Universe for Sale

About

"Universe For Sale" is a single-player Point and Click game featuring fantastic hand-drawn animation and a relaxing original soundtrack. Immerse yourself in an intriguing mystery set in a unique, inventive world on a space station in Jupiter's clouds, where you can craft your own universe in a ceramic cup. Try the free prologue and get a taste of this imaginative game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 254 reviews

story122 positive mentions

stability10 negative mentions

The game features a stunning art style and beautiful animations that create an immersive atmosphere.
The world-building and lore are rich and engaging, making the story feel alive and captivating.
The narrative is thought-provoking and emotionally resonant, with characters that feel relatable and well-developed.

The gameplay is often slow and tedious, with clunky mechanics and frustrating mini-games that detract from the experience.
There are significant issues with saving progress, including long intervals between autosaves and a lack of manual save options.
The dialogue can be overly lengthy and unskippable, leading to a frustrating experience for players who prefer a more dynamic pace.

story
230 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
45%
2%
The story in "Universe for Sale" is widely praised for its engaging narrative, rich world-building, and emotional depth, often drawing players in with its unique themes and character development. While some reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel simplistic or slow at times, the overall storytelling experience is described as captivating and thought-provoking, with many expressing a desire for more content set in the same universe. The game's beautiful art and music further enhance the storytelling, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
- “The story immediately pulled me in with its cozy atmosphere and several clever bits of worldbuilding, like the rain on the planet your hero lands on being acid that eats through everything but the many draping curtains set up along all the paths, or the hero themselves being from a cult that detaches themselves from their physical form until they become essentially skeletons.”
- “I've never had a story impact me on such a deep level.”
- “Universe for sale is a beautifully realized story about familial love and letting go of the past.”
- “There is some story in there somewhere, but there is no gameplay to compel it.”
- “I don't get why so many developers of these clearly text-intensive dialog games leave their most important storytelling device so utterly bare-bones.”
- “There is a decent story here, unfortunately you have to go through a terrible game to get to it.”
graphics
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
35%
9%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning art style, detailed animations, and immersive world design that enhance the storytelling experience. However, some users criticize the visual quality as amateurish, citing a lack of professional assets and insufficient graphical options. Overall, while the visuals are often described as beautiful and captivating, there are significant concerns regarding consistency and quality across the game's artistic presentation.
- “The art style is amazing, the very strange world building and non-linear game design are unique.”
- “All of this plays out in absolutely gorgeous and stunning visuals, with brilliant and detailed animations, backdrops, and character portraits.”
- “I adore the art style; the animation is incredible, and every character is distinct with individualized characteristics that really make them stand out.”
- “The artwork here is terrible; it's all just amateurish 'my first Wacom tablet' style drawings used instead of professional-looking game assets.”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to arrange someone who can create graphical assets properly, or lack of talent; regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low, enough on its own to deter gamers.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
gameplay
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
84%
8%
The gameplay is primarily a simple point-and-click experience, often resembling a visual novel with minimal interactive elements and a focus on narrative progression. While some players appreciate the cozy atmosphere and engaging story, many criticize the lack of compelling gameplay mechanics, describing it as more of an e-book than a game, with frustrating UI and repetitive text cutscenes. Overall, the gameplay serves as a vehicle for the story rather than a robust gaming experience, appealing mainly to those who enjoy narrative-driven content.
- “Such a simple gameplay loop carried by cozy vibes and an incredible lore.”
- “The gameplay is simple and not boring; the story works and the graphics are creative and well done.”
- “Would highly recommend for those who enjoy a cozy chill atmosphere with simple gameplay and a constantly developing story.”
- “Unfortunately, every moment of this tale is marred by the actual gameplay experience.”
- “This is a walking simulator, as boring as it could be gameplay-wise.”
- “The gameplay and UI are just totally frustrating and immersion-breaking, making it a disappointing ordeal.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
24%
8%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beauty, haunting quality, and minimalist approach, enhancing the overall atmosphere and storytelling. Many players appreciate the immersive soundtrack that complements the stunning artwork and engaging narrative, creating a captivating experience. However, some reviews note a lack of music or voiceovers in certain sections, which may detract from the overall auditory experience for some players.
- “Amazing art, deep and touching story, and an amazing soundtrack.”
- “Music was beautiful, haunting, and minimalist; I found myself just sitting and listening to the piece that plays at the main menu, from start to finish, as it kept growing and adding layer after layer.”
- “There is no music or voice over, just background noise.”
- “The music is setting the tone for what kind of game this is; ambient sound is also nicely done.”
- “The art, music, and sounds set an initially stormy, cozy, and mysterious mood, and it does a great job of really making it feel like you're living in/part of the game, in a deeply sci-fi world.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its comforting and cozy qualities, enhanced by effective sound design and visuals that create a calming, rainy environment. Players appreciate the clever worldbuilding elements and the intriguing narrative, which together foster a relaxing experience that draws them in, despite some frustrations with user experience. Overall, it is recommended for those who enjoy a chill atmosphere paired with simple gameplay and a developing story.
- “I don't usually play narrative games, but the mystical, intriguing, and at the same time relaxing atmosphere kept me in front of the screen.”
- “The story immediately pulled me in with its cozy atmosphere and several clever bits of worldbuilding, like the rain on the planet your hero lands on being acid that eats through everything but the many draping curtains set up along all the paths, or the hero themselves being from a cult that detaches themselves from their physical form until they become essentially skeletons.”
- “The game is very successful in creating atmosphere, thanks to the sound design and visuals, and it really pulls you in as a result.”
- “I don't usually play narrative games, but the mystical, intriguing, and at the same time relaxing atmosphere keeps me in front of the screen.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, with many players noting that the story is both touching and bittersweet, often evoking tears by the end. The combination of logical puzzles, stunning art, and a heartfelt soundtrack enhances the overall experience, leading to a heartwarming conclusion that, while somewhat predictable, resonates deeply with players. Overall, it is described as a wholesome and engaging narrative adventure.
- “Amazing art, deep and touching story and an amazing soundtrack.”
- “A touching, bittersweet narrative adventure.”
- “It's ending is a little predictable but ultimately nails a heartwarming ending.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by several bugs and glitches, including awkward time shifts and soft-locks due to timed dialogue boxes, which can disrupt gameplay. While patch 1.5 addressed some issues, players still report inconsistent experiences with interaction zones and irrelevant choices. Overall, the game is described as buggy but enjoyable, with a captivating story.
- “No option to skip dialogue, some dialogue boxes exist based on a timer effectively soft-locking the player for a few seconds, anomalous/poorly outlined interaction zones, all 'choice' options are irrelevant, and several bugs and/or glitches.”
- “Depending on what universe you live in, you may or may not experience awkward time shifts, bubble collisions, overlapping timelines, and the feeling of being stuck in place while the world moves forward, due to still present bugs and glitches, even after patch 1.5 which fixed more than a few soft/hard locks that completely blocked progress.”
- “The glitches themselves don’t seem to be a sure thing, as evidenced by the other reviews, and mine happened only after doing an in-game reset, so I could start from the beginning.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a philosophical undertone, often highlighted by the interactions of a polite cultist character, which adds a lightheartedness to the narrative. While some plot developments may be predictable, the humor effectively enhances the storytelling, making it suitable for a more reflective experience without becoming overly sentimental. Overall, the well-crafted writing and quality animations contribute to a whimsical atmosphere that balances introspection with comedic elements.
- “There’s a sort of philosophical tinge with a bit of humor to everything, and the fact that one of the two main heroes is an unfailingly polite cultist helps.”
- “Animations are of superior quality, and that note of humor that weaves in-and-out of the narrative – it’s present here too, which lends even more of the lightsomeness to the story, making it more suited for an unhurried introspection, without tugging on the heartstrings.”
- “The story is well written, and while I enjoyed the writing of the characters and especially of the setting, a lot of the plot beats seemed fairly obvious much sooner than the story seemed to actively want them to be (which is fine, just a bit funny to see characters react to information as if it wasn’t obvious).”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have noted that the grinding aspect of the game can feel slow and tedious, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. Additionally, some encountered bugs that, while not game-breaking, added to the overall annoyance of the grinding process.
- “Game play experience is slow, tedious, and annoying.”
- “Game play experience is slow, tedious, and annoying.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game has limited replayability, primarily appealing to players who are interested in earning additional achievements or revisiting the story. Overall, it lacks significant incentives for multiple playthroughs.
- “Not sure it has much in the way of replay value unless you just want to get more achievements, or to revisit the story again.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted by inventive character designs and unique races, all set against the backdrop of Jupiter's harsh environment, where characters must navigate challenges like acid rain. This creative setting enhances the depth and individuality of each character.

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