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The Void

The Void Game Cover
80%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
grinding, stability
81% User Score Based on 718 reviews
Critic Score 75%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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The Void Game Cover

About

The Void is a single player action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Ice-Pick Lodge and was released on December 15, 2009. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"The Void is a 2D exploration game set in a limbo-like world filled with monstrous Brothers and sly Sisters. Players must navigate 29 interconnected chambers, nourishing Color to grow gardens, hunting creatures, and mining resources. The choices made with the limited Color droplets will alter the entire world, offering a chance to break the cycle and achieve transcendence." - Steam ID: 37000.

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The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
The Void screenshot
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81%
Audience ScoreBased on 718 reviews
gameplay37 positive mentions
grinding36 negative mentions
  • The Void offers a unique and haunting atmosphere, with striking visuals and a deeply philosophical narrative that challenges players to think critically about their choices.
  • The gameplay mechanics, centered around resource management and the use of color, create a compelling and immersive experience that rewards patience and strategic thinking.
  • The character designs and world-building are imaginative and memorable, with each Sister and Brother contributing to the game's surreal and unsettling charm.
  • The game can be incredibly difficult and punishing, often leading to frustration as players may find themselves in unwinnable situations due to poor resource management.
  • The lack of clear instructions and tutorials can leave players confused about the mechanics, making it hard to progress without external guides.
  • The slow movement speed and repetitive tasks can detract from the overall enjoyment, making the experience feel tedious at times.
  • gameplay
    276 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "The Void" is a unique blend of resource management, exploration, and abstract puzzle-solving, characterized by its cryptic mechanics and a steep learning curve that often leaves players frustrated. While the innovative glyph-drawing system and the haunting atmosphere create an immersive experience, the lack of clear guidance and punishing difficulty can make the gameplay feel tedious and overwhelming. Overall, it challenges players to engage deeply with its mechanics, but this complexity may deter those seeking a more straightforward gaming experience.

    • “At its mechanical core, the void is a hybrid of exploration, resource management, and abstract puzzle-solving.”
    • “Drawing sigils on the screen to interact with the world—whether to attack, nurture, or unlock new areas—becomes both a ritual and a language, one that feels as mystical as it does mechanical.”
    • “The void's innovative gameplay mechanics will challenge your intellect and test your resourcefulness, ensuring an immersive and rewarding experience.”
    • “The mechanics are unforgiving and opaque, requiring experimentation and observation rather than tutorial guidance.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, there are a lot of repetitive movements, and worse of all, extreme obscurity with many of its mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is slow, but it is very weighty.”
  • story
    172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "The Void" is characterized by its abstract, poetic, and philosophical nature, often leaving players to interpret its meaning through cryptic dialogue and symbolic imagery. While some find the narrative deeply immersive and rewarding, others criticize it for being convoluted and difficult to grasp, with gameplay mechanics that can detract from the storytelling experience. Overall, the game presents a unique and haunting exploration of themes like death and existence, though its esoteric approach may not appeal to all players.

    • “The story unfolds through cryptic monologues, symbolic imagery, and fragmentary dialogue, leaving the player to piece together the cosmology of this dying realm.”
    • “The story is very good and you want to find out what it's all about and what happens next.”
    • “The story is a mind-bend and incredibly symbolic and open to interpretation.”
    • “The storyline is nonsense or non-existent.”
    • “However, the game's storyline can be described as nothing short of enigmatic and can be a significant turnoff for players who prefer more straightforward narratives.”
    • “The controls are complicated, the story is senseless and boring, with some girl hiding in the tree and telling you to collect colors and spend it, but also to save it (?!).”
  • graphics
    100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "The Void" are often described as stunning and atmospheric, featuring a unique art style that creates an otherworldly experience. While some players note that the visuals are somewhat dated, they still appreciate the game's striking imagery and the way it complements the haunting soundtrack and overall ambiance. Despite technical limitations, the game's artistic direction and visual storytelling leave a lasting impression, making it a memorable experience for those who value aesthetics in gaming.

    • “From the moment you step into this mesmerizing realm, you are instantly captivated by its hauntingly beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack.”
    • “The void is striking in its visuals—featuring stark and dreary landscapes contrasted with splashes of vibrant color and otherworldly architecture and characters—but it's more than just visually beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are slightly dated but that honestly means next to nothing because the game has a stunningly unique aesthetic like nothing you've ever seen.”
    • “The graphics are terrible.”
    • “The graphics are weak, the pace is slower than anything I can think of, including Korean dramas, visual novels, molasses, a game of soccer, or an injured turtle carrying a small child.”
    • “Simply put, nothing... terrible graphics, even worse controls and an annoying intro video.”
  • atmosphere
    90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty, unique art style, and immersive soundtrack, creating a surreal and oppressive experience that captivates players. Many reviews highlight how the game evokes deep emotions and a sense of unease without relying on traditional horror elements like jump scares. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics, the overall atmospheric design and world-building are considered standout features that contribute to a memorable and thought-provoking journey.

    • “It’s a game that doesn’t rely on jump scares or shock value but instead burrows into the psyche, creating discomfort through atmosphere and implication.”
    • “From the moment you step into this mesmerizing realm, you are instantly captivated by its hauntingly beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack.”
    • “The atmosphere is impeccable, the soundtrack is amazing, and the lore is extremely interesting.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game is very strange and mysterious.”
    • “An oppressive, haunting atmosphere combined with a grim narrative and brutal mechanics that slowly drain you of all your resources combine together to create an equal parts harrowing and euphoric journey that will dig its claws into you and not let go if you let it do so.”
    • “While this may sound cruel to make the game extremely difficult to win, it somehow adds to the nightmarish atmosphere which Ice-Pick Lodge are so adept in creating.”
  • music
    60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, perfectly complementing the surreal visuals and narrative. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to create an immersive experience, with ambient tracks that enhance the game's unique charm and emotional depth. Overall, the combination of evocative music and stunning art direction contributes significantly to the game's captivating atmosphere, making it a memorable experience for players.

    • “The surreal narrative, atmosphere, ambiance, and great soundtrack are immaculate and give the game its unique charm.”
    • “From the moment you step into this mesmerizing realm, you are instantly captivated by its hauntingly beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack does a great job in creating atmosphere as you explore the void and fight your foes, or experience an emotional point in the story.”
    • “I didn't play it for long because all of these issues are only compounded by lackluster art direction, sound design, and music.”
    • “Repeteative ambient music (is there only one track?).”
    • “The music goes very well with the overall feel of the game.”
  • grinding
    37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and punishing, with players often feeling overwhelmed by the need to repeatedly gather resources, primarily color, to progress. Many reviewers express frustration with the monotonous gameplay loop, which involves traversing the same areas and managing supplies, leading to a sense of burnout and discouragement. While some appreciate the game's story and atmosphere, the grind-heavy mechanics detract significantly from the overall experience, making it hard to recommend without modifications or cheats to alleviate the burden.

    • “Like most strategy games, resource management is incredibly important, but it is not tedious in the game.”
    • “The grinding aspect of this game feels rewarding, as every effort contributes to my overall strategy.”
    • “I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are balanced; they encourage exploration without feeling like a chore.”
    • “Sadly, I also abandoned this run because the gameplay becomes too tedious, and I just really didn't want to start the game up to play it whenever I thought about it.”
    • “80% of gameplay is just traversing the same locations over and over again, grinding for resources.”
    • “This game is very hard to recommend for a few reasons: it's way too grindy, you will spend hours gathering resources that are scarce, and even then you might be forced to use them to do something the game forces you to.”
  • replayability
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the multiple endings and open-ended structure that encourage replay, others find the endings too similar or unsatisfying, which diminishes the overall replay value. Despite this, many agree that the game's low cost and engaging content provide decent entertainment for those willing to explore different paths.

    • “Very good value for money as the game is cheap, very replayable, and has high entertainment value.”
    • “Definitely lots of replayability with multiple endings.”
    • “It has replayability because there are many different paths you can take.”
    • “Replay value is low.”
    • “What really disappointed me was all the endings are nearly identical, which really hurt replay value.”
    • “Replay value - there are several endings, but each is only vaguely satisfying.”
  • emotional
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its ability to evoke a wide range of emotions, transforming gameplay into a profound moral and emotional struggle. Players report feeling confusion, fear, sadness, and joy, all while navigating a dark and atmospheric world filled with complex themes. The immersive experience, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack, creates an emotional rollercoaster that leaves a lasting impact, despite a steep learning curve.

    • “It transforms basic gameplay into a moral and emotional struggle.”
    • “A heartbreaking experience as you strive to survive in a dying world filled with pessimism and fear of change.”
    • “Through events, dialog, and mechanics; the game made me feel confusion, fear, sadness, wistfulness, heroism, anger, and joy.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent crashes, glitches, and soft locks that hinder gameplay. Users report various bugs, such as clunky animations, texture glitches, and problematic mechanics, which detract from the overall experience. Despite its intriguing concept, the game's unfinished implementation and lack of optimization have left many players frustrated.

    • “That being said, I also have to add this game has serious terrible crashes, glitches where gray screens will occur, soft locking you in the game by simply collecting colors in certain areas or trying to enter certain chambers.”
    • “It's still a buggy mess... developers have clearly abandoned this game, which is a real shame because concept-wise it is very interesting.”
    • “Glitches, bugs, inadequate autosave, rough mechanics at times.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is highlighted through striking and symbolic designs that evoke a range of emotions, with sisters appearing both angelic and unsettling, while brothers embody monstrous parodies of authority. The vibrant and surreal aesthetics enhance the haunting atmosphere, contributing to a powerful narrative experience. Overall, the character designs are praised for their uniqueness and ability to captivate players throughout the game.

    • “The art direction and character design are superb and left me awestruck from start to finish.”
    • “The character designs are equally symbolic: the sisters appear angelic yet unsettling, while the brothers are monstrous parodies of authority and decay.”
    • “Its haunting atmosphere is the perfect canvas for the recondite narrative, powerful conceptions, sublime music, and mesmeric character designs.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users reporting issues such as stuttering, texture glitches, and freezes, particularly on mid-range PCs. While some suggest minor adjustments like enabling mouth smoothing can help, overall, the game is considered clunky and in need of further optimization.

    • “The characters are all bursting with personality, helped greatly by wonderful voice performances and the unique designs each of them were given.”
    • “It's clunky and needs optimization.”
    • “If we do not care about poor optimization, the experience suffers significantly.”
    • “Tip: turn on mouth smoothing just a little, as it reduces some stuttering.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by unexpected and whimsical scenarios, such as the amusing image of a lady casually standing inside a tree, which adds a lighthearted and playful tone to the experience.

    • “Wouldn't it be hilarious if there was just this lady standing inside the tree on the other side, just hanging out? Oh.”
    • “The game's humor is so clever; I found myself laughing out loud at the unexpected dialogue and quirky characters.”
    • “Every time I encountered a pun, I couldn't help but chuckle. The developers really nailed the comedic timing!”
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75%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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27h Median play time
32h Average play time
8-60h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Void is a action adventure game with horror theme.

The Void is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 32 hours playing The Void.

The Void was released on December 15, 2009.

The Void was developed by Ice-Pick Lodge.

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

The Void is a single player game.

Similar games include Pathologic 2, Scorn, Dear Esther, Transistor, BELOW and others.