Zup!

About

Zup! is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Quiet River and was released on October 4, 2016. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Zup!" is a minimalistic physics-based puzzle game with over 40 levels and 110 achievements. Players can enjoy the delightful music and hilarious gameplay as they progress through the challenges. Powered by Clickteam Fusion 2.5, the game features explosions, trading cards, and emoticons, taking inspiration from Sergio Andre's example, with music from bensound.com.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,353 reviews

gameplay56 positive mentions

story8 negative mentions

Zup! offers a fun and simple physics-based puzzle experience that can be completed in under 30 minutes.
The game provides a large number of achievements, allowing players to customize their Steam profiles with letters and symbols.
It's an inexpensive game that serves as a great time-killer, perfect for casual gaming sessions.

The gameplay is overly simplistic, with many levels relying on trial and error rather than genuine puzzle-solving skills.
The game is very short, often completed in less than 30 minutes, leading to a lack of replayability.
Some players find the abundance of achievements to be spammy and detracting from the overall gaming experience.

gameplay
193 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its minimalist design and straightforward mechanics, making it accessible and easy to pick up for casual players. While it offers moments of satisfaction through simple puzzle-solving, many reviews highlight its lack of depth and variety, with a static gameplay loop that focuses more on achievement hunting than on challenging mechanics. Overall, it provides a short, relaxing experience that may appeal to those seeking easy completion rather than a rich gameplay experience.
- “It is built on the barest essentials of design—clean visuals, straightforward mechanics, and small bursts of controlled chaos.”
- “For players who appreciate clever design distilled to its purest form, it offers a surprisingly compelling experience that proves that even the simplest mechanics can deliver moments of genuine satisfaction.”
- “Its minimalist design and easy-to-understand mechanics make it accessible, but still challenging as you progress through the levels.”
- “Additionally, the absence of new mechanics or evolving tools means the gameplay loop remains static; the joy comes from refinement, not discovery.”
- “The puzzles are not difficult; they rarely introduce new mechanics. The only reason to buy this game is for the spam achievements.”
- “Gameplay, however, is minimal; some colored blocks are introduced in the later levels with new mechanics, but they do not affect the level much, and the objective remains the same.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
74%
9%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist aesthetic, featuring clean lines, bright colors, and geometric shapes that enhance the focus on gameplay rather than visual spectacle. While some reviews note that the graphics are basic and lack depth, they are generally considered fitting for the game's design philosophy, contributing to a satisfying puzzle experience. Overall, the visuals are described as simple yet charming, appealing to players who appreciate minimalism, though they may not meet the expectations of those seeking high-end graphics.
- “The art style is ultra-minimalist: clean lines, bright colors, and bold geometric shapes.”
- “The visuals are simple—geometric shapes on clean backgrounds—but that simplicity is part of its charm.”
- “Nice minimalistic graphics, calm music will help you relax after a hard day, 118 easy achievements and 4 trading cards.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
- “The graphics are pretty bare bones and simply serve as a means to an end.”
music
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The music in the game is generally described as calming and relaxing, enhancing the overall experience for players looking for a casual gaming session. However, many users noted the lack of variety, with some finding the repetitive looping of tracks annoying, and there are complaints about the absence of proper audio controls. While some players enjoyed the soothing soundtrack, others felt it was overshadowed by poor sound effects, particularly during explosive moments.
- “The music was calming and it was a ton of fun.”
- “I will say that the music is very relaxing and adds to the casualness of the game, so this series would probably make good games to play before bed or while winding down after work/school.”
- “A great little stress reliever with calming music.”
- “Bewilderingly, the game doesn't include proper audio controls, so you can't turn off the annoying background music; you'll need to alt+tab out and stop the music using the Windows sound mixer.”
- “The music is just a few bars that loop over and over again.”
- “Lame graphics, only one piece of background music, confusing interface, and extremely short.”
story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
72%
15%
The reviews overwhelmingly indicate that the game lacks a substantial story, with many users noting the absence of dialogue, context, or narrative depth. While some mention a minimal or implied storyline, the consensus is that the focus is primarily on gameplay mechanics rather than storytelling, making it suitable for players seeking a straightforward, pick-up-and-play experience. A few reviews highlight a compelling narrative in specific contexts, but these are exceptions rather than the rule.
- “Each game will take you less than an hour to complete yet still pack so much content and so many achievements along with an insanely compelling story that will leave you immediately wanting to continue the story in the next series as the poor blue ball attempts to simply get to his destination and his friends, the explosives and yellow balls, help him to navigate around since he can't figure it out for himself.”
- “[i] Compelling storyline - engaging narrative.”
- “Would recommend, 10/10, definitely going to play through one or two more times purely to focus on the involving and detailed storyline.”
- “There is no dialogue, no story, and no unnecessary flourish—only a series of experiments in timing, momentum, and precision.”
- “There is no actual story here other than the stories you will tell people about how much fun the game is to play.”
- “Buy this if you want an extremely short game with no depth of gameplay whatsoever, no story or background, just a plain short game with achievements.”
humor
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many players finding it genuinely funny and entertaining, often highlighting the amusing achievements and simple yet engaging gameplay. While the game is described as short and simplistic, it delivers a lighthearted experience that resonates well with players looking for casual fun. Overall, the humor adds significant value, making it a delightful choice for those seeking a laugh.
- “Little did she know that the achievements were hilarious and cool, so she displayed it on her profile.”
- “My little son (2) had to laugh a lot while I was watching the example gameplay - so I bought it and he continued laughing during the game.”
- “Fun, simple game with a bit of witty humor, and especially good for the price.”
replayability
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
43%
34%
Overall, the game's replayability is largely viewed as limited, with many players noting that once all levels are completed, there is little incentive to return. While some find enjoyment in achievements and mini puzzles, the consensus is that the game lacks substantial replay value, often described as a one-time experience with minimal replayability. A few players mention that it can be fun to revisit levels, but this does not significantly enhance the overall replay potential.
- “It’s polished, addictive, and endlessly replayable.”
- “Tetris, for example, has much less content than this game, but is highly replayable.”
- “When looking at it through the scope of what it really is, it is a good buy and has replayability to it.”
- “Limited replayability once you've completed all the levels.”
- “There is no replayability after beating every level, and no reward except for a massive amount of achievements, very few of which actually look nice.”
- “I enjoyed playing the game itself, but I just don't think it's worth the 99 cents for the amount of time it takes, and what I consider the lack of replayability really.”
grinding
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
9%
82%
The reviews indicate that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, often described as tedious and requiring a considerable time investment, especially for completionists. While some players find enjoyment in achievement farming, many criticize the grind as excessive and unfulfilling, suggesting that the game is primarily designed for easy achievement and trading card farming rather than engaging gameplay. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the charm of the game despite its grindy nature.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding if you are a completionist.”
- “A little grindy.”
- “No grinding has to be done in order to unlock all of the achievements.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life, maybe some macros, and a will to live for grinding.”
- “Nothing fun with this game; do not listen to positive reviews about it being 'challenging' or 'fun' because it is just another achievement/trading card farming game.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game is generally praised for its low system requirements, allowing it to run smoothly on a variety of setups. However, some users report that performance can be inconsistent, with gameplay occasionally falling short of expectations. Overall, it provides sufficient performance for collectors, but may not meet the standards for all players.
- “Low system requirements, runs smoothly on most setups.”
- “10/10 performance.”
- “I can relate to this as I am playing Elden Ring on low performance.”
- “Performance or gameplay falls significantly below the passing mark.”
- “It offers plenty of performance for collectors.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The monetization strategy primarily relies on microtransactions and in-game purchases, which many users perceive as a cash grab by the developers. Despite initial concerns about the game's design feeling repetitive and exploitative, some players find that the gameplay improves significantly after reaching certain levels.
- “Microtransactions are well-balanced and don't feel intrusive.”
- “The in-game purchases enhance the experience without being necessary to enjoy the game.”
- “I appreciate that the monetization model allows for fair play without forcing players to spend money.”
- “The UI remains the same across all of the games; it's a cash grab by the developer.”
- “It feels like a cash grab, on top of the full character map collection.”
- “Just another cash grab copy-paste job with loads of achievements attached.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is generally described as immersive and captivating, creating a relaxing environment despite some less favorable sound effects. While some users find the atmosphere lacking, others appreciate its simplicity and similarities to previous titles, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The immersive atmosphere creates a captivating environment.”
- “The atmosphere is relaxing, though the sound effects can be jarring.”
- “If you liked QOP, you will immediately notice the similarities in the simplicity and great atmosphere of the game.”
- “The atmosphere is relaxing, though the sound effects are not.”
- “Atmosphere - bad - (none)”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is generally perceived as lacking, with users reporting minor bugs and glitches, while some describe the overall experience as plagued by numerous issues.
- “The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs and glitches.”
- “There are a few bugs and glitches that affect gameplay.”
- “There are minor bugs and glitches that can be distracting.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional impact of the game appears to be negative, as one user expresses a strong aversion to revisiting it, suggesting a lack of engagement or satisfaction with the experience.