Semispheres, a twin-stick, meditative puzzle game, exists to give you those Aha! moments that puzzle gamers find deeply satisfying.
Inspired by Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons, but wanting to fix things he didn’t enjoy in the game, designer Radu Muresan started work on Semispheres at 2014’s Ludum Dare game jam. Nearly three years of effort by the small team at Vivid Helix later, Semispheres is primed for release.
My play through of the initial game levels revealed a beautiful, minimalist art style with an orange and blue palate. A soothing soundtrack by Sid Barnhoorn, composer for Antichamber and The Stanley Parable complements the art and gameplay. In the loud, chaotic bustle of the PAX Expo Hall, slipping on my headphones and picking up a controller transported me into an island of calm.
Each level has a simple focus – move the two avatars, one blue and one orange, through a maze to the goal. Each avatar is controlled by a single thumbstick, and do not, at least at first, have any way to effect the other. As the levels increase in complexity new powers begin to appear, and players need to figure out how to use each individual avatar to effect the other’s world so that both can reach their goal. A story, told as a series of comic panels, unlocks at the end of each series of levels.
The first story panels
While I initially found moving two things completely independently to be something of a challenge, the difficulty curve for Semispheres made it easy to adjust. Levels are not timed, so if need be, players can simply move one avatar to the necessary position, then move the other. This method, a kind of left-right-left turn system, was, in fact, the way I got through most of the levels, and like most good puzzle games, the real reward comes in the moment when you realize the solution. A ticking timer would only add stress that is the precise opposite of game designer Radu’s goals for the game.
However, while the focus of the game is on a soothing puzzle solving experience, there’s no doubt that Semispheres will also provide excellent challenges for the speedrunning community. It wasn’t mentioned in our interview, but I would love to see that actually supported with a timed mode in the game, perhaps as a New Game Plus that would eliminate the need for a third-party stopwatch.
The stated goal for Semispheres is to provide a pleasant, relaxing experience – a game you can wind down with after an intense multiplayer game or a long day at work. If my taste of the final product is any indicator, then the game hits the marks quite well.
Semispheres will be arriving on Steam and PS4 on February 14th, 2017 – Valentine’s Day. An Xbox One release is expected a few months later.
