room from the start.”
- “Very interesting idea and I can't deny that it's kinda fun, but I cannot recommend playing it because the controls are god awful. For some reason, you can change them but not any button (I tried putting jump on my up arrow and it didn't let me). Also, the camera feels very weird and is even more annoying when you have to go through portals (specifically jumping to them) and then having no idea where to go, leading to multiple attempts where you just have seconds to look where you need to go, which is very annoying and takes away from its gameplay.”
- “Thirdly, portals don’t seem to add anything to gameplay (at least they didn’t during the levels I played) and could be easily erased.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback; while some players find it intriguing and appreciate the subtlety of its twists, others express indifference or a lack of engagement with the plot. Overall, there is a sense that the story has potential, but it may not be a focal point for all players.
- “The story seems interesting enough; I really like how they didn't highlight the twist in the end cutscene.”
- “The portals are a lot of fun, and I can see the story being something very interesting.”
- “Interesting game, and it seems to have some story.”
- “No story.”
- “I do not want to evaluate the plot based on the introduction.”
- “Story: didn't read/10 = don't worry about it.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing the pixel art as "godawful" and likening it to "pixelcrap," while others appreciate the art style and find it appealing. The visuals are described as bright and flashy, but can sometimes hinder gameplay due to a laggy feel in fast-paced scenarios. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some players enjoying the aesthetic despite its limitations.
- “I really like the art style too.”
- “The art style is cool; the physics feel almost brick-like.”
- “The story seems interesting enough, and the graphics and sound are great.”
- “This features really godawful pixel crap 'art' instead of real graphics.”
- “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to create 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
- “In a very fast precision platformer with pixel graphics and bright, flashy colors, it is sometimes really hard to keep track of things as the movement seems 'laggy'.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for misleadingly presenting a demo or advertisement as a full game, which detracts from legitimate titles and undermines the integrity of the platform. This practice is seen as a way for developers to exploit marketing space without adhering to proper publishing guidelines, ultimately harming the gaming community.
- “This isn't even the full game; it's an advertisement that the developer dumped on Steam because they refused to follow the correct process.”
- “While it might seem like an innocuous mistake, publishing demos and advertisements as if they are full games is misleading and, in some ways, harmful.”
- “Often developers may choose to incorrectly publish demo/advertisements as separate games as a cheap way to bypass paying Valve for marketing presence on the Steam front page, which may seem clever to them, but it's harmful behavior and it's not good for gamers.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music and sound design in the game received high praise, with many users highlighting it as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. While some noted that the art could be improved, the music was consistently described as fantastic and essential to the game's enjoyment.
- “The music and sound design were stellar and really brought the game home for me.”
- “The music is fantastic; the art is a bit lacking on the backgrounds, but it’s definitely a must.”
- “The game's music adds a whole new level of joy to the experience.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring an unrealistic amount of effort to progress.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it still feels like I'm nowhere.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is likened to the comedic elements found in titles like Celeste and Portal, with players appreciating the lightheartedness and fun design reminiscent of Funny Summit 2K. However, some players feel that the gameplay mechanics, particularly the physics and camera controls, detract from the overall experience, leading to moments of frustration that can overshadow the humor.
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever writing and hilarious character interactions that keep you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game blends absurdity with clever puns, making every level a delightful experience filled with unexpected laughs.”
- “The comedic timing in the dialogue is perfect, and the quirky characters add a layer of charm that makes the game truly enjoyable.”