vivid/stasis

About

vivid/stasis is a single player action game with mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by Team Vividstasis and was released on July 5, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Vivid/Stasis is a single-player mystery musical game blending a gripping, emotional story with rhythm-based gameplay featuring customizable difficulty levels. Follow four girls caught in a mind-bending adventure involving secrets, organizations, and the fourth dimension. Despite some bugs and grind, its masterful graphics and ingenious soundtrack offer a unique and engaging experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,056 reviews

story480 positive mentions

grinding44 negative mentions

Engaging story with well-developed characters and emotional depth.
Unique gameplay mechanics with bumper notes that add variety to the rhythm experience.
High-quality music selection featuring both original tracks and contributions from well-known rhythm game artists.

Puzzles can be overly complex and may require external guides to solve, detracting from the overall experience.
Some charts can feel cluttered and difficult to read due to the introduction of bumper notes.
The game can experience performance issues and bugs, particularly during certain gameplay segments.

story
1,314 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
61%
2%
The story of "Vivid/Stasis" has garnered mixed reviews, with many players praising its depth, emotional resonance, and engaging characters, often comparing it favorably to other narrative-driven games. However, some players find the pacing slow and the integration of puzzles into the story frustrating, leading to a grindy experience. Overall, while the story captivates many, it may not appeal to those who prefer straightforward gameplay without narrative interruptions.
- “The story is amazing, the characters are endearing, and you really end up rooting for them. The game has a way to make you feel personally invested!”
- “The story is fantastic, the music is good, and the gameplay is fresh.”
- “The story kept me playing this game for two nights with little sleep just to see what happens with the characters.”
- “That and the fact that it's a struggle to read the set-up, you can't change keys (and it has the weirdest setup ever, seriously, sdjk?) this game is horrendous, I hope the devs can improve it in the future, but as it is, I'm glad I didn't get invested. This seriously does feel like when you're 12, freshly into Undertale, and making Mary Sue OCs who are gods and such to try and fit into the world; the story is unbearable for anybody who cares too much about good storytelling.”
- “My major complaints with the game is that the story could do with some editing to trim the fat.”
- “The story can be a bit confusing at times, but overall it's one of the greatest games I've played in 2025.”
music
744 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
64%
2%
The music in this game has received widespread acclaim for its impressive selection, featuring a mix of well-known and underground artists, with many tracks described as "bangers." Players appreciate the variety of genres and the quality of the charts, which are often challenging yet satisfying to play. The integration of music with the story enhances the overall experience, making it a standout aspect of the game, despite some concerns about song unlock mechanics and charting consistency.
- “The chapter boss songs absolutely blew me away, song wise and presentation wise.”
- “The music selection is phenomenal and does a great job of deepening the storyline, too.”
- “The song selection is great, incorporating both popular artists in the genre and some less well-known artists as well.”
- “The song list of the base game is not very varied (very bass heavy technoesque, with lots of wub on your wub, but does have famous artists like Camellia and whatnot), but the guest songs do have a fair bit of variety, (but still very rhythm gamey as they are crossovers with other rhythm games) and I would suggest either unlocking them via the soundscan grind menu that appears halfway through the storyline of the game or via the unlock all setting.”
- “The music selection is another point that I'm a bit disappointed on, as I'm not a fan of a lot of the tracks in this game.”
- “The song selection is pretty decent, and I think that the editable speed and difficulty is very useful for trash players like me.”
gameplay
375 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The gameplay of "Vivid/Stasis" is characterized by its engaging rhythm mechanics, particularly the introduction of "bumper notes" that add a unique twist to the traditional 4-key format, allowing for varied playstyles and strategies. While the game is accessible to beginners with its forgiving timing windows and diverse difficulty levels, some players find the bumper mechanic can complicate higher-level play, leading to mixed feelings about its implementation. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its smoothness, fun factor, and integration with a compelling story, making it a standout experience in the rhythm game genre.
- “The gameplay is fresh and fun with bumper and hold notes, and the music selection is one of the best of any rhythm game I've seen!”
- “The rhythm gameplay is tight and satisfying - the gimmick of bumper notes adds flavor, but without being completely reliant on it.”
- “The gameplay is primarily a 4-key vertically scrolling rhythm game with bumper notes as an added mechanic, which changes the way you read charts and adds complexity.”
- “At a certain point, you get forced to play a knockoff 2D top-down exploration game, with mediocre graphics, environments with themes that seem to have been chosen completely randomly (sewers??? some kind of library? a purple forest? clouds?? etc.), a single short looping soundtrack for the entirety of this gamemode that already gets old by 10 minutes of having to listen to it, zero sound effects, and (worst of all) non-existent gameplay.”
- “The gameplay mechanics, mostly how the game is shown, are very confusing.”
- “The biggest issue that I have with Vivid/Stasis in its early stages is that while the music selection is great, the charts of said selection are messy, cluttered, and make very poor use of the actual mechanic of the game.”
graphics
127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the charming pixel art style and vibrant colors that enhance the overall aesthetic and atmosphere. However, some criticize the over-the-top editing and glitch effects, which can detract from the visual experience, while others find the character designs inconsistent or unappealing. Overall, the visuals are seen as a significant aspect of the game, contributing to its unique identity, despite some technical issues and personal preferences regarding style.
- “The art style is so charming, the music selection is exquisite, and the direction this game went in was awesome.”
- “Everything feels, looks, and sounds great - with responsive, snappy gameplay, a cute hand-drawn aesthetic mixed with pixel art style, and some incredibly diverse and banging tracks.”
- “The pixelated graphics look incredible on my laptop's OLED display, and the colors look absolutely magnificent.”
- “The art style is horrendous, or maybe I think it's fine, but it's just the overboard editing and edgy Undertale-wannabe glitchiness that makes it an eyesore.”
- “The game commonly stutters while playing songs, causing a desync between the audio and visuals.”
- “From the flashing, glitchy graphics without warning as soon as you open the game, which are so bad you can't read the text onscreen, the ironic epilepsy warning after the prologue, and the fact that there was no way to enter a settings menu prior to it, so the volume is on max the whole time.”
emotional
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is overwhelmingly praised, with many players reporting profound experiences that led to tears and deep connections with the story and characters. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy to sadness, often relating personally to the narrative, particularly in the context of identity and personal struggles. The heartfelt writing and memorable character development contribute to an emotional rollercoaster that resonates strongly with players, making it one of the most impactful gaming experiences for many.
- “This game made me cry multiple times and I am still recovering from the emotional ringer this put me through.”
- “The story is a masterpiece; it is very touching and has a well-thought-out worldbuilding.”
- “Emotionally, this is a game that encompasses pain, catharsis, healing, and the promise of new beginnings.”
grinding
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. While some appreciate the accessibility options that allow for reduced grinding and easier progression, others find the requirement to replay songs or complete tedious tasks to unlock content frustrating and time-consuming. Overall, the game offers a balance between challenge and accessibility, but the grind can feel excessive for those less inclined to engage in repetitive gameplay.
- “Besides, the way you navigate through the flowchart for new songs and stories is not grindy at all.”
- “Extremely good game, though I wish that updates would just stop erasing progress/modifying my saves. It's the fourth time I have to complete every soundscan to unlock songs I already had. Also had to unlock [spoiler] betweenspace again and my satchapon is back to level 1, so much for my hours of grinding.”
- “After watching the game's story get locked behind more and more grindy or unfun things, or just seeing some genuinely baffling decisions being made, it was enough to make me try and stop engaging with the story entirely and just play the rhythm game part.”
- “The story is interesting, it's a solid 4k vsrg, but it's like a pay-to-win mobile game grindy.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and engaging dialogue, often blending cutesy elements with deeper emotional themes. Players appreciate the balance of funny moments and relatable characters, which enhance the overall experience, making it enjoyable even for those who may not typically favor rhythm games. The humor is described as both natural and absurd, contributing significantly to the game's charm and storytelling.
- “The humor is phenomenal.”
- “This game has by far some of my favorite story writing, songs, gameplay, and humor.”
- “Now without any biases, the story's interesting, mysterious, and pretty funny at some parts to release a bit of the tension within portions of the story.”
optimization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
70%
18%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting inconsistent performance, including stuttering and frame rate drops, even on high-end systems. While some users have managed to play without significant issues, many agree that the game requires substantial optimization improvements, particularly for lower-end hardware. Despite these flaws, the game's beauty and engaging gameplay make it worth enduring the performance problems.
- “It isn't very optimized, but it is so worth it to play through all of its flaws because at its heart is one of the most beautiful games you will ever play.”
- “It's also nice that you can get a reasonable amount of both in-game currency systems (performance and charge) quickly and easily, with different modes that allow you to get more of them faster by focusing in on a specific one.”
- “The developers really have a serious optimization problem to fix.”
- “The game's performance can be patchy from time to time, and while my own computer is kinda weak, I've had friends suffering from semi-frequent stutters on brand new i7+4070 equipped computers, so it's not just me.”
- “It does need a bit of optimization for low-end players though; the FPS counter reads 120 FPS and the notes scroll like they're on ~50 FPS.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while players appreciate its quality, especially for a free title, they report frequent bugs and glitches, particularly in cross-play and optimization. Many users note that the game is still playable despite these issues, with hopes for improvements as it approaches full release. However, some players have experienced significant problems, such as crashes and data loss, particularly on Linux systems.
- “It's still really janky, like cross-play being completely broken and optimization issues on certain parts, but it's not a buggy mess.”
- “Although since the game is currently in early access, it is buggy and crashes in certain areas, but by the time this game gets fully finished later this year, the bugs will probably be fixed.”
- “Though, when playing on Linux, the game is a buggy and laggy mess.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game offers significant replayability through various difficulty settings, practice modes, and a diverse song selection that encourages players to return for improved scores and mastery. Features like multiplayer, mapped challenges, and an engaging gameplay loop further enhance its replay value, making it appealing for both casual and competitive players. Overall, the combination of charming elements and smooth gameplay contributes to a highly replayable experience.
- “Plus, you can always come back to those charts on a higher difficulty, which adds a lot more replay value.”
- “With multiplayer, mapped challenges, and an arcade mode, this game has cemented itself as a good replayable game.”
- “If this game were playable without looking up walkthroughs to figure out what to do, it would be so much better.”
- “The settings you can change to make it easier or harder based on your skill level is one thing I enjoy, and the difficulties of the different parts of each song you can change and practice make the game really replayable, besides completing the quests to progress the story.”
- “With stuff like courses and the rating list, there's some aspect of replayability and an incentive to work harder for a certain good score, rather than just for that SS+ or V on the song select, which is quite nice.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the impactful storytelling and character growth throughout the narrative, others feel that the rapid plot twists hinder sufficient development. The unique art style and character designs receive varied opinions, with some finding them charming and others viewing them as cluttered or unappealing. Overall, the character development is noted for its memorable moments, but the execution may not resonate with all players.
- “The story of Vivid/Stasis is something that left a big impact on me, with silly moments, memorable hard-hitting moments, the character development, learning more about the world as you go through the story; it's all so good.”
- “Cute characters and character development are a highlight of the game.”
- “Fun rhythm game with good character designs and a nice-looking UI.”
- “Too many plot twists suddenly pop out of nowhere with insufficient time given for character development.”
- “However, not everyone would be a fan of the pixel style or the more abstractly colored backgrounds and character designs.”
- “And back to the art, the pixelated real life backgrounds fail to provide anything other than more clutter that makes the loud character design even harder to put up with.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique art style, which enhances the overall experience, particularly in its creepy elements. The combination of drawn character portraits and pixelated backgrounds creates an engaging ambiance, especially during the visual novel segments. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to its appeal.
- “I think the art style adds to the uniqueness of the game as well as the atmosphere!”
- “The art and atmosphere this game has is actually really good.”
- “The visual novel segments make use of drawn character portraits paired with pixelated backgrounds, usually of real-life scenes, which gives a nice atmosphere when reading the story.”
- “Except for betweenspace, pixel art in games where you're able to move around and stuff creeps me out, especially when the atmosphere is already kind of creepy.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game offers a refreshing monetization model, being completely free with no in-app purchases, ads, or microtransactions, which enhances the overall experience and allows players to enjoy a vast library of content without any financial barriers.
- “The story was much better than I was expecting, and for a free rhythm game with no in-app purchases, there's a huge library with some absolute bangers in it.”
- “No ads, no microtransactions, no anything.”
- “The game is also free with no in-game purchases, which is a massive bonus and makes it all the more awesome that you can play it without spending anything.”