Zup! XS
- April 17, 2019
- Quiet River
Get on Steam"Zup! XS" is an experimental physics puzzle game with 60 levels and explosive elements. Players must construct levels to keep a blue ball on a platform for three seconds to progress. The game features achievements, trading cards, and emoticons, and is built on the Clickteam Fusion 2.5 engine with music by Ann Sharova and emoticons by icons8.com.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game introduces a unique mechanic where players must build their own levels, adding a layer of challenge and creativity.
- It offers a decent amount of achievements, which are visually appealing and can be used for profile customization.
- The gameplay can be fun and engaging for those who enjoy puzzle-solving and trial-and-error mechanics.
- Players must reset all placed blocks after each failed attempt, making the game tedious and frustrating.
- The game lacks a tutorial or clear instructions, leading to confusion about mechanics and objectives.
- Many players feel that the game is a step back from previous Zup! titles, with less enjoyable gameplay and fewer achievements.
- gameplay70 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the Zup series is characterized by its addictive yet simplistic puzzle mechanics, offering a range of difficulty levels and a focus on achievements. While some players appreciate the new mechanics and the challenge they bring, others find the trial-and-error nature tedious and frustrating, particularly with the implementation of building mechanics. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a mixed bag, appealing to casual players but potentially disappointing for those seeking depth and innovation.
“✅ 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.”
“In terms of gameplay, the zup series starts off relatively easy, but there's a twist.”
“The new mechanics of placing your own blocks sounds interesting on paper, but due to the way it's implemented, it's just tedious and unfun.”
“A series established on gameplay prone to trial and error is unfairly punishing its players all of a sudden.”
“The new dynamic of having to complete the build of the level is interesting, but the gameplay of doing so is awful.”
- grinding30 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the need to manually reset levels after each failure. While some may find the mechanics of placing blocks interesting, the implementation leads to a frustrating experience that detracts from overall enjoyment, making it feel excessively grindy compared to other titles in the genre.
“Some may find this fun, but to me, it is too tedious.”
“The new mechanics of placing your own blocks sound interesting on paper, but due to the way it's implemented, it's just tedious and unfun.”
“This makes restarts very tedious as you must rebuild the level from scratch and then run it again.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered basic and lacking in options for customization, such as resolution adjustments. While some users rate the visuals as decent, they often describe them as simplistic and not meeting the expectations of PC gamers. Overall, the graphics do not significantly enhance the gaming experience, with many players feeling they are not a priority.
“The graphics are good looking but very simple.”
“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 terrible too; the only plus is that the game's achievements look good on your profile.”
- music28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's music is generally described as calming and enjoyable, enhancing the relaxing experience of the puzzle gameplay. However, players have expressed frustration over the lack of proper audio controls, making it difficult to turn off the background music if desired. Overall, while the music is appreciated by many for its soothing qualities, some find it irritating and prefer to listen to their own music instead.
“You come to this game series for achievements paired with a relatively easy and relaxing puzzle game with soothing music so you can enjoy your time getting some achievements.”
“The music was calming and it was a ton of fun.”
“I missed playing them, though, as I found the game's physics-based puzzle approach attractive especially with its accompanying, relaxing 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.”
“Music irritates.”
“I missed playing them, though, as I found the game's physics-based puzzle approach attractive, especially with its accompanying, relaxing music.”
- story24 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game primarily focuses on gameplay rather than story, with many users noting the absence of a significant narrative. While some mention that there is a story, it is largely overshadowed by the gameplay elements, leading to a consensus that the game is more about puzzle-solving than storytelling. Overall, players appreciate the mission designs and gameplay experience, but do not expect a compelling story.
“I can totally recommend this game as much as the other Zup games, because of their stunning mission designs and the 'chill factor' while doing some brain work.”
“For story games, I estimate around 0.50€ as an okay price per hour... for mostly everything else, it should be lower.”
“☑ only gameplay, doesn't include a story.”
“☐ there is a story, but most of the game is focused on gameplay.”
“What can I say about the storyline that has not already been said?”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it both funny and relaxing, despite some challenging levels. It stands out as a lighthearted experience, similar to other titles in the genre, while still offering unique elements.
“Quite funny, relaxing, and hard at the same time (some levels).”
“One more funny Zup game with some differences.”
“Funny”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report that the game experiences a range of stability issues, with many noting the presence of minor to few bugs and glitches. However, some users express frustration, describing the game as a "big terrarium for bugs/glitches," indicating that stability could be a significant concern for some players.
“The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs and glitches.”
“There are minor bugs and glitches that affect gameplay.”
“I encountered a few bugs and glitches during my playthrough.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The reviews present a stark contrast in replayability, with some users claiming the game has no value for both initial and repeated playthroughs, while others find it infinitely replayable. This division suggests that player experience may vary significantly based on personal preferences or gameplay styles.
“The game is infinitely replayable, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
“I love how the game is infinitely replayable; there's always something new to discover.”
“With its infinitely replayable nature, I find myself coming back to this game time and time again.”
“There is no replay value, and to be fair, also no value in playing it for the first time.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by vibrant and immersive neon backgrounds that enhance the overall visual experience. This striking aesthetic contributes to a captivating and engaging environment for players.
“The atmospheric neon backgrounds create a stunning visual experience.”
“The game is filled with atmospheric neon backgrounds that enhance the overall mood.”
“I was captivated by the atmospheric neon backgrounds that set the perfect tone for the game.”
