The Swapper

I played this when it was first released many years ago. Still a very good puzzle game. Amazing how they were able to use the same simple mechanics in so many different ways. Good map makes it easier to figure out which places you need to visit. Also a story of sorts. The original version might not run well on new systems, however. I had to use a "compatibility" version to get started, and it still crashed occasionally. I might have gotten the wrong version, unfortunately. Go to the community hub in Steam for instructions on how to get the right one.

Mouse is not working properly, like everyone else is saying.
Maybe someone could fix this???

wow, this was an incredible experience, the first 0g moment was incredible. the visuals and sound design are excellent, and the puzzles are very fun and engaging. there was one moment towards the middle of the game where spoken dialogue comes in right after reading a bit of unspoken written dialogue, and as both can be very thought-provoking it was difficult to focus on both of them at the same time and I ended up dying to hear the spoken dialogue again; this is probably my only criticism with the game design. the soundtrack is a bit minimal with the piano but it works well enough, and there are still some interesting adaptive music moments in the game that I enjoyed. the music serves the deeply thoughtful and frightening nature of the story quite well and I felt I got the kind of immersion that a brilliant short novel will give.

unfortunately, the current release of this game has a few egregious technical issues that can sour the experience. as these can be circumvented I'd like to give an opportunity to recommend this game with a quick guide on how to get around these issues until they're fixed, as I still feel it was worth playing despite having to browse the discussion pages to fix them.

1. When you first boot up the game, if using mouse and keyboard you may find it difficult or impossible to move the cursor. If this occurs, exit the game and go to the steam library. Right click the game in the library and click "Properties", then go to the "Beta" tab and change to the "compatability-compatability" beta. Relaunch the game and the mouse issue should be fixed. This issue may not be present if using a gamepad.

2. When encountering certain secrets in this game, your game may suddenly freeze. This crash is somehow related to the steam achievements; you'll notice when this happens that you'll receive an achievement but you won't be able to see the contents of the secret due to the freeze. If this occurs, you should be able to fix this by running the game outside of steam. First, you need to Exit Steam (the menu at the top left), or end the process through task manager. Then, locate the game files, which should be in C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/The Swapper. In there should be a file named steam_api.dll, which you want to rename to steam_api.dll.bak (make sure file extensions are visible in Windows Explorer or your equivelant program; you can find this in the View tab). Finally, in the same folder run The Swapper.exe and the game should run. You will be able to play the game without experiencing crashes.

All in all, an incredible experience and well worth playing. Unfortunately because of the technical issues, I will have to recommend purchasing it when it is on sale, however once I found the workarounds for the issues they didn't hinder my experience very much.

One note about the game's ending; maybe it is a flaw that you have to replay the whole game to see the other ending, however I can see the reasoning behind it and even see that it may be a deliberate choice. firstly, the secrets can be hidden pretty well especially the last one, and so for most people a repeated playthrough would still provide value. As the puzzles are required to beat the game, the puzzle gameplay will be easily finished and you can replay this game in an hour or less to beat it after doing so once; since a lot of it is just understanding the mechanics the earlier ones especially feel quite intuitive on a repeated playthrough, and as there are exploration elements to the game I think that this decision is not itself an objective flaw. I also think that this adds more weight to the decision, though admittedly this should have been communicated better (like in Oneshot for example). I would only say that the way it is done is a bit sloppy, with how the credits scroll and then you can still continue the file that jumps you to the credits; a better way would be to simply delete the file after completing the game as it comes across as a technical issue in this case.

The story was amazing. HOWEVER! There were three issues that made this game nearly unplayable.

1) I could only get the game to run with an xbox controller. Nothing else worked.
2) This game does not use the Steam Cloud to backup save information. I got a new computer 5 hours into the game, and I had to manually move my save over. This was very annoying, but the part that I got stuck on was that the save file was under Facepalm Games instead of Swapper. Every one of my games names their save data folders after the game itself. I thought I would have to start all over, but I eventually figured that out. I don't think it would be that hard to enable the Steam Cloud. However, I'm pretty sure the developers have long since forgotten about this game. There are a handful of other bugs people have been begging to be fixed, but it's been over 10 years since its release and no dice.
3) Achievements make your game crash. That should not happen. Every time this game has to call to Steam to notify it of the achievement, the game will hard lock. Either you can do the achievements but not get the lore, OR you can play offline and not get the achievement.

Ultimately, I think playing this game was worth it for me, but I REALLY like sci-fi and puzzle games. The story is super compelling. However, actually playing this game was far too much work than I would ever hope to see in a video game. Based on the community discussions, there are a lot of other bugs and issues that make finishing the game impossible. Unless you have the patience or the luck to see it through, don't waste your time.

Very good puzzles. Actually quite relaxing, especially with the music.

Broken and unplayable, do not buy.

The Swapper is the kind of game that messes with your brain—in the best way possible. This indie gem blends eerie sci-fi storytelling with mind-bending puzzle mechanics, all wrapped in a beautifully handcrafted, unsettling atmosphere. The central gimmick? A cloning device that lets you create copies of yourself and swap control between them. Simple? At first. Existentially horrifying? Absolutely.

The puzzles are brilliantly designed, constantly making you rethink space, identity, and what it means to be “you.” The haunting soundtrack and lonely, oppressive setting make every step through the abandoned space station feel like a philosophical journey.

It’s short but unforgettable, offering one of the most unique puzzle experiences in gaming. Play it if you love atmospheric storytelling, clever mechanics, and questioning your own existence by the end credits.

cool story broken game

Actually a very good puzzle game with a mystical atmosphere in which you create clones of yourself in order to get to otherwise unreachable places. Unfortunately, there are various bugs that have not been fixed, which regularly cause the game to crash. Therefore, unfortunately I can no longer recommend it.

cool game! ~5 hour playtime. I don't think I saw in it what most did, though it certainly targets a very interesting theme. Worth a play for sure!

Also the puzzles were really good. I used a guide for exactly one but honestly I think I could have figured it out if I gave myself more of a chance, so the difficulty is excellent

Ngeri banget puzzle nya , lumayann latih logika

This game reminds me of Inside and Limbo.

Atmosphere 10/10.

Short and sweet.

Great art game representing ludonarrative concept. Neat story with gaps we all are free to fill. The story is dependent on the gameplay, which is not very hard. I liked the concept, music, and aesthetics.

Good game.

As of Dec 2024, this game is still broken and crashes on start. Hold off on buying it until the development team actually fixes the issue.
This game was an all time favorite of mine, definitely 10/10 for the puzzles, haunting atmosphere, and story telling. But leaving a bad review here given that it has been broken for a while and there has been no support for a long time. Will change review when the game is fixed.

Bugged and unplayable, even with "compatible" mode on. The concept was good tbh :/

quick puzzle game with great story, says unsupported on steam deck but it worked perfectly on mine. 10/10 would recommend

Seems broken at the moment. I recall playing this for a bit and not finishing, but coming back to it now there's a weird issue with my mouse cursor sticking so I can't select anything in the menu before getting into the game. The achievements/hidden terminals seem broken too, and cause the game to crash once you've found one. Good luck.

It's a short metroidvania-style puzzle game. If you like both genres and an intriguing plot, try the game

Very good sci-fi puzzle game with interesting concepts.

Has some downsides like these;
- broken mouse input
- lack of easy achievements (all of achievements are in secret places )

Great so far, if it sucks I'll swap this review

The game is pretty cool. Unfortunately, the achievements seem to cause this game to try and lock up my computer.

I did the following and got the game to work:

1. go to properties->betas and choose "compatibility"
2. go to the game's location at "steamapps/common/The Swapper" and then rename "steam_api.dll" to "steam_api.dll.bak" to disconnect the game from steam. (achievements will not be obtainable)
3. run the game directly by using "TheSwapper.exe"

Worth playing for the art, puzzles, and story. Sadly, the game has fallen to disrepair.

Really fun puzzle game. Had a few technical issues, but nothing too bad for a game that's over a decade old and the steam forums had answers for every issue I came across. It's nice that the game doesn't overstay its welcome - the mechanics are simple, but they generate a lot of depth in the puzzles without falling prey to repetition. The music and environment art are fantastic, creating a very tense atmosphere. The story and philosophical questions posed throughout the experience were also more interesting than I expected going into the game. Definitely worth picking up and playing through at least once!

Great puzzles and really amazing environments.

pains me to leave a bad review for this game, but they earned it by not fixing things as basic as mouse movement and bugged achievements causing crashes. it's one of the best puzzlers of all time and it deserves better than this

Great platforming, puzzle game.
Had some interesting ideas, mechanics, thoughts, story as well.

Recommended if you love platforming Puzzle game like Portal but in 2D mode.

This puzzle game is a fantastic experience, very reminiscent of Portal. The puzzles range from easy to challenging, with just the right balance to keep you thinking. It’s easy to overthink at times, but it feels incredibly rewarding to solve each one. The game has a few minor bugs, none of which interfere with puzzle-solving, and I was able to complete it in about five hours.

One notable drawback is the ending. You're given a choice, but after you make it, there's no option to reload and explore the alternate path; returning to the game just leads to the credits. It would have been great to experience both outcomes without having to replay from the start.

Additionally, I stumbled upon a hidden area with a terminal that caused the game to crash whenever I interacted with it. I ultimately chose to ignore it, and thankfully, it didn’t impact the rest of the game. Overall, while the story could have been stronger, the game is a rewarding and clever puzzle adventure that I'd recommend to fans of the genre.

3/10

I was about to request for a refund due to the mouse getting stuck at the beginning but found a way to fix it. The Swapper mechanic is nice and unique but beside that there isn't much that engages me. I'm sure there is much effort behind the creation of this game but I personally find it to be meaningless to play and spend time on. Its a typical puzzle-platformer with a dystopian space theme and a cliche story that feels like you've heard a hundred times before. Existentially shallow.

Edit: I finished the game with a walkthrough video to see if it got any better but it was pretty much the same throughout.

MIND BENDING
MASTERPIECE.

Attractive graphics, awesome mechanic makes for very original puzzles, all wrapped and interlinked with a story discovered while playing. Big like!
Played in [compatibility] because of initial problems with the mouse, considered it a minor issue.

crashes on start up. don't bother

This game would have been good for the most part, but unfortunately it has some bugs. One is that the mouse won't cooperate when you have to name your character, meaning you can't start the game, but you can easily fix this by going to properties -> Betas -> compatibility. A huge issue however is that the game will freeze whenever you find the secret monitors which apparently has to do with the achievements. Ten achievements means ten crashes. Have fun!

Awesome game which reminds me a lot of Portal series. It's really innovative and has a captivate gameplay. Must-play for puzzle lovers

I was lucky that the game was still on an old laptop and I was able to play it. The game can't cope with today's hardware and the mouse bugs.
Unfortunately, I can't confirm whether an older operating system helps or whether I was lucky, so be warned.
I can't give the game a bad review though. The mechanics are great and I enjoyed the puzzles. The atmosphere is just right, but I was a bit annoyed by how slow the game felt.

Havent finished it but a v fun puzzle game and good story

An eerie yet enjoyable puzzle platformer with great atmospheric sound and a strong piano soundtrack. Some of the puzzles really tease your brain, but you can figure everything out with some persistence and experimentation.

I've seen reviewers complain about bugs that prevent game startup, etc., but I played with the compatibility beta enabled (as recommended in the forums), and the whole game was smooth as butter for me. No problems at all.

Looks like a nice puzzle game with some interesting mechanics and a slightly thinky story. But on opening the cursor was snapping across the screen, fixed that but the game consistently freezes when interacting with certain in game objects. The potential doesn't mater when the game is unplayable.

The story in intriguing, but there's too much work involved in getting the game to work including crashes and mouse glitches.

The ending left me speechless, was mind blowing
The cloning mechanics were very well done and fun n the floating through space parts felt real, also had quite unique visuals and an easy to follow map
Loved the ambient music too
Only problem I had was all the achievements weren't attainable due to when I'd try to get them the game would freeze and have to be closed via task manager, ended up watching a video for the extra info, other than that was a fantastic game

Great puzzle game with a haunting atmosphere and interesting story.

Short but well done. Puzzles are challenging and it has a very cool atmosphere