Viaerium

About

Viaerium is a single player action game. It was developed by Malevolent Wormhole and was released on October 24, 2017. It received positive reviews from players.

"Viaerium is a single-player Adventure game with a sensational music. In this calming 3D Platformer, players journey through radiant landscapes to seek the Council and make their Idea come true. With simple controls and no violence, Viaerium promotes tranquility and self-reflection."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

music15 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game offers a relaxing and calming experience with soothing music and a minimalist aesthetic.
It provides motivational quotes and a positive message, making it a nice short journey for reflection.
Easy to achieve 100% completion, making it appealing for achievement hunters.

The game is very short, typically taking only about 30 minutes to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
Lacks key features such as customizable controls and level selection, which can detract from the overall experience.
The gameplay is simplistic and may feel underwhelming, with some players describing it as more of a walking simulator than a traditional game.

music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
30%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and soothing qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful piano soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere. While some found the music repetitive over time, it generally contributes positively to the game's minimalist and inspirational vibe. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, adding depth to the gameplay experience.
- “The soundtrack in particular is spectacular - and the game triggers it well.”
- “The music is incredibly soothing and the visual style is simple, yet marvelous.”
- “The beautiful music added to a pretty, heavenlike world.”
- “30 minutes of a nice looking (or rather nicely shaded), relaxing platformer, accompanied by generic plinky-plonk of piano soundtrack & sprinkled with more than a fair amount of vapid, inspirational quotes an air-headed blonde would post under her Tumblr/Facebook selfies.”
- “In my opinion, the in-game music got a bit annoying after a time, but you can just turn it off if you want.”
- “The music and the mood set by your surroundings and sounds.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The graphics of the game are described as minimalistic and simplistic, with some reviewers appreciating the artistic arrangement while others criticize the repetitive and mediocre design. While the architecture has a certain aesthetic appeal, it often detracts from gameplay enjoyment due to its lack of variety. Overall, the visuals are seen as a mixed bag, with some finding beauty in their simplicity and others deeming them insufficiently engaging.
- “The graphics are beautiful.”
- “Simple yet beautiful graphics.”
- “It's graphics are minimalistic, yet pleasantly arranged artistically, making up for the very few assets it uses.”
- “Unfortunately, more focus was put into making the structures aesthetically repetitive in a brutalist kind of way than on what would make a fun game level, and several of the levels involve repeating the same thing 4-6 times, which means duplicating the same gameplay that number of times, too.”
- “Just a rectangle with some orbs around it felt too simple compared to the rest of the visuals.”
- “The graphics are not really high-end; even your characters' shadow isn't being rendered, but apart from that, the minimalistic aesthetic isn't doing the game anything wrong either.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The game's story is a straightforward and motivational narrative centered around the creative process, conveyed through collectible orbs that reveal inspirational quotes. While some players appreciate the well-composed levels and the uplifting message, others find the story to be overly simplistic and cheesy. Overall, the storytelling is polarizing, with a mix of positive and negative feedback regarding its execution.
- “This game tries to tell a story about the creative process.”
- “The music and visuals were nice, and the story is basically a motivational talk boiled down to its key points.”
- “All along the way, there are orbs everywhere; each orb makes a sentence appear on the screen. All these sentences seem to be directly taken from cheap motivational posters, and they somewhat tell the story of your ascension to become a better cube. The purpose is very cheesy, but I found the game nicely done.”
- “1/16 story”
- “✅ bad story”
- “All along the way there are orbs everywhere, each orb makes a sentence appear on the screen. All these sentences seem to be directly taken from cheap motivational posters, and they somewhat tell the story of your ascension to become a better cube. The purpose is very cheesy.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The gameplay is characterized by simple and repetitive platforming mechanics, primarily focused on collecting items and completing straightforward tasks, which can lead to a lack of engagement over its short duration of 30-45 minutes. While the game features a meaningful message and a decent soundtrack, many players feel that the repetitive level design detracts from the overall fun, making it hard to justify its price unless heavily discounted. Overall, the gameplay is seen as competent but lacking depth and variety.
- “30 minutes of simple but competent platforming and collecting gameplay.”
- “Viaerium is a pretty simplistic and short (30-45 min) 3D platformer with the goal of reaching the council, featuring not that difficult mechanics and a rather minimalistic menu.”
- “The gameplay consists mostly of wandering along, retrieving fortune cookies and hitting switches until you advance to the next zone.”
- “Unfortunately, more focus was put into making the structures aesthetically repetitive in a brutalist kind of way than on what would make a fun game level, and several of the levels involve repeating the same thing 4-6 times, which means duplicating the same gameplay that number of times, too.”
- “This game has a good message and will tell it by the way the levels are designed and a good soundtrack, but if you care more about the gameplay aspect, you kind of won't get anything.”
- “The gameplay consists mostly of wandering along retrieving fortune cookies and hitting switches until you advance to the next zone.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its breathtaking beauty, minimalist style, and soothing music, creating a peaceful and immersive experience. Players appreciate how the atmosphere enhances the overall journey, making it both inspirational and thought-provoking. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the standout feature, drawing players in and encouraging deep engagement.
- “A wonderful journey with a beautiful message and a breathtaking atmosphere.”
- “This has some good things going for it, such as the minimalist style, peaceful music, soothing atmosphere, and an inspirational message.”
- “You can let yourself be absorbed by this game's atmosphere, while also having something to think about.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, indicating strong stability across platforms.
- “Runs great on deck too.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the game's replayability to be limited, with many citing that the experience feels repetitive after a few playthroughs. However, some appreciate the different choices and outcomes available, which can encourage multiple runs for those seeking to explore all possibilities. Overall, while not highly replayable for everyone, it offers enough variation to attract dedicated players.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in Viaerium is described as enjoyable and light-hearted, providing a fun experience for about half an hour, especially if purchased at a discount. However, some users feel the game may not justify its full price.
- “Viaerium isn't a particularly bad game, but it definitely isn't worth the asking price of €2.39. However, if you have a coupon from a badge for this game or if it's on sale, I would encourage you to buy it and enjoy a pretty funny and relaxed half hour with it.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including crashes upon loading, a short playtime of only 30 minutes, and a lack of basic features such as controller support and in-game options, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “On the flipside, it crashed the first time I tried to load it, is really short (30 mins), poorly optimized, lacks basic features like controller support and in-game options, and overall was not all that interesting.”