Vermillion

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Vermillion is a Simulation game that offers a mess-free oil painting studio, accessible to both beginners and experienced artists. The game supports up to four players for co-op or multiplayer painting sessions, with features such as paint-by-numbers templates, color mixing, undo, layers, and various brushes. Collaborate, learn, and share your artistic journey with friends or tutorials using the built-in web browser.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 978 reviews

music4 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Vermillion offers an incredibly realistic oil painting experience, allowing users to mix colors and apply paint in a way that closely mimics real-life painting.
The built-in web browser enables users to follow along with Bob Ross tutorials or other painting videos, enhancing the learning experience.
The developer is highly responsive and actively engages with the community, continuously improving the app based on user feedback.

Some users experience performance issues, particularly in overlay mode, which can hinder the overall experience.
The brush mechanics can be unintuitive at times, leading to frustration for those unfamiliar with oil painting techniques.
There are limitations in the number of layers and brush types available, which some users feel restricts their creative potential.

story
46 mentions
4 % positive mentions
89 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game "Vermillion" is centered around the immersive experience of painting in virtual reality, allowing players to explore their creativity and learn skills that can transfer to real-life painting. Users appreciate the game's ability to teach and engage, often sharing their excitement about the potential for social experiences and the ease of access it provides for aspiring artists. Overall, the narrative of personal artistic growth and community sharing resonates strongly with players.
- “In the last 24 hours, I have spent just over 8 hours... I have to say I am impressed... Vermillion is an excellent example of how to teach with VR... the skills learned in-app would absolutely transfer over to real canvas in no time... Vermillion allows you to creatively explode on canvas, bringing your dreamscapes to life as you control the narrative that is your own art.”
- “At the time of writing this, the Oculus Quest port of Vermillion is in beta testing and getting close to release, so I'm looking forward to picking it up again there with the freedom to take it to friends' houses and share the experience.”
- “It's omission here is a pretty major inconvenience, and a baffling design decision that even free quest apps manage to get right.”
- “This isn't at all helped by me only playing this game on Quest via virtual desktop, I'm sure.”
- “Purchased after reading the creator's story on Reddit.”
music
28 mentions
14 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game is highly praised, with users enjoying the ability to listen to their favorite tracks or follow along with tutorials while painting. The built-in browser for accessing YouTube enhances the experience, allowing players to immerse themselves in creativity while enjoying calming or inspirational music. Many users express a desire for additional features, such as more customizable music options and tools, to further enrich their artistic sessions.
- “Load it up, put on some music and lose yourself.”
- “I made my first ever paintings listening to music and living in the moment.”
- “Pair with some nice music and the time drifts by.”
- “There is a lot of potential for more features, such as different ambiance music/sounds, more customizable paint palettes, more tools and brushes.”
- “Brings out my inner Bob Ross. I love that you can use YouTube to follow along to Bob Ross himself or just listen to music. I would like it if you could actually have a web browser so I can go onto Spotify, etc.”
- “I mainly use it for the paint-by-numbers feature so I can chill, listen to music, and turn off my brain while I paint, and it's just so satisfying.”
graphics
24 mentions
17 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their beautiful visuals and the fidelity of base station tracking, enhancing the VR art experience. However, users report issues with poor optimization and low frame rates, particularly on less powerful graphic cards, which detracts from the overall performance. While the game offers inspiring community artwork and tutorials, some players feel that traditional art software may provide better results.
- “It absolutely deserves more playtime from me, and I think this will shine even more with the big screen beyond. Such a lightweight headset will be more comfortable standing at the easel, with beautiful visuals and the fidelity of base station tracking.”
- “All the fussy messy parts are taken out, and you're just left with making awesome artworks in VR.”
- “I've never put a lot of practice into art, but you can get really good and interesting results following the tutorials linked in-game, and the example artwork is really inspiring.”
- “My problem with it is mainly poor optimization (fps is extremely low)... my graphic card is not one of the most suitable for VR, but I've played much heavier VR games on most of the requirements and it ran 10x better than this one, where you just move your arms.”
- “The only graphical setting was turning on paint anti-aliasing.”
- “You'll probably be able to paint better things in Photoshop or Krita with a graphics tablet, or with real oil paint.”
gameplay
20 mentions
30 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its excellent and realistic painting mechanics, providing a tactile and immersive experience, especially in VR. While there is a slight learning curve and challenges with depth perception, players find the controls intuitive and enjoyable, making it suitable for all ages. Overall, the game is seen as a well-rounded platform for artistic development, enhanced by in-game tutorials and exporting options.
- “Excellent painting mechanics, a pleasure to use, fun for all the family. It has some of the most tactile controls I've seen in VR, and the haptic feedback of brush to canvas is excellent.”
- “The gameplay itself is phenomenal!”
- “This game is amazing! What I've always wanted to do is follow a Bob Ross tutorial, and now I finally can because the mechanics in this sim are so well done.”
- “It is very hard to grasp a sense of depth of field, which for a game where its main mechanic is to put a brush to canvas makes it feel like you have to fight to get the brush to do what you want.”
- “The mechanics are a little tricky at first along with a little bit of a learning curve to understand the physics but it is fairly intuitive and you can pick it up in hardly any time at all.”
- “I can see myself sinking a lot of hours into Vermillion and I've just barely begun to grasp the mechanics of the software.”
optimization
13 mentions
31 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
31 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some users experiencing significant performance issues, particularly in overlay mode, leading to low frame rates and stuttering during gameplay. While streaming to Quest 2 can introduce lag, many players find the performance acceptable despite these challenges, especially when compared to other VR titles. Overall, the optimization appears to be a major concern for some users, while others report satisfactory performance.
- “Performance was great.”
- “(also well optimized!)”
- “(also well optimized!)”
- “However, the game has significant performance issues that make it unplayable when you launch it in overlay mode.”
- “My problem with it is mainly poor optimization (fps is extremely low)... my graphic card is not one of the most suitable for VR, but I've played much heavier VR games that meet most of the requirements and they ran 10x better than this one, where you just move your arms.”
- “I am waiting on getting into the Quest 2 beta and I'm currently using Virtual Desktop to stream it, so there is some stuttering and lag when it autosaves if you plan on streaming to Quest 2, but it isn't a deal breaker by any means.”
humor
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as simple yet effective, creating a rewarding experience through engaging interactions among players. Users appreciate the lighthearted conversations and suggest playful mechanics, like "spraying" paint, that could enhance the comedic aspect of the painting experience. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's charm and community feel.
- “It's simple, funny, and rewarding.”
- “When I popped into a painting room before bedtime and encountered three other people (one of whom I've painted with before) having a hilarious conversation, I felt like I was in the right place for the first time in ages. I knew I would become a patron to the cause.”
- “I don't know if that's a thing for actual painters, but it would be funny if you could 'spray' or squirt paint onto the canvas by bending the brush with your thumb and releasing it. (A pill on index knuckles would be nice for that.)”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users find the emotional aspect of the experience to be significant, highlighting that it allows for a connection to painting fundamentals even without physical tools. The ability to learn and engage with art in a constrained environment evokes strong feelings, making it a meaningful experience despite the lack of traditional painting methods.
- “I found this to be an emotional experience.”
- “I found this to be an emotional experience.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its polished sound design and ability to create a mood that enhances the artistic experience. Reviewers note that it effectively captures a unique ambiance that supports the game's creative objectives.
- “It is a very polished piece of software right down to the atmospheric sound!”
- “The atmosphere is also something quite special, really capturing a mood conducive to the art form.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the game eliminates tedious grinding tasks, allowing them to focus on the enjoyable aspects, such as the actual painting. This streamlined approach enhances the overall experience by prioritizing fun over repetitive activities.
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is hindered by its limited browser capabilities, preventing users from accessing popular streaming services like Twitch and YouTube, which complicates content consumption and forces them to watch ads. While players appreciate the inclusion of a browser, they express a desire for improvements to enhance its functionality and overall experience.
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Users report that while the game generally performs well, it occasionally experiences sudden crashes that lead to freezing issues.
- “It runs very well until it just suddenly crashes and my system freezes.”
- “The game frequently experiences unexpected crashes, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I often encounter stability issues that disrupt my gaming experience.”