Reviews

• gamedeal user

  Oct 30, 2021

  hypnagogia 1 means a lot to me and i've replayed it probably like 6 times, so i've been super excited for this game since it got announced. i can truly say that it exceeded all expectations and this is one of my favorite games to come out this year, thank you sodaraptor :)
• gamedeal user

  Dec 31, 2021

  Definitely recaptures some of the virtual magic from games during the late 90s/early 2000s, easily the golden era of video games IMHO.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 3, 2022

  I've got a soft spot for PlayStation era titles, what with their low resolution chunky look, and lack of visual effects that clutter the screen with crappy filters and muted colors, along with the high contrast making colors really *pop* from the screen, so Hypnagogia was an easy buy for me, and I can safely say that it delivers, and it delivers hard. From the very first moment of launching the game, you realize that you are in for something that has been made with genuine, honest to god passion for a very specific style of PS1 era type game, or rather, a style that feels more akin to the nostalgia we feel for days long past for those earlier consoles and titles, rather than the gameplay itself. For what it's worth, this nostalgia is captured incredibly well, and if that's enough for you, then this'll do you well. There have been some comparisons made between this game to LSD: Dream Emulator. I can't say I don't get it, being a game with strong colors and PS1 era visuals, along with an apparent focus on exploration, but in reality, they are vastly different games, and if you plan on going into this with the same expectation, you're not going to get it. Hypnagogia is a much more concrete style of game. There's a clear story and clear progression of events, and a clear set of levels to follow. That's not to say exploration is completely non-existent, but I'd feel it'd be incorrect to say it's some huge factor of what is, at it's core, a linear, partially platforming focused experience. That being said, there is an exceptional chunk of hidden optional content, though these extra levels are also linear experiences at their core, somewhat like the hidden worlds in Mario games. Gotta say though, sodaraptor (the dev) must have some pretty big cojones to hide away as much as he did. Honestly I'd say it's a bit too much, as these are great areas of the game being hidden away in ways that the average player would never discover in a playthrough. The game does tell you these exist, but how well some of these are hidden (some being only unlockable AFTER getting to the very end of a normal level, and still easy to miss), feels like a bit much for me. These are areas which add a fair chunk of playtime to the overall length of the game. We're talking Dark Souls Ash Lake/Painted World levels of hiding away areas here. Areas which clearly had a boatload of effort put into em. That's an important word here. Effort. This isn't some slapdash unity asset flip with a minor visual filter. This is a game that's been handcrafted by someone taking their time, and you can feel it. Going through some of the environments is a true joy, and just when you think you're about to get tired of something, the game pulls a trick, and changes everything within a world seamlessly, without you ever even seeing the strings being pulled. This is used to great effect within Hynagogia, especially when it comes to the (minor spoiler) [spoiler] horror focused areas of the game, as the world twists and morphs around you, into something nearly unrecognizable to what it was before. Horror can be difficult to do well, but my god, did sodaraptor know what he was doing here. [/spoiler] This game took me a bit under 6 hours to almost fully complete. This included me beating the game, and then going back to find several of the secret areas and worlds (with some help from online sources, admittedly). For the price, and considering the quality of each of the levels, this game is more than worth it. Each environment is relatively low on filler content, though obvious backtracking is required at some points in the game. Thankfully, what backtracking there is, is fairly minor, and is often used to highlight changes in the environment in some form. Not always, but usually. The music of the game fits the theme and tone of each level about as well as you could hope. Again, clear effort was made, and it certainly helps immerse you into the experience. Visuals are gorgeous in terms of art direction, if not graphical fidelity (it's a PS1 inspired game, what the hell were you expecting?), and at some points, the effects used are damn near jaw-dropping (the water in the mist world blew my mind, especially). They say variety is the spice of life, which this game embodies quite well. Every environment looks different from the other, and there's almost never a dull moment in the game. Almost every new level will have a surprising twist to the gameplay, either becoming a space level with no gravity, or a deep sea level, or a desert level where you run around on an chocobo style bird, there's a lot of cool stuff that you end up doing through a run through. I can't say replayability is high, as once you've done everything... you've done everything. Repeat playthroughs of levels don't really change up all that much (which I had to do at some points to get to a few secret worlds I missed, bit of a chore to go through everything again just to reach a secret, but that's a very minor flaw all things considered here), so if you're looking for something to invest hundreds of hours into, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a one and done game that puts its all into that one playthrough, you won't find much better than hypnagogia. Hypnagogia is a game that keeps you interested, and keeps you going through the use of fun events, cute creatures, adorable interactions, [spoiler] a dive into horror as everything around you crumbles to dust and makes Silent Hill cry with pride for what it has inspired [/spoiler], beautiful environments, and fun. What little negatives I have to say about Hypnagogia are so vastly overshadowed by its positive qualities, and if you're the kind of person who's looking at the screenshots and reading the description for the game and thinking "this looks like something I'd be into!", I can very much assure you, it is. It kind of saddens me that the game hasn't gotten all that much attention as of yet, with less than 100 reviews after a month of being on steam. I feel it deserves far more attention than what it's gotten so far. That said, titles like these are niche, and are made for a niche audience, and not the AAA crowd that care more for ray tracing than they do a truly beautiful work of art, so I suppose I can't be too surprised. I hope the developer understands just how good his work is, and that it is very, very much loved by those who have the joy of experiencing it. Thank you sodaraptor, you've made something special. I look forward to your next project, whatever and whenever it may be. Want to keep updated on games I recommend? I'm a curator! Follow me here! https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Neonetik/curation
• gamedeal user

  Jan 5, 2022

  i flirted with a door and i liked it. 11/10
• gamedeal user

  Jan 5, 2022

  Found this little gem thanks to Steam's Interactive Recommender. It's a funny, thought-provoking, shiver-inducing game capable of conveying emotions beyond words. Beautifully done in all aspects, the PS1 visual and sound aesthetics are very nostalgic, the controls are smooth and responsive. Without spoiling anything, I'd say there's much to surprise in a variety of ways, so definitely worth checking out. Playing through it has been a great experience. Thank you, Sodaraptor!
• gamedeal user

  Feb 19, 2022

  That one other guy's review said he flirted with the door. I got rejected. Still 11/10
• gamedeal user

  Apr 22, 2022

  One of my top favorite games! Very colorful and fun to play. I like the puzzles and the characters. Great replay too so many secrets.
• gamedeal user

  May 26, 2022

  About the guys talking about flirting with a door. I will proudly say, I did not got rejected, she is a little shy but we are starting to think if I should move in with her. Hope we get far in the relation. Stay strong kings, you'll find a lovely door too eventually! So, about getting far with her. We married! I'm the happiest man alive right now, I can't believe I managed to get such a lovely wife. We started to build a warden some time soon after marrying. :)
• gamedeal user

  Jun 15, 2022

  An enchanting dive into a Haunted PS1-stylee dream-world. Short but sweet, worth spending an evening on. On top of the 8 worlds accessible in the story-mode, there are several secret worlds accessible through exploration of the main worlds. If you miss them the first time around, don't fret: a free-roam mode is unlocked at the end of the story, allowing you to go back and unearth the secret worlds at your leisure.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 20, 2022

  i just wanna see her again..... thera made me feel things i've never felt before.... bring her back to me..... 10/10