Antichamber

 PC
  • Publisher: Demruth
  • Release Date: Jan 31, 2013
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 621 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 485 out of 621
  2. Mixed: 85 out of 621
  3. Negative: 51 out of 621

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  1. ChoicestGames
    Sep 20, 2014
    7
    For those who are looking for a challenging puzzle game that not only taxes the way you think about puzzles but the way you think about puzzle games you'll probably love Antichamber - unless the game manages to troll you really good by causing you to waste hours of your life on a puzzle with a simple solution or a trick answer. Then you'll probably wish you never bought the game. AfterFor those who are looking for a challenging puzzle game that not only taxes the way you think about puzzles but the way you think about puzzle games you'll probably love Antichamber - unless the game manages to troll you really good by causing you to waste hours of your life on a puzzle with a simple solution or a trick answer. Then you'll probably wish you never bought the game. After something similar happened to me, I just didn't have the heart to keep playing. Those who are more persistent and have copious amounts of time might fare better.… Expand
  2. Treeroy
    Mar 6, 2013
    7
    Antichamber is a good game; there's no doubt about that. It's interesting, it's innovative and it is most certainly thought-provoking. I don't think it's quite what the developer made it out to be he said it should change your perspective about playing games but it makes a good stab at it. You will find yourself entertained in thinking about how you're going to solve the puzzle, knowingAntichamber is a good game; there's no doubt about that. It's interesting, it's innovative and it is most certainly thought-provoking. I don't think it's quite what the developer made it out to be he said it should change your perspective about playing games but it makes a good stab at it. You will find yourself entertained in thinking about how you're going to solve the puzzle, knowing that the only clue you have is that your preconceptions are wrong.
    After about an hour or so, it turns from an intriguing experience into a dry puzzle game. Of course, if you love puzzle games then you'll have oodles of fun here, but it seems to me to be a fairly mediocre puzzle game. It's not at all bad, but lots of the puzzles are very similar to each other, and when the game is short, you can't really afford to have that.
    So as an experience, Antichamber delivers, and I thoroughly recommend it for that. As a puzzler, though, it's middle-of-the-range. Whether you should buy it depends entirely on what you want it for.    … Expand
  3. justachair
    Mar 17, 2013
    7
    Antichamber is one of the most interesting games I've ever played. It's confusing, mind-blowing and just simply beautiful. Most people would think that one hour and a half will be enough to complete this game, but the Puzzle Solving in Antichamber gets more and more difficult, and some of the chambers are not as you remember. There is no story, you only have a sort of ray gun to store andAntichamber is one of the most interesting games I've ever played. It's confusing, mind-blowing and just simply beautiful. Most people would think that one hour and a half will be enough to complete this game, but the Puzzle Solving in Antichamber gets more and more difficult, and some of the chambers are not as you remember. There is no story, you only have a sort of ray gun to store and shoot little cubes, and you walk and jump. End of the story. Yet, in every chamber, there are sort of Motivational sentences or morals that help you or hint you the puzzle. The game is really entertaining. Unfortunately, there isn't a sense of accomplishment neither replayability. The game's graphics are beautiful, but sometimes clunky. This is no Portal (It tries to be more a thought-provoking game than an actual puzzle game). Either way it is fun, only that its short duration and unexplained concept is potentially disappointing. I will give it a 7. It's not the best puzzle game ever, though it will give an hour or so of bran-burning fun.… Expand
  4. Sqeela
    Feb 13, 2013
    7
    Edge magazine's respect rather than enjoy comment hits the nail on the head. It was interesting to play but with no real backdrop gives you little to attach to or invest in. From a puzzle perspective its top notch but whilst there are secrets to discover, don't expect much reward from the game.
  5. Nick2253
    Mar 7, 2013
    7
    Antichamber is a fantastic work of art, though I'd hesitate to call is a great video game. As a regular puzzle-game player, I didn't find Antichamber to be that mind-bending or difficult; it was simply a different set of challenges with a different rule set. However, for the "normal" video game crowd, I see where the challenge would be. To be honest, this game felt a lot like Portal 2.Antichamber is a fantastic work of art, though I'd hesitate to call is a great video game. As a regular puzzle-game player, I didn't find Antichamber to be that mind-bending or difficult; it was simply a different set of challenges with a different rule set. However, for the "normal" video game crowd, I see where the challenge would be. To be honest, this game felt a lot like Portal 2. The original Portal was a completely new experience for me, and I had a lot of fun going through the game and learning all about the portal mechanism (not to mention that the story was fantastic). Portal 2 was in the awkward position of having to introduce the portal mechanism (along with the goo mechanisms) to new players while not boring old players. In Antichamber, there was some new stuff for me, but some felt old hat and too easy. The experience was also really unfulfilling because there wasn't any kind of story to go along with in. There was absolutely no motivation for any of my actions other than "solve puzzles." On the plus side, the artistic value of this game is amazing. The minimalistic graphics style is gorgeous (though the developer seriously needs to consider a treatment of antialiasing), the music is a great fit (reminds me of Minecraft, actually), and the ambiance noise is fantastic. Touching on that a little more, the ambiance isn't actually about what you actually hear/see, but it's designed to create an emotion associated with what's happening in the game. On that level, it works incredibly well, and was the cause of most of my enjoyment with this game. In summary, I'd recommend to most people to play this game, though I don't know that I can recommend spending $20 on it. Things that I'd like to see improved: 1) AA on the graphics, PLEASE; 2) Some kind of story/motivation; 3) A better ending.… Expand
  6. c3p
    Jan 10, 2014
    7
    While i like the idea, the learning curve is too steep in my opinion. Often i wander around aimless searching for "correct" way to proceed the game. I also would love a "dark mode" with differently coloured walls.
  7. gameface
    May 14, 2013
    7
    Antichamber is a game that I really wanted to like a lot more than I actually did. That may sounds harsh but it's only because the early promise of the game is amazing. The time spend deciphering the early puzzles and understanding the workings of the early "guns" was truly mind bending and inspiring. However the later sections of the game became more of a chore and the endingAntichamber is a game that I really wanted to like a lot more than I actually did. That may sounds harsh but it's only because the early promise of the game is amazing. The time spend deciphering the early puzzles and understanding the workings of the early "guns" was truly mind bending and inspiring. However the later sections of the game became more of a chore and the ending anticlimactic. It is a truly great game, I just kind of expected it to be brilliant.… Expand
  8. reviewfrom19842
    Jun 22, 2017
    7
    Antichamber is a very interstanding game .
  9. Goden
    Jan 3, 2014
    6
    The first portion of the game where the player is unarmed is hands down the best portion of the entire game. You have nothing but your brain and legs to solve puzzles and there are some very clever world-warping puzzles for you to solve and navigate through. Some pretty good head-scratching stuff here which had me going in circles for a while before I figured things out. Sadly this doesn'tThe first portion of the game where the player is unarmed is hands down the best portion of the entire game. You have nothing but your brain and legs to solve puzzles and there are some very clever world-warping puzzles for you to solve and navigate through. Some pretty good head-scratching stuff here which had me going in circles for a while before I figured things out. Sadly this doesn't last. You eventually start to pick up "guns" which let you manipulate blocks in different ways (depending on the "gun" you picked up) and this is when the game plummets from a high 9 score right down to a 6 or even lower. You go from the clever world-bending mazes to what are essentially point-and-click block puzzles. Some of these block puzzles make good use of the bendable world but the majority do not. The majority of these puzzles that I have seen are nothing more than a panel on the wall with sliding blocks in it or slots by doors for you to stick blocks into. While these are technically still puzzles they are neither fun nor clever. After the amazing first-section of the game I expected more from the later portions. TotalBiscuit's PAX interview with the developer had the dev saying that he wanted puzzles in which the puzzle was finding out what you needed to do rather than immediately seeing your goal and then the puzzle was actually completing it. Every single block puzzle I have seen so far has been the opposite of that. I can almost immediately see what I need to do but getting it done is very tedious, finicky, and just frustrating. Yeah I can complete the puzzle but there is no enjoyment or WOW-factor in doing so. I have free games on my Android phone which shares similar concepts to some of these block puzzles. I guess I expected something more from what is known as a very prestigious and award-winning title. The second point I would like to raise is that the game has a serious problem with not actually telling you key information. I understand the game wants to be the silent type and let you figure things out for yourself and I can kind of respect that many games have issues with holding your hand. This game, on the other hand, completely withholds information about mechanics which are absolutely mandatory to continuing further into the game. The end result is that figuring out the mechanics is more of a puzzle than the actual puzzles are. I'm supposed to use the tools I have at my disposal to solve the challenges ahead but half the time I don't even know what my tools even do. This doubles the frustration and halves the fun of what are already not very enjoyable puzzles. I honestly think that if they just stuck with the basic game as seen from the beginning it would truly be a much better game. Either that or maybe the basic non-upgraded block manipulator gun. The game goes from abstract mind-melting puzzles to slide-square-blocks-around and I feel it really harms the game. Shame, really.… Expand
  10. MikComposer
    Jun 30, 2014
    6
    The game is ok. There are some very clever ideas followed by some terribly confusing ones. That's fine in the beginning, but later on navigating locations becomes absolute chore. Memorizing the map is pretty much impossible, so whenever you're using the map to teleport, you spend very long time hovering over rooms, to see which room is where. I guess that's the part of the challenge, andThe game is ok. There are some very clever ideas followed by some terribly confusing ones. That's fine in the beginning, but later on navigating locations becomes absolute chore. Memorizing the map is pretty much impossible, so whenever you're using the map to teleport, you spend very long time hovering over rooms, to see which room is where. I guess that's the part of the challenge, and definitely good thing for speedrunners. But for me it was too much. Sound design is really cool. But the minimalistic art style becomes very tedious after a while. I don't know why is that exactly, I think later on there is much more detail in rooms, and I was getting bit dizzy. Overall, the experience get's really tiresome with time. But it is a very unique game, and it's definitely worth experiencing.… Expand
  11. joshxdr
    Oct 10, 2013
    6
    Antichamber is a very good puzzle game, which uses the first-person perspective like a lot of shooter games. It is very ground-breaking in the sense that a lot of the game mechanics are completely new. So as far as originality is concerned, Antichamber scores big. Unfortunately, the actually game playing experience does not quite live up to the originality of the design. The puzzles allAntichamber is a very good puzzle game, which uses the first-person perspective like a lot of shooter games. It is very ground-breaking in the sense that a lot of the game mechanics are completely new. So as far as originality is concerned, Antichamber scores big. Unfortunately, the actually game playing experience does not quite live up to the originality of the design. The puzzles all involve progress from one room to another. There is no storyline to speak of other than "inspirational posters" that you encounter at each puzzle. For me the satisfaction of solving the puzzles would have been greater if there was an overall story. Also, it would have been better if some of the puzzles had been of a type where you do more than just figure out how to move from point A to point B. There are a few cases where it is hard to tell if you have really solved the puzzle. If there had been a kind of running score, or a little "happy music" when you solved a puzzle, this would have enhanced the game experience. There is no tutorial at all as to the rules and mechanics of the game, you figure this all out during the game. In some cases this makes the game more fun, since figuring out the game mechanics is part of the puzzle. In other cases, it is just plain frustrating, since there is a lot of trial and error to figure out how the game works. One big problem is the color coding system. There are parts of the game that you will encounter early on that are impossible to solve before you progress in other areas. You can waste a lot of time and become very frustrated before you figure this out. I still think this is a very good game and well worth your money. I would recommend starting with a strategy guide that explains the basics of the game mechanics and the color coding system, and how to use the map in the starting area. Don't spend too much time in any one puzzle, use the esc key to go back to the starting area and choose a new puzzle (color appropriate) before spending too much time on any one puzzle.… Expand
  12. Osmium
    Jul 30, 2013
    6
    Having loved Portal and other puzzle games, I had expected Antichamber to be more similar. l It is a good game, yes, above average. However, for me, it contained too many parts of either fiddly jumping and messing around with the controls, or try and error due to no clue whatsoever on where to go, what to do, or how to actually solve some of the riddles. With some of the puzzles, I hadHaving loved Portal and other puzzle games, I had expected Antichamber to be more similar. l It is a good game, yes, above average. However, for me, it contained too many parts of either fiddly jumping and messing around with the controls, or try and error due to no clue whatsoever on where to go, what to do, or how to actually solve some of the riddles. With some of the puzzles, I had more problems finding out where or what it actually is than solving it. A bit disappointing.… Expand
  13. ReezeTheVampire
    Nov 7, 2019
    6
    You know, this is certainly a cool game, if nothing else. I like how strange and confusing it is. I haven't beaten it yet, but I'm sure I will eventually. It has neat level design, a cool look, and really interesting mechanics. If you like a strange game, or a puzzle game, this is definitely for you.
  14. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    6
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  15. Matseb2611
    Jan 20, 2014
    5
    A game that is surely likely to mess up with your mind. Antichamber can easily boast with its unique art style and rather mind-bending environments. It presents itself as one enormous labyrinth full of various puzzles. However, the puzzles often require you to think outside the box and a lot of the time do not follow standard rules of physics. You could end up in a never-ending corridor,A game that is surely likely to mess up with your mind. Antichamber can easily boast with its unique art style and rather mind-bending environments. It presents itself as one enormous labyrinth full of various puzzles. However, the puzzles often require you to think outside the box and a lot of the time do not follow standard rules of physics. You could end up in a never-ending corridor, or you could turn around and realise a completely different way has opened up than the one you came from. Sometimes you’d end up walking in circles, other times confronted with branching paths.

    The style of presentation in Antichamber is definitely commendable, but is it really fun? The mind-bending environments are interesting at first, but the novelty wears off very quickly and instead you start wishing that the game would just stop misleading you all the time. The game has a very non-linear approach to it. A lot of the time if you’re stuck, you can simply return back to the ‘lobby’ area and pick a different path and solve the puzzles along that route. Eventually all routes are meant to be important, or at least that’s what I’ve gathered anyway.

    One of the problems about this approach is that as you go on through the labyrinth, you will acquire certain devices that will allow you to pick up and place cubes of different colours in your environment and are meant to be used to solve some of the game’s puzzles. This means that at times you’ll be coming across puzzles that you can’t yet solve until you’ve gotten the right device, which can at times be annoying because there’s no way to tell whether a puzzle in front of you can or cannot be solved at the time. A lot of the game’s ‘rules’ don’t seem to make much logical sense and require a lot of random experimentation. For example, walking over some of the drops will create a path in front of you, or trying to pick up green cubes from the middle of the structure they’re in will cause its ends to disintegrate, leaving you with less cubes to work with.

    Throughout the game there is also a number of philosophical quotes scattered about. However, most of those quotes don’t inspire much thought and instead are a collection of common sense mantras that you’re more likely to teach your kids. It’s stuff like ‘sometimes you’ve got to go backwards before you can go forwards’. As you go collecting each quote, they all compile on a huge screen in the lobby area. To what end I am not sure, because I didn’t collect them all, but it seems as though it tries to draw a diagram of a person’s life and some of the time they seem relevant to the puzzle in a nearby room.

    Overall the game’s setting is way too abstract for my liking. I couldn’t get much satisfaction from solving the game’s puzzles, because every time I solved a tricky puzzle, the game would either take me back to where I’ve been already, or bring me to one of the puzzles that I cannot yet solve. The sense of progression is not felt and there is little to no incentive to keep going through the remainder of the labyrinth. After several hours in I got tired of coming back to the same puzzles over and over again, so I ended up giving up on the game. I think Antichamber is the kind of game that you either get it or you don’t. It stands out with its unique art style and unorthodox way of puzzle solving, but it’s hardly rewarding for the player and I couldn’t get much fun out of it.    … Expand
  16. faircritic
    Apr 15, 2013
    5
    Almost but not quite.I just hope my review will give some piece of advice.First of all this is not way the best puzzle game around like mentioned among reviewers before. Portal 2 is superior and why is that, isn't just about Glados [and from my point of view,Portal 2 is just beaten up by Arkahm City: the most ingenious puzzle complement in a videogame around nowadays],is maybe because aAlmost but not quite.I just hope my review will give some piece of advice.First of all this is not way the best puzzle game around like mentioned among reviewers before. Portal 2 is superior and why is that, isn't just about Glados [and from my point of view,Portal 2 is just beaten up by Arkahm City: the most ingenious puzzle complement in a videogame around nowadays],is maybe because a major publisher behind and maybe, isn't fair to compare better graphics and having a interesting history, but because this game suffers from the lacking of two main elements:History and environments, is badly flawed.This game just doesn't deliver or at least hasn't delivered to me just yet.
    This lack of ingredients really affects the game itself.After several hours of playing and quitting to return always feel like I have been playing nothing, there's an empty feeling and feels also like unrewarding, totally the opposite of Portal 2 or even the actual champion Batman's Arkham city, both which outstand for rewarding the player in the game itself. And comparing Antichamber with those heavy weight champs could be unfair somehow but, what about Limbo? I liked Limbo a lot and maybe does not have exactly a history but more of a piece of art,symbolic and reflective but always got that feeling that something that makes you return for more. So Antichamber doesn't have that, and even the dumbest monologue/dialogue, not clear ,simplistic piece of script to excuse a history would have helped a lot. Just to be more apreciated by the gamer indeed; have to tell that isn't much at all, trolls post never count. About scenarios,oh well for indy devs could be very difficult to create masterpieces in the graphs department but I was wondering if even cheap art or a kids drawings would make a huge difference,besides of not having history sometimes this game feels as empty as the blank rooms you visit quite often.
    Another point to analyse and bothers me a lot was the criptically rude map.You don't know if in some point you have already solved the area posibilities or if are you missing something. In fact, all puzzle levels are connected one with another. Different to another puzzles games that have individual levels
    and you have to go from point A to point B ,in this game all levels are connected and that makes all confusing,then add the criptic map and you have a puzzle game of pure confussion.
    I love puzzles games and was expecting the same from this one but the level of difficult the confusing ingredient, the lacking of rewards feeling and the blank enviromnent makes me think that this game is only aimed to the nerdy audience,not even the average like Portal games or above average like Arkahm City.So I'm actually questioning the green bars,mhmm...well I never check for solutions in puzzle games so I'm still wondering about,smells fishy...
    Oh well whatever,returning to the review,Antichamber dev/s have potential and have to be exploited,so if they really mean for videogames they would really take the points already mentioned for consideration.    … Expand
  17. Smeowkey
    Feb 22, 2013
    5
    Antichamber's gameplay provides for an excellent puzzling experience. However the game's glitchy graphics and short completion period (under six hours for me to beat) is what holds me from giving this game a higher score. Antichamber is as rewarding as it is frustrating but it lacks the depth that it should contain. When I reached The End I wanted more because of how much I enjoyed theAntichamber's gameplay provides for an excellent puzzling experience. However the game's glitchy graphics and short completion period (under six hours for me to beat) is what holds me from giving this game a higher score. Antichamber is as rewarding as it is frustrating but it lacks the depth that it should contain. When I reached The End I wanted more because of how much I enjoyed the puzzles. Sadly there is not enough content.… Expand
  18. Gnawer
    May 20, 2013
    5
    It you like abstract logical puzzles, this game will appeal to you. Myself, I found it rather boring and a bit pretentious. Maybe it's just way too abstract, compared, say, to Portal. It probably deserves all the good reviews too. It's just not for everyone.
  19. spydercanopus
    Jun 16, 2013
    4
    Senseless, storyless, narrativeless, nonsense. I want my money back. The puzzles are pulled out of a lama's a$$ and follow no rules. Good for those who are deaf, blind, and want to play a video game.
  20. Riflenator1234
    Feb 14, 2013
    4
    While this game was at first enticing I quickly grew tired of extremely repetitive mechanics that we have seen in many puzzle games. This game also lacks any guidance whatsoever and is essentially a waste of time. I am quite befuddled when I see people praising this game. While it does have SOME originality it is only at the start of the game. The only thing I really liked about the gameWhile this game was at first enticing I quickly grew tired of extremely repetitive mechanics that we have seen in many puzzle games. This game also lacks any guidance whatsoever and is essentially a waste of time. I am quite befuddled when I see people praising this game. While it does have SOME originality it is only at the start of the game. The only thing I really liked about the game was the nice minimalistic art style, although; this game is certainly no work of art.… Expand
  21. dumle
    Mar 8, 2013
    4
    Antichamber is an interesting game. It tries really hard to be different which might really please some people. It certainly feels different from other first person puzzle games which might be a reason to pick this game up if you are getting bored of other games in the same genre. I am not entirely in love with everything about this game though. First of all i should mention that i gotAntichamber is an interesting game. It tries really hard to be different which might really please some people. It certainly feels different from other first person puzzle games which might be a reason to pick this game up if you are getting bored of other games in the same genre. I am not entirely in love with everything about this game though. First of all i should mention that i got really badly dizzy and nauseated when playing this game. I have never experienced this before despite gaming for quite a long time and this might be a total deal breaker for people more sensitive than i am. It did certainly affect my time with this game negatively. Puzzle-wise it is quite varied. The game do have some really interesting puzzles that feels smart and fresh, But it also have some quite odd puzzles that just is not all that fun to solve. I am also not a big fan of the non-linear progression system in the game. In theory its sound cool to be able to solve different puzzles at different places at your own pace. However since some puzzles are unsolvable without the proper tools gained trough solving a different puzzle you might find yourself trying to solve a unsolvable puzzle which is not all that fun. Antichamber is not a bad game but its not a game that will appeal to all kinds of players. It certainly didn't appeal to me and being kind of clever from time to time doesn't excuse the fact that the general gameplay wasn't all that enjoyable for me.… Expand
  22. Tpocth
    Feb 5, 2013
    4
    The game was advitised as messing with your brain, sadly for me it missed abit and only seemed to mess with my stomach. Having games for the best part of 24 years, this is the first game out of the hundreds that I've played that has made me feel physically sick. That coupled with the need to manually edit a configuration file as I don't use WSAD makes me give this game a poor score. ThisThe game was advitised as messing with your brain, sadly for me it missed abit and only seemed to mess with my stomach. Having games for the best part of 24 years, this is the first game out of the hundreds that I've played that has made me feel physically sick. That coupled with the need to manually edit a configuration file as I don't use WSAD makes me give this game a poor score. This game seriously needs a health warning, a BIG ONE.

    I'm sure the puzzles are truely asume and mind blowing sadly, but between the the FOW and the colors they have chosen I don't think I'll ever play it through as for me a game should not send you running to the toilet to throw up. Of the puzzles I've seen they are not difficult, however given I could only play for 10 minutes, in comparison to the first 10 minutes of most games it certainly starts at a harder level, so I can definately believe what others have written.

    I really wish I could give this a higher score.    … Expand
  23. SuperConnor99
    Apr 30, 2013
    4
    I don't like this game. it is a puzzle game You move from one room to another room by solving puzzles on the way. It's fun for the hour but after that, BORING. i recommend you skip it.
  24. pacoda
    Aug 30, 2013
    4
    Its a one-of-a-kind game thats for sure. Its a puzzle game but very different in that its really trying to make you see things in other ways then what you been taught. It looks good but again different. So why the low score? Well i just dont enjoy it. I tried several times but it bores me. The game has very little direction which is on purpose i think. So i find myself not knowing where iIts a one-of-a-kind game thats for sure. Its a puzzle game but very different in that its really trying to make you see things in other ways then what you been taught. It looks good but again different. So why the low score? Well i just dont enjoy it. I tried several times but it bores me. The game has very little direction which is on purpose i think. So i find myself not knowing where i want to go. I get stuck on some sort of puzzle and i just feel unmotivated to crack it. If you are a sucker for puzzle games this is probably it for you. Perhaps even an masterpeice. Me? I just dont enjoy this.… Expand
  25. Eglin
    Sep 11, 2013
    3
    Antichamber is to games is what elevator Muzak is to music. Seriously, playing the game is like being stuck in a book of collected motivational cliches. As far as I can tell, the whole game is made up of wandering aimlessly down one corridor after another while clicking on signs with stupid motivational messages. What's the point? The game is marketed and reviewed as a puzzler, butAntichamber is to games is what elevator Muzak is to music. Seriously, playing the game is like being stuck in a book of collected motivational cliches. As far as I can tell, the whole game is made up of wandering aimlessly down one corridor after another while clicking on signs with stupid motivational messages. What's the point? The game is marketed and reviewed as a puzzler, but it's really more of an "experience" like Dear Ester and its ilk.

    On top of the mediocre to very poor gaming experience, the game options are as rudimentary as possible. It's not possible to adjust the keyboard mapping to something suitable for left-handers, it isn't possible to setup a gamepad, it isn't possible to set the resolution to match my 16:9 Windows Desktop, it isn't possible to adjust the sound levels, and the game is riddled with horrible, horrible aliased and jagged lines with no option to enable anti-aliasing. All these features should be trivial to include, since the game is built on the excellent Unreal engine, but the developer must've felt like creating an options menu or setup program was too much work.

    This is definitely another indie game that benefited from rating inflation. It doesn't deserve the 8.2 that it received, so pass on it until it shows up for four dollars or less.    … Expand
  26. psylife
    Sep 6, 2023
    3
    I would strongly recommend game designers to play this game in order to learn how NOT to make a puzzle game. In fact how not to make a game, period. Antichamber is a RELATIVELY interesting experimental project that suffers from a severe lack of awareness of the most basic design concepts.

    Simply put, bumping into every wall while being continuously confused and frustrated about your    I would strongly recommend game designers to play this game in order to learn how NOT to make a puzzle game. In fact how not to make a game, period. Antichamber is a RELATIVELY interesting experimental project that suffers from a severe lack of awareness of the most basic design concepts.

    Simply put, bumping into every wall while being continuously confused and frustrated about your actual location and what it is you are supposed to do or solve, is not fun nor clever. It's just bad design. Not only that, but the designer thought judicious to let the player run in circles, and get stuck on - what may or may not be? - a puzzle, only for the player to realize that this particular puzzle - which may or may not be an actual puzzle - is not currently solvable ! If at least the solutions to the puzzles offered a satisfying payoff...

    At the risk of sounding too negative, the visuals hurt my eyes.

    Play Stanley parable, Talos, or Portal instead.    … Expand
  27. kingplain
    Feb 11, 2013
    2
    I'm not as charmed with this game as others have been. The basics are you move from one room to the next solving puzzles in a minimalistic 1st person world. There's no goal other than connecting the different rooms and seeing all the hint messages along the way. After "beating" an area you'll find yourself either in a new room or right back where you started. After failing a room, theI'm not as charmed with this game as others have been. The basics are you move from one room to the next solving puzzles in a minimalistic 1st person world. There's no goal other than connecting the different rooms and seeing all the hint messages along the way. After "beating" an area you'll find yourself either in a new room or right back where you started. After failing a room, the same thing will happen, making it unclear when you should feel like you've accomplished anything. Sometimes the reward is a dead end. Or maybe it's not. Who knows? The controls and physics within the game often lead you to wonder if you passed an area the way you were supposed to or if you stumbled on some exploit they didn't consider or correct. This also robs you of your sense of accomplishment. Most of the puzzles don't take thought or planning, rather experimentation. You just do things until something works and move forward. Sometimes you'll reapply what you stumbled on previously, but most of the puzzles are just mindless poking around. As soon as you understand, the game will move on and introduce something else that will be equally confusing on first inspection. These cheap tricks are what passes for difficulty. The mind-bending stuff is hardly ground breaking. I mean, the original zelda and super mario had repeating mazes. You're not going to mouth the word "wow" unless you're easily impressed and have already prepped by others who swear this is a mind-blowing work of art. I can assure you it's not. The end game plays like an empty/texture-less Doom level. You just stroll along an ill-defined catwalk for 5 minutes and watch an end sequence that nowadays could have been animated by a 10 year old. It is an addicting game. I'll give that. I didn't put it down until I beat it but the same could be said for most browser games. Was it fun? Not really. I feel like most that recommend do so because they think it validates their intelligence and because calling games where nothing happens "art" is in fashion. It feels like someone entirely foreign to video games had a cool idea but lacked basic video game theory to make it rewarding or enjoyable. Everything in the game is smeared with vagueness to cover its shortcomings. It sounds like a bunch of reverse-engineered cop-outs when I hear the game designer explain what's going on. I would recommend if it were a free browser game (because all they need is the addiction part) but as it's not, I cannot. Sorry guys.… Expand
  28. k9wazere
    Dec 13, 2015
    2
    Before you get this game, watch a few minutes of it on YouTube.

    There must be something about this game's extremely minimalist graphics, because a significant number of people - myself included - cannot play this game without feeling violently ill. I have never, ever experienced FPS sickness in a gaming career spanning over two decades. But I can only last 15-20 mins in this game. I had    Before you get this game, watch a few minutes of it on YouTube.

    There must be something about this game's extremely minimalist graphics, because a significant number of people - myself included - cannot play this game without feeling violently ill. I have never, ever experienced FPS sickness in a gaming career spanning over two decades. But I can only last 15-20 mins in this game. I had to turn it off, because my head was spinning and my dinner was making a dash for freedom.

    It might be a little unfair to rate this game poorly based on the motion sickness it gives me, but at the end of the day I'm not alone. A Google search reveals that many people have a similar reaction, and could not play the game they spent money on.    … Expand
  29. TheLinkgirl
    May 29, 2022
    1
    I didn't enjoy Antichamber. My experience with all of the puzzles was that they were either preposterously easy, or a total roadblock because the game failed to provide the player with necessary information. For each bit of progress I made, I felt that I was reminded of how pointless everything I was doing was. I never experienced anything that blew me away, or made me think a puzzle wasI didn't enjoy Antichamber. My experience with all of the puzzles was that they were either preposterously easy, or a total roadblock because the game failed to provide the player with necessary information. For each bit of progress I made, I felt that I was reminded of how pointless everything I was doing was. I never experienced anything that blew me away, or made me think a puzzle was clever, or anything like that. It was all just nebulous content, wasting my time away.… Expand
  30. Ottoplay
    Feb 8, 2013
    0
    This game is unfinished. You are limited to only using the A, W, S, D keys and the spacebar. You are not allowed to configure your keys. The creator of this game and all of you whom approve this kind of half-az work to be released are asking for the world of pain. What you've shown is it's perfectly okay for people to release games that are not finished. Well Done.
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Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Best PC Game of 2013
60
#60 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 50
  3. Negative: 0 out of 50
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 10, 2013
    81
    If you’re looking for the most extreme, bizarre, intelligent and wacky puzzle game, look no further. [April 2013]
  2. CD-Action
    Apr 5, 2013
    85
    I just finished Antichamber. I feel satisfaction I haven’t experienced after completing any game in many years and for the first time in ages I learned something about myself while playing. It’s hard for me to expect anything more from a game. [CD-Action 04/2013, p.82]
  3. Riot Pixels
    Apr 1, 2013
    55
    Antichamber is an intriguing little experiment. It is both a humble imitation and an attempt to avoid all the trappings and clichés of the genre. Alas, it fails to excite. Unlike Echochrome and Braid, where we bending realities to our will, in this game its creators simply tease us whenever they feel like it.
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