Thumper

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,126 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Thumper Game Cover
Thumper's trippy sights, sounds, and intense rhythm action create a terrifying VR experience I won't soon forget.
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Thumper is a rhythm game where you play as a space beetle, racing through a chaotic and psychedelic world. The goal is to survive and confront a maniacal giant head from the future. It contains fast-paced gameplay and a hypnotic soundtrack, providing an intense and immersive experience as you navigate through the challenging courses. The game demands both quick reflexes and strategic thinking, making it a thrilling and engaging ride.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Virtual Reality
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Oculus Quest
  • Oculus Rift
  • Play​Station
  • Play​Station VR
  • Play​Station VR2
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,126 reviews
music313 positive mentions
story7 negative mentions
  • Unique and intense gameplay that combines rhythm and action elements.
  • Stunning visuals and sound design that create an immersive experience.
  • Challenging difficulty curve that rewards practice and mastery.
  • music1,183 mentions

    The music in "Thumper" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its intense, industrial sound that complements the game's fast-paced, challenging gameplay. However, some critics argue that the soundtrack lacks variety and melody, often feeling repetitive and disconnected from the rhythm of the gameplay. While the music enhances the overall atmosphere and experience, it may not satisfy those looking for a traditional rhythm game where the music guides the player's actions.

    • “The work on this aspect achieves every great rhythm game developer's white whale in terms of design goals; making the player feel like they are playing a musical instrument and not a controller.”
    • “The music, the rhythm, the visuals get me in the zone like no other game can.”
    • “The combination of the rhythmic gameplay and pulsating electronic soundtrack creates a thrilling and immersive sensation.”
    • “The music is not good, but the gameplay is very fun.”
    • “The music leaves something to be desired.”
    • “The soundtrack is so minimalist and repetitive that it's almost like playing a rhythm game that doesn't have any music whatsoever.”
  • graphics616 mentions

    The graphics in *Thumper* are widely praised for their stunning, psychedelic aesthetic that enhances the overall gameplay experience. However, many players note that the intense visuals can sometimes be overwhelming and distracting, making it difficult to see upcoming obstacles and react in time. While the visuals contribute to a unique and immersive atmosphere, they can also lead to sensory overload, particularly in later levels.

    • “The visuals are amazing, beautifully designed to line up with the music that I've so highly praised.”
    • “The psychedelic, colorful visuals and the abstract geometric boss designs work seamlessly with the sinister soundtracks to create the overall intimidating and hostile atmosphere.”
    • “The visuals are so spectacular though and I was amazed when I learned it was just a two-person team that made this on a custom engine.”
    • “The only drawback is the visuals can be intense and very tiring on the eyes. I recommend taking breaks occasionally while playing because, as someone who never gets eye strain playing games, this one is rough on me and I can only play it in short bursts before I need a minute or two to rest my eyes.”
    • “The visuals become so overblown that it's nearly impossible to see what's coming up, and the sound cues aren't high enough in the mix to overcome the repetitive, uninteresting music, so you'll run into a lot of areas with turns and obstacles that come up seemingly out of nowhere.”
    • “Visuals too distracting to allow the player to actually see what they're supposed to do, and the audio cues are drowned out by other sound effects.”
  • gameplay597 mentions

    The gameplay of Thumper is characterized by its fast-paced, reaction-based mechanics that blend rhythm and action elements, creating a unique experience that challenges players to master increasingly complex patterns and obstacles. While the controls are simple and intuitive, the game ramps up in difficulty, introducing new mechanics at a steady pace, which can lead to intense and satisfying gameplay moments. However, some players find the visuals overwhelming and the audio cues occasionally difficult to sync with the gameplay, leading to frustration despite the overall engaging and rewarding experience.

    • “Despite identifying as a rhythm game, I'd argue that it's far more similar to a reaction-intensive action game because of the sheer amount of mechanics and the freedom of choice the game provides in terms of how you play it while remaining obscenely simple and satisfying to play.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are simple yet addictive, requiring precise timing and reflexes as you navigate through fast-paced tracks.”
    • “The combination of the rhythmic gameplay and pulsating electronic soundtrack creates a thrilling and immersive sensation.”
    • “The levels are way too long, sections are effectively impossible to sight read, and the gameplay is extremely repetitive.”
    • “Gameplay is sometimes disturbingly off-beat, repeats the same patterns and introduces new but forced mechanics instead of creatively chaining up existing ones.”
    • “However, the gameplay becomes boring, repetitive, and outright dull quite quickly.”
  • atmosphere95 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of dark, psychedelic visuals and intense, industrial soundscapes that create a captivating yet unsettling experience. Players describe it as a "rhythm violence" environment that combines beautiful graphics with a foreboding sense of tension, making it feel both immersive and challenging. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, effectively enhancing the gameplay and emotional engagement.

    • “The psychedelic, colorful visuals and the abstract geometric boss designs work seamlessly with the sinister soundtracks to create the overall intimidating and hostile atmosphere.”
    • “Thumper's atmosphere is utterly intoxicating and addictive, and I've never played a rhythm game like this that captures such raw energy.”
    • “Even within this already niche genre, Thumper takes the risk of alienating even more people because it is very difficult, has an oppressive, surreal atmosphere, and all but strips out the music aspect of these games entirely, replacing it with industrial, instrumental tracks with strange, erratic rhythmic patterns.”
    • “A horror game disguised as a rhythm game, this is probably the only game of its genre that I'm aware of that has this peculiar atmosphere: dreadful, oppressive, and downright hostile towards the player.”
    • “The atmosphere created by the game is dark and foreboding, which is an appreciated change of pace from the neon-colored rave that many rhythm games seem stuck in.”
  • story54 mentions

    The game's story is minimal to nonexistent, with players often noting that it lacks dialogue or a traditional narrative structure. While some reviewers appreciate the abstract and interpretive nature of the plot—centering on a space beetle's mission to confront a giant head—most agree that the focus is primarily on gameplay rather than storytelling. Overall, the game is celebrated for its immersive experience and rhythm-based mechanics, rather than its narrative depth.

    • “An intense voyage through an eldritch land, Thumper combines the satisfaction of a rhythm game with the beauty and tension of a Lovecraftian story into an incredibly polished product.”
    • “It tells you a story without any words or text, and it's on you to decide what you want to interpret it as.”
    • “Beginning with the gorgeous music, the gorgeous beats, perfectly matching the music, the gorgeous art design, ending with a gorgeous mysterious story about the trip of a space beetle... I personally couldn't find any negatives in this game, and, after all, I didn't even want to.”
    • “The game has zero dialogue or text relating to any kind of story.”
    • “Now, the story in Thumper is fairly nonexistent; you may piece something small together but probably not.”
    • “There's barely a story to speak of, and the most I've seen so far is a recurring boss that kind of changes with each level.”
  • replayability50 mentions

    Overall, the game offers significant replayability, particularly for players interested in score-chasing and leaderboard competition, with multiple levels and challenges to master. While some reviewers noted a lack of new content after completion, the ability to replay levels for better ranks and the engaging gameplay mechanics contribute to a satisfying replay experience. The game's design encourages repeated playthroughs, especially for those who enjoy refining their skills and achieving high scores.

    • “Survival is the base challenge, but points and ranks grant the game plenty of replayability, which is easily and swiftly managed with the ability to replay earlier levels individually, and jump back if you fail getting the result you want from a section during a level.”
    • “With a leaderboard to climb, and always room to improve, these are endlessly replayable.”
    • “Thumper has a ton of replay value too, given that you're ranked in every section of every level it does well to make you want that 'S' rank, not only with the score but also when you hit every obstacle, it adds to the soundtrack, like a strange extra drum beat.”
    • “Very little replay value if leaderboards are not your thing.”
    • “Overall, the game is really well designed and relatively short to get through, and while I don't see it as having much replay value due to its nature as a rhythm game with no ability to play new stages once you've completed it all, I think the experience of the first playthrough alone is plenty fun enough for the price.”
    • “This reduces replayability for me, as I want to improve my score on small sections, not have to play long levels.”
  • optimization22 mentions

    Overall, the game is highly praised for its optimization, delivering smooth performance and stunning graphics across various platforms, including VR. Players report no significant performance issues, with gameplay remaining responsive and consistent even in challenging scenarios. While some mention the need for latency optimization in VR mode, the general consensus is that the game is extremely well-optimized, providing an enjoyable experience without technical drawbacks.

    • “Extremely well optimized game.”
    • “Great music, beautiful graphics, and ridiculously well optimized gameplay.”
    • “Rock-solid graphic performance; I have never experienced anything but buttery smooth perfection.”
    • “The background audio functions as a sort of metronome intended to give you something to correct to, but the audio mix reduces that beat to a noisy growl under the din of your own off-center beats, meaning as levels increase in intensity your own off-ness creeps into your entire performance: since the beats sound 'right' to you but are in fact off by some margin, you slowly but surely creep closer to the offset where the game determines you straight up missed it.”
    • “And for the sake of it, I played the game on mute for a while and not much was lost in terms of performance.”
    • “I went in knowing it would be a challenging game, but as I spent more time playing, I quickly found out that it is actually very lenient when rating performances.”
  • humor13 mentions

    The humor in the game is derived from its unexpected blend of rhythm mechanics and absurdity, with players finding joy in the quirky interactions and the challenge of embodying the rhythm rather than counting beats. The presence of a "funny metal beetle" and the surreal, immersive experience contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere that keeps players entertained, even amidst the game's difficulty. Overall, the humor is described as both bizarre and engaging, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “Sekiro is hilariously enough a much better rhythm game than most proper rhythm games due to how precise and crisp the feedback in chains of actions function.”
    • “I play it with Oculus Rift (which is totally optional, you can play on a normal screen) and I must say I almost regret the time when I used to smoke because I'm sure I would have loved playing this game after a 'funny cigarette'.”
    • “It is very fun, immersing yourself in a pounding dark dream of music and laughing technicolor skulls.”
  • grinding11 mentions

    Reviews on the aspect of "grinding" highlight a mixed experience; while some players initially enjoy the challenge and rhythm, many find it becomes tedious and repetitive over time. The game is described as requiring significant effort to master, with some sections feeling overly long and frustrating, leading to a loss of motivation. However, others appreciate the grind as part of the game's psychedelic aesthetic, suggesting that it can be engaging if approached with the right mindset.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
    • “It was fun for the first hour and a bit, but then it started feeling very tedious.”
    • “A typical git gud game: becomes too boring and grindy later on for me to have the motivation to continue.”
    • “Instead levels on first encounter are 15-20 minute grinds followed by further grinding checkpoint by checkpoint to build 'mastery' that really just comes down to remembering patterns.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    The game is noted for its surprising emotional intensity, evoking a range of feelings from fear and anxiety to awe and dread, particularly through its music and visuals. Players report that the experience can be mentally exhausting yet immersive, often leading to a cathartic release, especially after completing levels. The game's ending is highlighted as particularly satisfying, reinforcing its strong emotional impact within the rhythm game genre.

    • “Also, this game is surprisingly emotionally intense for something this abstract.”
    • “There were times where the music along with the visuals and colors made me feel anxious, in awe, dread, or eerie (for example, before you fight a boss), and I absolutely love how the developers were able to convey such strong emotions from me.”
    • “The game's ending is honestly the most satisfying experience I have had in a rhythm game, most likely due to its strong emotional nature.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with smooth performance and no significant glitches reported. However, some players have experienced occasional bugs, particularly during boss fights, which can lead to frustrating moments. While the game runs well and has a unique atmosphere, certain design choices may detract from the overall experience.

    • “And just to cover all bases, the game looks and sounds good, runs great, the controls feel tight, and the atmosphere is very unique.”
    • “Runs smooth, with no glitches that I've seen, lightweight and small download.”
    • “Can be buggy at times, especially on boss fights. I just rage quit because after finishing a phase perfectly, I got killed by a turn that should've been erased by my shot.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    Users express frustration with the monetization model, highlighting that excessive advertisements disrupt gameplay and detract from the overall experience. Despite enjoying the game initially, many feel that the intrusive ads undermine their investment, leading to disappointment and a sense of poor programming.

    • “I loved the game, got to level 9, but now I click the icon and an ad comes across my screen, then instantly back to Windows. I believe paying for this game and ending up not being able to play is just poor programming. If by chance it gets fixed, I will play it again. I won't uninstall it because I paid for it, so it stays in my library.”
    • “They should have just called this advertising the game.”
    • “I love this game so much that I have become an advertisement for it.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
8hMain story
18hCompletionist
3-23hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

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