Zup! Z
- December 21, 2020
- Quiet River
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Zup! Z" is a physics-based puzzle game where players help a small creature reach the goal by interacting with various objects in the environment. Levels are cleverly designed, offering multiple solutions and gradually increasing in complexity. The game features simple yet charming visuals and soothing music, providing a relaxing puzzle-solving experience.
Reviews
- The game offers a plethora of achievements (512) that are visually appealing and great for customizing your Steam profile.
- Gameplay is simple yet engaging, providing a relaxing experience with fun physics-based puzzles.
- The addition of new mechanics like lasers adds variety to the puzzles, making it a fresh experience within the Zup series.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with many levels being straightforward and easy to complete.
- There is no tutorial or guidance, which may leave new players confused about how to play.
- The game is quite short, typically taking only about an hour to complete, which may not justify the purchase for some players.
- gameplay37 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the Zup series is characterized by its simple yet addictive mechanics, offering a mix of puzzle-solving and timing challenges that evolve in complexity. While some players appreciate the engaging and relaxing nature of the gameplay, others note a tendency towards repetitiveness, with a cycle of similar actions that can feel monotonous over time. Overall, the series is praised for its polished visuals and the introduction of new mechanics, making it a solid choice for puzzle game enthusiasts.
“Another game in the Zup series, and this one has some really nice mechanics in it.”
“The puzzles start off easy but quickly introduce new elements and obstacles that keep the gameplay fresh and interesting.”
“Classic 'Zup' gameplay - simple physics and timing-based puzzles presented with polished and sleek visuals.”
“Repetitive gameplay: after a while, it feels like you’re stuck in a loop of 'place block, watch explosion, repeat.' It’s like Groundhog Day, but with more cubes and fewer groundhogs.”
“Very simple gameplay with very little thinking needed, even on the later levels.”
“I don't necessarily agree, because I think shorter titles that maintain a high and consistent quality experience for 10 hours are far more worth the money than one where half of the gameplay is busy work for 40 hours.”
- music27 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, enhancing the overall experience and providing a calming backdrop to gameplay. However, some users expressed frustration over the lack of audio controls, making it difficult to turn off the music if desired. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the best aspects of the game, contributing positively to its aesthetic appeal.
“The music is very chill and the mechanics like reverse gravity are really fun.”
“The music, as always, is amazing and relaxing.”
“The soundtrack is great and really enhances the gameplay experience.”
“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 harmless but extremely repetitive; the gameplay is addictive but very simplistic, even by Zup standards.”
“The music remains relaxed and typical of the Zup franchise.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a minimalist design that is both clean and aesthetically pleasing, enhancing the overall experience with polished visuals and satisfying sound effects. However, some users note the lack of resolution options and graphics tweaks, which may disappoint PC gamers accustomed to higher visual quality. Overall, while the graphics serve the game's purpose well, they are considered basic and secondary to the gameplay experience.
“The clean, uncluttered graphics make it easy to focus on the puzzle at hand, and the satisfying sound effects upon completing a level add to the game's enjoyment.”
“Classic 'zup' gameplay - simple physics and timing-based puzzles presented with polished and sleek visuals.”
“Best aesthetics and music out of all the 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.”
“Very basic graphics.”
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and immersion, with many players noting that it feels more like a collection of gameplay-focused missions rather than a cohesive narrative. While some appreciate the moral themes present, the overall consensus is that the game does not prioritize storytelling, which may disappoint those seeking a richer narrative experience.
“Moral of the story, you never know what life holds in store for you, and if I would have given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“Epic story.”
“If I had to choose one as my favorite, it would definitely be completing the mission, which is the last game in the collection, made exclusively for it, and by far the largest and most passionately created.”
“The lack of a story or deeper content might be a turn-off for some players looking for a more immersive experience.”
“This game has no story.”
“There is a story, but most of the game is focused on gameplay.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite significant, with some describing it as tedious and requiring 60 to 100 hours to complete. While it offers opportunities for achievement farming and card collection, the grind can detract from the overall enjoyment of the unique gameplay experience.
“The game can be a bit grindy at times, but it keeps you engaged.”
“Expect a grind of around 60 to 100 hours, but it's worth the journey.”
“While it can feel like one long, tedious grind, the rewards make it satisfying.”
“Honestly a good little puzzler and it's a shame the uniqueness is obfuscated behind achievement farming.”
“Just buy it cheap at sale for farming cards and easy achievements.”
“One long, tedious grind.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying its funny achievements, humorous collectibles, and witty bio descriptions that enhance the overall experience. Many find the game both entertaining and relaxing, balancing challenging puzzles with a lighthearted tone. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, making it a standout feature.
“Besides the funny achievements, this game is actually pretty fun and the puzzles are the perfect difficulty.”
“I personally enjoyed this aspect of the game, as I like collectibles, and found the bio descriptions hilarious and full of humorous references, which describes the game as a whole.”
“Bought it for the achievements, and the funny thing is the game is also fun to play.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits limited replayability, as players often find little incentive to revisit levels after mastering them. While the gameplay is engaging and requires strategic thinking, the absence of scoring systems or challenging achievements diminishes the motivation to replay.
“This game is actually really fun; it isn't very replayable, but it serves its purpose. At first, I was worried it wasn't going to be fast-paced and just a boring click-to-win game, but it really requires you to think and time your moves and has cool mechanics.”
“🔲 Infinitely replayable”
“Limited replayability: once you’ve mastered the levels, there’s not much reason to go back unless you really enjoy watching things blow up.”
“There's not much replayability since there are no scores or time to finish the puzzle, and the hidden achievements can be spotted easily.”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, users report varying levels of stability in the game, with some experiencing minor bugs and glitches, while others describe it as significantly plagued by issues. A few players noted that the game feels like a "big terrarium for bugs," indicating a more severe instability.
“The game runs smoothly without any bugs.”
“I haven't encountered any stability issues during my gameplay.”
“The performance is consistent, making for a seamless experience.”
“The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs and glitches.”
“There are minor bugs and glitches that affect gameplay.”
“There are a few bugs and glitches that detract from the experience.”
- 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.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized as inadequate, indicating a need for improvements to enhance performance.
“It appears to just be poor optimization, and should also be addressed.”
“The game runs poorly on mid-range hardware, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”
“I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which suggests that the optimization is severely lacking.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game's monetization strategy cleverly encourages players to promote it on their profiles, effectively turning them into free advertisers.
