Verlet Swing

About

Verlet Swing is a single player shooter game. It was developed by Flamebait Games and was released on September 18, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

Verlet Swing is a fast-paced game where you swing using a hookshot through 100 levels of increasingly difficult obstacles. It features global, friend, and Twitch leaderboards, as well as challenge modes. Players can also create and share levels via the Steam Workshop and take advantage of Twitch stream integration.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 603 reviews

gameplay51 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The swinging mechanics are satisfying and provide a great sense of speed and momentum.
The game features unique and visually appealing levels with a strong vaporwave aesthetic.
The first few worlds are fun and allow for creative exploration and multiple paths to complete levels.

The difficulty spikes significantly in the last world, making it frustrating and tedious to complete.
The aiming and grappling mechanics can be inconsistent, leading to unintended deaths.
The level design in the later stages often forces players into very specific paths, removing the freedom enjoyed in earlier levels.

gameplay
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
46%
4%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its satisfying swinging mechanics and unique level designs, offering a blend of fun and challenge that appeals to players who enjoy mastering movement mechanics. While the initial levels are praised for their variety and engaging mechanics, later stages introduce frustrating difficulty spikes and design flaws that detract from the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding repetitive elements and inconsistent mechanics, many players find the core gameplay loop enjoyable and addictive, especially within its vibrant aesthetic and atmospheric presentation.
- “The swinging mechanics feel great and the difficulty is very satisfying.”
- “I think the game is simply amazing in terms of mechanics, visuals, and level design conducive to exploring the intricacies of the satisfying web-slinging gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is tight, and controls well; things feel like they are your fault rather than the game's.”
- “The last set of levels do this game a disservice by making you realize how inconsistent it is in its movement mechanics.”
- “Incredibly shallow and uninspired gameplay with a tacky retro neonwave backdrop and an eye-watering price tag.”
- “Playing through world 5 was one of the most awful gameplay experiences I have ever been through.”
graphics
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
44%
4%
The graphics of "Verlet Swing" are characterized by a vibrant vaporwave aesthetic, featuring trippy visuals and minimalist low-polygon designs that evoke a retro feel. While many players appreciate the unique art style and its ability to enhance the gameplay experience, some criticize the simplistic visuals and the stark contrast of the final world, which lacks the charm of earlier levels. Overall, the game's graphics are divisive, with some praising their creativity and others finding them lacking in detail and coherence.
- “The graphics are striking and odd, but give that retro 80s synthwave vibe.”
- “Beautiful visuals and smooth movement.”
- “The game uses 90s imagery and the vaporwave aesthetic in its audio and visuals; but does so with a restraint so that all of the important game elements are readable and the scene is rarely overwhelming to look at.”
- “The lack of textures is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to disguise it under the name of 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
- “The visuals are lackluster and simplistic; it's the bare minimum effort to showcase the theme.”
- “So the game, a chill, fun, fast-paced vaporwave experience, turns into a stretch, boring, doom-like aesthetic that is not nearly as detailed as the rest of the worlds.”
music
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The music in the game has received a mixed response, with many praising its pleasant and fitting soundtrack that complements the visuals and gameplay, particularly enjoying the vaporwave and synthwave influences. However, some players noted that the limited variety of tracks can lead to repetitiveness, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the music enhances the atmosphere and enjoyment of swinging through levels, its lack of diversity may leave some players wanting more.
- “The music and visual style are also pretty great, but you can probably gauge if that's your cup of tea from the promo videos.”
- “The game transitions from being a really chill vaporwave experience you lay back and just let wash over you - in the final world the music shifts into a manic drum & bass beat as you're now literally swinging around in hell itself.”
- “The movement was extremely satisfying, the levels were fun and stood out from each other, the sound design and OST complemented the visuals and gameplay perfectly.”
- “Out of the whole soundtrack, which I think just plays on loop regardless of your progress, there's only one or two tracks that sound remotely like vaporwave.”
- “That being said, the tracks only last so long, and the music gets old real fast.”
- “It holds no musical ties; the soundtrack is not dense enough to make all 100 levels and workshop published creations feel new.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The reviews indicate that "verlet swing" lacks a meaningful story or narrative, with many users comparing it unfavorably to other first-person platformers that offer richer storytelling. The game is described as having random levels and no overarching plot, making it feel more like a gameplay experience focused on mechanics rather than a narrative journey. Overall, players suggest looking to other titles for a more engaging story.
- “It's like a combination of Clustertruck and A Story About My Uncle, if A Story About My Uncle was good.”
- “It's like A Story About My Uncle but good.”
- “This is similar to either a 3D version of Remnant of Naezith from last month or A Story About My Uncle with one major difference.”
- “There is no bigger story or message; the levels are random, just like everything in them.”
- “There's no plot or story or hook to the game—well, there is a literal hook what with the grappling—but that works fine.”
- “Vaporwave: a story about my uncle (minus the story)”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by players expressing a deep connection to its mechanics, with some feeling a strong urge to cry due to the game's challenges. The absence of combat and the focus on swinging through levels evoke a sense of vulnerability, as players grapple with the frustration of failing instantly upon contact with obstacles. Overall, the game elicits a mix of emotional responses, from joy in mastering its mechanics to sadness in the struggle to progress.
- “This game makes me want to cry.”
- “There’s no combat, no walking around, just swinging on surfaces, and avoiding touching anything.”
- “This is a game all about swinging through levels and trying to get to the end, all without touching anything.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some levels provide a satisfying sense of progress and challenge, others, particularly in the later stages, require excessive repetition that can feel tedious and detract from the overall enjoyment. The initial levels are engaging, but the latter ones often demand frustratingly high amounts of practice and memorization, leading to a disconnect in gameplay experience.
- “The first 4.5 worlds were really fun, but around 5 of the last levels require a ton of repetitions and practice that were very tedious and contrasted with the rest of the game.”
- “This isn't the only level design problem; the game really expects you to repeat the level several times, since you just have to know where every hang-spot is, which are often stretched and sometimes almost hidden, slowing down the gameplay and making it really tedious.”
- “I found some of the later levels tedious to try for; the game really peaks in the middle levels.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the game's performance is generally acceptable, but some levels may experience issues, particularly on the Steam Deck and low-end desktops. Players have noted that while there are performance challenges, the game offers a fun environment for experimentation and casual speedrunning.
- “Overall, the performance isn't bad.”
- “I mixed in some casual speedrunning, and it was very fun to try and be creative about my approach and optimizations. If you're into that kind of thing or want to experiment with it, I'd highly recommend this game as a gateway.”
- “That being said, some levels cause performance issues on the Steam Deck and therefore may also do so on low-end desktops.”
- “As mentioned, I faced performance issues.”
- “I mixed in some casual speedrunning and it was very fun to try and be creative about my approach and optimizations.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as quirky and explosive, with a mix of playful and absurd elements that may appeal to some players. While the comedic style may not resonate with everyone, it offers a lighthearted and whimsical experience.
- “Who's laughing now, now that I'm explosive like Alfred Nobel?”
- “Funny swing swing weeeee”
- “Other people might find it funny.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique vaporwave aesthetic, combining surreal glitch art and engaging music that creates a relaxing experience. However, some players felt that the timed challenges detracted from fully enjoying the atmosphere, as they focused more on efficiency than immersion. Overall, it offers a captivating blend of gameplay and ambiance that appeals to fans of both speedrunning and atmospheric exploration.
- “Amazing gameplay along with an amazing atmosphere, 10/10.”
- “Really enjoyable - relaxing and atmospheric with some intuitive and engaging movement controls.”
- “Would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who likes playing around with rope mechanics or speedrunning, or who just wants a nice atmospheric experience with some vaporwave music and surreal glitch art.”
- “Being timed and given a grade made me treat the levels not really as much of a fun experience of taking in the weird vaporwave atmosphere, but instead resulted in me critically looking at each level to find the fastest path.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game offers significant replayability, particularly for speedrunners and competitive players who enjoy challenging each other to improve their times. Casual players may find the experience fun yet frustrating, which also contributes to its replay value.
- “The speedrunning replayability is definitely there if you get really into it, but even for casual play, it's fun despite a frustrating ending.”
- “This game offers significant replay value.”
- “My friend and I are constantly trying to top each other's speed runs, and it's generally the most entertaining thing since it adds so much replay value.”
- “Obviously, all the speedrunning replayability is there if you get really into it, but for casual play, it's fun with a frustrating ending.”
- “Between my friend and I, we're constantly trying to top each other's speed runs, and it's generally the most entertaining thing since it adds so much replay value.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report that the game runs smoothly without any significant issues, indicating a high level of stability.
- “Runs great.”
- “The game maintains a smooth performance without any crashes.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is, even during intense moments.”