Info about In Other Waters:

Official game description:
**a xenobiologist who discovers extraterrestrial life while searching for her missing partner.**
When Ellery is called to planet Gliese 677Cc by Minae Nomura, only to arrive at an abandoned base, she finds herself adrift in an ocean of secrets, with little more than a malfunctioning diving suit and a strange AI to guide her. You are this AI.
Guide Ellery—and keep her safe—as you dive deeper and explore an underwater alien landscape. The planet’s unique life, and its dark history, are yours to uncover and the bond between you and Ellery will be tested by the secrets you learn. Through this shifting narrative, In Other Waters asks questions about the nature of “natural” and “artificial” life, and investigates what it means to be a human in an epoch of extreme environmental destruction. For life to continue, it must change.
Freely dive into an expansive section of seafloor, from shimmering reefs to inky depths. Unlock upgrades and make discoveries that allow you to open up new paths, uncovering strange creatures and environments as you do.
Navigate an elegant, intuitive UI via gamepad or mouse controls. Interpret signals, set headings, and map the ocean through experimentation and intuition.
Discover and catalogue species through observation, scanning, taking samples, and interacting with alien life. Read Ellery’s notes, look at her sketches, and help her classify an entirely new ecosystem.
Choose whether to study creatures, investigate secrets or dive new areas, then come back to your base to study samples in the lab, chat to Ellery or read her journals to understand more about this world.
Through limited communication learn more about the person whose suit you inhabit, and help guide her towards a terrible truth. What you experience together will bring you closer.
ABOUT THE DEVELOPER
-------------------
Jump Over the Age is a one-person game development studio founded by Gareth Damian Martin (they/them). Gareth is the winner of GDCA and Indiecade awards, and has been nominated for a Games Award, multiple IGF Awards, a GDC Award, and four BAFTAs. They have been named both “An accomplished world-builder” (Edge Magazine) and “one of the most exciting indie talents around” (Eurogamer).

Release date: Apr 3, 2020

Categories: Exploration, Interactive Fiction, Cataloging and documenting species, Resource Management, Narrative-driven Gameplay, Science Fiction

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals several key issues. The most prominent problem is the small text size, which makes it difficult for users to read the text on the screen. Additionally, users have noted that the controls are not very intuitive and take some time to get used to. The game's reliance on text for storytelling can also be a barrier for non-English speakers. Despite these issues, users appreciate the unique storyline and the overall visual design of the UI.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $7.50 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence indicates that while the game is enjoyable and worth playing, its short length and limited replayability suggest that a lower price point would be more appropriate. Many users mention that the game is worth it when purchased on sale, implying that the full price of $15 may not be justified for the amount of content provided.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 7.0h
  - Story completion: 4.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides multiple data points for playtime metrics. The quotes indicate that the game can be completed in around 4 to 8 hours, including side quests and full collection. This suggests that the typical playtime for game completion and story completion are similar, as the game does not seem to have extensive additional content beyond the main story. The session length and endgame metrics are not explicitly mentioned, so they are marked as null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts slow and tedious but becomes more engaging as players progress through the story and exploration.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Story progression and emotional core
  - Time to anchor: 2h 0m
  - Friction: Repetitive gameplay; Tedious controls; Slow start
  - Unlock drivers: Story progression; Emotional core
  - Conditions: Atmospheric immersion; Story engagement; Exploration
- Player Archetypes:
  - Chill Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Exploration and relaxation
    - Playstyle: Casual, enjoys reading and exploring at a leisurely pace.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: explorer; relaxation seeker
    - Reference games: Subnautica; Waking Mars
  - Science Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Learning and exploration of scientific concepts
    - Playstyle: Methodical, enjoys detailed exploration and reading about scientific topics.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: biology enthusiast; science fiction fan
    - Reference games: Observation
  - Critical Player (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking a well-rounded and engaging gaming experience
    - Playstyle: Analytical, looks for depth and development in story and gameplay.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: critical gamer; story-driven player
    - Reference games: Lifeline


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 visuals and art (weight 0.62): The game is praised for its stunning visuals, beautiful artwork, and unique art style. Players find the minimalistic graphics and clean visual language appealing and effective in conveying the game's ecosystem.
- Atmospheric and immersive (weight 0.59): The game's atmosphere is frequently mentioned as a strong point, with players enjoying the contemplative and immersive environment created by the music and sound effects.
- Praised UI design (weight 0.58): The UI design is consistently highlighted for its simplicity, intuitiveness, and aesthetic appeal. Players appreciate its minimalist and professional look, which enhances the overall gaming experience.
- Engaging and unique storytelling (weight 0.54): The game's story is described as captivating, engaging, and well-written. Players enjoy the unique and fresh storytelling approach, which adds depth to the game.
- Detailed alien ecosystems (weight 0.52): The game features detailed and realistic alien ecosystems, with unique creatures and ecological environments. Players appreciate the intricate descriptions and artwork of the alien species and environments.
- Fun and stress-free gameplay (weight 0.37): Players find the gameplay fun, engaging, and stress-free. The game design is praised for its uniqueness and the enjoyable exploration experience it offers.
- Positive overall impression (weight 0.16): The game is often described as a wonderful and brilliant little game. Players appreciate the well-designed and fun indie title, highlighting it as a small gem.
- Rich and imaginative descriptions (weight 0.14): The game's text-based descriptions are noted for stimulating the imagination and providing vivid details. Players enjoy the rich and imaginative descriptions of creatures and environments.
- Detailed world-building (weight 0.14): The game is praised for its detailed and fleshed-out world-building. Players appreciate the rich descriptions and the effort put into creating a detailed and immersive world.

Common complaints:
- Limited and repetitive gameplay (weight 0.48): The game features limited gameplay mechanics and a relatively short duration, leading to repetitive and unexciting experiences. Players find the gameplay monotonous and lacking in variety.
- Tedious controls and movement (weight 0.31): Players report that the control scheme is tedious and movement feels cumbersome. The slow movement speed and odd movement mechanics add to the frustration.
- Poor navigation and map design (weight 0.22): The game suffers from poor map navigation tools, making it easy for players to get lost. The restrictive map design and lack of map tools contribute to a frustrating navigation experience.
- Poor text readability (weight 0.14): The game has issues with text readability, particularly with Chinese fonts being hard to read. The small text size and poor font design exacerbate this problem.
- Slow start and pacing (weight 0.14): The game has a slow start and pacing, particularly in the beginning. Players report that it takes a while for the game to get moving.
- Unclear objectives and guidance (weight 0.12): Players find the objectives and map markers unclear, leading to poor task guidance. This lack of clear direction contributes to a confusing gameplay experience.
- Unsatisfying and abrupt ending (weight 0.12): The ending of the game is reported to be unsatisfying and rushed. Players feel that the story ends abruptly without proper resolutions.
- Lacks depth and voice acting (weight 0.11): The game is criticized for lacking depth in its story and gameplay. The absence of voice acting further detracts from the overall experience.
- Lack of meaningful choices (weight 0.09): The choices in the game mostly amount to minor dialogue changes that do not impact the overall story. Players find the lack of branching story and meaningful decisions disappointing.

Gameplay feedback:
- Exploration and discovery focus (weight 0.53): The game heavily emphasizes exploration and discovery, with players frequently mentioning the joy of discovering new creatures and environments. This includes both ecological and scientific exploration, often through text-based interactions.
- Text-based gameplay (weight 0.33): A large portion of the gameplay involves reading and interacting with text. This includes text-based exploration, conversations, and descriptions that help players imagine the environment and progress through the story.
- Interactive fiction and visual novel elements (weight 0.27): The game incorporates elements of interactive fiction and visual novels. Players engage in narrative-driven gameplay with text adventure elements and visual novel mechanics.
- Cataloging and documenting species (weight 0.26): A significant part of the gameplay involves cataloging and documenting new species. Players enjoy the process of identifying and researching new life forms, building a taxonomy, and reading about different species and environments.
- Collecting and scanning samples (weight 0.22): A key gameplay mechanic involves collecting and scanning creature samples. Players enjoy exploring and collecting samples, which are then cataloged and documented.
- Resource and inventory management (weight 0.19): The game includes mechanics for managing resources and inventory. Players need to collect and manage resources, including power and oxygen reserves, to survive and progress.
- Storytelling and narrative structure (weight 0.17): The game is praised for its storytelling and narrative structure. Players appreciate the story-driven gameplay and the progression through the narrative.
- Minimalist visual style (weight 0.14): The game features a minimalist visual style with simple interfaces and graphics. This design choice is noted by players for its effectiveness in conveying information and maintaining focus on gameplay.
- Marine biology exploration (weight 0.1): The game has a strong focus on marine biology, with players exploring and reading about marine life. This includes ecological descriptions of marine life and the exploration of an underwater extraterrestrial world.
- Survival and movement mechanics (weight 0.09): The game includes survival mechanics and movement mechanics that players need to manage. This includes aspects like power and oxygen management, which add to the challenge and immersion.

Performance notes:
- Game performance issues (weight 0.04): The game experiences periodic stutters, which can affect the overall gameplay experience. This issue seems to be a common concern among players.
- UI-related bugs (weight 0.04): There are several bugs related to the user interface that players have encountered. These bugs can hinder navigation and overall user experience.
- Game is a bit slow (weight 0.04): Some players have noted that the game feels a bit slow. This could potentially impact the pacing and enjoyment of the game.
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.03): Some feedback mentions the Steam Deck, but without specific details on issues or praises, it's unclear what the exact concerns or positive points are.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for science and exploration enthusiasts (weight 0.58): This game is highly recommended for fans of speculative biology, astrobiology, marine biology, and ecological exploration. It is also praised for its thoughtful storytelling and immersive narrative.
- Recommended for niche and atmospheric games (weight 0.27): The game is recommended for those who enjoy niche, unique, and atmospheric games. It is also suggested for fans of the developer's other works and those who enjoy chill, narrative-driven experiences.
- Highly recommended overall (weight 0.22): Many reviewers wholeheartedly recommend the game for its unique and enjoyable experience. It is praised for being a good time and worth playing despite some frustrations.
- Consider price and gameplay depth (weight 0.12): Some reviewers suggest picking up the game on sale or at a discounted price. There are also recommendations to add more depth to objectives and include achievements for lore exploration.
- Recommended for specific interests (weight 0.09): The game is recommended for AI enthusiasts and those interested in AI gameplay. It is also suggested for players who enjoy bingeing games for a better experience.

Other player notes:
- Localization font challenges (weight 0.04): The game faces difficulties and emphasizes the importance of localizing fonts to better suit different language versions.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.18): Players are frustrated by the slow movement speed, clunky controls, and tedious gameplay mechanics. The game's poor readability, including small text and unclear item descriptions, adds to the frustration. Additionally, the restrictive map design and lack of clear objectives contribute to a cumbersome and repetitive experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.11): Players express disappointment due to the game's lack of depth, unsatisfying ending, and limited exploration. The repetitive gameplay and lack of meaningful choices lead to a shallow and boring experience. Many players feel the game does not meet their expectations in terms of narrative and mechanics.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players enjoy the game's immersive narrative, unique visual style, and engaging soundtrack. The detailed world-building and interesting story contribute to a positive experience. The minimalist UI and atmospheric exploration are also highlighted as enjoyable aspects.
- Joy (weight 0.1): Players find joy in the game's beautiful visuals, relaxing music, and engaging story. The unique gameplay mechanics and the sense of discovery contribute to a delightful and enjoyable experience. The game's calming atmosphere and detailed environmental descriptions are also sources of joy.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciate the game's beautiful visuals, well-written story, and unique atmosphere. The detailed world-building and engaging narrative are highly valued. The game's attention to detail in font design and visual beauty is also appreciated.
- Interest (weight 0.04): Players are interested in the game's unique storytelling, innovative gameplay mechanics, and engaging plot. The compelling narrative and well-paced story keep players intrigued. The game's unique presentation and themes also spark interest.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Players feel satisfied with the game's length, effective storytelling, and immersive world. The unique and stress-free gameplay experience, along with the sense of scientific exploration and discovery, contribute to a satisfying experience. The simple and intuitive interface is also mentioned as a positive aspect.
- Curiosity (weight 0.04): Players are curious about the game's vast universe, detailed taxonomy entries, and scientific discovery mechanics. The intriguing story and unique exploration experience pique their interest. The game's world-building and detailed entries encourage further exploration.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Players are excited by the game's unique gameplay, atmosphere, and engaging story. The beautifully imagined alien environments and emotional depth contribute to an exciting experience. The game's cool interfaces and beautiful art also generate excitement.
- Awe (weight 0.03): Players are in awe of the game's beautifully imagined alien environments, mesmerizing gameplay, and captivating story. The vivid and immersive setting, along with the detailed descriptions, create a sense of wonder. The game's atmosphere and story are also sources of awe.
- Engagement (weight 0.03): Players are engaged by the game's unique storytelling, compelling narrative, and interesting exploration mechanics. The deep and absorbing adventure, along with the satisfying narrative, keeps players engaged. The game's unique interface and activities also contribute to engagement.
- Immersion (weight 0.02): Players feel immersed in the game's strong atmosphere, engaging story, and beautiful art. The soothing ambient soundtrack and detailed descriptions enhance the immersive experience. The game's atmosphere and detailed descriptions make players feel engrossed in the science fiction world.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game's unique mechanic of being an AI and the engaging gameplay experience. The immersive UI and the sense of learning about the planet and its ecosystem contribute to a fantastic experience. The game's similarities to other beloved games also evoke feelings of love.
- Relaxation (weight 0.02): Players find the game relaxing due to its minimal interface, relaxing music, and beautiful style. The game's attention to biological detail and perfect chill atmosphere contribute to a relaxing experience. The reviewer's overall feeling of relaxation is also mentioned.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Players feel nostalgic as the game reminds them of text adventures and childhood text RPGs. The game's ability to engage the user's imagination and creativity, along with comparisons to other beloved games, evokes feelings of nostalgia. The reminder of childhood games also contributes to this emotion.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's design, complexity, and detailed research into different species. The minimalistic design and engaging exploration are also sources of admiration. The game's ambition and detailed research are highly regarded.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Players feel sadness due to the emotional depth of the story and specific narrative moments. The last entry's paragraph and the overall emotional impact of the story contribute to this feeling.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's beautiful world, unique presentation, and engaging experience. The game's ability to captivate players who do not usually enjoy novels or non-action games contributes to this enthusiasm.}