Transcender

About

Transcender is a single player action game with mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by Aldo Jeffrey and was released on September 30, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

Transcender is a brief interactive experience that takes place in a surreal sci-fi setting. Figuring out how to play and what to do is the main attraction of the experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 65 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Transcender offers a unique and captivating experience that blends parkour and puzzle elements in a beautifully minimalist world, enhanced by a meditative soundtrack.
The game encourages exploration and replayability, with players discovering new paths and experiences in each playthrough, making it feel rich and engaging.
Despite its initial complexity, mastering the movement mechanics leads to a rewarding and enjoyable gameplay experience, with well-designed levels that challenge both agility and logic.

The game's visual simplicity can sometimes hinder depth perception, leading to accidental falls and frustrating gameplay moments.
Many players found the lack of clear instructions and narrative coherence disorienting, making it difficult to understand the game's objectives and story.
Technical issues such as low framerates, crashes, and unresponsive controls detract from the overall experience, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied.

graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful visuals and aesthetic, while others criticize technical issues such as non-functional settings and a lack of 4K support. Although the game's ambiance and sound design are well-executed, players have reported glitches and clunky movement that detract from the overall experience. Ultimately, while the graphics are appealing, they may not compensate for gameplay flaws.
- “Fabulous visuals paired with a cool abstract story which is kind of too slow and stretched out at the beginning and the ending.”
- “However, it's a highly entertaining meta video game going on behind the scenes and it all comes together really nicely with the beautiful aesthetic and sound design.”
- “The ambience, scenario, and graphics of the game are all very well done.”
- “The graphics menu looks like it should fit all the right checkboxes, but a lot of the settings don't work right. The 4K support option is missing; it's unclear if this is a bug or a defect. Either way, it's no good.”
- “I advise this: put more work into your gameplay design and less into the over-the-top graphics and special effects.”
- “I ran into a game-breaking glitch which prevented me from progressing. The environments were hard to discern graphically, and movement was clunky.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The gameplay is criticized for being poorly optimized, resulting in low framerates and a disjointed experience, even on high-end systems. Players find the core mechanics limited, primarily involving aimless exploration and repetitive tasks, which can lead to a sense of frustration and lack of engagement. Overall, the gameplay feels shallow and disconnected, with a need for more coherent design and meaningful interactions.
- “Perhaps with more replays, coherence will emerge from the ambiguity of the gameplay and the disconnected mix of spaces, painting, and philosophy, but whether players are willing to do this depends on how attractive they find the parts they’ve seen so far.”
- “The game is very badly optimized, with low framerates and janky gameplay even on a high-end rig.”
- “I advise this: put more work into your gameplay design and less into the over-the-top graphics and special effects.”
- “The actual gameplay boils down to an incremental segment where you create and upgrade parts to a mysterious device, as well as walking around a space station aimlessly trying to find a purpose to your avatar's existence, all while a timer is ticking down!”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The story in Transcender is described as abstract and surreal, heavily influenced by sci-fi themes, but ultimately lacks coherence and depth. While the visuals are praised, the narrative feels half-baked and fails to provide a satisfying or clear storyline, leaving players confused and unfulfilled. Overall, the experience is more about artistic expression than a compelling narrative.
- “It's like a dream that continues to unfold and evolve all while a futuristic science fiction story is in progress.”
- “Fabulous visuals paired with a cool abstract story which is kind of too slow and stretched out at the beginning and the ending.”
- “Transcender is a more-art-than-game 'walking sim' art installation that's derived from watching too many sci-fi films while under the influence of drugs... there's a lot of 2001: A Space Odyssey and a little bit of The Matrix: Reloaded thrown in as you start with a clicker/idler game that powers up a terraforming station, then you get catapulted into a surreal third-person asset-flip looking walking sim for the second half of this short (~20m most) demo/game that forgets that while pretentiousness makes things seem artistic, true art is in storytelling... which they forgot to include with Transcender.”
- “So it's just bumbling through a small number of surreal scenes trying to work out what's going on (spoiler... you don't really find out because the storytelling is half-baked).”
- “Unfortunately the story and explanation around it are almost non-existent.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players noting that it complements the gameplay effectively, particularly the sentimental piano pieces. However, there are minor concerns regarding some ambient tracks facing copyright issues, which could affect monetization for content creators. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gaming experience, fitting seamlessly with the game's atmosphere.
- “The music fits like a glove, enhancing the overall experience of the game.”
- “Small issue with some of the music (ambience actually) receiving copyright claims on the tubes, so be aware that monetization is not possible here.”
- “This continues for quite a while, until finally a perfunctory text overlay appears and announces that this part of the game will end in seven something minutes, during which time sentimental piano music plays and the player can keep clicking on things, or not, as the scene plays out in front of them.”
- “Small issue with some of the music (ambience actually) receiving copyright claims on the tubes, so be aware that monies are not to be made here.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game excels in creating a surreal and immersive atmosphere, successfully achieving what many indie walking simulators strive for. Players find the discoverability aspect engaging, with the ability to alter atmosphere controls influencing the landscape's development, enhancing the overall experience.
- “It manages to accomplish what many indie atmospheric walking simulators aspire to achieve.”
- “The surreal atmosphere is captivating, and the discoverability in subsequent playthroughs is engrossing.”
- “With a change in the atmosphere controls, you can alter the way the landscape develops, immersing you in what feels like a vast space station.”
- “The atmosphere feels more like a sterile space station than an immersive world, lacking any real sense of place.”
- “Changing the atmosphere controls alters the landscape, but it still feels disconnected and artificial.”
- “Despite the vastness, the environment lacks depth and character, making it hard to feel engaged.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
Users note that the game offers a moderate level of replayability, allowing players to revisit it for additional enjoyment.
- “This game offers a significant amount of replayability, keeping players engaged long after the initial playthrough.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes ensures that each playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
- “With multiple paths and endings, this game invites players to explore different strategies and experiences.”
- “Also, this game supports some amount of replayability.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, while the game is reported to have significant bugs, many users still find it enjoyable and worth playing despite these stability issues.
- “Even given how buggy it is, I'd say it's still worth it.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy.”
- “I experienced multiple glitches that disrupted my gameplay.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the emotional experience of the game is impacted by its first-person perspective, which can induce feelings of nausea due to screen motion, potentially detracting from the overall emotional engagement.