Superliminal
What to Know
Average Score
- July 7, 2020
- Pillow Castle
- Puzzle
Critics Consensus
- July 7, 2020
- Puzzle
Critics Consensus
# Reviews: 49
Superliminal is a truly unique puzzle game with original and cleverly designed puzzles, but its 20 minutes of revolutionary gameplay quickly fades away as the game turns into a walking simulator with superficial exploration.
Rate and Review
Critic Reviews for Superliminal
Reviews
Jake Hill (COGconnected)
87/100
“An original gameplay mechanic is hard to come by, and these shapeshifting puzzles feel like nothing else. The parts of the game that are derivative aren’t bad, just second best. The parts of the game that are original are extraordinary.”
Cass Marshall (Polygon)
Not Recommended
“Perhaps there’s an angle from which Superliminal is a satisfying, Portal-style thriller, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find that angle. And as the game was so fond of reminding me, perception is reality.”
Gareth Chadwick (TheSixthAxis)
8/10
“As confusing as it is entertaining, Superliminal constantly uses unique mechanics that go against your expectations, even once you’ve adjusted to what it did last time. It might be short, but it’s a genuine delight.”
Outlet | Author | Score | Date | Quote | Read |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
33bits | Rubén Rionegro | 90 / 100 | 11-15-2019 | Superliminal is like that trip that you know is going to be short lived but you are still totally justified in doing it because you know it will be the best trip of your life. With a strange mix between Portal and The Stanley Parable, Superliminal proposes an introspective journey where visual beauty is taken to its maximum expression. One of those experiences you have to try at least once in your life. | Read review |
Area Xbox | Unknown | 7 / 10 | 07-23-2020 | A really short experience, with a couple of side challenges that might pad it a bit, it is a bit on the minimalistic side but this plays on it’s favor it doesn’t fail to entertain. | Read review |
Areajugones | Víctor Rodríguez | 8.5 / 10 | 11-12-2019 | Portal meets The Stanley Parable in a game that, although may fall short in some aspects, offers one of the most imaginative and surprising experiences of 2019. A true hidden gem for the puzzle lovers as well as a video game design masterclass. | Read review |
AusGamers | Kosta Andreadis | 7.2 / 10 | 11-20-2019 | Walk up close and you'll find that it's now seven feet tall. | Read review |
COGconnected | Jake Hill | 87 / 100 | 11-19-2019 | An original gameplay mechanic is hard to come by, and these shapeshifting puzzles feel like nothing else. The parts of the game that are derivative aren’t bad, just second best. The parts of the game that are original are extraordinary. | Read review |
Cubed3 | Drew Hurley | 8 / 10 | 08-12-2020 | It is usually easy to make comparisons with other games. Something along the lines of "if you liked this or this, then you'll like this as well." That isn't so easy for Superliminal, because there are simply no others like this. That's what makes this such an easy recommendation. | Read review |
Cultured Vultures | Ashley Bates | 7.5 / 10 | 07-07-2020 | Though some flawed level designs and weak narrative hamper the overall experience, Superliminal is a mostly sublime puzzle adventure. | Read review |
Destructoid | Brett Makedonski | 8 / 10 | 11-12-2019 | Still, Superliminal's satisfying every time a puzzle clicks. It sounds obvious, but that's the most redeeming trait a puzzle game can have. Sometimes it'll take you by surprise, sometimes you'll train your eye to see it coming. But analyzing a situation, exploring possibilities, and approaching it from unique angles never fails to be rewarding. Is that enough to offset the realization that you're starting from obtuse and working backward toward logical? It all depends on your perspective. | Read review |
Digital Chumps | Dillon Sweeney | 8 / 10 | 09-27-2009 | As a metaphor for transforming inane frustration into gratifying solutions, Superliminal was a profound experience. | Read review |
Echo Boomer | Unknown | Not Recommended | 07-23-2020 | A mind blowing concept that works in small quantities. However the novelty goes away fast when the unexpected becomes a betrayal of the past learned mechanics. | Read review |
Eurogamer | Christian Donlan | Recommended | 11-12-2019 | This is a puzzling masterclass with a heart as well as a brain. | Read review |
Everyeye.it | Claudio Cugliandro | 7 / 10 | 12-12-2019 | Overall, the Pillow Castle experience is therefore a well-built puzzle game, certainly appreciated by fans of the genre, but unable to rival the sacred monsters of the category in terms of inspiration, originality and power of the story. | Read review |
Expansive | Sally Willington | Recommended | 07-15-2020 | Superliminal can be a decent challenge, but once it’s over, it doesn’t feel like a game you’d revisit in a hurry. It struggles to recapture that sense of wonder and magic. Still, for a short blast puzzler, this really does offer something different, and on the strength of that alone, stays memorable and lasting | Read review |
Explosion Network | Dylan Blight | 6.5 / 10 | 08-26-2020 | Superliminal features a rather ingenious puzzle design, but it’s held back by the finicky nature of solving them. | Read review |
FingerGuns | Greg Hicks | 9 / 10 | 07-27-2020 | A truly one-of-a-kind take on first person puzzle games, Superliminal may not be the longest game on the market. But what it lacks in length it makes up for in ingenuity. | Read review |
Game Informer | Ben Reeves | 7.5 / 10 | 11-21-2019 | Puzzles range from clever to obtuse, and exploring these impossible spaces is incredibly compelling | Read review |
Game Rant | Callum Williams | 3.5 / 5 stars | 11-25-2020 | Superliminal is a compelling puzzle game with an innovative central mechanic, even if its brief campaign lacks a great story or much challenge. | Read review |
Game Revolution | Alex Santa Maria | 3.5 / 5 stars | 11-12-2019 | Despite a few limitations, Superliminal succeeds where it counts. | Read review |
GameGrin | Danielle Winter | 8 / 10 | 12-12-2020 | The forced perspective game mechanic alone makes Superliminal an essential buy for those looking for a new first-person puzzler. Both mind-bogglingly clever and hilarious use of environmental storytelling, the potential to be a classic is limited by its short play time and unnecessary exposition. | Read review |
GameMAG | Unknown | 7 / 10 | 12-30-2019 | Superliminal is 20 minutes of revolutionary gameplay, the feeling of which is gradually fading as the game turns into a walking simulator. An interesting story could pull the project, but beyond the concept of "it's all a dream" the authors could not move, not to mention the insignificant duration. Thanks to the musical accompaniment, which does not allow you to finally fall asleep from boredom. Perhaps by the console version, the authors will recognize their mistakes and add new content and puzzles to the game. I want to believe it. | Read review |
GamePitt | Rob Pitt | 8 / 10 | 07-29-2020 | Despite my hate of the unfair and borderline impossible speedrun trophy, Superliminal is easily one of the most ingenious and clever puzzle games I’ve ever played. The way the game messes with your head as it introduces new mind-boggling puzzles is incredible and the first time you play the game you’ll be left in awe at how much the game plays with you. The experience itself isn’t very long and will leave you wanting more puzzles and maybe a little more variety in the solutions, but it’s an experience you’ll not forget due to how entertaining and unique the journey is. Fans of puzzle games will simply love this game and everything it has to offer. | Read review |
GameSpew | Diggy | 7 / 10 | 11-12-2019 | Superliminal is fun. It may not be challenging, and it might not have a deeper message behind it, but it’s a hell of a ride – and on many levels it’s a technical masterpiece. | Read review |
GameSpot | James O'Connor | 8 / 10 | 07-16-2020 | Superliminal is a perspective-focused puzzle game that is equal parts trippy and endearing. | Read review |
GamingTrend | Lawrence Le | 60 / 100 | 01-25-2020 | Superliminal is a short, sweet, but superficial exploration of one the most interesting mechanics to find its way into a puzzle game. It excites with the possibility of what could be, but fails to deliver on the challenges its mechanics beg for. | Read review |
GBAtemp | Ben Sellwood | 7 / 10 | 08-12-2020 | I really enjoyed this title. It caused me to think outside the box a few times, and gave me the impetus to proceed through its intriguing narrative. The use of forced perspective is absolutely genius to behold, but I feel that this is the prototype for something much bigger, more rounded, and more appealing in future. Pillow Castle is definitely one to watch as they have some really neat tricks up their sleeves. | Read review |
God is a Geek | Gary Bailey | 8 / 10 | 11-12-2019 | An excellent puzzle game with a fun sense of humour, and an important and surprising message behind it. | Read review |
Hardcore Gamer | Kyle LeClair | 3 / 5 stars | 11-12-2019 | Superliminal has a unique concept for a puzzle game and nice and trippy visuals to accompany it, but alas, that's the majority of what it has going for it. | Read review |
IND13 | Rahul Shirke | 4 / 5 stars | 04-18-2020 | Superliminal is a little more clinical and flat than it deserved to be, but it’s still a spectacular, perception-bending experience that everyone needs to try. It sparks joy, and that’s a lot in itself. | Read review |
Jump Dash Roll | Rob Kershaw | 8 / 10 | 07-15-2020 | Superliminal will challenge and confound but never punish. Pillow Castle's debut is inventive and occasionally mind-boggling, a short but engaging feast for fans of optical illusions and lateral thinking. | Read review |
KeenGamer | Andy J. Dobeson | 8 / 10 | 11-10-2020 | What do you get when you cross the mechanical structure and minimalist aesthetic of Portal with the self-conscious thematic drive of The Stanley Parable? You get Superliminal, an innovative and striking narrative experience, complete with mind-bending puzzles. Remember – perspective is everything! | Read review |
Merlin'in Kazanı | Ahmet Özçilingir | 72 / 100 | 11-25-2019 | Superliminal plays with your perceptions while you play with it | Read review |
Nintendo Life | Oliver Reynolds | 8 / 10 | 07-07-2020 | Will Superliminal resonate with everyone as much as it did with us? Possibly not, but regardless, if you’re looking for a game in a similar vein to Portal, you’ll be right at home here. | Read review |
NintendoWorldReport | Joel A. DeWitte | 8.5 / 10 | 07-07-2020 | Superliminal is a breath of fresh air, the kind of game you want other people to play but don't want to talk with them about until you've both experienced it. An unassuming package on its face that as you peel back the layers, will be filled with surprises and gratification as you find out what point of view it wants you to see the puzzle from. With a moral to its story that is uplifting during a time which we could all use a new perspective, Superliminal is one of the more inventive games on a Nintendo platform today. | Read review |
PC Invasion | Andrew Farrell | 5 / 10 | 11-12-2019 | Superliminal seems like a great game at first. The perspective mechanics on display make a fantastic first impression, but the game's design falters as it goes on. The weakness of the puzzles and unevenness of the overall game drag it down in the end. | Read review |
PlayStation LifeStyle | Chandler Wood | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2020 | Superliminal’s final message is one of growth and discovery within the self. It’s about feeling proud of your ability to think outside the box and uncover the unconventional solutions to its bizarre puzzles. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but its bold and unorthodox approach to the puzzler genre helps it stand out. In an era of increasingly longer and bigger games, Superliminal’s brevity is a nice palate cleanser, even if I hope a hypothetical follow-up does more to explore its out-of-the-box and perception defying nature. If Superliminal caught your eye, let curiosity get the better of you. While it may not quite be cohesive enough to break into the pantheon of top-tier puzzle-games, it’s a conceptually fascinating adventure through the shifting reality of the mind that never allows your expectations to settle. | Read review |
PlayStation Universe | Sebastian Hawden | 7.5 / 10 | 07-28-2020 | Beautiful, well-written and a truly unique experience. Even if you will only play it once due to its format, it is truly worth a go. Superliminal's puzzles are very cleverly made and the game will constantly challenge your visual and mental abilities. If nothing else you will come out the other side with a slightly different perspective on approaching life's many problems. | Read review |
Polygon | Cass Marshall | Not Recommended | 11-12-2019 | Perhaps there’s an angle from which Superliminal is a satisfying, Portal-style thriller, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find that angle. And as the game was so fond of reminding me, perception is reality. | Read review |
PSX Brasil | Ivan Nikolai Barkow Castilho | 70 / 100 | 07-21-2020 | Superliminal is a puzzle game that will challenge your perception. It has intelligent challenges, but at the same time it has very simple mechanics and a short duration. In a maximum of three hours you will finish the title for the first time, and what remains after that is to improve your time on puzzles that you already know the answer. | Read review |
Push Square | Stephen Tailby | 7 / 10 | 07-23-2020 | It might not push its core concept to the absolute fullest, but the overall experience is a charming and enjoyable one. | Read review |
Reloading BR | Felipe Mesquita | 8 / 10 | 11-14-2019 | Superliminal is a hard game to talk about without being able to go deeper into the details of why the experience turns out to be so brilliantly designed, but trust me that this is a curious and clever game, that also carries an unexpected dose of positive messages by the end. | Read review |
Rock, Paper, Shotgun | Sin Vega | Recommended | 11-15-2019 | It’s an accomplishment, and it’s certainly better and more original than the vast bulk of games in the physics-gimmick subgenre, but I respect it a lot more than I like it. | Read review |
SelectButton | Kevin Mitchell | 9 / 10 | 11-26-2019 | The more profound life lesson that Superliminal attempts to convey throughout becomes quite apparent in the final monologue from Doctor Glenn Pierce in the last few minutes of the game. Not only does it connect everything that you have done in the game with a higher purpose and meaning, but it has connected with my own life. Perspective is a powerful sentiment and one that many take for granted. Dropping an enlarged exit sign over two pressure plates to open a door is one thing, but understanding how you can become a better person, by looking at all the possible angles and outcomes, is a life lesson I was not expecting from a video game. Some may walk away from this game, thinking it was just a game, but I would say that they missed the theme entirely. Bravo, Pillow Castle Games. | Read review |
Sirus Gaming | Jett Vincent Sia | 6 / 10 | 07-15-2020 | Superliminal is quite therapeutic in my opinion and it was probably designed to be so. I believe this game would be great to recommend to people who are facing difficulties and are afraid to face them head-on. While Superliminal is a very unique puzzle-solving game it’s execution leaves much to be desired but at the very least its message at the end comes in quite clear. | Read review |
TechRaptor | Max Moeller | 5.5 / 10 | 07-16-2020 | Superliminal fails to justify itself or its themes and ends up as a rote puzzle experience you'll be fine to forget. | Read review |
TheSixthAxis | Gareth Chadwick | 8 / 10 | 08-10-2020 | As confusing as it is entertaining, Superliminal constantly uses unique mechanics that go against your expectations, even once you've adjusted to what it did last time. It might be short, but it's a genuine delight. | Read review |
ThisGenGaming | Justin Oneil | 8 / 10 | 07-14-2020 | Superliminal is the type of puzzle game that I would full heartedly recommend to fans of games like Portal. While it doesn’t have as interesting of a story as something like that it does feature a pretty unique puzzle design concept that had me constantly thinking in new ways. If you’re looking to spend a couple hours thinking outside the box then Superliminal is your game. | Read review |
Use a Potion | Daryl Leach | 9 / 10 | 07-09-2020 | Superliminal offers a puzzling experience that isn’t only unique and ingenious in design, but also a hell of a lot of fun to play. Best of all, it really feels at home on the Nintendo Switch, with the port offering slick visuals that certainly make the game’s weird and wonderful world a sight to behold in the palm of your hands. | Read review |
Video Chums | A.J. Maciejewski | 8 / 10 | 07-15-2020 | If you enjoy optical illusions and perspective-altering puzzles then Superliminal is definitely a must-play experience. | Read review |
WayTooManyGames | Heidi Hawes | 8.5 / 10 | 07-17-2020 | It’s a short game, taking about two to three hours to complete depending on how long it takes you to figure some puzzles out, but it’s well worth your time. I would also recommend playing it all in one sitting as that will make the whole experience more impactful. | Read review |
Game Info
Falling asleep at 3AM, you close your eyes to the cheesy commercial of Dr. Pierce’s dream therapy program. You wake up in an unfamiliar environment, only to realize that you’re stuck in a dream – a dream where perception is reality. Welcome to Superliminal.= Superliminal is a first-person puzzle game inspired perspective and optical illusions. Players tackle impossible puzzles by thinking outside the box and learning to expect the unexpected. This game features a wonderfully subdued world, an intriguingly voiced narrative, and things that are really weird.
RELEASE DATES:
DEVELOPER(S):
- Pillow Castle
PUBLISHER(S):
- Pillow Castle
GENRES:
- Puzzle
SERIES/FRANCHISE:
- n/a
GAME MODES:
- Single player
GAME ENGINE:
- -
DLC:
- -
BUNDLED IN:
- -
DIRECTOR(S):
- -
PRODUCER(S):
- -
DESIGNER(S):
- -
PROGRAMMER(S):
- -
ARTIST(S):
- -
WRITER(S):
- -
COMPOSER(S):
- -
GAME MODES:
- Single player
GAME ENGINE:
- n/a
DLC:
- n/a
BUNDLED IN:
- n/a
DIRECTOR(S):
- n/a
PRODUCER(S):
- n/a
DESIGNER(S):
- n/a
PROGRAMMER(S):
- n/a
ARTIST(S):
- n/a
WRITER(S):
- n/a
COMPOSER(S):
- n/a
People Also Like
Follow VSG on Instagram
Your go-to for the news, reviews and info you need from the gaming industry. Without access. Without favor. Without interference.