Superliminal: The Perfect Christmas Gift

On October 31st, I asked my dad to buy a game from the online website “Steam.” The game was called “Superliminal,” and I was very intrigued. I bought it with a discount from the Halloween sales. At first, it confused me, but after a bit of playering, I was hooked. The game was centered around a mix of mind-boggling illusions and an engaging story. I finished the game the following day.

What Is Superliminal?

Superliminal is a game all about optical illusions. The game's description states:

“Perception is reality. In this mind-bending first-person puzzler, you escape a surreal dream world through solving impossible puzzles using the ambiguity of depth and perspective.”

However, the game’s description describes the story as:

“As you fall asleep with the TV on at 3 AM, you remember catching a glimpse of the commercial for Dr. Pierce’s Somnasculpt dream therapy program. By the time you open your eyes, you’re already dreaming - beginning the first stages of this experimental program.”

As you can tell, this game is a mix of problem solving and storytelling. I find this game intriguing since you can constantly theorize throughout playing.

Who made Superliminal?

Pillow Castle Logo

To have a more in-depth look at the game, we might have to research. Superliminal has grown since its initial release. The biggest spike they’ve had lately was 1,255 players online, even though there were days with 0 players online (Steam Charts.) Superliminal was released on Steam on November 5th, 2020, by a team of “multidisciplinary artists, technologists, and storytellers” called Pillow Castle. According to the company’s Linkedin, they were founded in 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They specialize in “game development, storytelling, social media, and daydreaming.”

Superliminal’s online players since the initial release of the game

Prices

Superliminal is cheap compared to most video games. The game currently costs 19.50 CHF but has occasional discounts. I think 19.50 CHF is a reasonable price for a gift. Christmas is just around the cornor which means that there will most likely be a new discount.

The New Update: Mixed Reviews

Superliminal’s Group Theorapy Update

On November 13th, 2021, Superliminal released a free update. The update allowed Multiplayer “tournaments” to happen. Some of the games would include parkour, problem-solving, and so on. However, it’s highly competitive, especially since you can pick players up. Although exciting, not many people are playing. Currently, lobbies are almost always left empty. Games like these can get boring after a while. Overplayed games have been proven to fail with past games such as Among Us and Fall Guys. But I still think there should be more players than there are now. It’s enjoyable, especially if you’re playing it for the first time. This update sparked this article because I wanted to be able to play online and not have to wait forever for no one to pop up.

User Testing at ZIS

After a few months of the new update, I gathered 2 of my friends to play the main storyline in order to see if I was just way over my head or if Superliminal is actually a good game.

Maike

Maike is a friend of mine who usually plays first-person shooter games (not story ones). Therefore, I thought she would be the perfect candidate for “testing.” Maike seemed to enjoy the game when playing. After finishing, I asked her a few questions.

Maike rated the game 9/10, saying: “It’s a good game and all, cool concept, but I feel like it played with my feelings a little bit.” But sadly, she was dissatisfied with the ending because she was “expecting a mystery.” In addition, she said that it can get repetitive at some points. According to Maike, she especially enjoyed the start of the game where you were mindlessly solving puzzles. Her favorite mechanic in the game was through level 5 (Clone), where you would get a clock that lets you change the music. She also said she wouldn’t play again but admits that she rarely plays story games more than once as she finds it “boring and dissatisfying to play.”

Music changing clock on level 5: Clone

Cole

Cole is a friend of mine who does not play video games. I wasn’t sure if he would like the game and at times I wasn’t sure if he was enjoying playing. Although getting frustrated often, I was surprised by his answers to my questions.

Cole rated the game an 8.5/10 saying: “It’s good just not my sort of thing” and it “Got to my head at some point and I got really bad at the game.” Cole said he liked the music but oddly enough didn’t like the two leading commentators of the game, Dr. Glen Pierce and the Standard Orientation Protocol. (If you want to know more about these characters, you can visit the unfinished Superliminal Fandom Wiki.) He wouldn’t play again because he “already got mad and doesn't want to get more mad at the game.” His favorite mechanic was also the music-changing clock.

Finishing Words

Even if this story doesn’t persuade you as the reader to buy the game, I still think this game deserves to be known. Furthermore, I believe that Superliminal is underrated, especially considering its difference from other games. So, if you’re looking for a gift or even looking to receive a gift, you should get Superliminal this holiday season.

*WARNING: This game is not recommended for people with epilepsy or players who disassociate easily.*