- Publisher: Pillow Castle Games
- Release Date: Nov 12, 2019
- Also On: iPhone/iPad, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Dec 14, 2020The forced perspective game mechanic alone makes Superliminal an essential buy for those looking for a new first-person puzzler. Both mind-bogglingly clever and hilarious use of environmental storytelling, the potential to be a classic is limited by its short play time and unnecessary exposition.
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Nov 26, 2020Superliminal offers unique gameplay elements for a fun evening, but the experience won’t leave an impact. Its perspective features turn out to be more of a novelty or a practical tech demo than a way to create an engaging narrative. While that alone might make it worth giving a try if you’re looking for an interesting experience, the idea of Superliminal works better on paper than in execution.
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Nov 25, 2020Superliminal is still a really solid puzzle game. Its innovative main mechanic is worth the price of admission alone, with Pillow Castle taking the time to evolve and experiment with the mechanic so no two levels are ever exactly the same. What it lacks in challenge, story, and length it makes up for with its commitment to its perspective-based premise, carving a genuinely fun puzzler that's sure to leave aficionados of the genre satisfied.
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Nov 11, 2020Despite having could have benefitted from a longer playtime, and its fading puzzle elements, Superliminal boasts a truly innovative and deeply entertaining experience. Its wonderfully crafted message of hope against adversity, along with its stellar soundtrack and voice acting, ultimately makes it a very worthy title.
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Aug 13, 2020A surreal trip through an Alice in Wonderland-like dreamscape, Superliminal delights and surprises with level after level of inventive, bizarre puzzles.
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Jul 21, 2020Superliminal is a fresh and innovative concept with really amazing puzzles and challenges. However its development quiclky becomes too limited to its own concept. Definitely, an experience that puzzle fans should try at least once.
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Jul 6, 2020Superliminal is the first puzzle game that I’ve played in a long time and I came away from it genuinely wanting more. Everything about it, from its innovative puzzles to its surrealist art style, and even its unusual soundtrack, is exciting. Even when the game floundered, when puzzles weren’t clearly laid out or the game’s physics engine had a conniption, my annoyance was often quickly replaced with another more positive emotion. I can’t stress this enough, as a puzzle game fan or not, Superliminal is more than worth your time.
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Apr 19, 2020A soulless Portal copycat built around a cool gameplay mechanic, which would have flourished in a game by Double Fine or Valve. Superliminal has more originality than other copycats (see The Bradwell Conspiracy), but it’s absolutely devoid of substance and leaves you indifferent.
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Jan 27, 2020Superliminal is a short, sweet, but superficial exploration of one the most interesting mechanics to find its way into a puzzle game. It excites with the possibility of what could be, but fails to deliver on the challenges its mechanics beg for.
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CD-ActionJan 15, 2020The moment when the puzzles get really interesting, the game unfortunately starts to wrap itself up. A fun but short experience. [02/2020, p.67]
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Dec 16, 2019It might not be the toughest puzzler out there or the most highly polished, and it is true that some puzzles do tend to repeat themselves. None of that matters, however, because this is such a thoroughly unique experience that everyone should taste. The first day this came out, a clip of it went viral and reached the front page of Reddit. It wasn't a speedrun or glitch or anything like that. It was just someone playing the game. That's the kind of novelty this title has, and it is absolutely worth your time to go out and experience it for yourself.
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Dec 12, 2019Compared to other puzzle games, Superliminal doesn’t necessarily feel like it stands out. However, its use of perspective is incredibly well-executed, and provides a nice mental exercise for those willing to give it a try.
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Dec 12, 2019A well-built puzzle game, certainly appreciated by fans of the genre, but unable to rival the sacred monsters of the category in terms of inspiration, originality and the power of the story.
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Edge MagazineDec 5, 2019It spits you out, head spinning, with a message about overcoming failure through unorthodox thinking; one last surprise in a game that encourages you to readjust your perspective in every sense. [Issue#340, p.118]
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Dec 2, 2019The escalating panic of the automated guide over the tannoy system adds some narrative cohesion to the puzzles and environments that keep getting stranger. But, in all honesty, if Superliminal had no narrative, I’d still love it.
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Nov 26, 2019A refreshing and inventive addition to the puzzle genre.
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Nov 25, 2019Superliminal is an interesting work creating an engaging atmosphere, able to capture the player and accompany him, almost unconsciously, towards the end of the journey. And the finale moral will leave a mark in many players.
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Nov 25, 2019Superliminal freshens up the whole puzzle game genre through its unique brain twisters based on weird shenanigans with perspective. You will be fascinated by this game long after you’ve finished its lamentably short story.
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Nov 25, 2019Superliminal plays with your perceptions while you play with it.
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Nov 24, 2019For people who value games based mainly on the cost-to-game ratio, Superliminal is definitely a flop.
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Nov 22, 2019When Superliminal’s mechanics work, I felt like I was participating in a magic trick, but when they didn’t I felt like the developers were playing a trick on me. I was both amused and frustrated while playing Superliminal, but didn’t think much about the game after its credit’s rolled. Like a fading dream, Superliminal is also a bit ephemeral.
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Nov 20, 2019Superliminal plays with perspective in order to offer a game entirely based on the altered perception of reality. The depth of the puzzles is fluctuating and the longevity is not particularly extensive, but remains overall a pleasant experience to enjoy.
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Nov 20, 2019Even if it ultimately means we might only look at certain aspects of its design or specific puzzles versus the story and setting to remember and recall as time goes on, Superliminal is still an experience worth seeking out.
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Nov 20, 2019An original gameplay mechanic is hard to come by, and these shapeshifting puzzles feel like nothing else. The parts of the game that are derivative aren’t bad, just second best. The parts of the game that are original are extraordinary. And which aspect is more important? Though it may be cliché to say it, Superliminal is more than the sum of its parts. It’s a clever game and the more I play it, the more I think about it, and the more I love it. That’s worth a whole lot.
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Nov 18, 2019Superliminal has a fantastic concept, but its puzzles are quite irregular. Some of them are excellent, while some others are not very inspired. If you like this type of first person puzzle-based adventure, though, you should give it a try.
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Nov 15, 2019The puzzles here are very original and truly amazing, although some of that freshness is lost as you walk through the levels.
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Nov 14, 2019Have you ever had that uncanny sensation of waking up from a dream when, in reality, you are still dreaming? That disorienting feeling is the sensation that Superliminal pursues with astounding flair.
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Nov 13, 2019While bringing to life a really refreshing concept with some well-thinked enigmas and a great atmosphere, Superliminal fails to be that crazy game that we've been expecting. Instead of that, it is a really cool but short game that is unfortunately often imprecise.
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Nov 12, 2019Portal meets The Stanley Parable in a game that, although may fall short in some aspects, offers one of the most imaginative and surprising experiences of 2019. A true hidden gem for the puzzle lovers as well as a video game design masterclass.
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Nov 12, 2019Rather than repetition, Superliminal wants to keep you guessing until the very end. It might not be for someone who is brand new to the genre, but veterans will spend a memorable afternoon trying to wake up from this hard day’s night.
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Nov 12, 2019Superliminal's satisfying every time a puzzle clicks. It sounds obvious, but that's the most redeeming trait a puzzle game can have. Sometimes it'll take you by surprise, sometimes you'll train your eye to see it coming. But analyzing a situation, exploring possibilities, and approaching it from unique angles never fails to be rewarding. Is that enough to offset the realization that you're starting from obtuse and working backward toward logical? It all depends on your perspective.
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Nov 12, 2019An excellent puzzle game with a fun sense of humour, and an important and surprising message behind it.
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Nov 12, 2019Superliminal is fun. It may not be challenging, and it might not have a deeper message behind it, but it’s a hell of a ride – and on many levels it’s a technical masterpiece. Actually that description makes it sound like a Marvel film, so I guess that means I can recommend it to pretty much anyone unless you’re Martin Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola.
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Nov 12, 2019Superliminal seems like a great game at first. The perspective mechanics on display make a fantastic first impression, but the game's design falters as it goes on. The weakness of the puzzles and unevenness of the overall game drag it down in the end.
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Nov 12, 2019Superliminal has a unique concept for a puzzle game and nice and trippy visuals to accompany it, but alas, that’s the majority of what it has going for it. The short length combined with the lack of difficulty and any interesting story means that the game will barely leave an impact on you, and there really isn’t any reason to revisit it. And it’s a shame, because it starts out impressive, but then the novelty wears off quickly. While it may still be an okay game overall, there are many other first-person puzzlers worth checking out instead which do a better job of thinking outside the box.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Nov 12, 2019This is a puzzling masterclass with a heart as well as a brain. [Eurogamer Recommended]
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Nov 12, 2019Perhaps there’s an angle from which Superliminal is a satisfying, Portal-style thriller, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find that angle. And as the game was so fond of reminding me, perception is reality.
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Nov 18, 2019It’s an accomplishment, and it’s certainly better and more original than the vast bulk of games in the physics-gimmick subgenre, but I respect it a lot more than I like it.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 147 out of 215
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Mixed: 45 out of 215
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Negative: 23 out of 215
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Nov 17, 2019
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Dec 8, 2019Interesting puzzles, but not very challenging. Also game is pretty short. When I reached the end of the game, my first impression was "That's all?"
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Nov 15, 2019