Superliminal

 Switch
User Score
9.5

Universal acclaim- based on 1310 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,233 out of 1310
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 1310
  3. Negative: 52 out of 1310

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  1. crazymurdock
    Jul 31, 2020
    10
    A great game. Reminded me of Portal even though objectively it is entirely different. Actually different every other game I've played. Short, but that way it never ran out of ideas.
  2. Ruften
    Oct 21, 2021
    10
    This is a piece of art. Played this gem with a buddy of mine. We both enjoy a good puzzle game but this was just a whole different ballgame. Just pure class.
  3. cerb747
    Jul 6, 2023
    10
    Definitely one of the best puzzle video Games of the year the puzzle's are both so simple yet so complex it's truly a great game the way it makes you think about approaching each and every puzzle.
  4. Diablo4
    Aug 13, 2020
    10
    Fitting in neatly with the lineage of previous optical illusion based puzzlers such as Echochrome and Crush. Superlimnal brings a first-person view to the table. It spent many years (Original reveal was all the way back in 2013!) in development, and it is certainly worth the wait!
  5. MartaRoussel
    Sep 6, 2020
    10
    It's an intelligently designed puzzles game with a script-writing simple in appearance but effective and uplifting. I was afraid about the game consisting only in changing the angle where you were looking at the pieces of the puzzle from as the only way to solve the proposed problems, however the game proposes that you have to change your point of view from time to time, as the way youIt's an intelligently designed puzzles game with a script-writing simple in appearance but effective and uplifting. I was afraid about the game consisting only in changing the angle where you were looking at the pieces of the puzzle from as the only way to solve the proposed problems, however the game proposes that you have to change your point of view from time to time, as the way you solve problems will posit little but significant variations, so you must be open to think in different ways to beat it. It's a bit short, about 5 hours long and, while it's not especially difficult (there are more challenging puzzle games out there), there will be some puzzles that will make you turn off the Switch for some minutes or hours, be thinking about something completely different in hopes that the solution will come to you as inspiration comes in the middle of the night or during a stroll, which also happens! Also, the music is excellent and, without being experimental or oneiric (you'll listen some cool jazz tunes mainly), completely matches the spirit of the game somehow. This is an experience I greatly recommend, in my opinion it's a masterpiece of its genre. Just imagine it as a short version of Portal with different mechanics.

    This is just a personal side note, but being the game set in your dreams, maybe it could have been more dream-like in some parts and that could have been quite pleasant, yet this dream of puzzles is still a supposedly controlled scientific experiment/product, so there's not really a need for this plot wise.    … Expand
  6. ProteccIris
    Jul 8, 2020
    10
    Fitting in neatly with the lineage of previous optical illusion based puzzlers such as Echochrome and Crush. Superlimnal brings a first-person view to the table. It spent many years (Original reveal was all the way back in 2013!) in development, and it is certainly worth the wait!
  7. ResetButton
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    The game is more than a sum total of its parts. It’s a game that sticks with you and causes you to see things a little differently after you finish it. It sounds cheesy, but give it a shot and see for yourself. I know all that sounds vague AF, but this is really a game about discovery and learning. If you liked The Witness, this is similar but Superliminal isn’t as cerebral or frustrating.The game is more than a sum total of its parts. It’s a game that sticks with you and causes you to see things a little differently after you finish it. It sounds cheesy, but give it a shot and see for yourself. I know all that sounds vague AF, but this is really a game about discovery and learning. If you liked The Witness, this is similar but Superliminal isn’t as cerebral or frustrating. Superliminal difficultly stays fair through out and it always finds a way to keep you engaged. As surreal as the game gets, it find a way to ground itself and keep you somewhat oriented. It’s also go a nice, dry, dark sense of humor. It’s short, but every bit of it is well worth the price.… Expand
  8. AGreatReviewer
    Apr 16, 2022
    10
    An incredibly smart game with good gameplay and puzzles that make you go "oh damn that's cool" every time you get past it, and a pretty good life lesson to boot, 10/10 would play again.
  9. CarlElmore
    Feb 21, 2023
    10
    Such an easy 10/10. Amazing visuals, puzzles, and a really thought provoking story. Would highly recommend playing this.
  10. Reed618
    Jul 11, 2020
    9
    This was a very enjoyable puzzle game which reminded me of the unfinished swan. There was maybe one puzzle which was a bit too obtuse but generally it was a fun experience. Visually it was also a real treat especially in the later levels. It's quite short but that was a plus in my opinion. It's the perfect game to relax with and enjoy in between bigger releases. Definitely worth playing inThis was a very enjoyable puzzle game which reminded me of the unfinished swan. There was maybe one puzzle which was a bit too obtuse but generally it was a fun experience. Visually it was also a real treat especially in the later levels. It's quite short but that was a plus in my opinion. It's the perfect game to relax with and enjoy in between bigger releases. Definitely worth playing in my opinion.… Expand
  11. SirSoil
    Jul 23, 2020
    9
    SuperLiminal is without a doubt an excellent experience, it hits you with the most unique take on puzzle solving and story telling. The game can be completed in 3-4 hours but it’s worth the try because it’s a game that is very unique and presents gameplay elements that I have never seen in a video game. The story is pretty straight forward and easy to understand, with the constantSuperLiminal is without a doubt an excellent experience, it hits you with the most unique take on puzzle solving and story telling. The game can be completed in 3-4 hours but it’s worth the try because it’s a game that is very unique and presents gameplay elements that I have never seen in a video game. The story is pretty straight forward and easy to understand, with the constant chilling soundtrack and entertaining puzzles this game really is outstanding. SuperLiminal isn’t a huge game it’s more of a experience, the second you get into it you instantly get hooked with its ways of puzzle solving and story telling. (4/5 Amazing) Your Missing Out!… Expand
  12. Shawona
    Sep 13, 2020
    9
    For me this was on par with the likes of Portal! It starts out as an innocent puzzle game, but slowly becomes much more. The puzzles are on a complete different level though as they explore with your visual perspective and really mess with your head. Had many moments where I had to pause because I was in absolute amazement at how I got fooled. Only reason it’s not a 10 for me is the price,For me this was on par with the likes of Portal! It starts out as an innocent puzzle game, but slowly becomes much more. The puzzles are on a complete different level though as they explore with your visual perspective and really mess with your head. Had many moments where I had to pause because I was in absolute amazement at how I got fooled. Only reason it’s not a 10 for me is the price, as I beat this in about 2 to 3 hours. But if you’ve got the money I highly recommend.… Expand
  13. Elite_Institute
    Mar 5, 2022
    9
    "Much like the original Portal, Superliminal won’t take too long to beat; however, the game does contain a lot of hidden content for you to hunt for, such as: hidden chess pieces, blueprints, and constellation rooms, all of which can be extremely tricky to find. What’s more, additional achievements can be unlocked for doing various things, including beating the game in an extremely tight"Much like the original Portal, Superliminal won’t take too long to beat; however, the game does contain a lot of hidden content for you to hunt for, such as: hidden chess pieces, blueprints, and constellation rooms, all of which can be extremely tricky to find. What’s more, additional achievements can be unlocked for doing various things, including beating the game in an extremely tight thirty minutes. Whether or not these will incentivise you into replaying is down to your own personal preference, but I will certainly dip back in to try and complete everything."

    https://theeliteinstitute.net/2021/04/03/superliminal/    … Expand
  14. TheLinkgirl
    Sep 21, 2021
    9
    Superliminal is a very strange experience from start to finish. For a puzzle game, it manages to throw a huge number of new toys and surprises at you in its relatively short play time. I found myself enjoying a ton of the mechanics so much that I would simply experiment around with them for a while, unaware of how long I'd spent interacting with one single object. With all that said, ISuperliminal is a very strange experience from start to finish. For a puzzle game, it manages to throw a huge number of new toys and surprises at you in its relatively short play time. I found myself enjoying a ton of the mechanics so much that I would simply experiment around with them for a while, unaware of how long I'd spent interacting with one single object. With all that said, I would recommend getting the game during a sale because of how short it is.… Expand
  15. giannis2001
    Jul 15, 2021
    8
    One of the best puzzle games you can play. The mechanic the puzzles were using was just genious. Highly recommend it.
  16. Kacek1996
    Dec 31, 2020
    8
    Superliminal is an indie game with nice mechanics. It's a puzzle game which uses the concept of perception and the fact that point of view differs from the point of being. Superliminal is quite a short game with comfy music. It dropped some frames on level8, but overall it was a fine experience which reminded me a little of Portal games. Good humor with great brain exercises which weren'tSuperliminal is an indie game with nice mechanics. It's a puzzle game which uses the concept of perception and the fact that point of view differs from the point of being. Superliminal is quite a short game with comfy music. It dropped some frames on level8, but overall it was a fine experience which reminded me a little of Portal games. Good humor with great brain exercises which weren't as hard as I thought they might be. 8/10 I will recommend it to friends as well.… Expand
  17. CatsNGames
    Sep 16, 2020
    8
    Very artsy game, but the gameplay is nothing special. It is more an interactive progressive experience, which it does extremely well
  18. lowey
    Jan 9, 2022
    8
    Nice chilled out game. Reminded me at times of The Stanley Parable, and some of the puzzles were reminiscent of Portal. One "puzzle" was a bit of a joke, and involved "looking" with the camera in a particular direction. It was so obtuse I had to look up the solution. But apart from that one ridiculous moment everything was pretty clear. My only real criticism would be that it was a littleNice chilled out game. Reminded me at times of The Stanley Parable, and some of the puzzles were reminiscent of Portal. One "puzzle" was a bit of a joke, and involved "looking" with the camera in a particular direction. It was so obtuse I had to look up the solution. But apart from that one ridiculous moment everything was pretty clear. My only real criticism would be that it was a little slow. All in all though I would recommend this game, it was a pleasurable (if short) game which I may very well return to in the future to try and collect the achievements I didn't acquire on the first play through.… Expand
  19. Dyl_lionaire
    Feb 11, 2023
    8
    I really interesting game, going in I only expected the mind-bending puzzles however the mini story explaining everything was a nice addition, at some points the game leaned into aimless territory especially in the ending then again that was the shortest part of the game so I guess I can excuse it.
  20. EdwardG
    Dec 27, 2020
    7
    Superliminal is a smart, inventive puzzle game all about perspective.

    The puzzles are good fun and are fairly original thanks to the game's unique mechanics. They're a little difficult to explain, but it's very intuitive when playing the game - for the most part, what it boils down to is that you can manipulate the size of some objects, and duplicate some others. It's a short game,    Superliminal is a smart, inventive puzzle game all about perspective.

    The puzzles are good fun and are fairly original thanks to the game's unique mechanics. They're a little difficult to explain, but it's very intuitive when playing the game - for the most part, what it boils down to is that you can manipulate the size of some objects, and duplicate some others. It's a short game, clocking in at a little over 2 hours, but Superliminal makes pretty good use of it's mechanics in that short runtime; the game manages to pack in a good number of satisfying puzzles plus a neat little story with a nice message that ties in to the game's themes perfectly. It could've pushed these mechanics further though, and the puzzles in the latter half of the game could've been more complex.

    Overall, I quite enjoyed Superliminal. It's a briskly paced puzzler with cool original mechanics that doesn't overstay it's welcome. It's not as refined as it could've been, and although the story is certainly thematically consistent, it's perhaps a little on the nose. However, this is a memorable experience through a strange dream world that's good fun for a couple of hours.    … Expand
  21. nusco
    Nov 18, 2021
    7
    Superliminal is a dreamy first-person puzzle game that plays with spatial perception and optical illusions.

    PROS: EXTREMELY TRIPPY: If you're looking for an oneiric, doors-of-perception kind of experience, it's hard to imagine a better game to scratch that itch. UNIQUE CORE CONCEPT: I cannot think of any other game that relies on the same idea of playing with perspective and your    Superliminal is a dreamy first-person puzzle game that plays with spatial perception and optical illusions.

    PROS:

    EXTREMELY TRIPPY: If you're looking for an oneiric, doors-of-perception kind of experience, it's hard to imagine a better game to scratch that itch.

    UNIQUE CORE CONCEPT: I cannot think of any other game that relies on the same idea of playing with perspective and your perception of scale.

    A FEW MEMORABLE SEQUENCES: One of the later levels pushes the idea of rescaling objects to interesting lengths, and results in a few moments that will probably stick with you.

    CONS:

    A FEW GOOD IDEAS, STRETCHED TOO THIN: Most puzzles are based on the same handful of good ideas. As the game progresses, those ideas get reused once too many times.

    SHAKY PERFORMANCE: The Switch struggles to keep a decent frame rate in some of the game's environment.

    DRAGS ON TOWARDS THE END: The final level or two could have been a memorable acid trip, but their flow is spoiled by too many arbitrary riddles and annoying maze-like puzzles.    … Expand
  22. jgmj921
    Mar 27, 2021
    7
    Overall a good puzzle game with decently designed atmosphere across the entire playthrough. However the puzzles are slightly repetitive and not highly interesting or thought provoking. The story itself is good yet not the level of SOMA or Talos Principle.
  23. spencerplewe
    Jul 18, 2020
    7
    It certainly fits in the mold of first-person puzzlers which usually blow your perceptive mind, which I’m a huge fan of, but this is a bit too short and undercooked for its full price. Definitely get on sale like I did.
  24. Silverfish003
    May 10, 2023
    7
    The game starts out really good, the puzzles are something new. Every "main" chapter (1-7) introduces its own gimmick to change the Basic mechanic a little. I completed the game without looking up the solutions, it was fun, but the puzzles were far too simple and they kept repeating. The ideas are fantastic, but none of them reached their full potential and that's what hurts. The 8th andThe game starts out really good, the puzzles are something new. Every "main" chapter (1-7) introduces its own gimmick to change the Basic mechanic a little. I completed the game without looking up the solutions, it was fun, but the puzzles were far too simple and they kept repeating. The ideas are fantastic, but none of them reached their full potential and that's what hurts. The 8th and 9th chapter is a walking simulator, sorry. I dislike the parts where hugging the walls was required to see if the walls aren't simply a fake illusion, as those didn't make good puzzles. I must admit though, this game proves that humans are extremely predictable and it depends on it a lot of times, and I kept getting caught off guard and then was really surprised, that's a huge plus.

    To summarize this review, Superliminal is a fun game but the puzzles are not often the "main feature" as you spend more time walking around hallways. Buy it only on sale, for the full price of 20$ it's not really worth it.    … Expand
  25. ur_mist
    Aug 20, 2020
    6
    Great idea and poor implementation. I am really a fan of this type of game and was very impressed with the trailer. Nevertheless, in fact, the game was very easy, the puzzles are pretty damn easy and simple. There is no sense of challenge, I really don't feel anything moving in my brain.
  26. kinktwink
    Aug 11, 2020
    6
    Really unique (from anything I've played anyway) and carries a really great theme. Several surprises and tonal shifts throughout kept me invested, but the gameplay did get a little repetitive and some of the puzzle solutions were nonsensical. A fun little game, even if I did get tired of falling through the floor towards the end.
  27. addictiya
    Jul 18, 2020
    6
    bought at full price and don't think it's worth the value.
    Got bored very fast, puzzle solutions are kinda repetitive.. Though there were def moments that surprised me, but before getting to those moments which only showed up once a while, I wasn't intrigued during most of the gameplay..
  28. Nathanimations
    Sep 4, 2022
    5
    Userscore too high. They were at the top of Best user rated games of all time.
  29. spikesagal
    Jul 21, 2020
    5
    This is almost a good game. The makers of Subliminal had a good idea about solving puzzle using perspective, and they sort of made it work, but they got so many things wrong.

    Starting with the game's strengths, some of the puzzles are genuinely challenging and thought-provoking. I also found it interesting that in certain stages the player can find a way outside of the puzzle area, and    This is almost a good game. The makers of Subliminal had a good idea about solving puzzle using perspective, and they sort of made it work, but they got so many things wrong.

    Starting with the game's strengths, some of the puzzles are genuinely challenging and thought-provoking. I also found it interesting that in certain stages the player can find a way outside of the puzzle area, and enjoy a sort of an easter egg. All this would've been fun, if it weren't for some glaring issues.

    This is where it starts to fall apart. In a first-person 3D puzzler, it's important to get the movement mechanics right, and unfortunately Superliminal just didn't. Both movement and look-around are locked at a constant speed, making this game extremely cumbersome to navigate. Top that with the fact that many of the puzzles require fairly precise positioning, and you've got yourself an constant exercise in frustration.

    The narration is simply terrible. The makers of Subliminal clearly tried to imitate Portal narratively, but had neither the writing talent, nor the voice acting talent available to them, winding up with a monotonous, repetitive set of bad jokes, and no character development whatsoever.

    The puzzles range from pretty good to not a puzzle. Many of the game's "puzzles" consist of walking from point A to point B, which sometimes takes an excruciatingly long time, due to the game's physics and movement mechanics. Other puzzles required finding a grab-able object among a room full non-grab-able objects, providing no way to distinguish between them.

    Late in the game, a certain puzzle stage has a fail state. As in, if you wind up there, you have to go to the menu and restart from the last check point. Mind you, this is the only point in the game that has a fail state. I literally spent half an hour trying to get out of it, before I finally looked it up in a walk-through, and proceeded to facepalm.

    The game's graphics are just mediocre. The models, shading, and lighting are primitive, but they work fairly well with this type of game. However, there are a few artifacts that occur while using the game's perspective-shifting mechanics, that sort of break the immersion.

    The sound design, on the other hand, is barely even there. Nothing about it is memorable, or helps the game in any way. Was there music? Environmental cues? Ambience? All I remember is that objects make noises when they're dropped.

    Superliminal was so close to being good, that it would totally pass as a good prototype of a game, but it fails terribly as an actual game, due to a lack of any sort of polish, as well as an abundance of design elements that make it excessively frustrating to play.    … Expand
  30. gentakojima
    Jul 16, 2020
    4
    I read that this game was a bit dull, so I didn't have any high expectations. There's just a pair of moments when you say "oh, that's clever". And then there's the rest of the game.

    There is some kind of British narrator that breaks the fourth wall, like in Stanley Parable. There are also some puzzles with visual effects, like in The Witness. There are some other puzzles with    I read that this game was a bit dull, so I didn't have any high expectations. There's just a pair of moments when you say "oh, that's clever". And then there's the rest of the game.

    There is some kind of British narrator that breaks the fourth wall, like in Stanley Parable. There are also some puzzles with visual effects, like in The Witness. There are some other puzzles with non-euclidean spaces, much like Portal or Antichamber. But the game does not excel at anything. There are also some issues with performance and implementation of some visual effects, but that might just be a problem of the Switch version.

    It's also quite short, but the game still managed to get me bored to death. This is definitely nothing compared with the cleverness of some other clever games like the games mentioned above, or some others available on the Switch, like Baba is You.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Nintendojo
    Aug 16, 2024
    91
    Overall, I enjoyed my time with Superliminal. I love how the game constantly plays with the user’s expectations, and the unique gimmick made for some puzzles that stumped me. The ever shifting visuals kept me engaged all the way through and made me excited to see what the game would do next. While it is a little short at around three hours, it is an experience that I believe most people should try. While the game can be short and simple, it creates a fun and engaging time throughout.
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  2. SECTOR.sk
    Jun 16, 2022
    80
    Superliminal offers one of the freshest ideas we have seen in first person puzzle games in many years. The main negative point here is the game's length, since you can complete it in just 2 hours.
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  3. DarkStation
    Aug 19, 2020
    80
    All in all, I had fun with Superliminal. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and moderately challenging (but not too difficult) puzzle game. As long as you aren’t looking for cutting edge graphics or a strong narrative, I think there is a lot of fun to be had here. You will have to deal with some literally dream nonsense logic, though. But isn’t that half the fun?
    Read full review
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