Underland
- September 30, 2021
- Minicactus Games
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Underland is a single-player platformer game with impressive visuals and engaging gameplay. The Earth is now uninhabitable, and the last of humanity lives underground. As an astronaut, you must dig your way to the underground city using excavators, pumps, cannons, and dynamic platforms. Solve physics-based puzzles at each stage and navigate through the dangers of green acidic fluids and other obstacles to reach the next elevator and continue your journey."
Reviews
- Unique and engaging puzzle mechanics with a fun mix of platforming elements.
- Visually appealing with a nice art style and enjoyable fluid dynamics.
- Affordable price point makes it a worthwhile experience for puzzle game fans.
- Controls and hitboxes can be unintuitive and imprecise, leading to frustrating gameplay.
- The game is quite short with limited replay value, often completed in under two hours.
- Puzzles can be too easy or trivial, with some levels allowing unintended solutions.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it tedious and overly simplistic, particularly criticizing the geyser mechanic for slowing down the experience. However, others appreciate the fun physics-based puzzles and well-designed levels, praising the game's aesthetics and overall enjoyment, especially given its low price point. While the mechanics and presentation are often highlighted as strong points, there is a consensus that the gameplay could benefit from more depth and variety.
“Tons of mechanics and just a lot of cool levels.”
“The levels are amazing, the difficulty meets challenge in a very well-paced gameplay!”
“The artistic style is of good taste, and the gameplay is very well done; I am very happy and having fun with just one dollar.”
“The feature I had the most issue with was the geyser mechanic.”
“When the gameplay is already slow, having to repeat things over and over is not fun.”
“I found the gameplay too tedious and annoying, too simple and too short.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their interesting visuals and cool art style, reminiscent of retro aesthetics, particularly akin to original Game Boy graphics. While many players appreciate the unique and enjoyable design, some note inconsistencies and a lack of depth in the visual execution. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the indie puzzle experience, though they may not meet the expectations of those seeking high-end visuals.
“Plus a cool art style.”
“Enjoyable retro graphics similar to what you would find on an original Game Boy.”
“I adore this game, very fun little physics puzzle game with a great aesthetic.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“While the gameplay is engaging, the visuals are disappointing and detract from the overall experience.”
“The art style is inconsistent, making it hard to immerse myself in the game world.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating and tedious, often describing the repetitive tasks and slow movement mechanics as annoying and lacking challenge. While some puzzles offer interesting elements, they are overshadowed by the overall sluggish pace and simplicity, leading to a gameplay experience that tests patience more than skill.
“It's can be quite frustrating when you're doing tedious/repetitive things or when you're relying on timings that don't line up correctly.”
“Everything moves so abysmally slow which makes the game tedious to play.”
“It takes ages to move certain elements, like the drill, making some levels fairly tedious.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its atmosphere and find it enjoyable, others feel it is unremarkable and are distracted by annoying sound effects, leading them to mute the game. Overall, the music is seen as a positive aspect by some, but not universally praised.
“I like the looks and the music plus atmosphere.”
“The game has a nice look and good music.”
“Good music”
“I have minor nitpicks regarding the audio: the music is nothing special, the sound effects, however, are annoying, and I ended up muting the game and listening to my own music.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, with users noting that it can be completed in about 90 minutes and lacks incentives to play through again after the initial completion.
“It's short and there is no replay value.”
“90 minutes to finish, and no replay value.”
“Not much replayability once you've finished it once.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users finding it both funny and entertaining, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.
“Very nice game, funny and entertaining.”
“This game is very cool and funny.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story is generally appreciated for its engaging journey, though it is criticized for being short and somewhat forced at both the beginning and end. Players express a desire for additional content, such as DLCs, to expand the narrative.
“Nice but short journey; it would be great if DLCs (new missions) were coming soon.”
“The story felt a little shoehorned in at the beginning and the ending.”
“The plot twists were predictable and lacked any real impact.”
“Character development was shallow, making it hard to connect with anyone.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its appealing visuals and engaging music, contributing to an immersive experience.
“I love the visuals and the music; they create an incredible atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
“The combination of stunning graphics and haunting sound design makes for a captivating atmosphere.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, allowing smooth performance even on older computers without any noticeable frame rate drops.
“The game is correctly optimized; I had no problem at all playing this on an older computer with no FPS drop at all.”
“The optimization is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I was pleasantly surprised by how well the game runs; the optimization makes it accessible for a wide range of hardware.”
“The game is poorly optimized, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering even on high-end systems.”
“I experienced significant lag and performance issues, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“Despite having a powerful setup, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which is frustrating.”
