Tunnet

About

Tunnet is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by puzzled_squid and was released on December 1, 2023. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Tunnet is a single-player adventure game with unique atmosphere, where you play as a robot technician tasked with building a computer network in an underground facility. Explore bunkers, dig tunnels, and connect endpoints to earn credits, while optimizing and debugging the network to maintain performance. As you progress, unlock new devices and delve deeper into the mysteries of this underground world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 615 reviews

gameplay24 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Unique blend of horror, puzzle, and exploration elements that keeps players engaged.
Satisfying gameplay loop focused on building and optimizing a network, with a rewarding sense of progression.
Charming art style and atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.

The game can feel tedious due to limited tools and mechanics, leading to repetitive gameplay.
Horror elements, such as enemies, can be more annoying than challenging, detracting from the core gameplay.
Some players may find the lack of clear guidance and tutorials frustrating, making it difficult to understand mechanics.

gameplay
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
3%
The gameplay is characterized by its unique networking and routing mechanics, which offer a satisfying puzzle-solving experience that evolves as players progress. While the core gameplay loop is engaging and encourages experimentation, many mechanics feel underdeveloped, leading to potential frustration, especially for those focused on optimization. Overall, the game provides a captivating atmosphere and intriguing challenges, though it could benefit from improved tutorials and quality-of-life enhancements.
- “It's the kind of game where staring at your solution for long enough, you can start to see the issues with it, and figure out how to address them in a very organic way - I only had to look up how one rarely relevant mechanic works.”
- “I really enjoyed the unique gameplay with the networking and the challenges that come with the emerging complexity of growing the network.”
- “The game creates very in-depth mechanics with just a few simple tools.”
- “The networking part works really well, but unfortunately the supporting game mechanics don't quite match it.”
- “Many mechanics feel like they're not entirely fleshed-out, and there's a lot of room for quality of life improvements.”
- “Gameplay turns tedious after the first two or three areas are discovered and the mechanics accounted for.”
atmosphere
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
5%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of spooky and mysterious elements, effectively immersing players in a post-apocalyptic world filled with eerie horror and dark humor. Reviewers highlight the impressive graphics and sound design, which enhance the overall experience, making it both engaging and chilling. Despite some critiques regarding the minimal horror elements, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “It's a great puzzle game, with an unmatched atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is spooky and mysterious.”
- “This game is an absolute gem, the atmosphere and creativity behind it is incredible.”
- “The horror atmosphere felt jarring at first, but after a few hours it seemed to click into place.”
- “My only issue is the horror aspect being minimal and more of an annoyance, but it does make it up with a gloomy atmosphere.”
- “I am a gigantic coward, so I'd personally enjoy a game that was purely this kind of cerebral maintenance work, connecting endpoints, making my network more and more optimized, all that good stuff without the creepy atmosphere and the like.”
story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
6%
The game's story is generally considered intriguing but minimal, with players noting that it serves more as a backdrop to gameplay rather than a central focus. While some appreciate the environmental storytelling and lore scattered throughout the world, others find the narrative convoluted and lacking depth, leading to a somewhat repetitive experience. Overall, the story is seen as a decent motivator for progression, but those seeking a rich narrative may be disappointed.
- “The story, albeit short, was interesting and the bits of lore sprinkled around really made the world feel full.”
- “The world building is also really well done, telling the story primarily through subtle context clues instead of dialogue (things like posters, etc.).”
- “From a story perspective, the game lets you (literally) dig up the lore for yourself and slowly uncover the Tunnet and its residents.”
- “Neat concept, too light on content and story for what is in the world.”
- “If you're looking for a deep narrative, Tunnet will disappoint you - the story is pretty minimal; you're here to lay cables, not save the world after all.”
- “The story is also nothing special, but it does enough to create a good atmosphere.”
optimization
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
63%
11%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on integrated GPUs, leading to stuttering and memory consumption problems. While the game offers engaging optimization puzzles and is enjoyable on platforms like the Steam Deck, many users feel that the lack of debugging tools and the game's engine limitations hinder the overall experience. Despite these challenges, players who appreciate optimization mechanics find the game addictive and rewarding, especially when tackling network optimization tasks.
- “I guess the developers could've made this into a deep management/optimization game, but for this price, I have to say it well exceeded my expectations.”
- “This is truly a game that makes network optimization fun, by mixing it with exploration and horror elements.”
- “Great gameplay if you've got an eye for logic and optimization.”
- “My only complaint is sometimes there is a hard stutter in frame pacing, and I think this is due to loading the 'world' around the player or hitting a hard memory limit, flushing and reloading everything needed back into RAM, the same way Minecraft does it with very similar performance stuttering.”
- “Unfortunately, for a game written in Rust, the performance is horrendous when playing on an integrated GPU.”
- “No in-game options fixed this performance, and worst of all, despite the game being entirely unplayable, I can't even refund it because after closing the game it left a process running in the background racking up 6.5 hours of in-game time despite the fact that I ran it for 15 minutes and gave up.”
graphics
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
61%
9%
The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic charm reminiscent of late PS1 to early PS2 titles, appealing to fans of retro aesthetics. While some players appreciate the unique art style and atmospheric design, others have encountered technical issues and performance problems, particularly on lower-end systems. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's ambiance, though they may feel rough around the edges for some players.
- “I love the aesthetic and concept of this game.”
- “The graphics, reminiscent of the nostalgic days of PS1 gaming, are not merely a nostalgic throwback; they are a deliberate design choice that adds to the overall charm.”
- “The environment, graphical quality, and atmosphere are all solid, too.”
- “This game managed to run only once on my system and it ran terribly, especially considering its graphics.”
- “I really like the atmosphere, graphics, and the gameplay loop idea, but it feels like an early alpha version of a good game.”
- “It might be a little rough around the edges for me, but that's likely due to my computer specs and lack of a graphics card that is minimally good.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to minimal network diagnostics, a lack of a blueprint system, and cumbersome tasks like changing cable colors. The gameplay becomes repetitive and time-consuming, especially when setting up networks across different areas or dealing with technical issues. Overall, the absence of quality-of-life features contributes to a frustrating experience that can lead to burnout.
- “Additionally, the lack of a blueprint system makes repetitive tasks tedious, especially when recreating the same setups for the nth time.”
- “Given each 'area' has its own network to set up, gameplay turns tedious after the first two or three areas are discovered and the mechanics accounted for.”
- “The game does suffer from a lack of quality of life features, which makes a lot of interactions more tedious than they need to be, but you can get by.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
82%
The game's stability is marked by a mix of enjoyment and frustration, as players report it being quite buggy, though not to the extent that it detracts significantly from the overall experience. While some users appreciate the thrill of troubleshooting within a network simulation, they acknowledge that the game has clunky elements and occasional issues. However, the developer is noted for being responsive and actively working to resolve these bugs.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “While I wouldn't call it a bug-free experience, the developer has been exceptionally responsive and quick to address any issues presented.”
- “The bad: this game is quite buggy!”
- “New era of simulation game going crazy with horror-flavored lightweight network technician simulation, complete with dreadful busywork, diagnosing, troubleshooting, and the realization that you've done everything all wrong.”
- “Some aspects of the game are a little bit clunky or buggy; however, nothing that really affected the core experience that the game offers.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to create a foreboding atmosphere, enhancing the sense of mystery and fear. Reviewers note that the soundtrack effectively communicates threats and adds to the overall ambiance, although some players found the option to turn off the music ineffective. Overall, the sound design significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience.
- “Excellent foreboding music and ambiance.”
- “And how the music serves as a warning - especially around enemies; as well as how the game communicates threats.”
- “The music and sound is phenomenal for maintaining the atmosphere of mystery and fear in competition with your own curiosity about what happened and compulsion to complete the tunnel.”
- “The depressing music is overwhelming.”
- “It's possible to turn them off, but that does not work either, since you'll still hear the suspense music and see the visual fear effect while the monsters just stand there.”
- “The main character talking to himself with accompanying creepy music really added to the vibe.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Tunnet" is characterized by its clever and charming dark wit, appealing to players who appreciate a blend of logic puzzles and min/maxing. The game's unique narrative and underground adventures provide a thought-provoking atmosphere that lingers, making it a standout title in its genre. Overall, it is recognized as a hidden gem for its distinctive humor and unexpected depth.
- “Without overtly referencing its unique attributes, Tunnet stands out in a sea of games with its charming, clever dark humor, and a penchant for underground adventures that might initially seem less appealing.”
- “The dark humor woven into the narrative is not only clever but also thought-provoking, creating an atmosphere that lingers long after you put down the controller.”
- “It's a hidden gem that deserves recognition for its unique blend of dark humor, atmospheric wonders, and unexpected depth.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging, as it fosters a sense of accomplishment through learning and building complex networks, despite initial confusion. The transition to a separate area can evoke feelings of loss, as players feel their hard work becomes irrelevant, highlighting the game's emotional depth in balancing achievement with the challenges of understanding network engineering. Overall, the experience is described as both fun and enlightening, with moments of frustration that contribute to its emotional impact.
- “I knew nothing about network engineering going into this, but this made me feel like I learned something, and was able to make a very strong network, along with a lot of mini networks for specific uses.”
- “Having a separate area made me feel like the game was over as soon as I stepped foot in there, because the massive network that I've been building suddenly became irrelevant.”
- “It's a fun automation-type game; it's a little opaque at first, but getting all the manual pages made me feel like an idiot once I read what the stations do and actually started observing network traffic.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers significant replayability due to its randomized world and additional activities, allowing players to enjoy 10 to 15 extra hours or more. Many users find themselves drawn back to the game, highlighting its engaging nature and the allure of exploration.
- “The world is randomized, providing a reasonable amount of replay value.”
- “There are additional activities that offer replayability, allowing for another 10 to 15 hours, possibly even more!”
- “There's some other bits to do which offer some replayability, so from scratch maybe another 10 or 15 hours; possibly even more!”
- “I find myself willingly sinking hours into this game on a casual basis, a testament to its replayability and the magnetic allure of its mysterious depths.”
- “The world is randomized as well, so there's a reasonable amount of replay value.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers suggest that while the game has potential, it could benefit from increased variety in its later stages and the inclusion of advertising to enhance its monetization strategy, making it a more appealing addition to players' Steam libraries.