Hyperbolica

Hyperbolica
N/A
Metacritic
84
Steam
78.961
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Release date
14 March 2022
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
84 (1 091 votes)

A Non-Euclidean adventure through space and time.

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Hyperbolica system requirements

Minimum:

Developer did not provide minimum system requrements, or we do not know them yet.

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
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tomi-lu
tomi-lu

The game is beautifully designed, gives a complete new perspective on space and everything related to it. It has a good mix of puzzles and skill based content and finally surprises with a story that is deeper than first expected. Perfect for a direct playthrough and really good fun. I definitely recommend it to everyone

Eincrou
Eincrou

[i]

Bugs Max
Bugs Max

Wow
This game is just such a mind-fuck
In VR its unfortunately a bit motion sickness inducing but I managed to hold my lunch for a solid half an hour. After that I opted to play in flat-screen mode. Either way of playing felt seamless and mesmerising. The game is somewhat light on, especially considering its price but what's there is rich and dense. At a good price I'd recommend this game, non-vr and vr users alike

Quality Gull
Quality Gull

The hyperbolic world is interesting but I found the actual gameplay/story to be pretty dull and left me bored.

VHenrik
VHenrik

Super interesting visuals, and a unique experience with some lighthearted and fun dialogues. Loved it.

ſɪʟʟʏ ſᴀᴅᴀſꜱ
ſɪʟʟʏ ſᴀᴅᴀſꜱ

Hyperbolica is... a game. It's more of a tech demo though.
I really want to be able to recommend this game, but there's just nothing here. There's a grand total of 2 puzzles that take advantage of the properties of non-Euclidean spaces, one in spherical space and one in hyperbolic space, which were probably the only interesting parts of the game. There's also the maze, but since you get a map it's kinda trivial, and all it amounts too is "woah, you take take 3 left turns and not return where you started!".
The rest of the game is running around and taking to NPCs, just to pad out the playtime. Which could be forgiven if the story was any good, but it's not. The main plot is you running around and collecting things, and then you fight a boss by orbiting him as he fires projectiles into himself while he explains everything. That's it, that's the entire story. There's a true ending, but it's just more collecting and another boss fight that's more or less the same as the regular ending.
If you really want to play around with Hyperbolic space, play HyperRogue, it actually takes advantage of the properties of non-Euclidean space.

SomeRandomLog
SomeRandomLog

This game is just a walking simulator tech demo. I can't even play for more than 10 minutes at a time, not because of motion sickness, but because of how boring it is. It's such a shame because I followed the devlogs since they started.

Foxxo
Foxxo

In a word, this game is tedious. The properties of hyperbolic geometry also don't seem to be used at all for puzzles. You just travel from point to point on meaningless quests in a space that seems like it only incidentally happens to have hyperbolic geometry.

Crazy Dave
Crazy Dave

Just a very charming and witty romp through a hyperbolic world, if that's what you want, you'll like this game, if it's not, than no.

Altaris
Altaris

Great concept, but feels too uncanny and gives me headaches. And there only so many ways to make hyperbolic geometry a fun gameplay element. 5/10 would still recommend though.

redegg89
redegg89

While it's a cool concept, it's more of a tech demo than a game and, in my opinion, a little overpriced. At $11.04 on sale, it's still a little much for not much in return, but it's easier to justify. With my current price/hour ratio being about $3, it's similar to my Superhot VR ratio, but I'm also not done with SHVR yet.

TL;DR: It's a tech demo that I would recommend getting on sale.

eat-your-glory
eat-your-glory

I loved this game.
and here's why:
It's a completely different experience than any 3D game because it uses Hyperbolic geometry.
It introduces the player to such complex concepts in a such simple way.
It may get you dizzy, but if you don't play it for too much at a time, you can breeze past this game pretty easily.
The game is also pretty short but pretty fun and pretty innovative!
I wouldn't call this a tech demo, even tho much bigger things could spark out of this concept and engine!
Great work CodeParade!

Supdograinbarff
Supdograinbarff

Interesting game, wish I could skip some of the dialogue tho.

Canti
Canti

Super cool concept executed very well. Other than the story, I don't really care about anything that any of the characters have to say. But the general design of the environments is mind bending and really interesting. It's a fun game to show to people to confuse them. VR works, I do wish I had smooth turning though.

nietaki
nietaki

I love how CodeParade is pushing the envelope on what's possible in computer games and going against what's traditionally done. I loved Marble Marcher and was very excited about Hyperbolica.

That being said Hyperbolica is a great tech demo, but a terrible game. The world is littered with hundreds of basically identical characters, most of whom have nothing interesting to say. Still, talking to them seems to be the way to push the plot forward. The world is mostly empty and boring, if not for the non-euclidian effects. I played the game for over an hour and managed to find one piece of what you could consider gameplay, which consisted of pushing a chest around the beach.

I know CodeParade is an indie developer, so I wouldn't mind it if the game was short or not polished. From the screenshots I know there's gameplay in it, but I really can't force myself to sift through the non-content to find it.

I really hope the game goes through some playtesting and gets updated/re-released in a more fun incarnation.

Still, I don't regret buying the game and you should consider buying it too. We need more out-of-the-box tech ideas like this one!

badyherz
badyherz

What a fun world to explore :o
I saw a lot of people having problems understanding these worlds, thats why I wanted to try it out for myself. Funny enough I had no problems at all. I wonder why. Everything just made sense.
I never got lost.
The secret story ending really got me, I diddnt expect that.

P R E T Z L
P R E T Z L

This game gave me motion sickness without VR

Mkkt Bkkt
Mkkt Bkkt

I could not believe that game with such geometry is so boring.
There is too much dialogs and not much gameplay.
But I want to support the author. I hope he will make something really interesting in future.

same as it ever was
same as it ever was

I recommend playing this in short bursts if you easily get dizzy or motion-sick. Great game, but gosh is my head spinning...

nromaai2
nromaai2

Good idea, bad game - even if it didnt crash every time I played

meowy o.o
meowy o.o

It's a bit trippy and literally hurt my brain. Don't buy it unless you know what it's about. It's basically a tech demo with a game wrapped around it. Watch the YouTube videos before you buy!

Freshie51
Freshie51

My opinion: buy on sale. The mechanics are very interesting, but the gameplay is dull. Characters are a bit boring, but some of them have something really interesting to say. The surface layer of this game is a walking simulator, but there are spots where that gets more deep and more satisfying. As an art demo it's remarkable, but as a game it's not that insanely cool.

I will say that I thought the art was pretty and perfect for the theme they were going for! Some of the characters had pretty cute lines too. The music was good, even though the rocketskis music started to grate because that took me so many tries. But that happens in games. If I sound really critical, keep in mind I still really liked it! These devs have interesting ideas and the ability to break the rules to make them real, and that's cool.

VJFranzK
VJFranzK

Amazing weird geometry based puzzle / adventure! Warped 3D view looks like "dream logic" or some of these AI Art outputs... more TBA

HuGo
HuGo

A Good Idea Squandered.

I learned about this game from CodeParade's Dev Log on it. While it's an interesting idea it fumbles capturing its ideas through half hearted mini-games. It frustratingly leaves things too underdeveloped, using each idea only once before outright removing it from the game world never to be seen again.

The worst part however, must be the world. In its uninspired design, its shocking linearity, its completely nonsensical trappings as a world of dreams within a virtual reality simulation, and pained dialogue so thunderously boring you’ll mash through it.

The game always seems to have the potential, if it just cut the fat, if it just did fewer things well, if it built on mechanics. For example; The drone race, art gallery, snow land catapult, and even the sub story about a content creator are all seedlings of great elements which show interesting gameplay, fascinating world building, awe-inspiring visuals, and compelling characters (bad monologues aside) could of existed in this game if CodeParade had built on what he no doubt has worked so hard to make, took risks to make a real world, leaned harder into what drew him and the player into hyper-geometry, and hired a writer to help him make an actually well written story.

He gets so close, and yet painfully falls short creating a disappointing game that’s too safe, brushes by too fast, and quietly tries to get out of your way after apologizing to you, without leaving an impression.

Chase
Chase

Unfortunately gives me pretty bad motion sickness

IronGoliath84
IronGoliath84

Brilliant visualization of a non-euclidean world. It fits the game and its quests really well

@
@

As someone who is a fan of walking simulators, Hyperbolica was a very fun experience. The story itself is nothing too special- but I find that it's made up for by charming dialogue and a brilliant, innovative design. This game excels at getting you lost after walking in a straight line- in the best way possible. Every time it happened, rather than being frustrated, my mind was blown. Incredibly clever stuff. Snag it when its on sale.

GUNMAN1331
GUNMAN1331

I watched the making of this game and liked the concept and following along.  
The game play was alright, nothing too special.   The hyperbolic space is fun and trippy though the novelty of it wears off pretty quickly.  It's fun to see how things work and the quarks of hyperbolic space.  I think one playthrough is plenty for me.  I got lucky and ended up at the snow level for my last area.  That's where things really took a turn downhill for me.  Forced to talk to the NPCs which is quite the chore with not enough direction where to go and then the longest game of telephone.  I think if I came to this place first I don't know if I would have made it through the rest of the game.   Then the end was very unclear.  Spoilers - All I did was walk for 15 mins and somehow the game ended.   Not sure what I was supposed to do but whatever I did it worked.
Do I regret buying this game no.   I'm happy to support a small creator with a unique design.   Thanks for making the game.
Maybe there will be a Hyperbolica 2 

PianoMan
PianoMan

Astounding!

I followed the development videos from the beginning, and couldn't wait to finally try it out.
In every way I was positively surprised.
There are so many things I loved about the graphics, the artwork. the animation, the dialogue, the story and the gameplay. All in all I think it's a very well polished and very expertly done game with an amazing concept to begin with.

My playtime was 5 hours to get all the achievements, and I enjoyed every second.
Thank you CodeParade!

thnee
thnee

It's a very unique and cool game. Is it worth 14 bucks? Not really. There is an extremely limited amount of actual gameplay, mostly you just walk around and look at stuff. You can expect to get a maximum of like 5 hours out of this. But the concept is so cool and unique, that I am happy with it anyway.

0lympy
0lympy

Amazing non-euclidian experience!

Bornato
Bornato

Honestly? The game is impressive for its engine work.

About gameplay and story? It just SUCKS. It consists of talking to 10000 characters and what they have to say, and for you to progress, it feels like you gotta talk to EVERYONE, cuz everyone has something different and some random characters just give you something random. Also, it doesn't really display to you whether a character is important or not, and it's just FLOODED with random characters.

The story is nothing much interesting and doesn't get anywhere really. Some characters made me feel like "oh, maybe it's not THAT bad" just for them to be used only for one mini "game".

Great premise, was really promising and was really well worked on, but it lacked a LOT on gameplay.

Markonius
Markonius

I like the developer and the concept is cool, but unfortunately, there's not much of a game here.

♦ Jules ♦
♦ Jules ♦

A really cool engine and a bunch of interesting ideas!

Mired with an uncountable number of "quirky" NPCs that I cannot begin to make myself care about. The story and dialog... for the love of god Cornelius, please shut up and go away.

vincent.lovecchio
vincent.lovecchio

Hyperbolica. Hyperbolic space. Spherical space. Good concept. Makes for a cool game. Good twist, wish there was level editor in one of the buildings.

batCattle
batCattle

It's a trip if you like fractals, weird spatial geometry, trips. It's a tour/demo type thing, more about the spaces than a game.

modulatemymetric
modulatemymetric

I LOVE it, I remember going to De Sitter Farms, jumped on the spring pads, and WOOSH! I ended up on the other side! Very cool, but hurts my brain a little bit. Thank you for making this CodeParade!

Pb_ft
Pb_ft

I thought I was ready for hyperbolic space.

I was not ready for hyperbolic space.

10/10 - would get hilariously disoriented again.

jonatan.larsson10
jonatan.larsson10

While the idea of a true Non-euclidean game ( not stuff like portals and perspective tricks ) is very cool and the Hyperbolica Engine will probably be used in many innovative games. I also watched the devlogs CodeParade made. However, that will not stop me from pointing out the large problem that many reviews ( mainly negative ) talk about:

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚. I'd personally say that it's more of a showcase of Hyperbolic and Spherical geometry than an actual game. Plus many of the characters have no purpose to the ( basically nonexistant ) story and only appear once to comment about something.

Despite all of these, if you wanna play this game, i recommend to do that in VR first ( because that's what i did ) because when i played it normally, it just felt shallow. Something peculiar about VR mode is that in the hyperbolic part of the nil bossfight the game lagged like crazy, may have just been something on the hardware end but it is something of note.

If there was an option for a "kinda" recommendation i would choose that, because while it's engine can ( and probably will ) be used for many innovative games ( like i said earlier ), the game on itself isn't really a game. So in the meanwhile, i'll have to go with a No.

♣LEW
♣LEW

got a headache 10 minutes in but the boner i got lasted much longer so idk u tell me

palmtree
palmtree

time doesn't exist while playing this game in vr

Mikael Åkerfeldt
Mikael Åkerfeldt

Terrific non euclidean experience.

CheerfulSpider
CheerfulSpider

Hyperbolica is unique, but short. Exploring a genuinely non-Euclidean space is delightfully mind-bending.

DangerousGlasses
DangerousGlasses

played normally
puked normally
played in VR
puked my intestines out
10/10 would recommend; nausea medication strongly suggested

FTWGaming
FTWGaming

What even is a square anymore, because it's no longer a four-sided shape where all angles are 90°.

xarx
xarx

I was looking forward to this ... non-flat space experience ... for a long time. And yes, from this point of view I am satisfied. The game, though, is very childish - but I didn't play this because of the game.

I wonder, however, whether the space in the game really had smooth curvature. Sometimes I had a feeling that the space was glued out of smaller flat pieces, instead (especially at the beach).

Zekava
Zekava

To put it succinctly, there wasn't enough content for the price.

I have every achievement in the game, having scoured it for content and dialogue, and, well, you can see my playtime. I followed the development logs from day 1, as I was already in those spheres of the 'Tube (math, video game development). However, this just doesn't live up to the size expected from a $15 game, let alone one where there's more space per SPACE. This is the exact kind of game that I love to play, pushing limits and breaking new ground, but it kinda falls flat when you explore for 3-6 hours and are met with wall after wall, and you can't help but think, "is that it?"

I understand that the development was as ground-breaking as it gets, having to forge new tools to develop hyperbolic games. I hope that it doesn't go to waste, and that perhaps a sequel of sorts will come out now that all the prohibitively hard work is done. The story was alright, the graphics are far better than, say, Hyperrogue's, and most of the zones were mostly compelling and a thrill to simply exist in, until you get used to them. I did actively enjoy my time for about 80% of the experience, which is more than can be said for many games I've played and would still consider a good purchase.

The real issue is the price tag. $15 is far too much for a 3-6 hour experience. At $3, this would be a steal if you like math, and a decent price otherwise. At $5, this would be a decent price for nerds like myself, but would be a barrier to people trying things outside their comfort zone. I would still buy it at $8, knowing what I know now, but I am the exact target audience for this game. $10 would be pushing it. $15 is kind of ridiculous, and I would not have purchased it if I had known how small it was.

Maybe pick this up on sale if it seems sufficiently compelling despite its size, but $15 is an absolute joke for how small this game is... and how small this game is is particularly egregious considering how big hyperbolic space is.

Valkyrie
Valkyrie

I played this for 40 minutes, and it seemed fine. But as soon as I quit the game, I was immediately very nauseous and dizzy. I was not playing with VR, so maybe that would be better.

Mr. Moose
Mr. Moose

Navigating hyperbolic space is simply difficult. Making a game that is based entirely in hyperbolic space must've been incredibly difficult. Much more so than CodeParades dev logs on YouTube probably shows. For being such a short game, the concept itself was really fun and interesting and made my eyes hurt.
I haven't played it in VR yet but frankly that seems like a really disorienting time.

Aprillion
Aprillion

A masterpiece innovation, I thoroughly enjoyed both the hyperbolic and spherical areas.

Narrative is based around explaining all the concepts, but in witty and funny way. The maze was intuitive for me (after a fashion, just counting the turns intellectually, not that I orient with my sense of direction) and I didn't get lost there,, but I totally got lost in the museum (which is just one floor without any walls and I thought I can orient just fine .. but somehow I still haven't visited all artefacts).

However, the rocket skis are just pure evil, that was too fast for me and I had to stop trying as it was giving me motion sickness because it's so fast. All the other puzzles and jumps are enjoyable for me.

sablef6
sablef6

I love it, very cool game, highly recommend. May cause motion sickness, but you'll get over it. I did at least..

RichardEpsilonHughes
RichardEpsilonHughes

I AM ROTATING HARDER THAN I HAVE EVER ROTATED BEFORE

Anonymous
Anonymous

Followed this game ,on Youtube, through development and was very excited for it's release; but it's exceeded my expectations!

Pixel_Gamer
Pixel_Gamer

It is only worth it if you are going to 100% the game because there is very little game. Cool game mechanics though!

fifthpuddle13
fifthpuddle13

I liked it.
Wholesome story with good foreshadowing (if you talk to certain npcs), decent twist and surprisingly dark undertones/themes although they're definitely not explored as much as they could have been. not really an issue though cause i didn't really expect much of a story to begin with since its main selling point, as many have stated, is the weird environments it has you explore. In that regard it met and even surpassed my expectations.
I've seen many criticise the gameplay but to me it just sounds like they wanted another game entirely but with this geometry. I'm sure hyperbolic fps and platformers will come eventually but for what Hyperbolica is, its very enjoyable.
The dialogue is interesting and varied and, having literally talked to every single npc, there is only a handful that I'd say didnt have anything to add or would have been better left out. this is subjective obviously as i am the kind of kid who would talk to every npc i could find in pokemon as well.
The puzzles aren't too challenging but they show you the different ways you can interact with non-euclidian geometry and the mini-games, although a bit clunky, are a lot of fun.
it's also nice to be able to collect everything in a game without it taking months off your life.

Short game so probably wait for a sale if your not sure you'll like it, but worth full price imo if you're looking for the kind of unique experience it offers.

geshusbakagen
geshusbakagen

good shit
idk i really liked the story and lore it was pretty simple and even the sidequests (if you can call them that) were pretty fun
definitely dont play this in one go tho lol i legit got nausea after playing for like 2 or 3 hours
take a break
drink some water
then come back

Tiotharius_Ardu
Tiotharius_Ardu

I'm just going to be up front about this. This is not a game, it's more of a tech demo or interactive art, though there is a collectathon-style aspect to it if you want to explore the worlds further. This can be beaten in about an hour and a half, just on a casual playthrough, so it is a little on the short side.
However, it is a stunning marvel of a tech demo, exploring the possibility of utilising hyperbolic space in an interactive format, and a great example of the beginnings of what could be done with it. CodeParade has made some videos on YouTube exploring the possibility of hyperbolic space, even emulating it in a game engine. This is a prime example of the sheer amount of time and effort they have put into this exploration, and I am glad I spent the money on this.
If you are looking to explore concepts never-before-seen in an interactive format, please: Buy Hyperbolica. It has been amazing to see what has become of CodeParade's work, not to mention everyone else who worked on this.

BaronSpectator
BaronSpectator

Delightful new mind-bender. Better-polished than all the others I've played recently, and is actually playable on my potato, unlike most games available today. Aside from occasional camera shakiness, I can't fault it. It doesn't *feel* low-spec.
As to the gameplay, I literally cannot explain it. Nothing I can say will make sense until you play the game. There's more than 360 degrees in a circle. Everything is really far away but you can get there at a slow walk. It takes five right-angle right-turns to make a left. More inventive than Portal.

Apex-Nade-Slut
Apex-Nade-Slut

Amazing experience. Well worth the money

Micr0waveMan
Micr0waveMan

I feel conflicted, the worlds and environment are amazing, and I'm glad that I got to experience them, but the gameplay itself can be rough. Pretty much all of the more active segments suffer from bad movement or awkward controls, and it really can hurt how fun it is to play. Fortunately, much of that can be rebalanced in patches, and that seems to be happening now. Hopefully the developer continues to refine the game as he receives more feedback and it reaches its full potential, I wouldn't have any qualms recommending this to anyone if the sorta broken parts get fixed.

Kestah
Kestah

Amazing experience with several "wow" moments. The story is compelling which motivates exploration and talking with NPCs. Platforming, flying as a drone, and roller skating in the cafe were some of my highlights. I was frustrated by the gopher/burrow projectile puzzle because it seemed a bit random but I was glad some NPCs gave hints and it might just be me.
Also I really appreciate ultrawide support in a title like this even though I did not expect it for an indie title.
Will probably come back to 100% this down the line.

4PPL35
4PPL35

Having trouble correctly perceiving real life squares now. 10/10

Flufferpup
Flufferpup

Interesting premise, but it's ultimately just a bland "walk around and talk to people" adventure game and barely even uses its gimmick from a gameplay perspective. Also, the game is much too short as I finished it in just 80 minutes and considering that the game isn't anything all too special, it ain't really worth the price of entry.

ltdk
ltdk

the tech for using hyperbolic/spherical geometry in Unity is really, really neat, and some parts of the game are quite fun, but it feels like there are some things that really could be polished better. it should have control remapping (will probably be added as a post-launch update), the existing hint system seems mostly useless (supposedly is a lot better since I've played), and there are some nice things NPCs explain that imho shouldn't have been optional, like how to use the map

I do really hope the dev ends up successful and am looking forward to what he makes in the future though, and if you're willing to spend the money on an okay afternoon game, I'd say it's still worth it. I would have liked some more guidance in-game, since slow walking makes checking places a bit of a pain

overall: decent game; highly recommend as an afternoon play

Emp Empeukowicz Empischon
Emp Empeukowic…

My only complaint is that it is so short

Javulas
Javulas

I love non-euclidian worlds. This game has an adorable story and sound track. Ending caught me off-guard. Worth a buy.

Lilyofluck
Lilyofluck

It's very interesting to look at, but I believe it's quite sparse in game-play. Not my cup of tea. It feels like a walking simulator (and not the good kind). Its devlogs were interesting. Probably more fun to make than to play.

frankjr
frankjr

There really isn't much of a game here but I bought it because it looked trippy af and it didn't disappoint there.

Imagination_nub
Imagination_nub

I tried it out in vr immediately after getting it and almost puked from motion sickness. Once I almost got used to hyperbolic geometry, My headset battery was running out (I was playing on an oculus Quest 2 using Virtual Desktop) and I almost puked from normal geometry afterwards.

Now I know what to do if I don't wanna go to school tomorrow.

But seriously, if you don't get motion sick from playing this game in VR, you don't get motion sick.

astatos85
astatos85

CodeParade, I loved this. I would recommend it to any gamer. I got this game strictly for the mathematical challenge it presented. I adore geometry so there was an immediate desire to play this game as soon as you announced it. I see plenty of others talking about how great this game was but there is a sense in which this is now my all-time favorite game. I’d like to explain.

I do not generally think of myself as a cutesy-type person but this game had some very minor but nevertheless weighty and wholesome points in it. The ending of course where everyone leaves is a worthy send off. When Cornelius turns around one last time before leaving, had me tearing up. Also the easily-ignorable line of dialogue explains how the plasma rifle DOES NOT hurt or kill the gophers. I’m not sure what it was about that line — but it got me. Such a minor detail for me to latch on to but these show the passion and emotion which went into this game which didn’t necessarily need to be there. There was a sensitivity and fellowship which came from this game that even the most complex RPG’s do not have. It was far from a mere experiment in gaming. You really outdid yourself here, dude. Cheers to you and this great game, hope to see many others like it soon!

Jdbye
Jdbye

This game messes with my head, in a good way. I've never played anything like it. Walking around in a place where the physics are so fundamentally different from our own is a weird feeling that's hard to explain, you kinda just have to try it for yourself.
I haven't tried out the VR support yet but I bet it's even better than on desktop. Disclaimer, I take no responsibility if you come out of VR after playing the game and you are unable to think in 3 dimensions anymore.
This is probably not the VR game for those who are prone to motion sickness, but other than that, you'll have a great time whether you're playing on desktop or VR.

S
S

Great game, and a nice break from the the euclidean geometry that's used in basically every game and even real life.

Simply moving around in this game is a pretty unique experience and the game's story is short but sweet. Many of the characters feel very well defined too. There's also some pretty good humour.

I should however mention that the game has some difficult parts that are required to progress. It lets you quickly retry these sections if you fail, but they can still get repetitive and annoying. It would be nice if failing enough times unlocks an easy mode, or if a crosshair was displayed in the sections that require aim. Also, moving around first person in a different geometry is not for everyone. It might make some people a bit dizzy.

Personally though, I found moving around in this distorted world really fun!
It's a cool experience.
Would definitely recommend.

401933742
401933742

Spent 3 fxxking hrs on the rocket ski minigame. Other than that pretty neat

talkingseed
talkingseed

...it's a lot by the end, idk how i feel about it.

Eggies
Eggies

The game is quite fun to play honestly, but if you're not interested in ready or story at all, then don't get this game.

This game's main appeal is its visual gimmick, fun little bonds you form with some of the characters, and minigames and puzzles.

Its main downside is that it's pretty short and little to no replay value.

I WOULD agree that if you're looking for "bang for your buck" this game is not it. But if you're interested in experiencing what hyperbolic space is like for yourself, and enjoy cute dialogue and minigames, then it's a decent purchase!

Machmar
Machmar

10/10 game.
I really do not enjoy replaing games or movies, however, with hyperbolicas amazing fel and atmosphere I allways feel excited to just open the game and be in the world.
Truly amazing, and like BONEWROKS, this game is no tech demo.

GO PLAY IT NOW!

csha
csha

I'm a huge fan of experiments in non-euclidean rendering. However, in this game they are massively overshadowed by terrible dialogue, boring quests and overall bad design choices.

bara
bara

It looks interesting but the gameplay is awful.

fli3
fli3

Great game that explores the possibilities of non-euclidean gameplay.

Gery The Great
Gery The Great

The gaming aspect of this game is... boring. But the visual aspect and the non-flat space experience is enough to recommend this game for this pricepoint. And it gets even freakier on VR (although there are some bugs there)

feral, frothing gamer w/ rabies
feral, frothin…

it actually feels like a more normal experience in VR than it does in 2d (´。_。`)

BungieBee
BungieBee

Can't be a Communist robot 0/5 stars on Yelp

Needlebeard_Games
Needlebeard_Games

Incredible tech and trippy visuals. While I can't say it's a good game, it is a fantastic tech demo. Imagining these systems in other genres of games is something I hope is explored more (a pirate treasure hunting game would break my brain in all the right ways).

Nob
Nob

Great game, I recommend playing it while high

Lamanite
Lamanite

I was really looking forward to this game, but it turned out to be 10 minutes of gameplay muddled with hours of dialogue.

Anchovy
Anchovy

Incredibly polished and well executed for an indie title. I will say, I had the impression of this game being larger than it is, but I feel now that the scale is more than enough for a kind of game like this.

Also DeSitter fields gave me vertigo.

10/10

ZEPH
ZEPH

cool game and all, but waaaaay too short for it's price

porta2note
porta2note

LOVED this game! I was waiting 2 years for it and it didn't disappoint. It bends your brain and really plays with your sense of perception, but there's a cool, lighthearted & funny puzzle game mixed in there too. Runs well on modest hardware, and it's really polished and well optimized for such a small dev team. Big thanks for including the in game map, a sorely-missed feature in a lot of modern titles. It's fairly short, but it *respects your time* and delivers a good experience instead of being padded out with a ton of fluff or grinding.

My only major complaint is there's no way to remap controls and it only works with Xinput (i.e. Xbox) controllers instead of generic DirectInput joysticks and stuff. The default key layout also doesn't work very well with my ergonomic keyboard. This is a major accessibility feature and it's my sincere hope the dev can add it in with a future update. There *is* demand for re-bindable controls.

If you want something totally unique to play with mechanics you won't find anywhere else, definitely pick this one up!

TheScepticBlock
TheScepticBlock

This... I did not expect this game to be way more trippy than I thought it would be. Had I used VR I probably would've fallen down irl a couple of times. The game is short but the experience is very unique... and trippy.

I did notice that on the native linux version the text boxes and map were flickery so if you are playing on linux or devices with Steam OS I'd recommend playing with Proton enabled HOWEVER enabling Proton does make certain spoiler-y cutscenes/movies not play at all or play really weirdly depending on the version of Proton you use.

tripod fish
tripod fish

Fun little game that does a great job showing all the effects of non-euclidean geometry.

anyway i hate cornelius

i wanna thank my cat
i wanna thank my cat

Prior to playing Hyperbolica, I had been watching the dev-log videos and keeping up to data with the game's development. Learning about non-euclidean geometry has been an interest of mine and playing this game was a fantastic way to see how living in these geometries would look and feel. Throughout the game I had to rewire my internal guidance, trying to get an intuition of the areas. After while I was able to, generally, get around well.

The story of the game was not that exciting, but it didn't need to be since it wasn't the star of the show. My main criticism of the game is that there should be a sprint button. Running back and forth to fully 100% of the game took longer because of that, but was still manageable.

Overall, if you are interested in experiencing non-euclidean geometry, then I would recommend this game!

koboldskeep
koboldskeep

A neat space-bending (and mind-bending) tech demo, with some story attached! The warped space is generally used to make exploring spaces more interesting, because you're always going to turn around and find something you didn't realize was there. Exploring rewards you with more characters to talk to about the strange virtual world.

If you're a math nerd who enjoys geometry, you'll love this.

tianlechen
tianlechen

Cool idea but it's really uncomfortable moving around in VR and it gets way worse in non-euclidean space. Tryu it If you don't get sick though.

Hells Ticket
Hells Ticket

It's a short game but I really enjoyed my time with it. There are lots of fun characters and I thought their dialogue was well written, I really felt a connection talking to them and was rooting for them! The mini games and puzzles throughout were fun and tied in well with the characters. I thought they were a great way to show how the various spaces worked. I would pick a favorite place but I really enjoyed them all! Overall a great game with a very unique concept.

The only things holding this back I would say are the price and the nausea inducing perspective. Luckily I was able to adapt to the perspective after only playing for a little bit but I could definitely see how some people would not be able to play through the whole game because of it. In regards to the price, it is a bit steep considering the length of the game but I wanted to support the developer because what he's made is very impressive. It's well polished and an extremely unique concept. If you don't know much about the developer I highly suggest looking up CodeParade on YouTube. The devlogs for this game are really interesting. I'm really looking forward to more from CodeParade and I wish him and the team all the best!

wandervrk
wandervrk

the game is short but very enjoyable, even dreamed with it last night. this non-euclidean space stuff really is some crazy shit lmao

bcsepregi
bcsepregi

in the 14 mins of playing, I didn't feel like I got what I paid for (I bought the game on sale). also, the game itself felt kind of lost; I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do.

CANICVS
CANICVS

Very cool tech demo. For context, I played it using an Index and the Knuckles controllers, in seated VR.
CONS:
The controls felt extremely clunky during parts of game requiring movement in 3D, like during the ending sequence, and the snap rotation felt a bit slow.
A recenter view button would be highly appreciated in VR. In the classroom scene, I was clipping behind my chair.
PROS:
A truly unique experience. There are very few games with non-Euclidean local geometry (i.e. hyperbolic local geometry), especially ones with an actual story.
The story is cute, if a little silly.
The minigames are challenging, but definitely doable.

Other notes:
This definitely feels like a highly polished demo game rather than a full game. My 3.6 hour play time includes an hour long break I took. If you're looking for replayability, this probably isn't the game for you.
The game is heavily dialog focused. Most of the moment to moment gameplay is focused on figuring out where to go in non-Euclidean space, rather than platforming (which does make a brief appearance) or physics puzzling (which also makes a brief appearance). But most of the gameplay is purely based on exploring the world you're in, rather than interacting with the world.

Solid
Solid

I saw some of the making of the game and then shut myself away from it. And that was my mistake. On paper and in prototype this is amazing. Creating and interacting with worlds quite literally impossible. Not thanks to a story and art direction, but the mechanics of perspective and distorting what's possible. At this time it is unique in mechanics; to a degree that no other game has come close to.

Except it's not just that. I really wish it was.

On top of everything I glowed about there is now a game. Makes sense; gotta make something for people to do with these impossible mechanics. Except the games you'd suspect; shooter, action, exploration, puzzle... it's a walking sim. Yes you go on little side quests where the mechanics change; jump high or faster movement. Most of the game I played was walking to generic NPCs claiming to be amazed by a VR world. They were having a better time than I was. I thought the boot up on a classroom was going to be a set up for the game to then open up and defy expectation. When it was more of the same I was so deflated.

My core issue isn't the game; it functions. It's that you have Superliminal who has a single mechanic and goes hard with presentation. Antichamber who understands it's mechanics on a base level and fits gameplay to perfectly match them. Then you have Hyperbolica; stalling out the game with NPC chatter. Some of the best mechanics tucked away behind text boxes. I respect what has been created, but it lose me before I saw it.

SirSwedeMan
SirSwedeMan

Hyperbolica feels like the end result of a long evolution of games with the of premise non-euclidian geometry, all of it made by a single developer.


+Entirely unique visuals with the hyperbolic and spherical geometry.
+Well thought out gameplay which complements and builds on the trippy visuals.
+Simple but fitting graphics and models, especially at the museum.
+Surprisingly fun and interesting story, including a final boss and a redemption arc. Don't
expect an emotional masterpiece though.


-Rather short, though there are some activities to be done after completion.
Some may conclude it's the perfect size.
-The farm activity was quite annoying and difficult (skill issue?).
-A lot of the limited time was spent walking around, instead of actual gameplay. Maybe this
comes from a desire to create an actual narrative, instead of focusing solely on exploring the
the interesting mechanics in a vacuum.

4/5 - Common W from CodeParade

LuduCxiojnEcxHomojn
LuduCxiojnEcxHomojn

Killer concept, good story, okay levels, subpar execution, good ending

This game is no joke. It delivers 100% on its core ideäs, but those core ideäs may leave you dizzy. Exercise discretion and take. breaks.
After seeing this game in development, I must admit I am floored by the sheer amount of content it contains, compared with what was shown early on. Rather than a mere tech demo, this game is truly a game, replete with minigames, engaging character arcs, mysteries to uncover, and more.
The core gameplay is rather simple: walk around hyperbolic space and talk to people. If you enjoy exploration and wrapping your mind around a new location, Hyperbolica is just the challenge you might enjoy; relearning the art of wayfinding and building a mental map of the hyperbolic world were a surprisingly fun part of the experiënce. If you don't enjoy doïng this, there's also a map at your disposal, as well as signage and landmarks to guide you when you get lost. In terms of reälism, some may complain that (with the sole exception of a certain section near the end of the game) the game isn't actually fully hyperbolic, just hyperbolic in 2D and vertically Euclideän, but in my opinion, this is already enough of a novel concept; making the platforming even harder would just be a detriment.
The core gameplay is, however, not the only type of gameplay; there are races against time, platforming challenges, and more. This is not necessarily a good thing. Don't get me wrong; it's good to have variëty, but Hyperbolica's minigames are incredibly hit-and-miss. Even the worst ones are kinda fun, but the difficulty curve is simply nightmarish, and the objectives aren't always clearly communicated. For example, there's a mandatory snowball fight to progress the story, but the (incredibly strict!) lose condition isn't explained at all. Another puzzle involving gophers is inventive and takes advantage of Hyperbolica's unique mechanics, but there's no indication of what the gophers' behaviour is, other than "hides if you try to shoot at it". Again, these were fun once you get the hang of things, but this game desperately needs either better communication or a GameFAQs walkthrough.
The story is inventive and, dare I say, groundbreaking. It considers ideäs that I rarely even see seriously explored in the most niche sciënce fiction. No spoilers here, but suffice to say that the way the game presents the central mystery is very fun to uncover and decrypt. I will say, however, the plottwist near the end kinda felt like a slap in the face, and it will be a very unsatisfying and possibly even insultingend for all the non-completionists out there. The 100% ending makes up for it in spades, but it and the plotholes it creätes are frustrating enough for me not to give the story full marks.
Overall, this is a surprisingly short game, and its runtime isn't all home-runs, but I'd recommend Hyperbolica to anyone who enjoys exploration in games.

Würzige Kartoffel
Würzige Kartoffel

Wholesome and helps intuiting hyperbolic space

40GallonTophat
40GallonTophat

Is it a good game? Not really. Is it mind-bendingly bonkers? Absolutely. 7/10.

anthony.fable
anthony.fable

Gets kind of boring, but really interesting concept. Worth checking out.

zAzQ
zAzQ

Very cute game. Explored every nook and cranny. Cute dialogue

AC
AC

good game. spherical geometry is super confusing.
also when level editor and when multiplayer?

Hanntac
Hanntac

Alors je suis fan des jeux se déroulant dans des espaces non-euclidiens. Mais là. Pourquoi même proposer une version non-VR quand tout est optimisé pour jouer au casque ? J’ai vraiment tenté d’aimer, mais vraiment ça n’en vaut pas la peine si vous n’avez pas la VR.

Heavy gaming gaming
Heavy gaming gaming

Had pure fun as well as unsettled by this new universe, knowing that 4 poeple made this game is just... so stunning...

Treefrog
Treefrog

This is an amazing game. It is truly one of a kind. There is nothing else like this.

Other reviewers have pointed out that the story is a bit short, and I fully agree with that. Once you've figured out the puzzles, the game does lose most of its replay value, but I would say that the novelty alone is worth the purchase.

saj
saj

Very cool ideas, lacking on the game aspect unfortunately. The space was very technically worth the experience, but everything else felt like it was lacking substance.

I played this with someone else, and while I was able to enjoy the mathy examples and objects, it left out a bit of explanation for those unfamiliar.

emtfg (emtfg)
emtfg (emtfg)

I loved this game it was so well made, all hail CodeParade along with his dev team for constructing such an amazing game

Volensia
Volensia

Literally impossible to find Benni without a guide from the Internet. Also the game is very overpriced and doesn't really explain much about hyperbolic geometry. You also have to talk to everyone, go through tons of stupid irrelevant dialogue just to find the ones that you actually need for game progression.

bahume
bahume

If you like weird this may be the game for you.

Apelsinsaft
Apelsinsaft

A walking sim in hyperbolic space with lots of padding and unnecessary NPCs with 2 lines of dialogue as well as a tutorial NPC you would wish had a "strangle to death" button. You could delete the tutorial NPC from the game entirely and it would be an improvement, even with his role in the story. I was so annoyed with his existence that the ending fell completely flat and i just wanted the game to cut to credits.

I was looking forward to trying this game out because of its wacky hyperbolic space tech, which turned out less interesting than it seemed. The spherical space was way cooler and should have had the spotlight in my opinion.

KF2015
KF2015

I'll preface this with the fact that I love the ideas behind this game. It had an intriguing premise and was bursting with potential.

I saw the making of and let the hype get to me.
- That was my first mistake. The game ended up being interesting in theory but boring in execution.
I got into it, started walking. Talked to most npc's that I could.
- That was my second mistake. The dialogue is mostly unique, but the talking sounds are just a 15-second loop of someone doing the verbal equivalent of a keysmash in different tones and timbres, and the dialogue is mostly fluff. They start to feel less like an interesting interaction and more of a chore as time goes on. They are 100% there to pad out the playtime of the game.
I kept on walking (and walking, and walking, and walking, and walking...) through each of the areas. I appreciated the art gallery especially. I had this nagging thought in the back of my head that there should be a story, but other than Collect-a-thon: Polyhedra Edition, there was no substance. I assumed that after collecting the crystals, the story would pick up.
- Mistake number three. There's no story. You collect the shapes, fight a weird boss in noneuclidean space, and then it ends. There was no beginning, middle, or end. It just one big act of "walk around and find things." The whole thing could be summed up in less than a paragraph.

This game... is fine. It's not stellar, it's not garbage, but it's on the low end of mediocre. I won't be getting a refund but I have no intention of playing this game ever again. If it goes on sale at some point, highly recommend, but at its current price it's just not worth it.

would be way better without the dialogue

LittleMetalPixie
LittleMetalPixie

Meh.

I appreciate the effort and the concept here and realize it's a tech demo, technically speaking, but it could have been SO much better even as a tech demo. The "game" part of this game is SEVERELY lacking. I'm leaving a "do not recommend" review, but slightly reluctantly because if it was, I don't know maybe $1 instead of $11 and you had an afternoon to kill, or if you were 11 years old, you might mildly enjoy it.

TL;DR - if you want an actually good noneuclidean game, check out Manifold Garden or Antichamber. If you want an endless slog through NPC interaction after NPC interaction with way too much meme-culture "trying way too hard (but miserably failing)" dialogue, about 10 minutes of actual entertaining "game play," and some mildly cool but also mildly nauseating graphics - this might be your game.

Details on why the negative review:

While I technically have ~8 hours of "game play" time into this game let me break that 8 hours down for you:

~ 2 hours were me wandering around tediously (and very boringly) talking to random NPCs - of which there are an overwhelming amount in the game - just to have most of them say something irrelevant to the game, parrot "meme culture" catchphrases at me, or get annoyed that I was bothering them or talking to everyone. The very, very few interactions that were helpful even a little were literally just them telling me what to do in a certain area so blatantly that it took all the fun out of figuring out what I should be doing. For example: one guy outside of the museum saying it would be cool to "climb on the exhibits" was a hint that was sufficient enough to get me to try it. FOUR more of them, inside the museum and standing directly in front of exhibits you could plainly see you could climb on, was just taking every little bit of exploration and discovery away and telling me the devs assume their user base is either really, really dumb, 11 years old, or both. The other 2% of NPCs needed "help" doing something very mundane, way too easy, or incredibly tedious so they could give you an item for your inventory. Like a Yoyo. That you cannot use for anything other than filling your collection (but you can totally look at it and read the "trying way too hard to be funny" description of it, so that's helpful).

~1 hour (collectively speaking) was me being told how awesome of a team "we" made by my "plucky sidekick" while he stood outside every place I went into. We get it. You are very, very annoying, "plucky sidekick," and if you say the word "plucky" one more time, by literally telling me (in every single dialogue) that you are my "plucky sidekick," I may scream. I get the feeling there is more to this guy than meets the eye because the subtlety in this game is about as subtle as a rock to your face - but I just don't care enough to find out what. He's just annoying and I got to the point where I was yelling "I HATE YOU!" at my TV screen every time he interrupted me exploring a new area just to tell me we were an awesome team and he was going to "help" by waiting by the door.

~30 minutes was spent wandering around and around and around and around in a maze, AFTER having completed it in less than 2 minutes, just to get BACK TO THE EXIT (where an NPC will tell you ten steps away from the exit that if you need to get back to the beginning you can just choose "return to beginning" in your pause menu. ....What???

~30 mintues was spent careening around an "infinite space" restaurant on rollerskates, flinging dish after dish onto tables as fast as I possibly could, across 5 VERY large and VERY cluttered maps, to try and complete the goal of serving 10 dishes in 90 seconds (while crashing into every pole, table, and NPC who walked in front of me). In ~30 minutes, I tried this task 6 times. The closest I got was 9 out of ten. This is where I just noped out and gave up at about 75% completion of the game.

The remaining ~4 hours, I was so bored that I actually had put my controller down and was scrolling on my phone. Even mid-"puzzle" or "minigame" at times. I just... I just don't even care enough to finish it tbh. I'm just too BORED to care.

This game is BARELY a game. The actual game parts are way too few and far between, requiring slog after slog through a huge but mostly empty and useless world that LOOKS cool but has not much to offer but a crap ton of inane and annoying NPCs to wade through until you find one who actually has a "side quest" to offer. One of which is a video "influencer" who needs your "help" choosing between dumb and pointless options on his next video, through pages and pages of dialogue that was just....just so cringe. And I hate that word so much but there is no better word for it. The "advice" you give him seems to have no affect on the outcome of your interactions whatsoever. You just have to find him over and over, slog through his TERRIBLE dialogue, then... find him again and do the same thing? Fun. I guess?

And the final nail in the coffin - I was going to leave a (VERY) reluctant recommend until I saw that one of the achievements for the game is literally "play the game in VR." That's cheap, it's unfair, and it's a huge turn off for me. I don't have a VR headset and I am not shelling out the dough to get one just to get a damn steam achievement on a game that is just barely "meh" AT BEST. Even if I DID have a VR headset, this game just on a normal flatscreen TV made me nauseous at times - this would not be a game I would want to play in VR.

Save your money. If you're REALLY bored AND it's on sale for a dollar or less (or if you're 11 years old) you might get a tiny bit of enjoyment out of it. Otherwise - pass.

churnmeister
churnmeister

Finished within 3 hours but for only $15AUD (summer sale) it was a cool experience and one I'll probably get more use out of showing to friends etc (will definitely need to try in VR!). Consider it more of a cool tech demo - don't expect AAA gameplay here, that's not what it's trying to do. A serious amount of work would have gone into creating the graphics engines to build hyperbolic and spherical worlds. Would love to see a follow up game where the dev spends more time on gameplay, using what they developed here!

Britches the Bridges
Britches the Bridges

It is so dazzling to explore a hyperbolic world, learn how to navigate in it, and learn how things appear. In addition, the game greatly rewards in the end all of my completionist, detail-oriented look-at-everything and go-through-every-dialog tendencies. Everything is charming, playful, interesting, and lighthearted. I would love to see more in the future, as well as more interesting puzzles/games with hyperbolic (or other non-euclidean) geometry. I wish I had a VR headset.

Aktas
Aktas

first vr game in a while which nearly made me puke. had to lay down and take a rest after an hour of playing. 10/10

aidencraft7
aidencraft7

One of the best games I've played.

caio.p
caio.p

Really fun, kind of short and extremely charming. There's nothing today that can compare to what hyperbolica has to offer. Definitely recommend playing.

GooseBelly
GooseBelly

I followed the development of the game for a while and I have to say it turned out pretty cool so far.

Unicode
Unicode

This game just can't be put into words. You HAVE to try it out, especially in VR! If you're reading this comment and considering buying the game, do it! It was well worth it, and my only regret is that I can't experience non-Euclidean space in real life.

Colind8
Colind8

I hate euclidean geometry in games. It's so overrated. I'm glad this game exists to fill the hyperbolic void in my library.

loaf
loaf

Don't enter elliptic geometry in VR. Worst mistake of my life.
Other than constantly feeling sick while playing the VR mode of the game (I didn't throw up, thankfully) the game was a great experience overall and was a blast while I played it.

Flashbang007
Flashbang007

This Game is a nothing less but a piece of art.
Maybe there are limits in game mechanics, but the graphics, art style and of course the weird dimensions of the world is enough to keep me walking around in it for hours.
In context i recomend the videos of the developer on YouTube ( CodeParade ), to get information about Non-Euclidean Geometry

This is a premium Indie Art. Don´t compare it to a AAA game.

Anonymous
Anonymous

It is excellent... as an experience. Walking around all these hyperbolic places is great and I would absolutely recommend this game if it the game play wasn't so awful.
The controls are really finiky and two of the mandatory games are really hard to do. Not as in you just need to improve your skills, more like you need to fight the controls and the rng. The characters and dialogue are passable but not really worth walking around and talking to everybody. Ultimately if you find it on sale for like 5-10 bucks then it's a fun enough experience but otherwise. Buy an actual game!

Golden Goat
Golden Goat

Did I enjoy most of my time with this game? Yes, absolutely.

Can I recommend it to others with confidence? Unfortunately, no.

I tend to like slower, dialogue-heavy games that let you meander at your own pace - Walking Simulators, to use the common term, and for that experience Hyperbolica is quite enjoyable. It's a wonderful world to walk around and observe with a curious eye.

It is notably less fun to complete motor-based challenges within, however, and that's ultimately where the game falls short.

Outside of a couple short and sweet platforming sections, the actual 'gameplay' of Hyperbolica feels... unrefined. Many sections are completed simply by wandering around large hyperbolic areas and talking to a few NPCs, and there are some Time-Trials peppered around that all feel like they needed a couple more tweaks to dial-in an appropriate and enjoyable pace.

What I assume to be the Final Boss is a perfect microcosm of the game as a whole - A sequence that is a genuinely amazing technological and visual spectacle, but a gameplay experience that feels like repeatedly kicking a jammed door until either it opens or your foot becomes so bruised that the goal no longer feels worth it.

That said, I don't want to undermine the huge amount of time, effort and passion that clearly went into creating this game. Some have described the writing as 'cringe', but to me Hyperbolica radiates a wholesome earnestness that just makes me smile. It's obvious that CodeParade really loved this concept and wanted to share that love with the world, and the fact that they made their idea of a hyperbolic game a reality is commendable.

Hyperbolica is a painful case - it's a gem that shines beautifully when the light catches it just right, but is otherwise disappointingly dull. In it's current state it feels more like a well-decorated tech-demo than a satisfying game, and I could only recommend it to those who enjoy experimental game design for it's own sake.

That said, I don't regret my purchase - this might be a rough first-draft, but I sincerely hope that the developer takes the solid foundation they've built and continues to refine it in future projects.

Bhazor Bhall
Bhazor Bhall

Hyperbolica is an incredible tech demo that bends perception and physics with impossible space and non-euclidean geometry. The highlight of which is a farm where the refraction is so high that distant objects will get bigger as you walk away until a gopher will fill up the sky. With so much to love about this game my overriding take away is just a skipping vinyl record of me muttering shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up. There are jokes that work and reflect on the fascinating ideas of the physics of the world but they are buried under hundreds of text boxes of inane patter. It is sad that the makers clearly put so much work to bring its physics to life can't think of anything to actually do with it. 90% of the game is spent talking to the dozens of identical NPCs hoping one of them will cough up a trinket or better yet a minigame. These snippets of interactivity being the high point of the game where it actually leans into its gimmick. Be it shooting sky gophers, pelting kids with snowballs using strange parabola, and zooming through an infinite cafe on rocket skates. Or leaving you to play with trampolines and ponder a round path that somehow has 8 right angles.

Not since Okami have I longed this badly for an editor to come in and cut out 75% of the script.

Despite the complaints I can't help but recommend it for the brave and truly exciting experiment it is. I just hope the team can take the code they made here and find a game to put it in.

azetoh
azetoh

Is this essentially just a tech demo? Yes. The "gameplay" here mostly consists of walking around and talking to NPCs, but the real thing this game is about is trying to wrap your head around a different reality. The challenges aren't really adrenaline-pumping tests of skill, they're carefully constructed ways of getting you to examine how your brain conceptualizes space. So yes, it's only a couple of hours of content that isn't very hard, but it's a very impressive tech demo that gets you to conceptualize something that nobody else has ever tried to show you

i will be back
i will be back

it is a weird experience. it makes you think "how can someone even begin to make a game like this?"

But... if you think of the gaming part, it is not a thrilling game. you almost always just try to go somewhere... and that's it.

I think that just walking in a weirdly complicated map is not enough game-play.

Still, I will mark this comment as positive. It really is a different experience that is worth trying.

stop
stop

Since i saw the changing tunnel tech demo video, I have looked forward to the release of this game, unfortunately I think that as a game it falls very flat. The tech on show is very interesting still, but the implementation of it gives me a headache and there is nothing at all interesting in the mountains of dialogue I encountered. Sorry for refunding.

Flaksi
Flaksi

My head instantly hurts and it's... Just. So. Awesome.
Makes one think what would happen if the creator of this teamed up with Antichamber's makers.

Pyrotex7
Pyrotex7

Amazing game! It took a bit to wrap my head around it, but after playing for a while I was able to get the hang of hyperbolic space. The storyline was great, albeit a bit short. It's not like a game that I would play over and over and over, but I'm sure there's more easter eggs to have fun with after just the first play through, which I did enjoy very much.

Dillybean
Dillybean

Mind bending geometry. Mostly a walk-and-talk simulator, but the dialogue is funny/insightful and there is a little puzzle element to the game. Love the various worlds, would also love faster move speed sometimes. Worth checking out if you are interested in games with wholly-original mechanics. The dev has posted several vlogs on Youtube on how he got the worlds to work, and I still can't imagine how one comes up with these ideas. Neat.

forestsandtea
forestsandtea

Short but fun, and a unique, well-executed concept. There are lots of little secrets to find, and a lot of detail put into character and world design as well. It's a little pricey for the length, but I highly enjoyed it. I recommend snagging it when it goes on sale.

Hikari
Hikari

Makes me feel sick if I play for too long. I dont get this effect with any other game. Loved the game though. Great work.

FalconKiaT
FalconKiaT


Remember that Hyperbolica is more of a tech showcase than it is a game

I'm leaving a positive review because I appreciate the work and effort that went into it. I personally love how the game looks, but Hyperbolica falls short in being an actual game.

A bit of backstory. I've been following this game through its development on YouTube (channel) but dropped at Devlog #3, so anything besides the non-euclidean rendering was new to me. for a while now I've kept it in the back of my mind and really wished to play it; it had something going for it that I haven't seen before, and I love games that try new things.

The game finally comes out and it's... confusing, no wonder, but not for the reason you might think.

Don't get me wrong, the game delivered on what it promised, I could experience hyperbolic spaces in a very approachable format, but besides that, There’s no indication of where exactly to go or what to do to finish the game; You know you must collect these platonic crystals to advance, but all the clues are given through text interactions with the NPCs, making you interact with all of them in hopes of finding more information on the whereabouts of said crystals.

What would I do? I would add some kind of compass item that would lead me to my next objective for those not so hard into the dialogue aspect of the game (I had a hard time finding the town in the grass section when I wanted to go back to it again because the map doesn’t show it unless you are near it. If I could move my map around and place a dot that would appear in my theoretical compass, finding it would be much easier). Having said compass would also make wandering around and talking to bots less monotonous, as I would have a direction I knew would lead me to progression. A questlog of sorts would also be nice for knowing what areas have a Platonic crystal still in need of collecting or side missions I’ve left uncompleted because I got Sidetracked (another idea I could come up with to help showcase progression is to change the colors of the portals that already have a collected crystal. (A quick example I made on Photoshop).

In my opinion, I don't think the game direction CodeParade took in regards to this game suits the showcase, at least not for me (Keep in mind that im no game developer. I just like games). If it was up to me, I would've pursued a puzzle-solving game which used its peculiar rendering to the benefit of the levels, making it more straightforward and giving a clear goal to achieve. Some examples that could serve of inspiration for a game that uses unconventional geometry include Superliminal and Manifold Garden, both of which came out the same year where CodeParade first dropped his trailer for Hyperbolica.. But hey, this is the direction the game took; this could be very well a good idea for a sequel or for another developer to invest on, should it prove fun.

Now take this with a grain of salt; the reason why I highlighted unconventional geometry in the previous paragraph is because those games are not hyperbolic, just non-euclidean, meaning that they still have right-angled shapes but have something that makes their puzzle solving different from normal Euclidean spaces. This similarity to conventional rendering makes designing puzzles way easier as there are plenty of examples from which to take inspiration (For example, Portal and the Talos Principle). It is a mystery what a puzzle-solving game would look like in hyperbolic space and the challenges it could’ve brought with it. I can imagine that besides making the user dizzy, some puzzles could be difficult to comprehend just because the human is not conditioned to process challenges in hyperbolic space.

So long story short, should you buy the game? My answer is Yes, but if you can't be bothered to read all of the dialogue every bot has to offer to find clues to complete the challenges around Hyperbolica, my suggestion is to simply explore around and experience the multiple zones, landscapes and gimmicks CodeParade included in the game that showcases how different hyperbolic space is to normal, Euclidean space.

Also please, just please add a run button or equipable roller skates, it can get frustrating how slow you are in the game.

PD: also obligatory non-native english speaker, so I hope I didn't make too many grammar mistakes.