Proteus

 PC
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 192 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 75 out of 192
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 192
  3. Negative: 73 out of 192

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  1. Trashware
    Mar 10, 2013
    7
    Proteus is a really nice relaxing interactive-art-game-experience-thing. The warm, shifting colors fit perfectly to the soothing music, which alters depending on which element you pass. The sun rises, the sun sets, seasons go by until a year has passed. And you wander around, unwinding and enjoying the scenery and finding little eastereggs everywhere. Day and night have their own secrets,Proteus is a really nice relaxing interactive-art-game-experience-thing. The warm, shifting colors fit perfectly to the soothing music, which alters depending on which element you pass. The sun rises, the sun sets, seasons go by until a year has passed. And you wander around, unwinding and enjoying the scenery and finding little eastereggs everywhere. Day and night have their own secrets, as do the seasons. Still the game does seem to be a bit short lived. The island is just not that big and after a couple of playthroughs (which mostly take around 40 minutes or so, depending on how long you choose to linger) you've seen all there is to see in this world. It would be wonderful to see this changed in either an update or a sequel. Bigger islands, more elements. That's basically it as far as I'm concerned. In the end I enjoyed Proteus, although maybe not for its full €10,- price. It left me with a taste for more; I might even acquire Journey, or replay PS3's Flower just because of this.… Expand
  2. Anarchrist
    Mar 6, 2013
    5
    It's inaccurate to call Proteus a game it isn't. It's an interactive experience with no goals or objectives and that's fine it's simply about exploring it's beautifully realised retro world set to its soothing musical score. And for what it does, it does well. It's just that it doesn't do a hell of a lot. Had the developers included the ability to interact with the world beyond it'sIt's inaccurate to call Proteus a game it isn't. It's an interactive experience with no goals or objectives and that's fine it's simply about exploring it's beautifully realised retro world set to its soothing musical score. And for what it does, it does well. It's just that it doesn't do a hell of a lot. Had the developers included the ability to interact with the world beyond it's simple movement mechanics, I can't help but think it'd be a more delicious, meaty package. How about adding the ability to build and destroy the world ala Minecraft? Or what about sprinkling in a few secrets to reveal more about this pretty world? Or how about just letting me commit massive-horrible-frogicide on those irritating little things?

    I feel uncomfortable giving Proteus any kind of numerical score because for what it is, it's good, but it's a niche product that won't appeal to most, especially those looking for a “game.” So ignore the number the developers have done well realising what they have. I just think that with a few more mechanics and things to do it'd be a more interesting, meaty package.    … Expand
  3. StylixDS
    May 14, 2013
    5
    First off let me say that my low score has nothing to do with the game not having any objectives. I knew what I was getting into when I bought it, and I was not looking for a "game". What the game does, it does well, but my gripe comes from the lack of options and the lack of content.

    The Good: This game has a pleasing art style, although at times it begs for a little more depth in the    First off let me say that my low score has nothing to do with the game not having any objectives. I knew what I was getting into when I bought it, and I was not looking for a "game". What the game does, it does well, but my gripe comes from the lack of options and the lack of content.

    The Good:
    This game has a pleasing art style, although at times it begs for a little more depth in the details. Still, it doesn't come off as ugly by any means. The sounds is great too and it is fun to chase around certain objects to see how they will react with the sounds they make. Everything has it's own melody, and some objects actually interact with the player although these seem to be limited.

    The Bad:
    This would be an amazing title to play when you just want to relax and listen to some ambient style music to get your sense of wonder going. The problem for me is that it is way too limited. Every time I start a new game I get a randomly generated island to explore, but the islands are relatively small and it's always the same stuff just in different locations. Within 10 minutes, I realized that I have pretty much seen everything there is to see in the game so the only reason to keep playing is for the sound and visual.

    How it could be improved:
    It is hard to complain too much about games that run ten dollars or cheaper, but even at the light price tag this one just leaves much to be desired. As I stated above, you can literally see everything this game has to offer within a matter of minutes. With a game that has no goals and no penalties, it should really have beefed up the exploration a bit more. The island should be a lot larger and take at least a half hour to go from one side of the shore to the other. Also it could really benefit from having some caves or underwater areas.

    Another problem is the game moves at a snail's pace. This is fine for the most part since you'll want to move slow and take in the scenery, but it would have been nice to have some sort of flight option available so you could get some different viewing angles.

    The game itself doesn't need change so much as it just needs more substance to give a reason to keep coming back. If you like ambient music and you enjoy exploration this title may be worth looking into, but I can't recommend paying full price for it. Anything over five dollars is just asking too much for the very small amount of content you get.    … Expand
  4. fhouse
    Jul 5, 2013
    7
    Another interactive relaxing experience, and a good one at that. Your movement in the game makes the world alive, and it's exciting to see as seasons change.
  5. mooker19
    May 29, 2013
    6
    I really want to like this game. It has interesting visuals, it's unlike anything I've ever played before, and it's relaxing and ambient. There are subtle goals and puzzles (so to speak), but the game isn't about progress so much as, for lack of a better word, "flow." You meander about your randomly-generated island for quite a while your first time through, until you realize how toI really want to like this game. It has interesting visuals, it's unlike anything I've ever played before, and it's relaxing and ambient. There are subtle goals and puzzles (so to speak), but the game isn't about progress so much as, for lack of a better word, "flow." You meander about your randomly-generated island for quite a while your first time through, until you realize how to (again, I use this word loosely) progress. While you amble, you are subjected to an ever-changing, gorgeous audiovisual landscape that is quite pretty (if a little sparse). You learn how to interact with the world around you, beginning with chasing animals around and culminating with the "solution" to the island's main "puzzle." Once you figure that out, you can explore the island through the seasons; the relaxation of spring, the hot, sometimes blindingly bright summer, the strange (and sometimes outright eerie) fall, and, finally, the sad, delicate sparseness of winter. Each season does have an effect on you, and Proteus is sometimes outright moving. It may not say much directly, but there are some definite themes going on here, and they're quite timely, too. Proteus is certainly an "anti-game," but that's the point; we, as gamers, have become too open to distraction and destruction. In these respects, Proteus succeeds. What it fails at is pure and simple longevity. It takes no more than an hour (two if you really enjoy it) to explore your first island and from there very little changes. Each island looks different, yes, but the themes and elements are all exactly the same. You might go on one or two more playthroughs just to figure out how a few of the more esoteric elements can be interacted with, but that's about the extent of it. It's also far too easy to get incredibly lost, but perhaps that's another theme of Proteus. The ambience would definitely be defeated by a HUD. This game is well worth a look, especially if you're into non-traditional gaming. If not, you ought to avoid this game. My final word on the matter is that this game is a part of the Humble Indie Bundle 8 right now, so long as you beat the median price. I highly suggest looking into this independent developer friendly, charity-boosting organization; you can get this game packed in with other interesting and (typically) more-traditional games on the cheap (or not-so-cheap, if you're feeling generous). That's the way to go for this game; that way, if you hate this game or find it boring, at least your money was still well-spent.… Expand
  6. Rayiner
    Jun 1, 2013
    7
    Good atmospheric game. And it's all. I can't play this game more than 15 minutes per week. I love that idea, creatures and switching between seasons. This game is must-have if you're stoner.
  7. pedrofrancab
    Jun 25, 2013
    7
    The idea behind Proteus is awesome, but although beautiful and immersive, I feel there is little content to it. I played it for one hour, and felt like I saw everything there was to see. It's calming? Yes. Relaxing for a bad day? Yes. But it could be more, much more. I can't wait for someone to make a in depth game with the same thematic. Proteus is great, but shallow. It would do well asThe idea behind Proteus is awesome, but although beautiful and immersive, I feel there is little content to it. I played it for one hour, and felt like I saw everything there was to see. It's calming? Yes. Relaxing for a bad day? Yes. But it could be more, much more. I can't wait for someone to make a in depth game with the same thematic. Proteus is great, but shallow. It would do well as a flash game.… Expand
  8. Xots
    Jun 12, 2013
    6
    Proteus is a bit odd. You don't shoot people. You don't kill dragons. You don't try to platform. You look at things. Yes. Now, this may seem like crap. But somehow, it isn't. It is more of an experience then a game. There is no real game part. It takes like 30 minutes to beat, but it's randomly generated, so you can replay it. You probably won't though. The mouse movement acceleratesProteus is a bit odd. You don't shoot people. You don't kill dragons. You don't try to platform. You look at things. Yes. Now, this may seem like crap. But somehow, it isn't. It is more of an experience then a game. There is no real game part. It takes like 30 minutes to beat, but it's randomly generated, so you can replay it. You probably won't though. The mouse movement accelerates massively. The music is generated based on the season and where you are. I did enjoy playing it, because it made me happy for some reason. That and the fact that it was less than dirt cheap is why I don't rate it lower. Overall, if you have extra money on steam, buy it. Don't go out of the way for it, though.… Expand
  9. SuperkenGaming
    Dec 4, 2015
    5
    Proteus
    a pretty walking simulator
    Proteus is an exploration game that takes place on an island. There’s not much to say about this game. You just walk around, that’s it. Every time you start a game the island is different, all you have to do to beat the game is go through all 4 seasons, you go to a new season by waiting for night time and then going to these glowy white orbs, the    Proteus
    a pretty walking simulator
    Proteus is an exploration game that takes place on an island.
    There’s not much to say about this game.
    You just walk around, that’s it.
    Every time you start a game the island is different, all you have to do to beat the game is go through all 4 seasons, you go to a new season by waiting for night time and then going to these glowy white orbs, the colors and changing seasons are great pieces of eye candy, but only for like 12 seconds
    then your over it
    I found nothing engaging about this game at all beyond my initial introduction and trying to figure it out.
    The randomly generated islands are all solid, so there aren’t caves, or buildings to explore through, just hills to climb over, and musical animals to listen to as they hop around.
    There’s really nothing to explore here, get to the island, look at it for 10 seconds, this is all you need to see, game over.
    I do appreciate the ambient music, and could see the potential of someone going to proteus to just escape to a colorful land, but maybe I’m just saying that to find a positive, because there are games out there with tons more to do that you could get that same experience from like Minecraft.
    There’s nothing to do here but do mundane tasks like walk around the island, or follow the bath from end to end for trophies, that’s about it.
    Not worth exploring.
    There’s nothing to see here
    Proteus isn’t a bad game, it’s just not a good game either... it’s kinda just nothing.
    For what it is
    Exploration game 5.0/10
    overall: 5.0/10    … Expand
  10. YeastyPorpoise
    Mar 22, 2013
    7
    Well, the idea's nice. Having seen the Yogscast do a little preview of it I thought it looked interesting, so I went and bought it on Steam. Unfortunately, the novelty of the game wears off very quickly, which justifies its low price I guess. Overall, a relaxing experience but nothing to write home about.
  11. Jake_
    May 29, 2013
    6
    I wouldn't necessarily call Proteus a game, it's more of a song in a way. The music is relaxing and ambient, and you have a beautiful world to explore. However, the world is very limited, but that doesn't stop me replaying. The main problem i have is that I've played it for 2 hours and have already seen everything in the game.
  12. BasilZero
    May 14, 2017
    5
    Game: Proteus
    Genre: Adventure/Simulation
    Publisher/Developer: Twisted Tree/Ed Key and David Kanaga System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 54/100 Value Score: 5.4/10 • Story: 2/10 • Characters: 2/10 • GamePlay: 3/10 • Graphics: 8/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 9/10 • Length: 1/10 • Replay Value: 4/10 • Player Value: 5/10 Pros +Great immersive environment and design +Sound effects    Game: Proteus
    Genre: Adventure/Simulation
    Publisher/Developer: Twisted Tree/Ed Key and David Kanaga
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 54/100
    Value Score: 5.4/10

    • Story: 2/10
    • Characters: 2/10
    • GamePlay: 3/10
    • Graphics: 8/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 9/10
    • Length: 1/10
    • Replay Value: 4/10
    • Player Value: 5/10

    Pros
    +Great immersive environment and design
    +Sound effects go nicely with what happens and the animals you come across
    +Music is surreal
    +Game focuses heavily on exploration and getting lost
    +Animations and events occur differently depending where you are

    Cons
    -Super short, takes 40 minutes to beat the game
    -No other substance in terms of story, characters, goal of the game, etc
    -Not much replay value
    -The content within the game does not make up for the price of the game (recommend getting it in a bundle)    … Expand
  13. fartheststar
    Jun 15, 2014
    7
    I just finished my first playthrough. Imagine you woke up in a strange place and unfamiliar natural environment - that's the setting. I gotta say I really enjoyed exploring the environment, and how the music changed with the environment around you. My advice: Take time to stop and just look around - in a way the game seems philosophical in that aspect. I won't give any spoilers, butI just finished my first playthrough. Imagine you woke up in a strange place and unfamiliar natural environment - that's the setting. I gotta say I really enjoyed exploring the environment, and how the music changed with the environment around you. My advice: Take time to stop and just look around - in a way the game seems philosophical in that aspect. I won't give any spoilers, but there were several sensory variations that kept me interested in exploring, and at the same time it kept me thinking, somewhat immersed in what was going on. I find it likely that I'll play it through again - just to see other variations. I enjoyed this - kudos to the developers.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

61
#61 Best PC Game of 2013
99
#99 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Gamer.nl
    Nov 22, 2013
    80
    Proteus is without a doubt not for everyone, because playing in the traditional sense of the word doesn't really happen. It does, however, deliver an enchanting experience through the harmony of images and sounds, which leaves enough room for your own imagination.
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  2. Games Master UK
    Apr 13, 2013
    87
    Proteus's ever-changing island is a joy to walk through, listen to and explore. [May 2013, p.84]
  3. Games.cz
    Apr 9, 2013
    80
    An independent experiment that has managed to free from the established genres, and out of its graphical and sound simplicity it has formed the experiences you cannot escape from.
    Read full review
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