Environmental puzzle game Etherborn is out today for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Developed and published by Altered Matter, Etherborn throws you into the role of a voiceless being who has just popped into existence in a world populated only by a disembodied voice. You need to make your way through the world, solving environmental puzzles as you go.
The game world contains Esher-like environments where you need to shift structures and manipulate gravity to progress. The laws of physics are also strange in this world, as you experience gravity perpendicular to the surface you are standing on, allowing you to treat walls and ceilings as if they were floors. This also means you will need to think outside the box to solve the game’s many puzzles. Etherborn itself appears to be a calm experience, but those puzzles will have you scratching your head. There are no enemies to kill you, or a timer to drive you on, just a world to explore and puzzles to solve.
A soundtrack from composer Gabriel Garrido Garcia completes the game’s beautiful and serene atmosphere. Altered Matter is an independent video game development studio based in Barcelona, Spain. Etherborn is their first game, with the five-person team working on the title since 2016. Altered Matter has expressed that their goal is to “use entertainment as a vehicle for artistic expression,” and Etherborn certainly seems to fit the bill.
Etherborn is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch for $16.99.