Californium (2016) · Tastebuds

Taking the form of wacky shenanigans and a first-person experience of a bad trip, Californium pays homage to sci-fi legend Philip K. Dick by transporting you into the life of a writer who is searching for his own identity.

Puzzle Adventure Indie Fantasy Science fiction Historical walking simulator silent protagonist male protagonist previously on - utomikPC (Microsoft Windows), Mac

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Character

Contemplative, nostalgic, open-ended and raw.

contemplativerelentless
contemporarynostalgic
resolvedopen-ended
rawmeticulous
intimateepic

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From the critics

A few lines from each review; the whole review is on the critic's site. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.

EurogamerMartin RobinsonFeb 2016
A frustrating, limited exploration game as well as a delirious exploration of one of sci-fi's greats, Californium is a fascinating oddity.
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GameSpewBecca SmithMar 20168/10
[Californium] did get challenging at times, and I would be lying if I said I didn't rage quit once or twice, but in the end the reward for finishing was worth it.
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New Game NetworkDavid WillFeb 201671/100
Exploration through stylish worlds with a dash of subtle, paranoia-inducing surrealism makes this a strong—if somewhat tedious—walk-em-up, but for a game building off the memory of a literary legend, the actual narrative leaves a lot to be desired.
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Cubed3OfisilMay 20165/10
Californium is a labour of love that didn't even try to do a fine job at using the thing it loves the most. It makes promises of offering a plot-heavy adventure that is heavily inspired by Philip K. Dick, when it's just marginally influenced by it, and, even worse, gameplay-wise, it is a frustrating hidden object game, which becomes less so due to its gorgeous, wallpaper-worthy visuals.
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VideoGamerSteven BurnsFeb 20166/10
Starts strongly, but soon fades into a slog through samey puzzles and ever-weaker environments.
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Snippets via OpenCritic, where 29% of critics recommend it.

About the game

Platforms: PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac
Developer: NOVA Production, Darjeeling
Publisher: ARTE France, Neko Entertainment
Released: February 17, 2016
Modes: Single player
Perspective: First person
Engine: Unity

IGDB rating 6.0/10 from 3 ratings.

Screenshots

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