This review contains spoilers
An awesome puzzle game. Wasn't expecting the whole existential crisis at the end.
not creating enough of an impression on me to come back to often rn, but that might be a Current Me problem because the vibes are definitely strong
Both fun to play and intriguing philosophical narrative.
Enthralling art style and atmosphere for its day, but the puzzles eventually just got too grating for me.
2D Sci-fi puzzler. This game delivers in many areas; it has a lot of well-designed puzzles, a strong atmosphere and an intriguing narrative. I'm very impressed that such a well-rounded product was developed by such a small team, and it's 10 years old!
The main puzzle mechanic is actually unique from what I've played, this fortunately means the puzzles are also fresh. I don't think the difficulty curve is perfectly consistent across the whole game but there are plenty of challenging puzzles, in fact I was pleasantly surprised by how puzzle-dense this game is.
It's short but sweet, highly recommended for fans of the genre.
The main puzzle mechanic is actually unique from what I've played, this fortunately means the puzzles are also fresh. I don't think the difficulty curve is perfectly consistent across the whole game but there are plenty of challenging puzzles, in fact I was pleasantly surprised by how puzzle-dense this game is.
It's short but sweet, highly recommended for fans of the genre.
It's alright
When I heard the musical theme called "Recreation" I stood still and fall into an oblivion. It was so beautiful and calming, that I couldn't walk away from the location where it played. The ending of the game is dope, puzzles are interesting, so don't miss this indie jem
Ótimo puzzle e roteiro maravilhoso, vários textos desse jogo me marcaram legal.
Um jogo de estrutura simples com mecânica de troca de corpos, bem aproveitado nos puzzles, a história conversa bem com a mecânica, com temas de identidade e o que faz você ser você, nada muito profundo, mas continua interessante e tudo se completa com o tema de sci fi espacial com gráficos estilizados parecidos com argila, apesar do jogo ser antigo e a idade em certos aspectos ser aparente, o jogo ainda é sólido, simples, mas muito bom no que se propõe a fazer.
The Swapper is a game where you solve puzzles by existing in multiple places at the same time.. sort of. It's got a strong visual design (that overcomes my usual aversion to detailed 3D looking assets in entirely 2D games) with a dark atmospheric spaceship to explore, and strong mysterious vibes in its story, mechanics and level design.
The puzzles themselves are more dynamic than I expected, introducing elements of timing and "skilled" platforming in a way that opens up the possibility space in an interesting way without being too mechanically demanding.
Having said that, I haven't been blown away by any puzzles throughout the first half or so of the game - and haven't experienced as power a moment of revelation as I would have liked from a game with such a compelling mechanical foundation.
I still haven't finished The Swapper yet, but I'm enjoying what I've played so far.
The puzzles themselves are more dynamic than I expected, introducing elements of timing and "skilled" platforming in a way that opens up the possibility space in an interesting way without being too mechanically demanding.
Having said that, I haven't been blown away by any puzzles throughout the first half or so of the game - and haven't experienced as power a moment of revelation as I would have liked from a game with such a compelling mechanical foundation.
I still haven't finished The Swapper yet, but I'm enjoying what I've played so far.
One of the most memorable games I've played. First time I played The Swapper was almost a decade ago; it stuck with me enough that I replayed it recently. It is just as good and immersive. Underrated game.
This review contains spoilers
For personal reference more than anything else. Still have done spoiler warning just in case though.
First time doing a full playthrough after playing through a lot of it but not being able to finish it (struggled with some of the puzzles and didn't want to look up the answers) at least 6 years ago.
I feel as though if I hadn't had originally got this game in a bundle and tried it out I probably wouldn't have looked twice at it due to my lack of interest in the Sci-Fi genre but because I remember being into it I wanted to give it a second go and I'm quite glad I did.
The concept is really interesting and I was a little worried early on when there was a tactic I needed to use a couple of times in a row for puzzles and navigation but outside of this instance the game somehow manages to not feel like its repeating itself too much or stretching its core concept too thin. I think the short length is a big factor in this but it just seems that a lot of thought was put into all of the different ways a player could use the swapping mechanic which were then each used for a puzzle idea. I think it does result in it being a game where each puzzle only has one solution but considering the variation of puzzles I don't really mind.
The difficulty is a little odd I think, there were instances where I'd struggle with a particular puzzle and then then the next couple I'd be able to solve really quickly and it felt like perhaps the majority of puzzles were actually on the easier side but there were certainly some I struggled with. There were a fair few that I spent a good while on but I actually had a good time as it was fun to experiment with what I could actually do and it also felt quite rewarding to be able to solve them (or it was kind of funny how much I'd struggle with one just to realise that the answer was obvious and I was just being kind of stupid). In the end there were two puzzles that I just couldn't do and had to look up the solution for and sweet fuck am I glad I did because I never would have got them but I still thought that they were good and that the solutions made a lot of sense but were just a bit too complicated for me. There weren't really any puzzles I would say I disliked I think.
The story was another thing I struggled with but that's just because I'm not overly familiar with some of the words or terms used and also the concepts at play here either except for the main one. What I was able to follow I enjoyed and there were some really neat revelations or moments in there. I also wasn't really expecting to have to make a choice at the end so it took me off guard but I think it was a great choice as it felt like a difficult decision to make even if morally the answer is obvious. I think I really like having to make a choice like that at the end of a game as it gives me something to think about while also holding some emotional weight.
Few scattered thoughts. I really liked the artstyle and I think it fit with the setting of the mostly deserted space station quite well. The music further complemented this and just sounded beautiful. The game played well but I don't think I was the biggest fan of having to mash RT to propel myself through the zero gravity sections as it just felt a little awkward. One good thing that came from the controls though was being able to do a light jog backwards which amused me a fair bit.
Overall I enjoyed this game, I don't think there's a lot else that I can really say for it though, other than I'm happy to have played it and I had a good time with it.
First time doing a full playthrough after playing through a lot of it but not being able to finish it (struggled with some of the puzzles and didn't want to look up the answers) at least 6 years ago.
I feel as though if I hadn't had originally got this game in a bundle and tried it out I probably wouldn't have looked twice at it due to my lack of interest in the Sci-Fi genre but because I remember being into it I wanted to give it a second go and I'm quite glad I did.
The concept is really interesting and I was a little worried early on when there was a tactic I needed to use a couple of times in a row for puzzles and navigation but outside of this instance the game somehow manages to not feel like its repeating itself too much or stretching its core concept too thin. I think the short length is a big factor in this but it just seems that a lot of thought was put into all of the different ways a player could use the swapping mechanic which were then each used for a puzzle idea. I think it does result in it being a game where each puzzle only has one solution but considering the variation of puzzles I don't really mind.
The difficulty is a little odd I think, there were instances where I'd struggle with a particular puzzle and then then the next couple I'd be able to solve really quickly and it felt like perhaps the majority of puzzles were actually on the easier side but there were certainly some I struggled with. There were a fair few that I spent a good while on but I actually had a good time as it was fun to experiment with what I could actually do and it also felt quite rewarding to be able to solve them (or it was kind of funny how much I'd struggle with one just to realise that the answer was obvious and I was just being kind of stupid). In the end there were two puzzles that I just couldn't do and had to look up the solution for and sweet fuck am I glad I did because I never would have got them but I still thought that they were good and that the solutions made a lot of sense but were just a bit too complicated for me. There weren't really any puzzles I would say I disliked I think.
The story was another thing I struggled with but that's just because I'm not overly familiar with some of the words or terms used and also the concepts at play here either except for the main one. What I was able to follow I enjoyed and there were some really neat revelations or moments in there. I also wasn't really expecting to have to make a choice at the end so it took me off guard but I think it was a great choice as it felt like a difficult decision to make even if morally the answer is obvious. I think I really like having to make a choice like that at the end of a game as it gives me something to think about while also holding some emotional weight.
Few scattered thoughts. I really liked the artstyle and I think it fit with the setting of the mostly deserted space station quite well. The music further complemented this and just sounded beautiful. The game played well but I don't think I was the biggest fan of having to mash RT to propel myself through the zero gravity sections as it just felt a little awkward. One good thing that came from the controls though was being able to do a light jog backwards which amused me a fair bit.
Overall I enjoyed this game, I don't think there's a lot else that I can really say for it though, other than I'm happy to have played it and I had a good time with it.
tf2 face hugger
It’s basically Inside + Portal + Metroid = The Swapper. And that is a very good thing.
Clever little game with great atmosphere. Looks great, sounds great, and delivers exactly what it intends to.
watched my friend play it and it was interesting
(probably shouldnt be rating this but i meannnn :3)
(probably shouldnt be rating this but i meannnn :3)
Does everything it strives to. Puzzles are interesting but not too challenging. Art style is beautiful. Atmosphere is wonderfully isolating and eerie. Doesn't outstay its welcome. I had a nice time.
classic indie puzzler that I need there to be a sequel to.
Top 50 Favorites: #35
Sumptuous, mysterious, hyperstylized audiovisual descent (or more appropriately, ascent) into existentialism by way of snappy and deeply creative puzzles. Right alongside Escape Plan and Thomas Was Alone as one of the best high-caloric flash games on console you're likely to ever find. Its story is so much more than just background flavor text as I would have expected, touching on experimental themes of humanity and the inherent destruction individualism has on the mind. Gorgeous colors mixed with plenty of crunchy deaths and truly chilling body horror, with the meat of the game serving as a sublimely satisfying test of problem-solving the likes of which I've rarely ever seen in a video game before or since. Simple yet so, so rewarding. It's a brief one and the collectibles are meh, but it's still an unforgettable experience. Tremendous stuff, as eerie as it is relaxing.
Sumptuous, mysterious, hyperstylized audiovisual descent (or more appropriately, ascent) into existentialism by way of snappy and deeply creative puzzles. Right alongside Escape Plan and Thomas Was Alone as one of the best high-caloric flash games on console you're likely to ever find. Its story is so much more than just background flavor text as I would have expected, touching on experimental themes of humanity and the inherent destruction individualism has on the mind. Gorgeous colors mixed with plenty of crunchy deaths and truly chilling body horror, with the meat of the game serving as a sublimely satisfying test of problem-solving the likes of which I've rarely ever seen in a video game before or since. Simple yet so, so rewarding. It's a brief one and the collectibles are meh, but it's still an unforgettable experience. Tremendous stuff, as eerie as it is relaxing.
This is the game equivalent of a thought provoking and heavily environmental sci fi short story, and it does a pretty damn fine job of doing that while having some excellently designed puzzles with it's cloning and swapping mechanic.
If you are into that type of sci fi and are looking for a short game to scratch that itch, the Swapper is a great choice.
If you are into that type of sci fi and are looking for a short game to scratch that itch, the Swapper is a great choice.
The prettiest depiction of space we have seen in games, and that's the best part about it. There's not much to say really, the cloning and swapping mechanic works well but never reaches the appeal that say, portals have. What I like is how it ties into the ending though, a very good closure and reminiscent of Soma.