'n Verlore Verstand

This tree speaks to me.
This game has, cool graphics, great movement, nice enjoyable levels. Overall, very fun platforming experience.
Also I love the creator's addition of full support of a large variety of languages, big ups.

‘N Verlore Verstand (PC, X-box 1, PS4, N-Switch) (2016)

Upfront, this is simply a broken product. Out of the 19 levels available, 2 of them are broken. Scene 8 is extremely buggy and scene 12 has a game breaking mechanic of invisible buildings. On top of this, there is a broken achievement involving collecting all the white flowers. These issues have been known since 2017 and the developer though aware of them, have refused to fix. So genuine achievement hunters will want to give this one a miss and absolutely NO ONE should buy this for full price of $21.50. There are work arounds, but they involve using 3rd party software.

Principally the game is a platformer where you get to explore 18 levels that are divided into 6 different surreal scenes. The objective of every level is simply to find the exit portal tree. These 6 scenes are then repeated on an easy, medium and difficult type setting. On top of this, each unique scene has 10 specially colour coded flowers hidden among their repeats. Collect all 60 flowers, visit scene 11 and drop down into a secret teleport and you get rewarded with the last secret level, scene 19.

The various scenes are…
1) Traverse a surreal field (10 white flowers hidden among scenes 1, 7, 13 and 18)
2) Explore a maze of either trapdoors and corridors (10 orange flowers hidden among scenes 2, 8 and 14)
3) Venture through an underworld of moving platforms and guillotine blades (10 blue flowers hidden among scenes 3, 9 and 15)
4) Run along a dangerous roadside of fast-moving trucks (10 purple flowers hidden among scenes 4, 10 and 16)
5) A complex desert scape of floating and rotating platforms to jump through (10 red flowers hidden among scenes 5, 11 and 17)
6) An 'Inception' inspired city scape where you bounce on top of moving buildings (10 pink flowers hidden among scenes 6 and 12.
7) Once you collect all 60 flowers you get access to a space scene where you have to hop along an asteroid belt which surrounds a crystalised planet/moon (There are no flowers here, but if you use the elevation glitch on the last raising platform you will discover that the planet itself surrounded by the asteroid belt actually takes on the appearance of a flower from a top/down perspective)

Furthermore, there is a developer time to beat for all 19 levels. This isn’t actually hard since there are a couple of fun glitches with the game mechanics which you can use to your favour. Breaking the time trials doesn’t unlock anything further than achievements. The glitches that are helpful…

1) Collision glitch. Jump towards where a rope bridge meets rock and jump again when you hit that area. The collision will send you skyward so that you can land a long distance away.
2) Elevation glitch. While standing on an elevating platform press pause. Let the platform you’re standing on move through you, as you see the platform descend again on top of you, let go of pause. This will rocket you upwards high in the air.
3) Pause glitch. If the platforms are not in the right place, simply pause the game. This stops the timer, but not the animation of the platforms. Un-pause the game when the platforms you need to jump on are in a favourable position. This will save you a lot of time.

Below I have made a video that showcases each glitch…

https://youtu.be/42nGh5kk84Q?feature=shared

The game was made originally by 2 South African students Tiaan Gerber and his school friend Alexander Ehlers. As time went on Tiaan saw a need to separate from his friend so that his creativity was not stifled and set up Skobbejak games. Hence because of zero staff, blaring issues have remained since the games conception and simply ignored for the sake of creating new games.

Ok, fair enough, but would you buy an alarm clock that fails to show 2 hours? Would it be right to sell such a broken alarm clock for full price? Would you buy a game that has 2 broken levels in it? Is it right for developer, publisher or Steam to sell such a broken product for full price?

Instead of buying the game, I would highly recommend purchasing the sound track instead. The music embedded into this game fits absolutely every surreal scene perfectly. In fact, it is hard to imagine any other soundtrack than the one provided while you’re playing each scene. It invokes the right number of emotions out of the player, blends perfectly with each landscape and encourages continual involvement and exploration.

The title of the game ‘N Verlore Verstand’ is African for ‘a lost mind’. This theme is reiterated in scene 18 when evil lightning explodes the poral tree and all the items from your previous ventures, come spilling out of the zapped tree and litter the landscape. While I guess this artistically makes a loose connection between all the scenes you have been playing and the games title, overall, it adds no depth and meaning. It’s a rather empty superficial experience that even breeds resentment into its customers thanks to it being broken and the unbelievable oversight of not adding a flower indicator so that players aren’t experiencing extreme vexation due to tedious searching of poorly visible flowers. The fact that this developer believes this game is worth $21.50, I agree with the games title. I believe the developer has in fact lost his mind…

My Reviews: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6843548/

I'm on a mission to play as many Steam games as possible in alphabetical order and you can watch my review here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tg1caBDTvug&feature=share7

Tl;dr a competent first person platformer that has some lovely set-pieces and art design, but is let down by having zero plot to tie everything together and a level that is almost impossible to beat due to an unresolved graphical glitch.

This game isn't for most. Ultimately, this is an 'aesthetic-based' game, likened to an art-piece that draws you in. It's main draw is it's scenes, and the music that accompanies them, or the lack thereof. The gameplay is a side-dish that may, or may not be moldy.

But if you enjoy walking sims without stories, difficult platformers (with a bit of frustration), and can handle confusing mazes, then you'll like this. It's cheap on sale, as well.

A nice little puzzle game. The sound and graphic are very nice. It really feels that you play inside a deranged mind in the game. The levels are very different from eachother so it can take some time to figure some stuff out. But just enjoy..

This is a great game to play, the scenery is fantastical & surreal and the puzzles are quite unique & entertaining. At first things make no sense and then you realise ... this is the nature of the game! You must get through a level to proceed to the next level. The levels and their worlds are so different i cant wait to accomplish each "world" to see what is coming next. I have a 3 year old pc, and this game is playing glitch free for me. I'm glad I did not let the negativity of the game reviews stop me from buying this game. Its definitely worth the price!

TL;DR: The game is fine for what it is, a short puzzle platformer made by a small dev team, yes the movement can be a little clunky but you just have to take some time to understand it, well worth it if you pick it up on sale especially (which it goes on often),

Not really sure how to review this one briefly but I will take some criticisms and explain why I feel they are incorrect:

1. Story/Narrative/Structure, I have no idea why this is a negative, the game was developed by a very small team and is a puzzle platformer, I'm personally very glad they didn't waste time botching a meaningless story in the game and forcing it upon the player. As for structure, you go from one stage to the next, I'm not sure how that can be difficult to follow.

2. Controls/Buggy, I did beat the game and at the start some of the movement was difficult to control, however this is generally when you are on the side of things it will shove you down which I believe is a means to stop you breaking the game, after playing for 30 minutes I felt in almost full control of the games controls and had no issues on the harder platforming levels, if I fell it was my fault, not the games. Other than this I encountered no bugs what so ever, infact I tried to break the game often (destructive testing) and 99% of the time it was robust.

3. No Checkpoints/Saves, This is just wrong, the circular fires are generally check points, and on the platformer levels the game saves for you, not entirely sure where this point comes from, I never once had the feeling that the game wasn't saving my progress enough.

4. Too Easy, I guess this is relative to player from player but I found some of the stages (middle to late game) to be quite challenging and got a definitely feeling of accomplishment after beating them (the second desert platforming sticks in my mind)

5. VR Problems, I do not have a headset so I cannot address this,

6. FPS Issues, I solved all the graphical issues by forcing v-sync on the game via my Nvidia control panel,

Surreal collection of rather simple atmospheric levels.

It was not that bad as "mostly negative" rating might indicate,

We quite enjoyed it with my 5 yo daughter. One level even forced us to draw a map on checkered paper ...what game will give you this experience today? I was telling her the tales of the dungeons with our hand-drawn maps - of the ancient times 30+ years ago. :)

If you can get this game under 3 or 4€ & you like tranquil puzzles in 3d, buy it.

ORIGINAL REVIEW (11/29/2019):


This game might be the buggiest game I have ever played in my life. I would enjoy the game if it weren't for the game-breaking glitches that make the objects and platforms become invisible or lose their textures, especially the maze levels as they are practically unbeatable and unplayable because of the glitches. PLAYTEST THE GAME BEFORE UPLOADING TO STEAM DAMMIT!



UPDATE (7/25/2023):


After replaying this and grinding for achievements, I can safely say that the other levels are not much better.

- A lot of the levels suffer from high amounts of tedium.
- The highway levels are unreasonably difficult due to the hit-boxes that are bigger than the trucks that run you over.
- I was wondering why Level 8 (the maze level I mentioned in my original review) was very glitchy and almost unplayable. Apparently it is an asset flip done poorly. Look up "HE - Abandoned Manor Exterior v.1.1", and you'll see what I mean.
- On the biggest platforming level (Level 11 I think), sometimes the elevator (the one that takes you back up from where you fell) will disappear, making you have to restart the level.
- Level 12 is COMPLETELY BROKEN. The skyscrapers that come from the walls are completely invisible, rendering the platforming impossible. I was only able to beat this level using a glitch, but that means you will not be able to collect the pink flower that is high in the sky.
- You know what's a BRILLIANT idea for a level, or to be more specific, Level 14? Oh I know, spamming trapdoors all over the place that kill you! Yeah that wouldn't be infuriating, right?
- When you hug a wall after jumping, you will accelerate toward the ground for no reason.
- The white flowers in Level 18 might be completely invisible as even after I looked up a walkthrough, I still could not find a single one.

The only positive thing I can say about this game is that the soundtrack is pretty good.



UPDATE (7/30/2023):


I deleted my save and collected all the flowers again (including the pink flower in Level 12 because apparently you can explore the area before tilting it on its side), and this time the white flowers in Level 18 were not invisible. In the secret level, some of the jumps are stupid because if you don't land on a rock a certain way, you cannot jump. But other than that, that level was pretty ok. But I have found yet another triggering flaw: the achievement for getting all the other achievements simply does not unlock. But that doesn't matter because I'm likely not coming back to this game.

Such a shame as this game looks like the type of game I'd enjoy. Unfortunately it's completely unplayable on my Vive. They tell me I need a Game Controller to play (no support for motion controllers). So I choose this as the game device when prompted, only to find that the next screen where you select a language doesn't work with a controller ... you apparently have to choose the mouse. What's worse is, the language setting is never saved, you have to select it every time unlike some of the other settings which are!
Ok, so now I finally get to play the game. All seems well and I can see a tree, I walk up to it and get teleported to a building where I drop through the floor and end up with my head just one foot above the floor, having to jump to get through any door ways as my movement is blocked otherwise. Eventually, I get to a door that's open but impossible to get through. No way of progressing! I look for help in the discussions and the devs tell Vive users to ensure you calibrate your floor height first, so I do so even though I have no reason to believe it's incorrect. Makes no difference, I'm clearly walking on the surface on the starting level, then five foot beneath it on the second!
Has to be the worst experience I've had out of hundreds of games I've played in VR. Refunded.

Did not enjoy one bit. I was hoping for puzzles, and instead got mazes with utterly incomprehensible objectives and graphics that gave me a headache. Platforming parts were ruined by weird jump physics that made it very difficult to gauge how far I could or could not jump. Thoroughly disappointed.

Please fix Level 12 as it is totally bugged. It's not possible to finish the Level.

It's a funny game with great puzzles and i'd love to finish it. I know that the publisher is aware of this problem for several month's right now... there're a bunch of players with the same problem...

I'll recommend the game when the problem is fixed, but for now: DON'T BUY IT'S UNPLAYABLE

Game kept crashing on startup until I disconnected my Xbox controller and started game straight from library versus Steam VR. The game involves jumps, mazes, switches, and light puzzle elements. You play different scenarios and end up at a tree where you then go to the next "dream" scenario.

Unfortunately, the game just isn't fun to play. It's more annoying than anything else. The visuals are not that great. It's VR done poorly. I can't recommend this game. Lacks story, lacks polish, lacks fun gameplay.

Rating 3/10

'n Verlore Verstand is like a book you stay up all night to finish because you can't stop reading it. So I'm going to go ahead and give it a positive before I change my mind again. This game drives you absolute bonkers in the best possible way - hence the title. And while I understand all the bad reviews, the devs are very responsive and all the issues have been recently fixed. I played and replayed on different platforms and everything works fine.

'n Verlore is more or less a 'platform' puzzle game and if you're going for the puzzle part (flower collecting, secret level location etc.), it can be very challenging and frustrating. People give up about halfway through. I personally suck at platforming so it took me longer to complete but if you don't, you're good to go. The jumps have to be very precise too because you can get stuck in certain places.

Personally, ambience (in any game) is very important to me and I think all levels here were superbly done. The soundtrack is fantastic and adds that extra crazy to the game. So if you are a fan of weird abstract stuff like myself, this game is definitely for you.

I wish more people bought it, really. Symbiosis of graphics, sound and challenge has been achieved.

Keep in mind:

- there is no story/story open to interpretation
- save game is not strong AT ALL
- you will probably consider jumping out of the window at some point

Good Luck :)

'n Verlore Verstad is a fine looking game, but the total lack of story, narrative, and overall structure make it uninteresting to me. It's simply a series of mild puzzles with no rhyme or reason as to why one would want to complete them. For me, an adventure game is crucially bound together by the story, even though the story can (and probably should) be mostly inferred from in-game clues. I got bored with 'n Verlore Verstad by the time I hit the floating rocks. If there were a decent (musical) soundtrack, I likely would have played longer, but there are just a few washes of audio atmosphere. "Why am I here? Where am I going? Why am I going there (besides crippling boredom)?" -- these are all questions that I was unable to answer in-game before I got bored enough to quit.

The cons: Sorry but there are some issues with this game. There are no save areas so when you come back you can start where you left off! And what is it with the truck levels? I find its random when you can finish it. The trucks headlamps are sometimes on the right side of the vehicles.is that a glitch? You also have a limited setup area where you cant take the music off, resolution choice..etc

The pros: I like the ideas and the levels , The Graffics are ok, what is the point of collection those colored flowers?
Can you get a secret level anywhere?

I clicked no because of the glitches...

Puzzles are extremely easy and gameplay is linear. Sometimes it seems like there might be other ways for you to do the (also extremely easy) platforming, but there isn't. For as far as I played into it, there was no real story, just abstract levels meant to represent one without actually giving you anything substantial.
While the platforming was easy, the settings for running and jumping are way too floaty and the platforms themselves don't feel especially solid--either you smash into a platform and glitch on top of it, or you land on it and manage to slide off--which gave platforming portions a sense of false difficulty.

I havent played much of it so far but i can tell you that this is a very well designed game.

Pros:
- Great graphics. Very realistic.
- Nice ambiance (music, sound etc).
- Ease of controls.
- Variations of lvl's.
and
- The ability to suck one's mind into the game. You can really lose yourself in it lol.

Cons:
- Difficulty in some lvl's bare the on the edge of unreasonable at times.
- Occassional bugs. (getting stuck sometimes on NOTHING lol)
- Lack of story. (SOMETHING is better than NOTHING) i mean is your character in a coma and trying to fight back to consciousness? Is your character dead or something? Is it a nightmare? What does the Tree symboliaze?

(although most of these cons can be solved by me playing some more of the game and HOPE a story emerges lol)

either way i am very pleased with this purchase and it deserves more attention :)

NOTE: I did not play the game with VR, so this review doesn't touch that aspect.

Now that the game is out of Early Access, I'd like to give my review an update. Overall, I'd still recommend it, however I understand the game's current "Mixed" rating. If Steam gave individual users the option to rate a game as "Mixed," I would give this game that rating myself.

'n Velore Verstand will probably only appeal to a particular niche. I feel there are a few things to consider when deciding if it appeals to you, personally:

Gameplay-wise, the game is a first-person platformer with some puzzle-solving. I've read some reviews saying it was too easy, others too hard. I just found it frustrating, but I think that's more an element of first-person platforming in general than anything the game specifically did.

Narratively, there's no direct story. It's more or less levels with repeating themes meant to feel like playing a dream. Coincidentally, my dreams too involve a lot of walking and jumping.

I still think the soundtrack is great. While it lacks a bit of unity at points (some levels containing electronic ambient music and others with orchestral strings), it suits the game well.

The game isn't quite as pretty as it looks in the screenshots, and some of the levels lose their charm when you play through two versions with different difficulties. The recursion does fit the dream motif, though, so thematically it makes sense. Gameplay-wise, it makes the game a little lackluster after the initial allure of the atmosphere fades.

It lacks polish, as well. There's a bit of a divide between some of the more surreal, otherworldly levels and the more grounded, albeit not-quite-real-world ones. The former can be stunning, creating a truly alien atmosphere, but the latter are less impressive. Some of the frustration with the platforming comes from unsatisfying feedback, some physics issues (getting stuck in a crack and then shot into the air), and a general feeling of disconnect from the world.

If the game looks interesting to you and the aspects outlined above add up to something you might like, I think it's worth checking out.

I played through this game in one sitting, and I loved every second of it. The game is visually astounding. The surroundings gave the game a certain artistic touch, that just resonated the time and effort put into this game. The puzzles were challenging in their own respect, but not impossible by any means. I loved the way you hopped from one dream/nightmare to the next once you completed a sequence. Without further ado, I will introduce some pros and cons!
(Note: I did not play this with virtual reality, so my review is without that aspect.)

Pros:
-Game is visually astounding
-The puzzles are fun and different in their own respects
-It has a lot of potential for a great storyline as time goes on
-Full Controller Support FTW (personal preference for games like this)

Cons:
-Game does not have any checkpoint features, which means one slip up and you are doing the WHOLE puzzle again (The devs responded to the review saying they are going to work on a checkpoint system.)
-There is not a lot done due to early access, so you can only play four levels as of right now.
-The pricing is a little hefty for only four levels, but obviously it is early access

That just about does it for me. I personally loved the game. There seems to be a lot of potential here for growth. I look forward to seeing where the developers take the game, and I hope that there is a great deal more to come. If you would like to check out some gameplay of it before making your purchase, then check out my Youtube video on it. I only have the first part up currently, but more to come. I hope you guys enjoy the beauty of the game as much as I did, and I highly recommend supporting this indie developer to see the project grow. That does it for me guys :)!


Youtube video here
Part 2 to the video here