Universe for Sale

About

Universe for Sale is a single player action game. It was developed by Akupara Games and was released on November 16, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"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

Skip User Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 193 reviews

story88 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game features stunning hand-drawn art and a unique visual style that creates an immersive atmosphere.
The narrative is rich and thought-provoking, exploring themes of identity, belief, and creation in a surreal setting.
Gameplay is simple yet engaging, with intuitive mechanics that enhance the storytelling experience.

The pacing is slow, with long dialogues and minimal interactivity that may frustrate players seeking more dynamic gameplay.
There are several bugs and glitches that can disrupt the experience, including game-breaking issues that require restarting.
The lack of meaningful choices and limited exploration can make the game feel linear and less impactful.

story
209 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The story of "Universe for Sale" is a non-linear narrative set in a fantastical marketplace above a stormy planet, exploring themes of connection, isolation, and the search for meaning. While the writing is praised for its depth and emotional resonance, some players find the jumbled timeline and slow pacing challenging, leading to mixed feelings about its coherence and engagement. Overall, the game is celebrated for its beautiful art and unique storytelling approach, appealing to those who appreciate introspective narratives over traditional gameplay mechanics.
- “The story takes place in a marketplace suspended above the planet’s storms, a place where merchants sell everything from memories to miniature galaxies.”
- “It’s a story about connection and isolation, about finding meaning in a place where the extraordinary has become routine, and it unfolds like a slow, thoughtful dream rather than a conventional adventure.”
- “Universe for sale is a beautifully realized story about familial love and letting go of the past.”
- “Unfortunately, the story is the one thing I just couldn't follow most of the time.”
- “The jumbled timeline made it really hard to follow the story, and I didn't get the meaning of the storybook intermissions.”
- “There wasn't anything inherently bad about the story or dialogue, but there also wasn't anything that interesting either, which made the story a bit of a slog to get through.”
graphics
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
43%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning hand-drawn art style and fluid animations that enhance the emotional and immersive experience. While some players found the visuals to be breathtaking and well-integrated with the narrative, others criticized the artwork as amateurish and lacking in quality. Overall, the game's aesthetic appeal is a highlight for many, despite some concerns about the interface and gameplay mechanics.
- “The hand-drawn art style is absolutely gorgeous, and the whole concept feels so unique.”
- “All of this plays out in absolutely gorgeous and stunning visuals, with brilliant and detailed animations, backdrops, and character portraits.”
- “The art style is amazing; the very strange world building and non-linear game design are unique.”
- “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 a 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
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
89%
6%
The gameplay in "Universe for Sale" is characterized by its simplicity, focusing on exploration, dialogue, and minimalistic mechanics that enhance the narrative rather than challenge the player. While the universe-creation mechanic offers some charm, many players find the overall experience slow and lacking in depth, often comparing it to a visual novel with limited interactivity. Despite its beautiful art and intriguing story, the gameplay is criticized for being passive and not innovative, making it less appealing for those seeking more complex puzzles or player agency.
- “One of the most charming mechanics is Lila’s craft of universe-making—a delicate process where the player mixes elements and ingredients to forge new cosmic creations according to customers’ desires.”
- “The gameplay is simple point-and-clicking, but the game shines thanks to its beautiful art style, nice music, memorable plot and setting, and a unique story-related puzzle mechanic.”
- “Would highly recommend for those who enjoy a cozy chill atmosphere with simple gameplay and a constantly developing story.”
- “However, the simplicity of the gameplay means that those seeking traditional puzzles or significant player agency may find it too passive.”
- “Despite the game having amazing art and world building, it doesn't innovate in any way and is as bland as it gets gameplay-wise, which makes this point-and-click game the most boring thing I've played so far.”
- “Unfortunately, every moment of this tale is marred by the actual gameplay experience.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
25%
11%
The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional depth and atmospheric quality, enhancing the storytelling and overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful, haunting, and minimalist soundtrack that complements the stunning artwork and immersive sound design. While some mention a lack of music in certain areas, the overall consensus is that the audio elements significantly contribute to the game's engaging and thought-provoking atmosphere.
- “Ambient sounds—soft rainfall, murmured conversations, the hum of passing airships—blend seamlessly with a meditative soundtrack of electronic and acoustic melodies.”
- “The music and audio design are outstanding, creating a deeply emotional and immersive atmosphere.”
- “The emotional soundtrack is a standout, perfectly aligning with the story’s tone and enhancing its impact.”
- “Terrible 'puzzles' which makes no sense, bad music, bad graphics.”
- “The setting and atmosphere are only really brought forward by the very nice artwork as most of the time there's no music to set the tone, just some ambient sound effects.”
- “There is no music or voice over, just background noise.”
emotional
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative and aesthetic immersion, focusing on intuitive tasks that enhance the story rather than challenging gameplay mechanics. Players highlight the poignant relationship between characters, Lila and her master, as the emotional core of the experience, complemented by stunning visuals and an outstanding soundtrack. Overall, it is described as a heartfelt journey through a unique sci-fi universe, leaving a lasting impact on players.
- “Lila’s youthful curiosity and quiet loneliness contrast beautifully with the master’s stoic despair, and their encounters form the emotional backbone of the story.”
- “The music and audio design are outstanding, creating a deeply emotional and immersive atmosphere.”
- “A touching, bittersweet narrative adventure.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The atmosphere of the game is richly described as a captivating blend of alien and human elements, enhanced by stunning artwork and effective sound design. Players appreciate the cozy, immersive environment created by ambient sounds and an excellent soundtrack, which together foster a deeply emotional experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is praised for its ability to draw players in with its unique worldbuilding and calming ambiance.
- “The streets of the Jovian bazaar shimmer in hues of violet, amber, and turquoise, creating an atmosphere that feels both alien and oddly human.”
- “The music and audio design are outstanding, creating a deeply emotional and immersive atmosphere.”
- “The setting and atmosphere are only really brought forward by the very nice artwork, as most of the time there's no music to set the tone, just some ambient sound effects.”
- “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.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
Overall, the game is noted for its low replayability, primarily offering emotional resonance and aesthetic immersion rather than challenge or varied gameplay. Players may return for the narrative or worldbuilding details, but the general consensus is that there is limited incentive to replay beyond the initial experience.
- “Replay value: low, unless revisiting for the story or worldbuilding details.”
- “It is not a game built around challenge or replay value, but rather around emotional resonance and aesthetic immersion.”
- “The narrative payoff at the end is worth the small time investment, although I don't see much replay value here.”
- “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.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is a blend of lightheartedness and melancholy, effectively intertwining the mundane with the profound. Players appreciate the well-written characters and the philosophical undertones, though some plot developments may feel predictable, adding an amusing layer to character reactions. The presence of a polite cultist as a main character and high-quality animations further enhance the humor, creating a narrative that invites thoughtful reflection without being overly sentimental.
- “It oscillates between humor and melancholy, between the mundane and the transcendent.”
- “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 lightness to the story, making it more suited for an unhurried introspection, without tugging on the heartstrings.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by various issues, including unskippable dialogue, poorly defined interaction zones, and numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay. While patch 1.5 addressed some major soft and hard locks, players still report inconsistent experiences with glitches that can lead to awkward gameplay moments. Overall, while the game offers an engaging story and enjoyable mechanics, its stability remains a concern for many users.
- “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.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Overall, "Universe for Sale" demonstrates strong optimization with a smooth performance and an intuitive interface, although some users have reported issues with slow gameplay, indicating inconsistent optimization experiences.
- “In terms of design and performance, Universe for Sale runs smoothly; its interface is intuitive and unobtrusive.”
- “Runs flawlessly, with no performance issues to detract from the experience.”
- “The game is surprisingly slow due to poor optimization.”
- “The settings and performance options are lacking.”
- “The overall optimization leaves much to be desired.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The character development in "Universe for Sale" is highlighted by its stunning hand-drawn artwork and inventive designs, showcasing a visually captivating world. However, while the aesthetics are impressive, some players feel that the depth of character development falls short, lacking engagement beyond the visual appeal.
- “The artwork (especially the character design) and sound design are amazing, and you can see the hard work that was put into making the game.”
- “Wonderful character design!”
- “Overall, 'Universe for Sale' is a visually stunning game with detailed hand-drawn art and character designs, but other than its aesthetics, it didn't really grasp me.”
- “The game is set on Jupiter, with all the characters having to hide from acid rain. There are inventive character designs and races.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to slow dialogue progression and a generally sluggish gameplay experience. While there are no grindy achievements, the frequent minor bugs add to the overall frustration, making the game feel more cumbersome than enjoyable.
- “The dialogue text progression is quite slow, which makes it feel tedious in this already slow-paced game.”
- “Game play experience is slow, tedious, and annoying.”
- “I think the only few downsides I would have would be I ran into a handful of bugs that, while not major, were a bit tedious to work around (mainly just resetting the game) that seemed weirdly frequent for the length of the game.”