What Lies in the Multiverse

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 258 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • humor
What Lies in the Multiverse Game Cover
What Lies in the Multiverse is an enjoyable story-driven affair with well-designed characters and puzzles that strike the perfect balance between fun and challenging. This is one title that’s definitely worth checking out.
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In "What Lies in the Multiverse," experience a story-driven puzzle platformer with gravity-defying transformations across diverse pixel-art worlds. Switch realities on the fly to turn pitfalls into pathways, and encounter a memorable cast of quirky characters in this reality-bending adventure. Just be careful not to believe everything Everett tells you.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 258 reviews
story104 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating story with well-developed characters and a mix of humor and darker themes that keeps players engaged.
  • The pixel art and music are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional impact of the game.
  • The puzzle mechanics, while not overly challenging, are cleverly designed and vary between chapters, providing a fun and enjoyable gameplay experience.
  • The dialogue can be excessively long and unskippable, which may detract from the pacing and enjoyment for some players.
  • Many puzzles are considered too easy, leading to a lack of challenge for experienced players who may seek more complex gameplay.
  • The game can feel slow at times due to the character's movement speed and the frequent transitions between dialogue and gameplay.
  • story190 mentions

    The game's story is a central highlight, featuring a mix of humor and darker themes that engage players throughout the experience. Many reviews praise its compelling characters, intriguing plot, and emotional depth, although some note that the pacing can feel slow or drawn out at times. Overall, the narrative is described as well-crafted, with a blend of light-hearted moments and serious undertones that resonate with players.

    • “The story is wonderful from start to finish with memorable characters and themes of fear and responsibility.”
    • “This game has an incredible story with great pacing, comedy, and characters.”
    • “The story itself has a lot of humor, but it is also not 'weightless' - actions have consequences and the whole plot has some serious and sometimes even dark and unsettling moments.”
    • “The story is fine, the humor is pretty stock, but the most annoying thing is how many dialog breaks there are and how many times you have to press enter to get to the next piece of dialog.”
    • “A large component of the porcine cosmetics here is a crappy, badly written 'multiverse' story, the upshot of which means before you get to play the crap 2D retro pixel platformer, you have to sit through hours of crap 2D retro pixel e-book/visual novel walls of text.”
    • “My few criticisms with the game have to do with certain aspects of the narrative that I think could have been handled better, in particular, some of the tone shifts feel very abrupt and somewhat pointless in the grand scheme of the story (like the game gets surprisingly dark at some point, but there isn't any proper payoff for it and it happens very abruptly with the game not giving you enough time to take some of it in), also the ending kind of felt like it came out of nowhere.”
  • gameplay79 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique mechanics of switching between universes to solve puzzles, while others criticize it for being slow and lacking depth. The art and atmosphere are highlighted as strong points, but some players found the gameplay sequences tedious and overly reliant on dialogue. Overall, the game offers a blend of engaging puzzles and platforming, though it may not satisfy those seeking more challenging or action-oriented gameplay.

    • “The mechanics are fun and simple; switching between alternate universes to solve puzzles and advance in the story.”
    • “Every chapter throws some new worlds and mechanical twists into the mix, resulting in an experience that never gets boring.”
    • “It's got wit and charm, interesting puzzle mechanics, and good ol' platforming action.”
    • “Every gameplay sequence is weak and just there to pad the long dialogue clicker that is this game.”
    • “The new mechanics introduced in each stage do absolutely nothing to make the puzzles any more fun to solve, making many of the segments between cutscenes a slog.”
    • “Ok the story is decent, with some great comedic moments and a few cool dark touches early on, but the actual puzzles and gameplay are glacially slow and tedious to play, and the dialogue becomes absolute waffle during the final chapter.”
  • humor66 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and ability to balance lightheartedness with darker themes, often eliciting genuine laughter and emotional responses from players. Many reviews highlight the well-written dialogue and quirky characters, contributing to a memorable and engaging narrative experience. However, some players feel that the humor can be inconsistent, with moments of awkwardness when the game attempts to tackle serious subjects.

    • “Clever platformer with a dark and quirky sense of humor.”
    • “The humor was great and had me happy to keep playing.”
    • “The dialogue is incredibly funny and well written and the puzzles are challenging while still being simple enough for my bean brain to handle.”
  • music59 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to complement the settings and enhance the emotional depth of the story, with many reviewers noting its thematic variations across different worlds. The soundtrack is described as both captivating and relaxing, contributing significantly to the overall experience, while the sound design is highlighted as excellent. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, elevating the game's artistic and narrative elements.

    • “The music really fits the mood of the levels and can be quite emotional as you get more involved in the story.”
    • “The music changed slightly for each of the worlds we visited, and fit the themes for those worlds perfectly!”
    • “The music is taken to the next level, thanks to the fact that each world has a slightly different soundtrack; sound design is also excellent.”
    • “The music didn't especially mark me (I'm quite into deeper music theory), but definitely did the job.”
    • “I can't tell for sure if the music is truly dynamic, and if the track is the same on both universes of a same level, but composed and stylized differently.”
    • “The music is similar but has minor differences that help match the unique theme of each universe.”
  • graphics40 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful pixel art style, which effectively creates an engaging atmosphere and complements the storytelling. While some reviewers note the simplicity of the visuals, they appreciate the overall aesthetic and how it enhances the gameplay experience. Despite a few criticisms regarding the lack of substantial graphical improvements, the charming art style and well-crafted environments contribute significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The graphics, though pixelated, are very nice, and the environment is well-built.”
    • “Clever puzzle platformer with gorgeous pixel graphics and a story that keeps ya hooked!”
    • “The art style is beautiful, and I adore how each dimension contrasts while still feeling connected with each other.”
    • “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
    • “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
    • “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its blend of zany, heartfelt, and dark moments, with many players noting the impactful storytelling and character development that evoke strong feelings. The music complements the narrative, enhancing the emotional experience, while the game is described as a heartfelt love letter to both storytelling and video games. Overall, it successfully combines humor and touching moments, leaving players deeply invested and even moved to tears.

    • “What lies in the multiverse has got to be the best platformer game and the dialogues and story almost made me cry; it is a truly amazing puzzle and strategy that makes it incredible when put together.”
    • “The music really fits the mood of the levels and can be quite emotional as you get more involved in the story.”
    • “This game is a heartfelt love letter to storytelling and video games as a whole for me personally.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game is praised for its outstanding atmosphere, enhanced by beautiful pixel graphics and stellar sound design. Reviewers highlight the rich, immersive environment filled with secrets and a nuanced story that explores deep themes, making it particularly appealing for fans of pixel art and atmospheric storytelling. However, some note that the gameplay may not be as engaging as the atmospheric elements.

    • “Underneath the creative puzzle mechanics, a rich atmosphere filled with secrets and easter eggs, a lovable and nuanced cast, and genuinely funny story sequences lies a tale of the indomitable human spirit in the face of nihilism.”
    • “The atmosphere and sound are absolutely stellar.”
    • “But if you are playing games mainly for the story and atmosphere, and you like pixel art sidescrollers, just buy it.”
    • “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that would draw players into the world.”
    • “Despite the potential for a rich environment, the game fails to create a compelling atmosphere that keeps players engaged.”
    • “The overall ambiance is dull, making it hard to immerse myself in the game's setting.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to excessive dialogue that detracts from the gameplay experience. While the story has its moments, the slow-paced puzzles and overwhelming narrative can make the game feel laborious, especially for those not invested in the genre.

    • “Past the start of the game, it becomes a combination of very easy and very tedious, which you may understand as 'the worst thing a puzzle can possibly be.'”
    • “There was so much tedious and unnecessary dialogue that takes up over half of the game.”
    • “The actual puzzles and gameplay are glacially slow and tedious to play, and the dialogue becomes absolute waffle during the final chapter.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its charming design and well-crafted personalities that complement each other, enhancing the overall experience. The dialogue features a blend of humor and emotion, making players feel invested in the characters' journeys. Additionally, the game's procedural mechanics and changing backgrounds effectively reflect the characters' moods, showcasing the care put into their development.

    • “Their personalities meshed really well together, and so did their character designs.”
    • “From the diverse character designs to the music, and even how the backgrounds of the sprites change color depending on the tone or mood of the character, there was always something that demonstrated the care put into this game.”
    • “Some beautifully hilarious and emotional writing has gone into the dialogue. The character development made me very invested, and the procedural mechanics of the game, with each chapter boasting a different effect between universe swapping, is such a fantastic feature.”
    • “Some beautifully hilarious and emotional writing has gone into the dialogue, character development made me very invested and the procedural mechanics of the game, with each chapter boasting a different effect between universe swapping, is such a fantastic feature to this.”
    • “Their personalities mashed really well together and so did their character designs.”
    • “From the diverse character designs to the music to even how the backgrounds of the sprites change color depending on the tone or mood of the character, there was always something that just demonstrated the care put into this game.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that monetization in games developed with Gamemaker Studio, such as "What Lies in the Multiverse," is often viewed negatively, with some titles perceived as overpriced cash grabs compared to older AAA games available at similar or lower prices.

    • “Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
    • “"What Lies in the Multiverse" has the cash grab price of $15 USD, for which you could easily get any number of older AAA games.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, users report minor glitches and issues with achievements, as well as occasional bugs that hinder character control. Despite these stability concerns, the game still receives positive recommendations.

    • “There are some minor glitches and problems with the achievements.”
    • “I wasn't a fan of the poison mechanic; it was my least favorite part of the game. It was also a bit buggy at times, where my character couldn't do anything at all.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Replayability is significantly hindered by the presence of unskippable story cutscenes, which make up a third of the game, discouraging players from replaying it.

    • “A third of the game consists of unskippable story cutscenes, which significantly hampers replayability if you were interested in playing again.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to replay it since the story doesn't change and the gameplay feels repetitive.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices and different outcomes makes replaying the game feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

12hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
12-12hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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