Zup! 5
- June 13, 2017
- Quiet River
- 1h median play time
Zup! 5 is a physics-based puzzle game with over 60 levels and 2100 achievements. Players solve increasingly difficult puzzles by triggering explosions to move objects and activate switches. The game features Steam trading cards, emoticons, and credits, and is built on the Clickteam Fusion 2.5 engine, with extended panel designs inspired by Aevoa. The game's minimalistic aesthetic and physics-based gameplay are based on an example by Sergio Andre.
Reviews
- The addition of portals and rolling balls adds a fun twist to the puzzles, making Zup! 5 the best in the series so far.
- The game is very affordable and offers a massive amount of achievements (2130), making it a great choice for achievement hunters.
- Zup! 5 provides a relaxing gameplay experience with simple mechanics, making it easy to pick up and play.
- The game is very short, typically completed in under an hour, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Many players feel that the excessive number of achievements cheapens the experience, as they are often awarded for minimal effort.
- The puzzles can be overly simplistic, lacking the challenge that some players might expect from a puzzle game.
- gameplay73 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the Zup series is characterized by simple mechanics and trial-and-error puzzle solving, often enhanced by new elements like portal mechanics that add some complexity. While many players find the puzzles enjoyable and addictive, they also note that the overall difficulty is low and the gameplay can feel repetitive, primarily serving as a platform for achievement collection. Despite its shortcomings, the series remains appealing for casual gamers looking for quick, relaxing puzzle experiences.
“✅ Damnably addictive, simple and relaxing gameplay.”
“The zup series offers good puzzle games with a decent scope of difficulty, a generous amount of achievements, and fair gameplay for its price.”
“The portal mechanics added something that I really appreciated in a game franchise that is so simple.”
“The puzzles are not difficult; they rarely introduce new mechanics. The only reason to buy this game is for the spam achievements.”
“Gameplay-wise, it's too easy even compared to other Zup! games.”
“The new mechanics don't really change things, and the levels can still just be done with trial & error.”
- music34 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's music has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its calming and relaxing qualities, while others criticize it for being repetitive and simplistic. Some users noted the lack of audio controls, making it difficult to adjust the music volume. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-liked, its limited variety leads to a sense of monotony during gameplay.
“I missed playing them, though, as I found the game's physics-based puzzle approach attractive especially with its accompanying, relaxing music.”
“The music was calming and it was a ton of fun.”
“First of all, there is an incredibly good soundtrack, probably the most important change.”
“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 seems to be really short and loops probably hundreds of times in the 30 minutes.”
“They're god awful, lack content, repetitive, and the visuals and music are mind-numbing.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the lack of resolution options and graphical tweaks, leading to a subpar visual experience for PC gamers. While some appreciate the minimalistic art style, others find it repetitive and visually unappealing, resulting in an overall average rating of around 5-8/10. The visuals are described as basic and lacking in content, failing to impress in a genre where high-quality graphics are expected.
“Games have easy and smooth controls as well as nice bright graphics...”
“The minimalistic art style serves the game well but isn't an outstanding feature.”
“The visuals are as you would expect from any zup!”
“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 aesthetics hurt my eyes after playing for the hour I did.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a blend of subtlety and intellectual depth, appealing to players who appreciate jokes rooted in theoretical physics. While it offers a relaxing experience with plenty of achievements, some may find the humor challenging to grasp without a solid understanding of the subject matter. Overall, players find it to be a funny and engaging experience, though the humor may not resonate with everyone.
“It won't take a long time to play through it, but it's very funny!”
“The humor is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics, most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer's head.”
“This is a funny game; the achievements are the fun!”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a medium level of effort, primarily focused on achievement farming. The game offers an enjoyable experience with well-crafted puzzles, making it suitable for those looking to quickly accumulate achievements, though some criticize it as primarily a card farming game.
“Many people call these games out, citing that they're card farming games.”
“Achievement farming is excessive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“The grinding aspect feels tedious and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is generally considered modest, with some engaging puzzles that encourage repeated play, though many players note a lack of significant replay value overall. While it offers a relaxing experience, the potential for revisiting the content is limited, particularly due to issues with achievements.
“It's a nice puzzle game with a bit of replayability.”
“If we focus purely on the content itself and ignore the glaring issues regarding achievements, the game is fairly engaging and will get you thinking at some points, although there is practically zero replay value.”
“This, as with the other titles in the series, has modest replay value, some decent puzzles (primarily reflected on proper timing) and a relaxing soundtrack.”
- story3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story of the game is noted for its creativity and potential, earning positive feedback from users. However, there is a desire for additional features, such as a mission editor mode, which could enhance the overall experience and attract more players.
“The story has incredible potential, showcasing creativity that truly stands out.”
“I appreciate the depth and engagement of the narrative, which kept me invested throughout the game.”
“The developers have crafted a compelling storyline that invites players to immerse themselves fully.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I found the plot to be predictable and uninspired, which really detracted from my overall experience.”
“The narrative pacing is off, leading to moments that feel rushed and underdeveloped.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's atmospheric space backgrounds as a standout feature, creating an immersive and visually captivating environment that enhances the overall experience.
“The atmospheric space backgrounds create an immersive experience that draws you into the game world.”
“The game excels in crafting a rich atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay.”
“Every scene is filled with a captivating ambiance that keeps you engaged and wanting to explore more.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report experiencing small glitches, indicating that while the game generally runs smoothly, there are occasional minor stability issues.
“There are frequent small glitches that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
“The game suffers from numerous stability issues, leading to unexpected crashes.”
“I encountered several bugs that made it difficult to enjoy the game.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as a cash grab, leading to consistently negative reviews from users.
“This game feels like a cash grab, and I can't help but rate it negatively.”
“The monetization strategy is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”