Nebula Within

A life philosophy ruminating, fast-paced, geometric twin stick shooter made by the human, Nick Oueijan. Allow me to maybe put it a bit differently, one man's escape from the black hole life tends to create for a lot of us at some point and a vessel that helped him break free from his own personal one. Despite only using geometry shapes, the game's visuals are very well done. Sharp, colourful geometry on a black background with tiny white, swirling stars makes for some good contrast and individual shapes stand out nicely. Game menus and selection are awesomely done, allowing you to pilot your ship and shoot to select individual options which are represented by different drawings. Even looking through your collected mantras is done by turning the pages with your ship. By default, the game has very high intensity bloom and shapes flashing colours when you shoot them. The bloom is kind of distracting and I turned it off completely. The flashing colours can also be turned off and the game does come with a very clear and visible photosensitive seizure warning. It also comes with colour correction options for colour vision deficiencies. Watch out for any discomfort while playing. To quote Nick, "The world needs you healthy. <3". Soundscapes are meditative in nature, calming and relaxing, to set the mood of letting go and preparing to overcome the negative emotions the game throws at you. The controls are very responsive, smooth and your ship moves very fast. There are 11 chapters, each named after a negative emotion or a mental state. In normal mode you have limited lives. As you go through each chapter, the difficulty of geometry spawns increases as you clear waves and persevere. A challenge counter displays your current wave and they're cumulative. If you finish a chapter, you can continue to another one and the difficulty just keeps ramping up until you transcend. The visuals will then change, almost inverting themselves and the difficulty will keep increasing until you, eventually, fail. But that's the whole point, as in life, to pick yourself up, dust off, crack your knuckles and try again. During chapters, you will have small respites where you turn negative thoughts into positive mantras before diving again into the whirlpool of negative shapes and forms, some of which carry additional negativity and are harder to get rid off. You will occasionally find affirmations and positive words, like reassurance, confidence and safety floating in the void which will buff your ship temporarily. There are no permanent upgrades. Each time you rewrite a mantra, you get a small helper ship that will fly alongside you and shoot, encouraging you with positive thoughts. If you die, you lose them and this is where I disagree slightly with otherwise positive motivational and meditative aspirations. If personal experience has taught me anything, it's that people that go with you and help you through the void don't abandon you at the first sight of slipping into bleakness. I know it's a game mechanic, but I think it really goes against a lot of the things the game is trying to instill and awake in you. Chapters always end with a boss battle and those are really nicely done. The shapes are wonderful and the battles tense, adrenaline fuelled and liberating when you defeat the boss. The game allows shared/split screen co-op play for some real bursting of negativity with your friends. It also has a relaxing endless mode, with infinite lives if you just want to get into the flow and actively meditate or just forget about everything for a spell. The overall idea of combining a twin stick shooter with an awareness of mental health issues and it's goal of trying to bring positivity and mindfulness in a playful way is a worthy one, especially for a one man team, two-man, if we count Alaric Quin for the soundtrack, and it's clear how much of a passion project this is. This is not a substitute for professional help with mental issues and it's not meant to be, but it's a good, challenging and fun way to remind ourselves of things we tend to forget, that we should always go on and that sometimes looking into the mirror, smiling and saying "good enough" is all we need. "It isn't perfect, but then again, nothing ever is. It can get a little tough at times, but so can life." - Nick Oueijan [quote]More off the beaten path games, wonders and failures at the [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/37838664/][b]Cabinet of Curiosities.[/b][/url][/quote] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/30168383][b]Follow the Average Achievement Hunter Curator for reviews and useful information on Steam achievements[/b][/url]: 26 achievements, most are for finishing chapters, one is for completing all the wave challenges without restarting chapters and a few others can be acquired by simply playing the game. The last one that you'll probably get is for acquiring all diary entries which requires finishing each chapter multiple times.

[code]Steam Curator : ==> [u][i][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38545912]Right to the Point![/url][/i][/u] <== Follow [/code] [h3]Story/Concept :[/h3] [table] [tr] [th]No Story[/th] [th]Unique Concept[/th] [th]Psychology[/th] [/tr] [tr] [th]Human Emotions[/th] [th]Positive Thinking[/th] [th]Overcome Negative Feelings[/th] [/tr] [tr] [th]Learn About Yourself[/th] [/tr] [/table] [h3]Gameplay :[/h3] [table] [tr] [th]Twin-Stick Shooter[/th] [th]Bullet-Hell[/th] [th]Unique Gameplay[/th] [th] Geometrical Shapes as Enemies [/th] [/tr] [tr] [th]Positive Emotions as Power-Ups(Confidence, Reassurance,Safety)[/th] [th]Balanced Difficulty[/th] [th]Mantras will be unlocked in every stage[/th] [th][/th] [/tr] [tr] [th]Each stage describes a Negative Human Emotion.[/th] [th]Motivational phrases will help you beat the level-->overcome the negative emotion[/th] [th]Every stage ends with a boss fight[/th] [th]Long stages[/th] [/tr] [/table] [h3]Visuals/Graphics :[/h3] [table] [tr] [th]Simple[/th] [th]Colorful[/th] [th]Bright colors[/th] [th]Geometrical shapes[/th] [/tr] [/table] [h3]Sounds :[/h3] [table] [tr] [th]Amazing Soundtrack[/th] [th]Atmospheric[/th] [th]Relaxing[/th] [th][/th] [/tr] [/table] [h3]Strongest Points :[/h3] [table] [tr] [th]Atmosphere that sucks you in[/th] [th]Great Soundtrack[/th] [th]Combines a video game with psychology and life's truths[/th] [th]Unique concept[/th] [/tr] [/table] [h3]Inspired By :[/h3] [table] [tr] [th]Asteroids[/th] [th]Geometry Wars[/th] [th]Other Bullet-Hell[/th] [/tr] [/table] [h3]Conclusion :[/h3] A unique game that i can definitely recommend,especially for people that like relaxing-atmospheric games and for people that like games that have to do with psychology and self-development.It also applies to audiences that like games with unique concept,games that have to offer something different. [table] [tr] [th]Score : 7.5/10[/th] [th]Recommended[/th] [/tr] [/table] [code]Steam Curator : ==> [u][i][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38545912]Right to the Point![/url][/i][/u] <== Follow [i]If you want to discover more games like this one and even more![/i] [b] Thanks for reading![/b] [/code]

⠀

I really do like this game, and actually have a fair bit of respect for it. When it comes to twin-stick shooters, they really aren’t my genre. Over the years I have seen a lot of them pop up every now and then, and I always thought to myself, “They honestly all look the same. How could you possibly re-vamp this kind of game to be something a little different?”. I generally don’t really try new games of this kind because I already have a few in my game library and it seemed to me that once you have one you have them all (I’m sure there are exceptions to this but that was my view on the genre). I am actually quite glad that something finally came along and proved me wrong. This game was offered to me via a newly created curator page I set up, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38795895-Psychology-Philosophy-Thought/]“Psychology, Philosophy & Thought”[/url] (thought as in thought-provoking) so it’s worth mentioning that I was offered a review copy and it was free to me. I am someone who has a fair bit of experience with mental illness, in the likes of depression and anxiety, and my experiences over the years have given me an interest in mental illnesses within themselves, psychological themes and philosophy. I tend to enjoy games which dabble with these themes, and I can get quite passionate about their execution in games. This goes especially for games with themes around mental illness as I strongly believe that it is important that we share our experiences openly with each other and in a way that does not misrepresent an illness, attempt to give one-size-fits-all advice or try to put anyone down. Due to this view I have, despite receiving a free copy of this game I will still be completely honest with my review. I took to the games store page to read what this game was all about. I would like to point out that I almost immediately gained a respect for this game just reading its description. A main reason why I play indie games is the people that make them, and more often than not, put their soul into their games. This game is no exception, as the personal message in the description already gives you a clear representation of who made this game, why they made it, and what they hope to achieve by putting it out into the world. Positive, humble and wholesome vibes vibing already, I booted up the game. I wasn’t really expecting much for a 1-man team (and for a twin-stick shooter if I’m honest) but I can say I was pleasantly surprised. The graphics were immediately noticeable for me, as they are very clean and crisp, and although minimal (which I do love as well as the geometric aesthetic) it doesn’t look amateur-made. I feel like there is attention to detail here that didn’t go unnoticed in this case. You have two main game modes, the exploration mode in which you can play through chapters to unlock diary entries/mantras, and an endless mode. Each chapter includes milestones within it in which you unlock new entries/mantras. Hearing this concept you may already be wondering about how these mantras come across. No worries, this is no live laugh love pretentious Instagram inspo quote kind of thing. The mantras and quotes and everything you come across in this game I think I could confidently say are genuine. They were put there to reassure you, or calm you, or just make it known that it will be okay. This shows, and gives this game quite a therapeutic and oddly relaxing aura about it. I have learnt over many years how to calm my anxiety, and pick myself up on particularly difficult days. Those who know depression know that sometimes those days can come with negative thoughts. A way to combat this sometimes is a positive mantra. The little things I tell myself and drum into my brain to try and bring back peace within myself are definitely not far away from what this game puts out there. I think they are a really nice part of this game, and definitely part of what makes it unique. I think to some degree all games are reflections of the people who made them and I could very well believe these notes and quotes and mantras could be the developer sharing the things that helped bring back that peace for him. It could equally not be, but none the less it gives this game a personal and human touch. I am absolute garbage at these kind of games, so admittedly I haven’t even been able to complete an entire chapter just yet. If you die on a chapter, despite the milestones within it you hit, you have to attempt it again. This game may be therapeutic, but that doesn’t mean to say it isn’t challenging. I can imagine that some people may find it a bit frustrating that you have to start the chapter again to try and unlock the later milestones, but I think that is part of the point of this game. Persevere and keeping trying, and you will eventually overcome. Much like how overcoming your emotions works. It’s an odd mix being therapeutic and challenging at the same time. There was definitely moments playing this game I felt relatively calm and tense at the same time. If you need some kind words, it seems as if the developer Nick is most definitely here to try to brighten your day, and I love that. We need more of this kind of attitude in life. Everyone suffers in their own way, and to quote the man directly, “Hang in there. You're not alone.” For a game in a genre I usually all but ignore, I think this is a great game. [quote]For more reviews of games with psychological, philosophical or thought-provoking themes, check out my curator page [url= https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38795895/] Psychology, Philosophy & Thought, [/url] where we review games that explore the mind, get you thinking or make you question. [/quote]

This is similar to Geometry Wars or other twin-stick shooters, but it is more of a mellow experience. Unfortunately relaxation and twin-stick shooters failed to live up to the hype for me. Ultimately this is a game about trying to instill some positive mantras into your day that might result in rethinking some aspects of your day. The gameplay kind've steps on those aspects however, and they feel like empty gestures. As you play and unlock the mantras you will also unlock some little helper ships. These helper ships aren't very helpful, and they'll abandon you at the first sign of failure. The mantra of "You are not alone," apparently fell on deaf ears as the helper ships abandoned me when I was killed by an unexpected enemy. Along the way there are all of these statements that are supposed to serve as encouragement to persevere, but there's an aspect that's just left out. Progression. A better way to deal with your problems. Dealing with depression is difficult, painfully so. Tackling it with the same tools as things get difficult will end up with being overwhelmed and suffering set backs. But as you deal with your problems you learn better ways to do it, or new ways, but there are incremental changes that help you get better. And the game fails to capture that aspect at all. Now, lets say you look past that aspect of the game and want to focus on the twin-stick shooter aspect. It's set to some relaxing tunes while your screen is often overwhelmed with enemies. You get the occasional power up like strength, which is a bomb and explodes most of the enemies on screen. Or maybe you pick up confidence which gives you a nice power upgrade to your weapon for a short time. Confidence was extremely rare for me to pick up so I was stuck with the game's rudimentary weapon that never improved. The helper ships that show up do little damage and are barely noticeable in the regards of helping you. Their little statements of reassurance notwithstanding. Enemy variety is decent enough, and the boss battles are the best part of the game. Difficulty increases quite a bit if you choose to try to tackle chapter after chapter, and there's not much point in it due to your weapon not getting better. The lack of progression for your weapons is really the deal breaker here for me. After an hour of play it became apparent that I was slogging through it for the purpose of finishing it, unfortunately without enjoyment. And so I called it quits, I'd seen enough.

[h2] Nebula Within [/h2] [h1] Overview [/h1] A classic Twin-Stick Shooter game, with a twist. When you hear the term “Twin-Stick Shooter”, violence and explosive destruction would be the first terms to pop up in your mind, but this game is quite the opposite. Its main objective is to “Motivate” its players by displaying motivational quotes and positive phrases and it maintains a calm, peaceful and relaxing mood. [h1] Gameplay [/h1] The players’ main objective is to destroy anything and everything that slides into the screen. It has a similar gameplay to the classic Asteroids game, but with no explosions. The game has two modes. One mode is the main mode where you progress through different levels (Known as Diary Entries here) with a different Motivational Mood and they get progressively harder, plus the player would be limited to three lives. The other mode is an endless mode where the player would have infinite lives and would face infinite waves. The game also has power-ups that are positive/motivational words that buff the “Spacecraft” you are using for a short duration. These power-ups float around randomly and can be picked up. There are no permanent upgrades. [h1] Visuals [/h1] The game uses simple geometric shapes, hence there’s nothing much we can talk about the graphics of this game. But what’s interesting is that the color palette they chose comprises of bright colors. The general background of the game is black (Outer Space) with small white dots (Stars). What sucks is that the game flashes these bright lights which hurt my eyes, not a real comfortable experience. It is also harmful to people with Epilepsy. What’s even worse is that they don’t warn the players about “Flashing Bright Lights” before the game starts. It’s not fun to have bright light flashing on your face all of a sudden when you are in a dark room. It is unhealthy for our vision. In conclusion, the visuals are simple but are too bright and flashy. [h2] Audio [/h2] The game aims at giving the player a relaxing experience, so one would anticipate soothing music. Funnily enough, this game has an eerie soundtrack. It is not relaxing at all, it’s just creepy. It would be way better if they added a melodious and slow track instead. [h1] Pros [/h1] [list] [*] A great time killer. [*] Endless mode for a stress-busting session. [*] Simple yet Vibrant and bright visuals. [*] I love how the menu is set up. You need to shoot the options you want using your spaceship. [*] The game records your longest “Diary Entry” that includes the Date, time, and the Scrawls Made. Scrawls increase depending on the number of hits you get on the target. 1 hit=1 Scrawl. [/list] [h1] Cons [/h1] [list] [*] The game has a lot of bright flashes which is harmful to our eyes and for people with epilepsy. They don’t even warn the players about this beforehand. [*] The game is simple, doesn’t need a tutorial. But the player must be informed about the elements in the game and what their objective is. [*] The game gets boring eventually. It got boring after 5-10 minutes for me. This can’t be played as a main game, rather it can be played as a time killer. [*] The soundtracks used in this game are not comforting and soothing at all. They sound like they have been picked out of a horror movie. It’s too eerie to be in a game that promises to deliver a mind relaxing experience to its players. [/list] [h1] Conclusion [/h1] This is a small game by a small developer and it’s certainly not shovelware as it has a unique concept. Although it’s not really “fun” to play, we need to support small developers who come up with unique ideas of their own. It’s good to play whenever you feel bored as a way to keep yourself entertained. I have mixed feelings for this game. [b]Reviewer: [/b] Midplayz Indie Games are funnily fun. [b]Rating:[/b] 5.5/10 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38888018-United-Critics/] Please follow [b]United Critics[/b] for more quality reviews.[/url]

*Jogo recebido na minha Curadoria: Prismático* Lugar de adversidade e meditação, de solidão e companheirismo, tensão e calma. Nebula Whitin é um jogo colorido, desafiador e sentimental. Parece que o intuito do jogo é nos proporcionar uma explosão de sentimentos a todo momento, ideia que surgiu de um dos momentos baixos do próprio desenvolvedor, visto que em momentos turbulentos, é preciso escolher o melhor caminho com tranquilidade e motivação. Isto explica a dificuldade elevada, pois a vida não é fácil, durante a jornada, naves te ajudam, como amigos na vida real. Quanto a jogabilidade é bem simples, 'mouse' atira e WASD controla a nave. Já no menu controlamos a nave, 'atirando' nas opções. Inimigos são formas geométricas, muito rápidos, surgem de todos os lados da tela, bem frenético. Uns lançam mini naves, criam paredes ou uma energia esférica que afasta, se unem um com os outros, perseguem, encurralam, quando você percebe, sua tela cheia deles e você rodeado, não o bastante, vem 'boss'. Existe um ''Diário Nebulático'', particularmente chamaria de diário de bordo, que seria sua progressão na jornada, nela você aceita sua 'campanha', faz leitura e cumpre desafios estabelecidos, com suas 3 vidas. Surgem itens flutuando em que pode pegar e trazer alguns benefícios, como mudança de rajada, proteção da nave, velocidade e aliados. Várias frases motivacionais aparecem ao longo do caminho, são afirmações positivas para te fortalecer. Existe fase de vida infinita que serve apenas para relaxar metendo bala nos inimigos. É possível jogar localmente com 8 jogadores. Um dos problemas para não compreender o jogo é estar todo em inglês. Claramente tem muita influência de Space Invaders, pai do 'shooter' espacial. Seu preço cheio (R$20) não vale a compra, tendo em conta que é jogo típico de play única, vale a pena 'sale' com preço inferior a R$5. Conta com 26 conquistas, 13 ocultas. Mantenha-se firme. Você não está sozinho.

[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38888018-United-Critics/] Please follow [b]United Critics[/b] for quality reviews[/url] [h1]Good things:[/h1] It is a great game. Good bullet hell getting harder with each level with great boss fights at the end of each chapter and also an interesting take on human emotions and mental health. The game has some nice enemies ideas and how they work or interact with other enemies. I like that in setting you can change bloom intensity as after 2 chapters the sudden change in colors did hurt my eyes and changing bloom intensity helped with that. The game is all about finishing each chapter at least once and reading all the info about different emotions. But if you want to 100% this game you need to finish each chapter a few times. This is game was good for relaxing as I had to focus on the game and my mind could rest from thinking about my real life problems. I like the music in this game it is simple but good. [h1]Bad things:[/h1] I found only 2 things I didn’t like. One is the bloom intensity that was selected from the start because after chapter 3 when the colors changed it did hurt my eyes but you can change it in calibrate menu. The other thing is that there are power ups but there are no permanent upgrades. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] If you like hard bullet hell games or games that focus on emotions and mental health you should get this game. Overall score 7.5/10

[table][td][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/30253125]甄游组鉴赏家（点击订阅） [/url] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34433893]玩家聊天Q群124925250[/url][/td][/table] 几何线条风格的弹幕射击游戏， 有些很炫酷的特效。 穿插了一些发人深省的哲学句子。 但是没有中文。