WitCup 12

About

Spoiler Warning: This game contains major spoilers for The Witness. The game assumes that you have previously played and learned every mechanic (excluding the hidden ones) in The Witness. The 12th WitCup took place on May 14, 2022. The problem was given by @Leaving Leaves. The goal of the puzzle is to understand the structure of a seemingly complicated configuration of elements from The Witness, a…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 7,282 reviews

gameplay226 positive mentions

story203 negative mentions

Beautiful design and immersive world that encourages exploration.
Clever and challenging puzzles that reward patience and critical thinking.
Unique approach to puzzle mechanics, teaching players through experience rather than explicit instructions.

Lack of clear direction and guidance can lead to frustration and confusion.
Some puzzles are overly complex or rely on obscure mechanics that may not be intuitive.
No real story or narrative payoff, leaving players feeling unsatisfied at the end.

gameplay
1,339 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
78%
5%
The gameplay of "The Witness" is centered around a single mechanic of drawing lines to solve puzzles, which is expanded upon through various unique mechanics introduced in different areas of the game. Players appreciate the game's ability to teach these mechanics organically without explicit instructions, leading to satisfying "aha" moments as they progress. However, some reviewers note that the gameplay can become repetitive and tedious over time, particularly as the puzzles increasingly rely on the same core mechanic, which may not appeal to everyone.
- “If you like puzzle games with interesting mechanics and a cool vibe, then this is the game for you.”
- “The mechanics are introduced very well; this really made the game feel challenging and not frustrating; it makes sure you understand a mechanic before you progress to the harder puzzles.”
- “The game teaches you the mechanics step by step, allowing you to discover and understand the rules through gameplay rather than explicit instructions.”
- “The gameplay becomes repetitive and quite tedious, which made the challenge in the caves a welcome (if very brief) reminder of how much fun this game can be.”
- “The game tries to teach the mechanics to a puzzle game diegetically, which effectively means you're wandering aimlessly for a significant amount of time to solve a variety of line puzzles, some of which are fun to discover the mechanics behind, but often times resulted in me thinking 'no, that makes sense with the rules, forget this, I'm watching a walkthrough'.”
- “The game does a mediocre job at teaching you mechanics, with the starting area teaching you how to solve certain symbols through trial and error and slowly progressing from there.”
story
1,164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
70%
17%
The story in "The Witness" is largely minimal and abstract, relying on environmental storytelling and scattered audio logs featuring philosophical quotes rather than a cohesive narrative. Many players find the lack of a traditional plot disappointing, as the game offers little guidance or context for the puzzles, leaving the story open to interpretation and often feeling pretentious. While some appreciate the subtlety and the opportunity for personal interpretation, others feel that the absence of a clear storyline detracts from the overall experience.
- “The game's story unfolds through scattered audio logs across the island.”
- “As you explore the island and solve its puzzles, you'll start to realize that there's more to the story than meets the eye.”
- “The story is subtle but poignant.”
- “If you need exposition and storyline, don't play this game.”
- “The story is non-existent and what little of it there is is pointless pontificating and rambling, and the ending makes no sense whatsoever.”
- “The game's story unfolds through scattered audio logs across the island, but they don't contribute to a coherent narrative.”
graphics
800 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, often described as stunning, vibrant, and immersive. Many players appreciate the unique aesthetic, which combines minimalist design with rich colors and detailed environments, creating a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the puzzle-solving experience. However, some critiques mention that while the visuals are impressive, they can overshadow the gameplay, leading to a sense of repetitiveness in the puzzles.
- “The graphics are beautiful but almost too perfect.”
- “The island - extremely diverse and meticulously designed, with its vibrant color palette and low-poly art style - is truly stunning and a joy to wander about.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the sound design is well done, and completing an area is very satisfying.”
- “Boring, samey puzzles, non-sensical and overly pretentious story and bland visuals.”
- “The graphics are basic and dated.”
- “Very boring, graphics are just there to trick you into thinking there is more to the game than there is, and much too overpriced for the small amount of content.”
atmosphere
285 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
33%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, serene and immersive environment, and effective sound design, which together create a calming yet mysterious experience. Many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of solitude and introspection, reminiscent of classic titles like Myst, while also noting that the lack of traditional narrative elements allows for a unique exploration of its world. However, some critiques mention that the atmosphere can feel hollow or overly pretentious at times, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is breathtaking, and looks incredible.”
- “The atmosphere is serene.”
- “The game has an incredible atmosphere, with gorgeous visuals and ambient sounds immersing you into this island world.”
- “I expected a rich ambient sound design to go with the lush visuals to set the atmosphere for puzzle solving but got almost complete silence.”
- “The atmosphere is kind and calm, yet oddly empty.”
- “It's visually well-presented and the atmosphere is... well, kind of non-existent.”
music
276 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
74%
10%
The game's music aspect is largely characterized by an absence of a traditional soundtrack, with many players noting the lack of music as a significant drawback. While some appreciate the ambient sounds that create a serene atmosphere, others find the silence can lead to feelings of emptiness or frustration during gameplay. Overall, the sound design is praised for its effectiveness, but many reviewers express a desire for a more engaging musical accompaniment to enhance the experience.
- “The sound design is also noteworthy, with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that adds to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The game's beautiful visuals and haunting soundtrack create a truly immersive experience.”
- “The ambient soundtrack adds another layer of immersion, whisking you away on an introspective journey as you unravel the island's secrets.”
- “This game has no soundtrack and often there is little sound other than the puzzles you are working on and the ambient sound of your environment.”
- “The lack of a soundtrack bothered me greatly.”
- “There is no music in the game, just background noise and other kinds of environmental types of audio.”
grinding
192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is predominantly characterized by tedious and repetitive puzzle-solving, which can lead to frustration and disengagement for many players. While some puzzles are initially engaging, they often become monotonous and require excessive backtracking or pixel hunting, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Despite the game's visual appeal and clever mechanics, the overwhelming sentiment is that the gameplay can feel like a tedious chore rather than a rewarding challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Medium level of grinding.”
- “Though a lot of effort has gone into making the puzzles fair, it does not follow that solutions are not tedious.”
- “The puzzles are tedious; in many cases, the solution is placed entirely outside of the player's frame of reference, and the reward for completing a devious challenge never feels personal or particularly rewarding - there is a hint of malice and contempt for the player and continuing on to the summit is an act of spite, not joy.”
- “It's hard not to feel like you're just grinding at some point.”
- “The game fails to strike the balance between being challenging enough to give a sense of accomplishment whilst being easy enough to not be tedious or frustrating.”
emotional
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game "The Witness" elicits a wide range of feelings from players, including frustration, awe, and a sense of accomplishment. While some players find the experience thought-provoking and emotionally resonant, particularly through its audio and visual elements, others criticize it for lacking depth and emotional engagement, describing it as cold and lifeless. Overall, the game challenges players intellectually, leading to moments of both enlightenment and self-doubt, making it a complex emotional journey.
- “Not only is it fun to complete the puzzles, but it also contains thought-provoking and touching audio and video hidden throughout.”
- “Well, I have to say this game made me cry out of wonder and awe at the ending.”
- “I also found the movies you find in the game both touching and fascinating, as well as all the random audio logs scattered about from great thinkers to be worth pondering.”
humor
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often described as subtle and self-referential, with players noting moments that elicit genuine laughter, particularly through clever puzzle design and environmental details. While some found the humor to be a refreshing addition, others felt it could be frustratingly obtuse, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. Comparisons to other games like "Portal" highlight that while the humor may not reach those heights, it still offers amusing moments that enhance the gameplay.
- “The visual style is incredibly well executed and you are going to need a folder for how many screenshots you take of beautiful vistas, hilarious statues, and atmospheric caverns.”
- “I often find myself laughing out loud with some of the twists in the puzzles.”
- “The narrative of the game is diminished in value next to the realization that the game was laughing at me the whole time.”
replayability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it surprisingly high due to the depth and variety of puzzles, while others feel it lacks replay value once the puzzles are solved. Many agree that the beautiful environment and hidden elements encourage revisits, but the inherent nature of puzzle games often limits replayability after the initial experience. Overall, it seems that while some players enjoy returning to the game, others find it less engaging after completing the puzzles.
- “I've played it like an addiction the last two weeks and there's so much extra content and add-on puzzles; this game has a surprising amount of depth and replayability.”
- “One of the best puzzle games in existence, and it has great replay value. I forgot most of the puzzles after a year or two, so it was just as pleasant, if not more, to revisit after a while.”
- “There is so much replayability because of the insane number of puzzles.”
- “Not really any replay value though which is unfortunate, wish I could play this game for the first time again.”
- “The game doesn't have much replayability due to its set amount of puzzles and their gimmicks, hence why many people would love to re-experience the game blind, myself included.”
- “The only real problem with this game could be that there isn't much in the way of replayability.”
optimization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
59%
18%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and no bugs, others experience significant issues, particularly on older hardware, with low framerates and rough graphics. The lack of customizable graphics settings further complicates the experience for those seeking better performance. Overall, the game's optimization seems to vary widely depending on the player's system.
- “It is very well optimized, has zero bugs (in the 60+ hours that I played).”
- “Nonetheless, because the game is so skillfully crafted with smooth, high-quality interface performance, I recommend it if you enjoy solving a multitude of maze puzzles.”
- “Insofar as objective criteria exist for judging the quality of a video game, the witness meets every standard I can think of: the game runs smoothly, the team have been timely about patching bugs, the visuals (gorgeous and stylized) and audio (understated and lacking music) are expertly executed, and the design of the world and puzzles is meticulous (and ambitious).”
- “Long story short, I lost interest in this game almost immediately after purchase because of the repetitive puzzle mechanic and the poor performance on Mac.”
- “The framerate was often annoyingly low and the graphics looked rather rough, giving the feel of a rather poorly optimized game.”
- “I cannot judge performance too harshly as I realize I am running this on an older card, but I have had several issues with stuttering and extreme LOD pop-in.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
9%
73%
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting significant bugs and freezing issues, while others praise its polish and lack of game-breaking glitches. Many players experienced minor visual glitches that did not hinder gameplay, but concerns about stability persist, particularly for those encountering loading problems after extended playtime. Overall, while some players enjoy a smooth experience, others face frustrating technical difficulties.
- “Riddles make sense and the game was bug-free.”
- “The game is incredibly polished, with beautiful watercolor graphics and literally no glitches.”
- “Game is buggy, won't load after playing for a total of 36 hours.”
- “In the last area of the game, you need to solve puzzles that are easy to solve by themselves, but which have visual glitches or other 'features' that do not make it harder to solve the puzzle, but make it harder to enter the solution.”
- “Instantly freezes my computer.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being unimpactful, with some users suggesting it could have been a low-cost title or a free mobile game with ads without altering the experience. The game's marketing effectively attracts players, but many feel it lacks meaningful content, and there are expectations that the upcoming iOS version could benefit from a free-to-play model with in-game purchases for solutions.
- “The monetization model is fair and allows players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers cosmetic items for purchase, which enhances the experience without affecting gameplay balance.”
- “They could be a $5 game or a free mobile game with ads, and it wouldn't have changed anything.”
- “The witness lures you in with its advertising and colorful visuals, only to give you nothing meaningful.”
- “The upcoming iOS version of this game will earn more if offered for free with in-game purchases for solutions.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with users expressing disappointment in the lack of meaningful plot progression and character purpose.