Info about 'n Verlore Verstand:

Official game description:
Update Notes
============
v1.3.3 Release Notes Fixes: -Truck levels are now fixed -The flowers that weren't interactable are now fixed -The Language Flags have been adjusted to display properly on all resolutions -A lot of small fixes and tweaks. Known Issues: When setting controls in VR use a controller as mouse input and head look interaction doesnt work with the controller options screen. Also be sure to check out the discussions for other Known Issues and fixes/workarounds are detailed there. P.S. Translated versions of this Update Notes section of the store page will be coming soon.
About the Game
==============
In 'n Verlore Verstand you will be transported to a reality of dreams and nightmares. What will you discover about yourself in this journey through the subconscious? In these realms of the unknown, you must travel through labyrinths of memories to eventually find your way to your own truth. Features: -Abstract adventure. -Engaging dream-like environments. -Mysterious puzzles. -Platforming -Exploration -Oculus Rift integration.

Release date: Apr 5, 2016

Categories: First-Person Perspective, Puzzle Solving, Platformer, Exploration, Walking Simulator, Atmospheric Horror, VR Gameplay, Collectibles


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently indicate the game is not worth its full price of $21.50, with one explicitly stating no one should buy it at that price. Others suggest waiting for a sale, and one notes it is cheap but feels unfinished. This implies the community considers a fair price to be significantly below the current full price, likely in the range of a typical deep sale discount (50-75% off), which would place it around $5-$10.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 2.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The Spanish review explicitly states the game takes 2 hours to finish ('repetis por 2 horas hasta terminar'), which directly supports gameCompletion. Other reviews mention longer playtimes (8 hours, 10+ hours) but these may include exploration or repeated attempts rather than completion. The 'I did beat the game' confirms completion is possible but lacks a time. The city section time is a specific segment, not total completion. No evidence supports story completion, session length, or endgame metrics.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Most players report a repetitive, boring, and unengaging experience that never becomes fun, with only a single outlier finding later challenge rewarding.
  - Stance: Never clicks
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: tedious searching for poorly visible flowers; badly set checkpoints; repetitive and boring stages; ambiguous progression; lack of narrative clarity; lack of direction
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: player tolerance for ambiguity; player preference for challenge; player seeking direction or variety; player patience with repetition; playing in VR may enhance strengths
- Player Archetypes:
  - Surreal Puzzle Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing unique surreal puzzle design and aesthetic beauty
    - Playstyle: Exploratory, puzzle-solving, atmosphere-focused
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Antichamber
  - Achievement Hunter / Completionist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Completing achievements and unlocking all content
    - Playstyle: Completionist, achievement hunting
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Genre/Design Critic (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking a well-designed game that respects player time and matches genre expectations
    - Playstyle: Selective play, genre-conscious, quality-of-life focused
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


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:
- Beautiful and visually stunning (weight 0.27): Players consistently praise the game's visuals, describing them as beautiful, visually astounding, and with great graphics. This high-frequency praise indicates a strong positive impression of the game's art direction.
- Excellent music and soundtrack (weight 0.21): Reviews highlight the soundtrack as fantastic, fitting every scene perfectly, and being generally good. The music is a standout feature that enhances the overall experience.
- Great value and worth (weight 0.11): Multiple reviews mention the game is worth the price, especially on sale, and generally great to play. This suggests players feel they get good value for their money.
- Diverse and varied levels (weight 0.11): Players note that levels are very different from each other, with many levels and variations. This variety is seen as a positive aspect, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging.
- Good atmosphere and ambiance (weight 0.1): Players appreciate the game's atmosphere, sounds, and ambiance, noting that each level is superbly done in terms of atmosphere. This contributes to an immersive experience.
- Unique and fun puzzles (weight 0.08): The puzzles are described as unique, entertaining, and fun, with each having its own distinct character. This indicates a well-received puzzle design that adds to the game's charm.
- Emotional and memorable experience (weight 0.06): The game evokes emotions and is described as a memorable experience, indicating a strong narrative or emotional impact on players.
- Challenging stages (weight 0.06): Certain stages are noted as challenging, requiring platforming skills. This adds a layer of difficulty that some players appreciate.
- Exploration encouraged (weight 0.06): Each dream is different and encourages exploration, providing a sense of discovery and variety that players enjoy.
- Several hours of gameplay (weight 0.05): The game offers several hours of gameplay, making it a decent length for its price point.

Common complaints:
- Lack of story and narrative (weight 0.19): Multiple reviewers report the game has no meaningful story, lacks narrative clarity, and ends abruptly with a white screen. This is a core structural issue that makes the experience feel incomplete.
- Numerous technical bugs (weight 0.14): Players report a high number of bugs and technical flaws, including disappearing textures and glitches. The game feels unstable and unpolished, undermining the overall experience.
- Tedious flower collection (weight 0.1): Collecting flowers is described as tedious and involves excessive searching, with no indicator showing which flowers have already been collected. This makes the mechanic frustrating and time-consuming.
- Poor control responsiveness (weight 0.1): The controls feel bad and are difficult to use, with mouse sensitivity being too high and adjustments having no effect. This makes the game harder to play than it should be.
- Boring and tedious gameplay (weight 0.09): Players describe the game as boring, irritating, and tedious to play, indicating a fundamental lack of engagement. This is a common complaint that affects overall enjoyment.
- Frustrating puzzle design (weight 0.08): Puzzles are repeatedly described as annoying and frustrating, especially in environments already familiar from previous levels. This suggests poor puzzle design that detracts from the experience.
- Game-breaking level 12 bug (weight 0.07): A critical graphics bug on stage 12 makes the floor or platforms invisible, preventing players from progressing or finishing the level. This is a severe technical issue that blocks completion.
- Frustrating platforming difficulty (weight 0.06): Final level platforms are frustrating, and platforming sections have a sense of false difficulty. This suggests poorly designed platforming that feels unfair rather than challenging.
- Poor checkpoint placement (weight 0.06): There are not enough checkpoints, and those that exist are badly set. This forces players to replay large sections, adding unnecessary frustration.
- Confusing maze-like levels (weight 0.06): The game consists of mazes of corridors with unclear tasks and incomprehensible objectives. Players often feel lost and unsure of what to do next.
- Too few levels in early access (weight 0.06): Only 4 levels are available, which is considered too little even for early access. Players feel the content is insufficient for the current state of the game.
- Character movement glitches (weight 0.05): The character sometimes falls down unexpectedly, even when not standing on the edge, and then flies back onto rocks. This movement bug disrupts gameplay.

Gameplay feedback:
- Platforming and puzzle elements (weight 0.31): The game is consistently described as a platformer with puzzle-solving elements, often in a first-person perspective. It includes moving and collapsing platforms, mazes, and exploration, blending these mechanics throughout its levels.
- Reaching trees as objective (weight 0.26): The primary objective in each level is to reach a tree, which transports the player to the next stage. This is a recurring theme across many clusters, with trees serving as exit portals or checkpoints.
- Collectible flowers and items (weight 0.19): The game features collectible flowers and other items that unlock paths or secret levels. Collecting 60 flowers grants access to a secret level, and item collection is a key gameplay element.
- Walking simulator aspects (weight 0.19): Several reviews describe the game as a walking simulator, especially in early parts, with minimal story and focus on exploration. It ranges from walking sim to precision platformer, with some philosophical undertones.
- Maze and labyrinth levels (weight 0.18): Many reviews highlight the game's maze and labyrinth components, with corridors and confusing paths. Some levels are described as minimalist maze puzzles, and getting lost is a common experience.
- Car dodging and hazards (weight 0.15): Several levels involve dodging cars on highways or in cities, with hazards like being run over or crushed. These sections add action elements and instant-death risks.
- Puzzle solving and objectives (weight 0.14): The game includes puzzles that involve finding exits, extinguishing lamps, and lighting central ones to open doors. Puzzles are generally mild and not too hard, but they are integral to progression.
- Dream and nightmare theme (weight 0.14): The game is set in surreal dreams and nightmares, with each level representing a different dream scenario. The objective is to solve each dream state and get transported to a new one, reinforcing the dream motif.
- Varied level types (weight 0.12): The game includes diverse level types, such as reflex-free mazes, platformers, precision platformers, and highway levels with car dodging. Each chapter may have different gameplay systems, from bunny levels to races.
- Minimal guidance and instructions (weight 0.12): There is very little guidance or explicit instructions, with no dialogue or direct storytelling. Players must rely on visual cues and figure out solutions on their own, making progression intuitive but sometimes confusing.
- VR and controller support (weight 0.11): The game supports VR, particularly Oculus, and requires a game controller. It is playable with a joystick, enhancing the immersive experience.
- Difficulty increases over time (weight 0.1): The game's difficulty noticeably increases as it progresses, with mid-game maps being high-difficulty versions of earlier ones. Many instant-death elements appear, and the game becomes more challenging with each cycle.
- Abstract and surreal experience (weight 0.1): The game is described as abstract and surreal, with no direct story and repeating themes meant to feel like playing a dream. It is open to interpretation, with each player finding their own meaning.
- Level structure and repetition (weight 0.1): The game has a stage-to-stage structure with 18 levels divided into 6 surreal scenes, and scenes repeat on easy, medium, and difficult settings. Levels are looped three times, with increasing difficulty each cycle.
- Exploration and open world (weight 0.1): The game encourages exploration, with many paths and nooks to discover. It is sometimes described as an open world or exploration game, with each dream being different and rewarding thorough exploration.
- Environmental variety (weight 0.09): The game features a variety of settings, including dark houses, ice lands with bridges, city sections, and outdoor plains. This variety keeps the gameplay fresh and visually interesting.
- Checkpoints and saving (weight 0.08): The game includes checkpoints, often represented by circular fires, and saves progress on platformer levels. This helps mitigate the difficulty of restarting many times.
- Low-gravity and acrobatics (weight 0.07): Some levels involve running and jumping in a low-gravity environment, with acrobatic movements like jumping from platform to platform over abysses. This adds a unique twist to platforming.
- No story or enemies (weight 0.07): The game has no lore, enemies, or direct storytelling, focusing purely on gameplay. It is a stage-clear action game despite being listed as an adventure game.
- Secret level and rewards (weight 0.07): Collecting all 60 flowers unlocks a secret level, and there is a developer time to beat for all levels. This provides additional challenges and rewards for completionists.

Performance notes:
- Texture glitches widespread (weight 0.15): Textures disappear, glitch, or become transparent across various levels, affecting platforms, walls, and floors. This causes visual confusion and sometimes makes objects invisible.
- VR mode unplayable (weight 0.11): Multiple users report that the game is completely unplayable in VR, especially on the Vive. This includes severe disorientation due to lack of turning controls and tracking issues.
- Level 12 impossible (weight 0.09): A fatal graphics bug at level 12 hides the platforms needed for jumping, making the level impossible to finish. This is a game-breaking issue that halts progress.
- Game-breaking progression bugs (weight 0.09): Several users report bugs that make the game unplayable, such as a huge bug halfway through, sinking into textures, and freezing at death points. These issues block progression entirely.
- Graphics bugs on high-end hardware (weight 0.08): Users with powerful GPUs like the RTX 4080 still encounter graphic bugs that prevent finishing certain scenes. This indicates optimization issues beyond hardware limitations.
- Graphics bugs tarnish experience (weight 0.08): Many users note that graphics bugs, including black textures, missing water textures, and glitches, detract from the overall experience. These issues are frequent and noticeable.
- Startup and crash issues (weight 0.06): The game crashes on startup or when entering fullscreen, and disconnecting an Xbox controller may be necessary to launch it. These technical issues hinder initial access.
- Performance issues and fixes (weight 0.06): FPS issues can be resolved by forcing v-sync, and the game runs glitch-free on an old PC. This suggests performance problems are not universal and may be configuration-dependent.
- Audio and control issues (weight 0.06): Audio problems include sounds coming from the wrong side with virtual surround headsets, and wireless gamepad tracking cuts out when turning. These affect immersion and control.
- Windowed mode issues (weight 0.03): Windowed mode does not work correctly, which may cause display or performance problems for some users. This is a minor but notable technical shortcoming.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for niche audiences (weight 0.16): The game is recommended for specific player types, such as fans of surreal experiences, walking sims without stories, difficult platformers, and those who enjoy confusing mazes. This suggests the game has a narrow appeal and is not for general audiences.
- Not worth the money (weight 0.15): Several reviewers state the game is not worth its price, with some noting it should only be bought on sale or at a reduced price. One reviewer specifically says no one should buy it at full price, and another mentions it's not worth the money yet.
- Avoid game due to unplayability (weight 0.11): Multiple reviewers strongly advise against purchasing the game, citing unplayable states and severe issues. One reviewer explicitly says to avoid it like the plague, while another mentions a fatal bug that makes it unplayable until fixed.
- Worth it on sale (weight 0.08): Several reviewers indicate that the game is worth purchasing if it is on sale or at a reduced price. This suggests that the game has some value but not at its full price.
- Recommended for patient players (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for patient players who can handle slow, interpretive experiences. This aligns with the niche appeal and suggests a specific type of gamer will enjoy it.
- Recommended for abstract fans (weight 0.05): The game is recommended for fans of weird abstract stuff and alternate realities, reinforcing the niche appeal. This is a positive recommendation for a specific audience.
- Not recommended for VR (weight 0.04): One reviewer explicitly advises against buying the game for VR, indicating that the VR experience is problematic. This is a specific warning for VR users.
- Watch playthrough before buying (weight 0.04): A reviewer suggests watching a YouTube playthrough before making a purchase decision, implying that the game may not meet expectations and that potential buyers should see it in action first.
- Not recommended for achievement hunters (weight 0.03): The game is not recommended for players who are focused on achievements, suggesting that the achievement system is lacking or unfulfilling.
- Not recommended as adventure game (weight 0.03): One reviewer recommends the game as an action game but not as an adventure game, indicating that the game's genre classification may be misleading and that it fails as an adventure experience.
- Avoid company titles (weight 0.03): One reviewer recommends not touching titles from this company, indicating a broader dissatisfaction with the developer's output. This is a strong negative signal for the company as a whole.
- Not recommended for hoarders (weight 0.03): The game is not recommended for players with hoarding syndrome or meticulous perfectionism, suggesting that the game's mechanics may frustrate such players. This is a niche warning.
- Support indie developer (weight 0.03): One reviewer highly recommends supporting this indie developer to see the project grow, indicating a positive view of the developer's potential despite current flaws. This is a conditional recommendation.
- Not recommended for direction seekers (weight 0.03): The game may struggle to hold attention for players seeking direction, variety, or traditional progression. This suggests the game lacks clear goals and may be aimless.
- Weak recommend with level skip (weight 0.03): One reviewer would have given a weak recommend if there was a level skip option, indicating that the game's difficulty or pacing is a barrier to enjoyment. This is a conditional positive.
- Worth a go (weight 0.03): A reviewer simply says the game is worth a go, indicating a mild positive recommendation. This is a low-importance point due to lack of detail.
- Thumbs up (weight 0.03): A reviewer gives a thumbs up, indicating a positive overall impression. This is a simple endorsement without specific details.

Other player notes:
- VR support available (weight 0.14): The game supports VR mode, with some players using Oculus CV1 headsets. However, there are known issues with VR key binding and no support for motion controllers.
- Developer ignores long-standing issues (weight 0.13): Some issues have been known since 2017, and the developer has refused to fix them, despite promises to do so. Players feel the developers are ignoring calls for help, and the publisher is aware of the problems.
- Language support is extensive (weight 0.1): The game supports a large variety of languages, including Chinese and Ukrainian. However, the translation quality is poor, with non-existent words like 'kontynułuj'.
- Small development team (weight 0.1): The game was made by two South African students and a very small team, with the developer setting up Skobbejak games. This context is often mentioned in reviews.
- Frequent sales and low price (weight 0.08): The game is often on sale and was purchased at a discounted price, making it a cheap option for players. This affordability is a common positive note.
- Game is in early access (weight 0.08): The game is in early access with only 4 levels available, and the pricing is considered hefty for the content. Developers plan to add more levels and variations.
- Game has trading cards and achievements (weight 0.07): The game has trading cards, achievements, and potential for more in the future. This adds value for collectors and completionists.
- Game has 18 levels and version 1.33 (weight 0.07): The game has 18 levels and is at version 1.33, with a changelog for 1.3.3 including fixes for truck-related issues and flower interaction bugs.
- VR design principles align (weight 0.07): The game aligns with virtual reality design principles, but when played outside of VR, the same elements can feel less impactful. Some players played without a VR device.
- Game works on multiple platforms (weight 0.07): The game works fine on different platforms, and one reviewer played on console and is playing again on PC. It supports both gamepad and keyboard controls.
- Developer responsiveness praised (weight 0.06): Players note that the developers are active, respond quickly to feedback, and have recently fixed all reported issues. This positive interaction is highlighted as a strong point of the game.
- Poor save system (weight 0.06): There is no manual save option, and the save game is not strong at all. This is a significant drawback for players who want to track their progress.
- Launch crash workaround exists (weight 0.05): Launching the game directly from the Steam folder with administrator rights and Windows 8 compatibility fixes the launch crash. Pressing Shift during launch shows graphics settings.
- Game is not AAA (weight 0.05): The game is not AAA, which is expected given the small team, but it is still compared to other indie titles like Vapour by the same developer.
- Level 8 is a poor asset flip (weight 0.03): Level 8 is an asset flip done poorly, referencing the asset 'HE - Abandoned Manor Exterior v.1.1'. This is a specific criticism of the game's quality.
- Game compared to Super Mario but worse (weight 0.03): The game is compared to Super Mario but considered worse, indicating it falls short of a classic platformer standard.
- No developer guide available (weight 0.03): There is no developer guide in the Steam walkthroughs section, leaving players without official guidance.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.39): The game is riddled with bugs that break platforming precision, including game-breaking glitches in level 12 that hide platforms and make progress impossible. Technical issues like broken controls, unsynchronized movement, and unfair deaths compound the frustration, while the lack of level skips and trial-and-error structure add to the difficulty.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Players are disappointed by the lack of story, persistent bugs, and the game feeling unfinished. Visual glitches prevent completion, and the experience falls short of expectations, with many giving up due to frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Some players enjoyed the platforming levels, the game's atmosphere, and the soundtrack. The variety in levels and the simple pick-up-and-play style contributed to a fun experience, with some even playing with family.
- Boredom (weight 0.05): The game becomes monotonous with repetitive levels, tedious flower collection, and uninteresting puzzles. The lack of story and structure leads to boredom, with some describing it as just maze after maze.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Players felt satisfaction from beating challenging stages and finding interesting gameplay solutions. The overall positive experience, including the VR aspect and the game's quality, made the time spent worthwhile.
- Hope (weight 0.03): Players hope that the developers will fix the bugs and improve the game, with some looking forward to more content and a potential story. There is optimism for the game's growth and future updates.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): The visual and atmospheric design, along with the ambient music and puzzles, were highly appreciated. The game's beauty and soundtrack were praised as a perfect combination.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Players were excited to see what each world would bring, with some becoming emotional at the end. The immersion in the mystical world and the desire to replay and analyze levels fueled excitement.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger stems from the game's buggy state and the lack of playtesting before release. Players are also upset about recycled levels and the price not matching the quality.
- Desire (weight 0.02): Players desire a sequel and more content, with some wanting to finish the game despite its issues. The desire for more of the game's world and mechanics is strong.
- Discomfort (weight 0.02): The game causes discomfort through nausea-inducing effects, bright visuals, and motion sickness, especially in VR. These physical reactions detract from the experience.
- Intrigue (weight 0.01): The ambiguous progression and abstract environments pique curiosity, and the game's cool atmosphere adds to the intrigue.
- Disorientation (weight 0.01): The lack of direction and guidance disorients players, and the game seems to intentionally confuse, leading to a sense of being lost.
- Disgust (weight 0.01): The unpleasant color palette and inadequate controls disgust players, with some harshly criticizing the game's appearance.
- Dislike (weight 0.01): The game is disliked for being complicated and dizzying in the early hours, and some simply consider it bad.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the atmosphere in each level and the game's visuals and puzzles, which stand out as highlights.
- Fear (weight 0.01): The game includes some scary moments that evoke fear, adding a tense element to the experience.
- Captivation (weight 0.01): The puzzles and sequences involving running and jumping captivate players, drawing them into the gameplay.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): The VR integration and the atmosphere of dreams and nightmares create a deep sense of immersion.
- Determination (weight 0.01): Despite the challenges, players are determined to complete the game, showing persistence.}