Info about Superliminal: Official game description: Superliminal is a first-person puzzle game based on forced perspective and optical illusions. Puzzles in this game give you a sense of the unexpected. Players need to change their perspective and think outside the box to wake up from the dream. WAKE UP ------- As you fall asleep with the TV on at 3AM, you remember catching a glimpse of the commercial for Dr. Pierce’s Somnasculpt dream therapy program. By the time you open your eyes, you’re already dreaming - beginning the first stages of this experimental program. PERCEPTION IS REALITY --------------------- Explore a dream world where everything is exactly as it seems. Tread carefully as the world slowly unravels around you and subverts your expectations. What you see isn’t always precisely what you get. MAN VS MACHINE -------------- In this fully-voiced adventure, Dr Glenn Pierce is doing his questionable best to guide you home and out of the dreamscape. His artificial intelligence assistant, however, is having trouble understanding exactly how you’re here at all, and has other plans for you. DEVELOPER COMMENTARY -------------------- We’ve added an extensive developer commentary throughout the game, so you can learn the secrets and history behind the game’s development. CHALLENGE MODE -------------- The overwhelming response from the speedrunning community to Superliminal inspired us to add a new Challenge Mode, which will score you per-level on metrics such as time to finish, grabs, and jumps. EXPERIMENTAL WORKSHOP SUPPORT ----------------------------- Superliminal features Steam Workshop integration. Bring any 3D object into the game and play around with mind-bending perspective tricks. Release date: Nov 5, 2020 Categories: Puzzle Solving, Perspective-based Puzzles, Illusion-based Gameplay, First-Person Perspective, Exploration, Narrative Adventure, Atmospheric Horror (Light), Steam Workshop Integration Feature scans: - Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Improvement in Puzzle Design and Guidance; summary: The primary issues highlighted by users revolve around the necessity to use external guides to progress through the game. This includes difficulties with puzzle solutions and finding hidden collectibles, which significantly impacts the user experience and enjoyment of the game. - Proton/Linux: score 50; verdict: Mixed Linux Compatibility; summary: The game has mixed reviews regarding its compatibility with Linux. One user reports that it does not work on Linux, while another user praises the Linux version as excellent. This suggests that there may be some issues with Linux compatibility that need to be addressed, but there is also evidence of successful implementation. - Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals a mixed experience with the game on Steam Deck. While some users reported a seamless and enjoyable experience, others encountered significant stability and performance issues. Stability issues such as freezing and glitching were notable problems, along with reports of the game not working on Linux. Additionally, there were performance issues like overheating on a MacBook Pro, which could potentially affect the Steam Deck experience as well. - Hardware Profile: - Summary: The game generally performs well across the tested hardware cohorts, with most users reporting smooth gameplay and minimal issues. - Sample size: 75 (2% coverage) - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based. - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 17 reports): Users report no significant performance issues. - Caveats: 75 of 3440 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based. Feature extractions: - Community Price: - Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00 - Reasoning: The majority of reviews mention that the game is quite short, with a playtime of around 2-3 hours. Many users suggest buying the game only when it is on sale due to its short length and the perceived value not matching the full price. The general sentiment is that the game is enjoyable but not worth the full price due to its limited content. - Playtime Metrics: - Game completion: 3.0h - Story completion: 1.5h - Session length: 1.0h - Endgame: N/A - Reasoning: The evidence provides multiple direct references to the playtime for Superliminal. The first quote mentions the game is a bit under 3 hours, which aligns with several other reviews stating similar playtimes. The second quote mentions a player passing the game in under 1 hour, indicating a shorter playtime for those who might rush or be particularly skilled. The third quote reiterates the game's length as approximately 3 hours. The fourth quote suggests that significant gameplay magic is experienced within the first hour and a half. Combining these insights, we can deduce typical playtime metrics. - Time-to-fun: - Summary: The game becomes fun once players grasp the core mechanics and start encountering new challenges, but the fun may diminish as the game progresses and becomes repetitive. - Stance: Fun then drops - Anchor: Understanding the core mechanics and encountering new challenges - Time to anchor: 0h 30m - Friction: Repetitive puzzles; Lack of varied challenges - Unlock drivers: Gradual introduction of new mechanics; Balanced difficulty progression - Conditions: Short game length; Initial interest in unique concepts; Co-op mode for enhanced experience - Player Archetypes: - Puzzle Enthusiast (buy) - Motivation: Enjoyment of unique and challenging puzzles. - Playstyle: Thoughtful and exploratory, focusing on solving puzzles and uncovering hidden secrets. - Experience: mixed - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: puzzle lover; surreal environment enthusiast - Reference games: Portal; The Stanley Parable - Completionist (sale) - Motivation: Achievements and additional content. - Playstyle: Thorough and repetitive, aiming to complete all challenges and achievements. - Experience: veteran - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: speedrunner; achievement hunter - Reference games: Portal; The Stanley Parable - Frustrated Gamer (deep sale) - Motivation: Overcoming challenges and enjoying a well-rounded gaming experience. - Playstyle: Critical and selective, focusing on aspects they enjoy and criticizing those they don't. - Experience: familiar - Purchase stance: deep sale - Labels: critical gamer; challenge seeker - Reference games: Portal; The Stanley Parable - Value Seeker (sale) - Motivation: Finding value and worthwhile experiences in games. - Playstyle: Selective and economical, focusing on getting the most value out of their gaming purchases. - Experience: mixed - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: budget gamer; sale hunter - Reference games: Portal; The Stanley Parable Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Innovative visual puzzle gameplay (weight 0.97): The game is praised for its unique and inventive puzzles that utilize visual illusions and perspective changes. Players enjoy the creative and challenging nature of the puzzles, which are described as mind-bending and trippy. - Enjoyable and relaxing gameplay (weight 0.46): Players find the game enjoyable and relaxing, with a pleasant atmosphere and entertaining mechanics. The gameplay is described as fun and satisfying, making it a great experience for players of all ages. - Mind-bending and trippy experience (weight 0.41): The game offers a surreal and exciting gameplay experience that players find incredibly fun and engaging. The trippy and dreamlike atmosphere contributes to the overall enjoyment and uniqueness of the game. - Unique and memorable experience (weight 0.31): The game provides a unique and memorable experience through its creative use of perspective and optical illusions. Players appreciate the life-changing and worthwhile nature of the game. - Engaging storyline and atmosphere (weight 0.31): The game features an interesting and engaging storyline with a well-executed atmosphere. Players find the narrative compelling and thought-provoking, adding depth to the gameplay experience. Common complaints: - Puzzles are poorly designed (weight 0.42): Many players found the puzzles to be either too easy, too difficult, or not intuitive enough. The puzzles were described as boring, confusing, and lacking in challenge. - Game is too short (weight 0.27): Several players mentioned that the game is relatively short, with a runtime of around 2-3 hours. This left many wishing the game were longer. - Gameplay causes motion sickness (weight 0.22): A significant number of players reported experiencing motion sickness, dizziness, and nausea while playing the game, particularly due to the 3D effects and long puzzle-solving times. - Game has bugs and technical issues (weight 0.13): Several players encountered bugs and technical issues while playing the game, including graphical bugs and issues with the multiplayer mode. - Lack of substantial story and character development (weight 0.1): Players noted that the game lacked a substantial story and character development. The narrative was described as sparse, open-ended, and just okay. - Game is overpriced (weight 0.07): Some players felt that the game was overpriced and not worth the cost, given its short length and lack of replayability. - Humor falls flat (weight 0.06): The dialogue and humor in the game were criticized for not being funny or engaging. - Game is pretentious (weight 0.06): Some players found the game to be pretentious, particularly towards the end. - Game lacks replayability (weight 0.06): Players noted that the game lacks significant replayability, making it less appealing to play through multiple times. - Game mechanics lack depth (weight 0.04): The game mechanics were criticized for not being explored deeply, leading to a lack of depth in the gameplay. - Game lacks warning (weight 0.04): Players were frustrated by the lack of a warning before starting the game from the beginning. Gameplay feedback: - Perspective-based puzzle mechanics (weight 0.79): The game heavily utilizes perspective changes and visual illusions to create challenging and mind-bending puzzles. Players solve puzzles by altering perspectives, using optical illusions, and manipulating object sizes and orientations. - Dream-like and surreal environments (weight 0.22): The game is set in dream-like and surreal environments, often involving liminal spaces. These settings create a unique atmosphere for puzzle-solving. - Creative and out-of-the-box thinking (weight 0.21): The game encourages players to think differently and creatively to solve puzzles. This involves out-of-the-box problem-solving and thoughtful approaches to overcome challenges. - Narrative and storyline elements (weight 0.19): The game includes narrative-driven gameplay with a storyline that may have twists. It also features philosophical themes and psychological depth, adding layers to the overall experience. - Exploration and hidden secrets (weight 0.17): Players are rewarded for exploring the game world, which includes finding hidden objects, secret collectibles, and discovering hidden endings. Some secrets may require a guide to find. - Co-op and multiplayer modes (weight 0.16): The game features various multiplayer modes, including co-op and challenge modes. These modes add replayability and allow players to enjoy the game with friends. - Well-designed levels and progression (weight 0.11): The game features well-designed levels with unique gimmicks and a structured progression system. This ensures a varied and engaging experience throughout the game. - Developer commentary and insights (weight 0.07): The game offers a commentary mode with developer insights, providing players with additional context and behind-the-scenes information about the game's creation. - Interactive world and scene interaction (weight 0.05): Players can interact with the game world in various ways, enhancing immersion and engagement. This interactivity is a key part of the gameplay experience. - Achievement system (weight 0.05): The game includes an achievement system with hidden achievements, adding an extra layer of challenge and replayability for players. - Inspired by Portal and Stanley Parable (weight 0.05): The game draws inspiration from popular titles like Portal and The Stanley Parable, offering a similar feel and experience to fans of those games. Performance notes: - Optimized and smooth performance (weight 0.12): The game is noted for its smooth performance even on lower-end hardware, with many players praising its optimization. - Visual and performance bugs (weight 0.11): Some players have reported visual bugs, screen tearing, and other performance issues such as falling out of the world or getting thrown upwards. - Compatible with various devices (weight 0.1): The game works well on a variety of devices including Steam Deck, handheld PCs, and even Macbooks with trackpads. - Supports advanced display settings (weight 0.05): The game supports widescreen displays and can run at more than 60 FPS, enhancing the visual experience. - Mid-range PC recommended (weight 0.03): A mid-range gaming PC is recommended for optimal gameplay experience. - Customizable crosshair (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the ability to keep a custom crosshair, such as a smiley face. Recommendations: - Recommended for puzzle game fans (weight 0.39): The game is highly recommended for those who enjoy puzzle games, particularly fans of games like Portal and Antichamber. It is praised for its mind-blowing puzzles and variety, offering a unique and intelligent experience. - Worth it on sale (weight 0.29): Many reviews suggest that the game is worth purchasing, especially when it is on sale. Some reviews indicate that it is best to get the game at a discount for better value. - Highly recommended by players (weight 0.27): Several reviews highly recommend the game, citing it as a good and enjoyable experience. Some reviews mention that it is a must-have for serious gamers. - Unique and emotionally impactful (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for those who want something different and intelligent. It is also suggested for players who enjoy unique and emotionally impactful games. - Recommended for specific player experiences (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for players who feel trapped in life or live a challenging and infuriating life. It is also suggested for those who feel worthless or like everything they do is in vain. - Encourages continuous play (weight 0.05): Reviews suggest playing the game continuously without stopping to fully enjoy the experience. It is also recommended to take your time when playing the game. - Positive reviews in other languages (weight 0.05): There are positive reviews in other languages, such as Chinese, recommending the game to anyone and generally endorsing it. - Interest in a sequel (weight 0.03): Some reviews express interest in playing a sequel to the game, indicating a desire for more content or a continuation of the experience. Other player notes: No miscpoints Emotions: - Joy (weight 0.14): Players experience joy due to the game's unique and creative puzzle mechanics, engaging storytelling, and trippy visuals. The fun and innovative gameplay, combined with a great soundtrack and imaginative level design, creates a memorable and enjoyable experience. - Enjoyment (weight 0.1): The game provides enjoyment through its fun and clever puzzles, unique gameplay style, and interesting plot. Players appreciate the relaxing yet challenging nature of the puzzles, as well as the game's cool concepts and enjoyable mechanics. - Excitement (weight 0.09): Players are excited by the game's unique puzzle mechanics, immersive levels, and engaging story. The unpredictable gameplay, creative mechanics, and the thrill of speedrunning and achievements add to the excitement. - Satisfaction (weight 0.07): The game offers satisfaction through its high-quality gameplay, well-paced puzzles, and beautiful narrative. Players enjoy the challenge of speedrunning, the replayability, and the overall polished and memorable experience. - Frustration (weight 0.06): Frustration arises from bugs, physics issues, and unclear puzzle design. Players also find certain puzzles too challenging or tedious, leading to a negative experience. - Disappointment (weight 0.05): Disappointment stems from the game's short duration, lack of depth in mechanics, and unmet expectations regarding puzzle quality and narrative. Some players also feel the game is overpriced or lacks immersive elements. - Excited (weight 0.04): Players are excited by the game's unique mechanics, mind-blowing puzzles, and creative nature. The surprises and unique perspective changes add to the excitement. - Positive (weight 0.04): The game receives positive feedback for its great experience, mind-bending puzzles, and trippy visuals. Players appreciate the innovative mechanics, narrative, and overall enjoyable gameplay. - Awe (weight 0.03): Players are in awe of the game's visual and auditory aspects, mind-blowing details, and unique approach to perspective and perception. The game's presentation and impactful dialogue leave a lasting impression. - Surprise (weight 0.03): The game surprises players with its creative use of everyday objects, unexpected end message, and innovative puzzle mechanics. The emotional impact and creative mechanics add to the surprise. - Satisfied (weight 0.02): Players feel satisfied with the game's smooth performance, great story, and puzzle mechanics. The satisfying puzzles and quick adventure contribute to a wonderful narrative experience. - Discomfort (weight 0.02): Some players experience discomfort due to 3D motion sickness and nausea caused by the gameplay mechanics. The dizziness from 3D visuals can be challenging for some. - Love (weight 0.02): Players express love for the game due to its unique and enjoyable gameplay mechanics. The overall experience and creative design resonate deeply with them. - Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm is generated by the game's unique and captivating gameplay mechanics, enjoyable puzzles, and positive experiences with narrative and art style. The complex thinking patterns and perspective puzzles add to the enthusiasm. - Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's genius design, unique liminal space, and creative areas. The impressive concept and technical aspects of the game are highly praised. - Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is piqued by the game's underlying concept, unique puzzle mechanics, and multiplayer mode. The innovative approach to puzzles keeps players engaged. - Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is evoked by the game's emotionally impactful ending message and the cessation of updates. The deeper narrative and final message can leave players feeling melancholic. - Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players feel gratitude towards the game developers for creating an experience that provides comfort and has a deeper message. The game's ability to help through tough times is highly appreciated. - Engagement (weight 0.01): The game's atmospheric gameplay, interesting narrative, and engaging puzzles keep players deeply involved. The storyline and challenging puzzles maintain a high level of engagement. - Inspiration (weight 0.01): Players feel inspired by the game's puzzles, perspective-changing mechanics, and deeper meaning. The narrative and themes provide a source of inspiration and reflection.}