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."
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Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that captivates players, creating an atmospheric experience.
- The music and sound design enhance the overall mood, making it a relaxing and immersive experience.
- The puzzles, while not overly challenging, allow players to appreciate the art and atmosphere without feeling rushed.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 1-2 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Controls can be frustrating and unresponsive, leading to a less enjoyable gameplay experience.
- Many puzzles lack depth and can often be solved through trial and error rather than logical thinking, diminishing the challenge.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Tulpa is primarily focused on basic puzzle-solving, which can be completed in about 2 hours, making it less appealing for those seeking a challenge. While the concept of controlling two characters is intriguing, the execution suffers from clunky controls, laggy interactions, and a lack of engaging mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game is visually stunning but falls short in gameplay quality, prompting recommendations to wait for a price reduction.
“I really liked the gameplay concept, where you have to control two characters to solve the puzzles.”
“Gameplay feels very similar to Limbo.”
“Very interesting game; the art style is quite unique, as is the gameplay, but I feel it leaves a bit too much up to the player's imagination.”
“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 their actions are delayed, moving objects around are noticeably laggy, and half of the time the character won't hold on to a ledge.”
“It's a shame that it has such low quality control in the gameplay side of things, which includes the platforming design, the controls, the interactions with items and the environment, the movement and jumping system.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % 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 abstract visuals, which draw inspiration from various cultural art forms, making it a visual standout despite some gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the aesthetics are considered the most captivating aspect of the game, often overshadowing its less favorable elements.
“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, with vibrant colors and great artwork that looks like it was inspired by a mix of Indian, Arabian, and English art.”
“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.”
“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).”
“The game's art style is consistent and almost unique; it is a cousin of the 'silhouette' platformer that's become so common as of late.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its relaxing and unique music, vivid colors, and meticulous design, creating a memorable and immersive world. While some players noted inconsistencies in the atmosphere, many found it to be the most enjoyable aspect, making it highly recommended for fans of atmospheric and visually rich experiences. Overall, the combination of graphics and sound contributes significantly to the game's appeal, despite some players wishing for deeper exploration of its themes.
“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 is the most fascinating and enjoyable aspect 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).”
- music16 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is often described as atmospheric and memorable, effectively enhancing the overall experience with its moody and relaxing qualities. While some reviewers found it to be amazing and integral to the game's ambiance, others felt it was somewhat bland and uninspired. Overall, the combination of music and graphics creates a captivating environment that draws players in, despite the lack of a traditional storyline.
“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.”
“The artwork and music make for a great mood, the puzzles are enjoyable, and it's a game that draws you in, and that makes you look at the whole picture, even where you'd normally just glance.”
“The music was okay, if a bit bland and uninspired.”
“It deals with loss, but only through the moody music, imagery, and symbolism - there is no storyline at all.”
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely abstract and open to interpretation, focusing on themes of loss conveyed through moody music and surreal imagery rather than a coherent narrative. While some players appreciate the creative use of symbolism, many find the storytelling vague and confusing, with an abrupt ending that leaves much to be desired in terms of plot clarity. Overall, despite its artistic presentation, the lack of a clear storyline detracts from the experience for many reviewers.
“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.”
“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.”
“Despite the colorful presentation and surreal imagery, there is no story in this game.”
“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.”
“The ending is very abrupt and unexpected with no real plot involved - unless I am perhaps too vague to understand the depth that is presented in the surreal imagery.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users indicate that the game lacks replayability, as obtaining all Steam achievements requires a second playthrough, highlighting the absence of additional content or incentives for further play.
“Getting all the Steam achievements requires another playthrough, which immediately makes it very clear that the game has no replay value.”
“Getting all the Steam achievements requires another playthrough, which immediately makes it very clear that the game has no replay value.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly and beautifully without any noticeable performance issues.
“The game itself runs smoothly and beautifully.”
