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Vessel

A novel use of fluids, but sometimes scuppered by cumbersome platforming and the annoyingly happenstance physics.
85%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
stability, grinding
87% User Score Based on 1,076 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCPCPlaystation 3Playstation 3WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationLinuxLinux
Buy Nowfrom $0.92
Buy NowGet on Steam€4.99

About

"Vessel" is a game with an intriguing story centered around Arkwright, who has the power to bring ordinary matter to life. The game features splendid mechanics with a variety of liquids, each with unique properties, simulated for stunning effects. Combined with an excellent soundtrack and stunning atmosphere, the game presents puzzles that require creative use of the simulated fluid and 'Fluro' creatures.

Genres & Tags
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Vessel screenshot
Vessel screenshot
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Vessel screenshot
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+2

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,078 reviews
gameplay122 positive mentions
stability24 negative mentions
  • Vessel features innovative fluid physics mechanics that create engaging and unique puzzles.
  • The art style and soundtrack, particularly by Jon Hopkins, enhance the game's atmosphere and overall experience.
  • The game offers a satisfying challenge with a good difficulty curve, rewarding players for their problem-solving skills.
  • Controls can be imprecise and frustrating, particularly during platforming sections, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • Some puzzles may feel overly convoluted or rely on trial and error, leading to moments of frustration.
  • The story lacks depth and clarity, leaving players wanting more context and narrative development.
  • gameplay
    270 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in this puzzle platformer is characterized by its innovative use of fluid mechanics, offering a unique and engaging experience that combines clever puzzles with satisfying physics interactions. While some players noted issues with controls and occasional glitches, the overall design and gradual introduction of mechanics were praised for enhancing the gameplay experience. Despite some frustrations with platforming elements, the game is generally well-received for its originality and captivating atmosphere.

    • “The concept of a liquid-based platformer/puzzler is so much fun, and the gameplay pulls it off so well.”
    • “The gameplay, although it may seem complex at first glance, becomes intuitively understandable fairly quickly.”
    • “What makes Vessel so fun to play, though, is the wonderful sloshy water mechanics.”
    • “Fluid dynamics as a puzzle basis is a great idea, and most of the puzzles themselves look fine - however, as I was going deeper into the game, the platforming started to play a more and more important part, and I kept getting killed due to inaccurate movement mechanics, sluggish controls, and seemingly random events.”
    • “Unfortunately, the core gameplay mechanic of using liquid physics to solve the game's puzzles doesn't feel like it was well implemented.”
    • “Some puzzles are very easy and some are difficult until you find out that some mechanics were not properly shown, so you did not have a clue that you could do that.”
  • music
    181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Vessel," composed by Jon Hopkins, is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, featuring a mix of ambient and thematic tracks that adapt dynamically to gameplay. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's emotional depth and how it complements the unique art style and challenging puzzles, creating an immersive experience. While some find the music occasionally repetitive, the overall consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's charm and appeal.

    • “The soundtrack from Jon Hopkins makes it even more wonderful!”
    • “Vessel is a liquid physics-based puzzle platformer that has wonderfully gorgeous graphics, beautiful and memorable music, and a vibrant and interesting world to explore.”
    • “The music is really well done and fits the game nicely, ranging from artsy downtempo thematic music to more industrial techno type stuff, always matching the setting and action, or lack thereof.”
    • “None of the music the game includes is really very fitting and it all adds to the already ham-fisted attempt at a steam-punk theme.”
    • “Boring platformer with monotonous music, I expected much more...”
    • “If you stripped away the graphics--if you stripped away the lighting and soothing music--the actual game 'experience' is equivalent to someone locking you in an empty white room filled with buttons and switches, and a PA box overhead says 'you can leave when you figure out how to open the door.'”
  • graphics
    166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Vessel" are often praised for their beautiful steampunk art style and unique 2.5D presentation, which effectively enhances the game's atmosphere and puzzle-solving experience. While many reviewers appreciate the artistic design and fluid dynamics, some note that the graphics can feel dated or suffer from optimization issues, with occasional glitches detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's charm and immersive quality.

    • “Vessel is a liquid physics-based puzzle platformer that has wonderfully gorgeous graphics, beautiful and memorable music, and a vibrant and interesting world to explore.”
    • “Beautiful lighting, painterly landscapes, a steampunk aesthetic that even I, not a huge steampunk fanatic, can drool over.”
    • “The graphics are really pretty, with an almost watercolor feel in places, and the backgrounds steal the show from the nearer sections to the screen and main characters.”
    • “Ugly graphics and broken physics hold Vessel back.”
    • “The graphics are very dated but serviceable.”
    • “On the downside, Vessel's graphics engine seems to have some optimization issues.”
  • story
    130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its intriguing elements and worldbuilding, while others find it thin and poorly explained, often relying on journal entries for context. Many reviews highlight the enjoyable and unique narrative surrounding a scientist and his inventions, though some criticize its brevity and lack of depth. Overall, the story complements the gameplay and puzzles, but opinions vary on its effectiveness and engagement.

    • “The worldbuilding and story are neatly done, providing context to your unique abilities and the situations that you'll encounter throughout the world.”
    • “The story is enthralling, the music is soft, yet moving, the atmosphere is beautiful, and the gameplay is rather clever.”
    • “Vessel is such a great puzzle platformer with a great storyline, great level design, great fluid dynamics, great dynamic lighting, and pretty much awesome everything.”
    • “It's that they barely explain any of the story!”
    • “In Vessel, they just literally never tell you half the story.”
    • “There is barely a story, and puzzles don't make sense half of the time.”
  • atmosphere
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating steampunk art style, engaging soundtracks, and varied environments that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the depth and mood created by the music and visuals, which contribute to a unique and immersive gameplay experience, despite some initial graphical shortcomings. Overall, the combination of thematic elements and atmospheric design makes the game a standout for fans of puzzle-solving in a richly crafted world.

    • “His melodies add depth and darkness to the game's atmosphere, making the gameplay even more captivating.”
    • “The scenario is engaging, the puzzles are challenging, the music and the atmosphere is absolutely sublime.”
    • “Its steampunk atmosphere captures my imagination and the unique fluid physics puzzles are just the right level of challenging.”
    • “Visually, the game actually improves as you play further, but even this improvement is marginal at best. The opening couple of levels are absolutely dire as you are faced with some very blocky environments which lack any atmosphere and have you platforming through some very generic areas.”
    • “The puzzles are challenging and the story is intriguing, but most of all the fluros feel alive and give a mysterious atmosphere to it all.”
    • “The scenario is engaging, the puzzles are challenging, but the music and the atmosphere are absolutely lacking.”
  • stability
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game is a mixed bag, with users reporting various glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, particularly during puzzles. While some players found the experience enjoyable despite these issues, others noted that the game feels somewhat unpolished and buggy, especially by modern standards. Overall, while the game has its stability challenges, many still appreciate its creativity and solid physics.

    • “The game is creative and not buggy.”
    • “The game is creative and not buggy.”
    • “Buggy, somewhat unpolished indie title.”
    • “There are also some graphical glitches and gameplay bugs that hamper things.”
    • “I did have to restart a puzzle or two due to not being able to fix various glitches, but overall it went pretty smoothly.”
  • replayability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, primarily due to its short to medium-length playtime and the lack of significant incentives to replay after completing achievements. While some players found the storyline enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, many noted that the game does not support extensive replay value. Despite this, its affordable price and engaging gameplay provide a satisfying experience for the duration of play.

    • “The storyline is very enjoyable and keeps the game replayable.”
    • “Not because the vessel has some sort of 'infinite replayability' but simply just because the game was genuinely fun.”
    • “Fairly limited replayability, particularly once achievements are done.”
    • “It tries to add challenges to extend playtime, but this is not the kind of game to support replayability.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game doesn't provide much replay value, but with about 10-12 hours of gameplay, it's a lot longer than most AAA games these days - and that for 1/5th of the price!”
  • grinding
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, describing the puzzles as tedious, repetitive, and often frustrating, particularly during the finale which relies heavily on trial-and-error. While some players acknowledge moments of good design, the overall experience is marred by excessive waiting and a lack of engaging gameplay, leading to a generally unfun experience.

    • “The levels so far have been a bunch of door switch puzzles that require more tedious repetition than brain power.”
    • “I won't say this game is devoid of good design because it's about half balanced between the good and the bad, but there's more than enough of the bad to just make it a rather unfun experience... even in the good parts of the game there's still a lot of waiting around, the puzzles in general are rather tedious.”
    • “Horrible game with boring, tedious, and repetitive puzzles.”
  • emotional
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game emotionally engaging, highlighting its thought-provoking puzzles and character development that foster a deep connection with the protagonist. The blend of logical challenges and heartfelt moments creates an empowering experience, making it a title that resonates on both emotional and intellectual levels. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to evoke strong feelings and encourage repeated playthroughs.

    • “If you find yourself looking for an inward title that perhaps speaks to the more logical and emotional part of your essence, then this title is the quintessential display of thought-provoking and heart-rending gameplay.”
    • “I felt that the protagonist has an emotional bond with them, and I started to feel that.”
    • “An interesting steam-punk-esque world filled with a heart-warming bit of character development makes this a game I'd like to play several times over.”
  • humor
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its humor, featuring entertaining and whimsical fluid creatures, funny contraptions, and challenging puzzles that add a comedic twist. The art style enhances the humor, though some players note that the pacing can be slow. Overall, it is considered a must-have for fans of humorous and innovative puzzle games.

    • “Everything before those last minutes is highly entertaining, full of funny fluid creatures that you create and/or guide through funny contraptions with your funny tools.”
    • “Revolutionary and funny mechanics!”
    • “Funny and challenging puzzle game, a must-have for people who like challenging puzzles with a twist.”
  • optimization
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users noting significant performance issues, particularly related to water physics and ladder climbing mechanics, which can lead to lag and crashes. While some players attribute these problems to their outdated hardware, others suggest that the game's graphics engine requires further optimization to enhance overall performance.

    • “Oh, the only thing I wish were optimized was the ladder climbing.”
    • “The water physics used in this game consumes a lot of performance.”
    • “The water physics used in this game consumes a ton of performance.”
    • “Very interesting game with nice, but not optimized water physics, which made my computer lag sometimes due to the complexity of the game. Maybe my PC is that bad or it's just the game. I stopped playing this after a couple of hours, but anyway, I strongly recommend checking it!”
    • “On the downside, the vessel's graphics engine seems to have some optimization issues.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a captivating steam-punk world complemented by heart-warming character development, which enhances its replayability and overall appeal.

    • “An interesting steam-punk-esque world filled with heart-warming character development makes this a game I'd like to play several times over.”

76%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

Buy Vessel

13h Median play time
14h Average play time
8-23h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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