Info about Marble It Up! Ultra:

Official game description:
  
Marble It Up! Ultra is the pinnacle of marble platforming from the minds behind Marble It Up! and Marble Blast. World-class level design, buttery-smooth controls, gorgeous visuals, and exhilarating multiplayer - welcome to the ultimate marble experience!
A Vast Campaign
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Roll through an extensive single-player campaign filled with dangerous obstacles, mind-bending paths, shifting gravity, bouncy floors, and potent power-ups.  
Multiplayer Mayhem
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Embrace the five competitive and chaotic multiplayer modes. Team up to hunt gems, score goals, escape zombies, and prove your marble mettle online. Blast your way to glory!  
A Beautiful Collection
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Unlock a magnificent collection of marbles, trails, and hats! Find hidden trophies, earn medals, and play online - all while earning your next piece of marble fashion.  
Master Your Skills
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Push yourself to the next level. Hunting achievements and climbing the Global Leaderboards are sure-fire ways to become a marble master! Weekly Challenges add new modifiers to levels for a fresh new way to compete each week!  
The Community
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The Steam Workshop is overflowing with fantastic user-made maps from our talented, passionate, and dedicated community! Over 200 levels are roll-ready and available with a few simple clicks!  
**Get ready to roll!**

Release date: Nov 16, 2018

Categories: 3D Platformer, Precision Platforming, Speedrunning, High Score Chasing, Custom Level Editor, Single-player, Multiplayer

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 15; verdict: Mostly Seamless with Minor Issues; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals a mix of experiences with the game on the Steam Deck. While there are significant issues with UI scaling in fullscreen mode, many users have reported a seamless and enjoyable experience without the need for extra configuration. The overall sentiment is positive, with users expressing high levels of enjoyment and satisfaction.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence indicates that the community generally finds the game overpriced at its current base price of $29.99. Multiple reviews suggest waiting for a significant sale, with one user explicitly stating that a 75% discount is necessary. Another user mentions that $20 is a fair price, and several reviews emphasize that the game is not worth the full price of around $30. This sentiment suggests that the community considers a fair price range to be significantly lower than the current base price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 100.0h
  - Story completion: 10.0h
  - Session length: 0.5h
  - Endgame: 50.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct mentions of playtime hours. One user mentions sinking upwards of seven full days, which translates to approximately 168 hours, indicating a high level of engagement and likely encompassing the full game completion. Another user mentions grinding the game for 74 hours and still not having completed it fully, suggesting that the game completion time could be significantly higher. A third user mentions putting about 300 hours into the original game on Switch, which, while not directly related to this game, indicates a high potential for long playtimes in similar games. Finally, a user mentions a recorded playtime of 38 hours, which could be indicative of a significant investment in the game but not necessarily full completion.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts with a learning curve but becomes highly addictive and fun as players progress and master the mechanics.
  - Stance: Fun after learning
  - Anchor: Mastery of game mechanics
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Learning curve; Initial lack of mastery
  - Unlock drivers: Smooth progression; Natural learning process
  - Conditions: Solo play; Practice and improvement
- Player Archetypes:
  - Speedrun Perfectionist (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastery and competition
    - Playstyle: Focused on improving times and achieving high ranks on leaderboards.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: completionist; speedrunner
    - Reference games: Geometry Dash; Marble Blast Ultra
  - Casual Relaxer (sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and enjoyment
    - Playstyle: Casual playthrough of courses with a focus on enjoyment rather than competition.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual gamer; relaxation seeker
    - Reference games: Marble Blast Ultra; Monkey Ball
  - Nostalgic Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and familiarity
    - Playstyle: Enjoying the game for its similarities to past favorites, often playing through levels casually or attempting to achieve high ranks for the sense of nostalgia.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: franchise fan; retro gamer
    - Reference games: Marble Blast Ultra; Marble Blast Gold


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:
- Spiritual successor to Marble Blast (weight 0.96): The game is seen as a worthy successor to the Marble Blast series, capturing the magic and feel of the original games. It is often compared favorably to Marble Blast Ultra and Gold.
- Creative and compelling level design (weight 0.4): The levels are thoughtfully and creatively designed, with unique ideas and clear layouts. Players appreciate the smart design and compelling nature of the levels.
- Visually appealing graphics (weight 0.26): The game features lovely aesthetics and beautiful graphics, making it visually appealing to players.
- Easy to learn, hard to master (weight 0.24): The gameplay is simple to learn but offers a challenging experience that is hard to master, providing depth and complexity.
- High replay value (weight 0.24): The game has great replayability with multiple tiers of medals and customization options, offering plenty of replay value.
- Mesmerizing music (weight 0.23): The game has a fantastic soundtrack and mesmerizing music that enhances the overall gaming experience.
- One of the best 3D physics platformers (weight 0.14): The game is considered one of the best 3D physics platformers, offering smooth gameplay and hours of entertainment with its physics-heavy platforming.
- Steam Workshop support (weight 0.14): The game supports Steam Workshop, allowing players to create and share custom levels, adding to the game's content and replayability.
- Enjoyable on Steam Deck (weight 0.13): The game is enjoyable and runs well on the Steam Deck, making it a good option for players using this platform.
- Nostalgic feeling (weight 0.13): The game brings back memories and offers a nostalgic feeling, especially for those who played classic marble games in the past.

Common complaints:
- Frustrating level design (weight 0.42): Several levels are criticized for being annoying, difficult, or poorly designed, leading to a frustrating experience.
- Multiplayer mode lacks activity (weight 0.38): The multiplayer mode is frequently criticized for being inactive and lacking player density, making it less enjoyable.
- High price tag (weight 0.35): Many players find the game's price to be too high, suggesting it is only worth purchasing during significant sales.
- Controls and physics problems (weight 0.34): Players report issues with controls, including sluggish movement, uncontrollable bounces, and overall frustrating handling of the marble.
- Technical and graphical issues (weight 0.3): The game suffers from various technical issues, including bugs, graphical glitches, and problems with UI scaling and text resolution.
- Lack of content and depth (weight 0.3): The game is criticized for having limited content, repetitive mechanics, and a shallow difficulty curve, making it feel less engaging over time.
- Missing features from original (weight 0.28): Players miss several features from the original game, such as the narrator, certain power-ups, and specific game modes like co-op and ball races.
- Leaderboard and achievement issues (weight 0.26): There are complaints about the leaderboard design, difficulties with achievements, and issues with multiplayer achievements being too challenging or boring.
- Game feels diluted compared to original (weight 0.22): Players feel that the art style, sound design, level design, and physics do not match the quality of the original Marble Blast Gold, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- Save and progression issues (weight 0.2): There are reports of save files being deleted, progression issues, and problems with cloud syncing, which hinder the overall gaming experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Marble-based platforming and puzzles (weight 0.46): The game prominently features platforming and puzzle elements, with a focus on navigating levels as a marble. Players engage in marble rolling with physics-based mechanics.
- Advanced marble controls (weight 0.3): Players can control the marble with advanced techniques such as mid-jump direction changes, bunny hopping, and applying spin for precise movements.
- Multiplayer and custom levels (weight 0.28): The game includes various multiplayer modes, both online and offline, as well as the ability to create and play custom levels.
- Similar to Marble Blast series (weight 0.23): The game is often compared to Marble Blast Ultra, with similar gameplay mechanics and physics, appealing to fans of the series.
- Challenging time-based medals (weight 0.21): Players can earn gold and diamond medals by achieving challenging time-based goals on each level.
- Focus on speed and records (weight 0.17): Gameplay emphasizes improving times and achieving speed records, appealing to competitive players.
- Diverse and creative levels (weight 0.14): The game offers a variety of levels, each with diverse and creative mechanics that keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.
- Gravity mechanics (weight 0.13): Levels include gravity-changing surfaces and panels, adding a unique twist to the platforming experience.
- Simple and fun gameplay (weight 0.13): The gameplay is designed to be simple and fun, with low-intensity mechanics that are easy to pick up and enjoy.
- Hidden collectibles (weight 0.13): Players can search for hidden collectibles and skins throughout the levels, adding an extra layer of exploration and reward.
- Checkpoint system (weight 0.1): The game includes a checkpoint system, helping players manage challenging sections and reducing frustration.
- Custom level creation (weight 0.09): The game supports custom level creation, allowing players to design and share their own levels.
- Marble customization (weight 0.09): Players can customize their marbles, adding a personal touch to their gameplay experience.
- Soundtrack and visuals (weight 0.09): The game features a soundtrack and visuals that enhance the overall atmosphere and immersion.
- Ongoing development support (weight 0.09): The game has a history of ongoing development and support, ensuring continuous improvements and updates.
- Achievements and trophies (weight 0.09): The game includes a variety of achievements and trophies for players to unlock, adding to the replay value.

Performance notes:
- Optimized for Steam Deck (weight 0.19): The game runs well and is fully functional on Steam Deck, making it a great choice for handheld gaming.
- Graphical and audio bugs (weight 0.14): There are graphical bugs and occasional issues with audio in the game.
- Last level clipping issues (weight 0.06): The final level of the game has random clipping problems, causing characters to bounce off the map.
- Fullscreen text bug (weight 0.06): There is a bug related to text display in fullscreen mode.
- UI scaling issues (weight 0.06): The game has problems with UI scaling, affecting the user interface.
- Low PC requirements (weight 0.06): The game has fast PC requirements, making it accessible to a wide range of systems.
- General jankiness (weight 0.06): The game might feel janky, with various minor issues affecting the overall experience.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for platforming and marble game fans (weight 0.29): This game is highly recommended for those who enjoy platforming or have a fondness for marble-rolling games. It is particularly appealing to fans of Marble Blast and similar 3D platformers.
- Highly recommended purchase (weight 0.22): The game comes with strong recommendations from players, suggesting it is a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in the genre.
- Worth it on sale (weight 0.21): Many players suggest that the game is best purchased during a sale. It offers good value for money when discounted.
- Great for relaxation and social play (weight 0.1): The game is noted as a great way to wind down in the evening and also offers opportunities to challenge friends, adding a social element to the gameplay.
- Perfect for handheld devices (weight 0.06): The game is considered perfect for playing on handheld devices like the Steam Deck, making it convenient for gaming on the go.
- Recommended despite some issues (weight 0.06): Even though the game may have some issues, it is still recommended by players, indicating that its positive aspects outweigh the negatives.

Other player notes:
- Multiplayer solo-levels desired (weight 0.06): Players expressed a desire for multiplayer functionality in solo levels, indicating a demand for more cooperative or competitive gameplay options.

Emotions:
- Nostalgia (weight 0.22): Players are reminded of their childhood experiences with Marble Blast Ultra on the Xbox 360 and other similar games. The game evokes memories of playing marble games on school PCs and older consoles, bringing back fond memories of their younger days.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.15): Players enjoy the game's physics, controls, and level design, finding it a rewarding and well-balanced experience. The game's depth, challenge, and overall package meet their expectations, making it a satisfying platformer.
- Excitement (weight 0.15): The variety of levels, mechanics, and customization options, along with the thrill of mastering the game's physics, keep players engaged and excited. The game's smooth controls and addictive gameplay make it a fun and challenging experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.13): Players experience frustration due to difficult levels, control issues, and bugs. The game's steep learning curve, unpredictable environmental interactions, and problems with save files and leaderboards add to their annoyance.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players find the game fun and enjoyable, with great physics and interesting levels. The tight controls and varied gameplay contribute to an overall positive experience.
- Joy (weight 0.08): Players find the game deeply enjoyable and fun, with excellent physics and compelling levels. The gameplay experience brings them joy and makes them want to play more.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Players feel disappointed due to bugs, the game not meeting their expectations, and issues with multiplayer. The perceived poor value for the price and lack of a thriving multiplayer community add to their disappointment.
- Relaxation (weight 0.01): The game's calming soundtrack and low-intensity gameplay provide a relaxing experience for players.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the development and polish of the game, recognizing the effort put into its creation.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Players are happy with the game's full PC support and Steam Workshop support, which enhance their gaming experience.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): The game's replayable gameplay and the pursuit of high scores make it addictive for players.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players express their love for the Marble It Up and Marble Blast series, showing their affection for the games.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players feel anger towards the developers for complicating the remaster process, leading to a negative experience.
- Exhilaration (weight 0.01): Players feel exhilarated by the game's fast-paced action, such as building up speed and taking corners.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Players are engaged by the challenge of learning to control the marble's spin, keeping them invested in the game.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Players are curious about trying other marble platformers, showing interest in exploring similar games.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised that the game hooked them despite not being their usual type of game, leading to a positive experience.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed by the game's graphics, sound effects, music, and customization options, which enhance their overall experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's development history and polish, recognizing the effort and care put into its creation.}