Tulpa
- January 29, 2015
- Encryptique
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Tulpa is a single-player puzzle-platformer game known for its pretty visuals and atmospheric setting. Control Ophelia and her tulpa, Oliver, as you explore a hauntingly elegant world full of bizarre obstacles and abstract puzzles. The ever-changing landscape and mysterious trials will challenge you to decipher the path forward, making for a unique and captivating adventure."
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that creates an atmospheric experience.
- The music enhances the mood, providing a relaxing and immersive backdrop to the gameplay.
- The puzzles, while not overly challenging, allow players to appreciate the game's artistic elements and explore its surreal environment.
- The controls can be frustrating and unresponsive, leading to a clunky gameplay experience.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 1-2 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more.
- Many puzzles lack depth and can often be solved through trial and error rather than logical thinking.
- gameplay15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on basic puzzle-solving, which many players find too easy and short, typically lasting around 2 hours. While the concept of controlling two characters adds an interesting dynamic, the execution suffers from clunky controls, laggy interactions, and a lack of engaging mechanics, leading to frustration rather than challenge. Overall, while the game's aesthetics are praised, the gameplay experience is marred by quality control issues, making it less appealing for those seeking a solid gaming experience.
“I really liked the gameplay concept, where you have to control two characters to solve the puzzles.”
“Gameplay feels very similar to Limbo.”
“Game aesthetics are distinct and gorgeous but gameplay and controls have some rough edges.”
“Most puzzles aren't that hard to solve, so you can easily finish within 2 hours of gameplay.”
“The game is very short and doesn't offer much to engage the player in terms of unique game mechanics or a gaming experience in general.”
“The controls/gameplay are less than solid work, sometimes frustrating, where actions are delayed, moving objects around are noticeably laggy, and half of the time the character won't hold on to a ledge.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their vibrant colors, unique art style, and atmospheric quality, creating a memorable and immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight the surreal and almost abstract visuals, which contribute significantly to the game's overall mood, despite some criticism regarding the clarity of symbolism and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the visuals are considered the standout feature, making the game worth playing for those who appreciate stunning artwork.
“I really liked the aesthetics due to their vibrant colors and mysterious environment.”
“The music and graphics create an atmospheric and memorable world, which is what I like the most about the game.”
“The game is a damn beautiful art piece, which has vibrant colors and great artwork that looks like it was inspired by a mix of Indian, Arabian, and English art.”
“If you're looking for a visual stunner with abstract art and somewhat creepy visuals, I would say that this game is worth playing solely for that.”
“For those who can overlook some bad puzzles in favor of gorgeous visuals, I would give it a try (even if I would probably pick it up at a sale).”
“Nearer the end, the game starts to use some Evangelion 3 level visuals which fit right into the game, but I have no idea what they mean.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its relaxing music, vivid graphics, and unique world-building, making it a standout feature for many players. While some felt that the exploration of deeper themes could have been enhanced, the overall ambiance remains captivating and enjoyable, appealing particularly to fans of atmospheric experiences. However, opinions vary, with some noting inconsistencies in the atmosphere throughout the game.
“The music and graphics create an atmospheric and memorable world, which is what I like the most about the game.”
“The visuals and the atmosphere of this game are the most fascinating and enjoyable aspects this game has to offer.”
“Vivid colors, meticulous design, great music, atmospheric.”
“With so much to look forward to regarding the imagery and the atmosphere, I was hoping for at least five levels to go deeper into the concept of a 'tulpa' (which is a fascinating concept on its own), and I did not feel as though it explored this idea at all.”
- music8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to create an atmospheric and memorable experience, enhancing the overall mood and complementing the visuals. While some reviewers found the music to be relaxing and unique, others described it as bland and uninspired. Overall, it plays a significant role in immersing players in the game's world, despite the absence of a storyline.
“The puzzles were relatively easy, leaving time to enjoy the atmosphere and music, which was relaxing and unique.”
“The music and graphics create an atmospheric and memorable world, which is what I like the most about the game.”
“The music is amazing and definitely sets the mood for the rest of the game.”
“It deals with loss, but only through the moody music, imagery, and symbolism - there is no storyline at all.”
“The music was okay, if a bit bland and uninspired.”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely abstract and open to interpretation, relying heavily on mood, imagery, and symbolism rather than a coherent narrative. While some players appreciate the creative use of surreal elements, many find the lack of a clear storyline and abrupt ending frustrating and confusing, leaving them unsure of the underlying themes. Overall, the storytelling is seen as vague and lacking depth, with little guidance provided to understand the game's intentions.
“The puzzles, the art, the story (as much as there is; it's mostly up to interpretation) - all of it is drenched in abstractions in ways that are often very creative, if not always practical.”
“The vague storytelling also lends itself pretty well to such imagery, giving you a feel for what the game wants to convey and then sealing the deal with quite a stark ending.”
“There does appear to be a hint of a story underlying the imagery, but after spending my time going through multiple playthroughs, I simply cannot fathom what I am missing.”
“It deals with loss, but only through the moody music, imagery, and symbolism - there is no storyline at all.”
“A very pretty game, but the controls are frustrating, some puzzles are good, but most aren't super interesting, and the story is confusing to say the least.”
“Despite the colorful presentation and surreal imagery, there is no story in this game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users indicate that the game lacks significant replayability, as achieving all Steam achievements requires an additional playthrough, highlighting a limited incentive to revisit the game.
“Getting all the Steam achievements takes another playthrough, which immediately makes it very clear that the game has no replay value.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices and branching paths means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its smooth and visually appealing performance, indicating effective optimization.
“The game itself runs smoothly and beautifully.”
“The optimization is top-notch, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I appreciate how well the game is optimized; it maintains a high frame rate without sacrificing visual quality.”
