Semblance

Semblance is a 2D puzzle platformer where players navigate a vibrant, malleable world by distorting its very landscape—squishing and stretching the environment to solve intricate puzzles and overcome obstacles. Developed by Nyamakop and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment, the game progressively introduces new mechanics and challenges, balancing accessibility with creativity in a minimalist art style reminiscent of titles like Limbo. Its unique level-transformation mechanics and thoughtful design offer a fresh twist on the genre, inviting players to reshape reality to progress.

Semblance: Review

Introduction

In the vast, ever-expanding landscape of indie games, few manage to carve out a niche as distinct as Semblance. Released in July 2018 by South African studio Nyamakop and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment, this puzzle-platformer isn’t merely a game—it’s a tactile, malleable world that challenges players to rethink the very foundations of their genre. With its core mechanic allowing players to deform and reshape the environment itself, Semblance stands as a testament to creative ingenuity born from serendipity. It’s a game that emerged from a glitch, flourished through adversity, and ultimately delivered an experience that is as intellectually stimulating as it is aesthetically serene. Yet, despite its brilliance, Semblance is also a study in restraint—a brief, bittersweet journey that left players wanting more. This review will dissect Semblance through its development origins, narrative depth, mechanical innovation, artistic vision, and enduring legacy, arguing that while it falls short of perfection, its unique approach to interaction and world-building cements its place as a landmark in indie game history.

Development History & Context

Semblance was born from the fertile, if chaotic, ground of academic ambition. Created by Nyamakop—a two-person team led by Cukia “Sugar” Kimani and Benjamin Myres during their final university year—it began as a modest prototype focused on a shape-shifting character that could alter its own form (flat, tall, or square). The initial vision was simple, even humble: a small-scale project, perhaps free or priced at a token $3 on itch.io, intended as a portfolio piece to secure industry jobs. The turning point arrived not through deliberate design but through a happy accident. While experimenting with a world of “hard” and “soft” platforms, Myres layered a hard surface beneath a soft one. When the player character, Squish, dashed into the soft platform, it dented downward, revealing the hard layer beneath—but due to a glitch, the collision detection point shifted. Squish then hit the hard platform below, triggering a shape change. As Myres recalled, “This extremely simple little glitch… blew our minds.” This “stupid” idea became the game’s foundation: what if platforms could be deformed far beyond a mere dent? The team pivoted entirely, abandoning their original concept to build a game around this emergent mechanic.

The development process was fraught with challenges. Nyamakop, operating from South Africa, faced technological hurdles in translating the glitch into a polished mechanic. They had to solve complex questions: How could platforms deform in multiple directions? How deep could deformations go? How could the game visually distinguish malleable surfaces from immovable ones? The team drew inspiration from industry legends who embraced bugs as features—citing Tribes‘ skiing, Quake‘s rocket jumping, and Street Fighter II‘s combos—as validation for pursuing their “glitch.” Aesthetically, they mined sources like The Floor is Jelly for its squishy world-building, Hohokum for its minimalist charm, and Samurai Jack for its bold colors. To stand out on platforms like Steam, they adopted a vibrant neon palette—pinks, purples, and other high-contrast hues—that became synonymous with the game’s identity. The studio’s journey was also deeply personal; Myres later revealed the project caused significant mental and physical strain, including relationship breakdowns and burnout, underscoring the sacrifices behind its creation. Despite these trials, Semblance launched on Windows, macOS, and Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018, marking a historic milestone as the first African-developed IP on a Nintendo platform.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Semblance tells its story not through exposition or dialogue, but through environmental storytelling and abstract visual cues, a choice that is both its greatest strength and its most significant limitation. The narrative unfolds piecemeal, revealing itself through cave paintings, brief cutscenes, and the very structure of the world itself. At its core, the premise is elegantly simple: a once-soft, malleable world has been infected by crystalline growths—jagged, hard structures that spread like a plague. The player controls Squish, an amorphous, blob-like creature, tasked with collecting glowing orbs to cleanse the world of this corruption. These orbs represent the “life essence” of the world, and as players gather them, the crystalline infection recedes, symbolizing healing and renewal.

The narrative operates on symbolic and thematic levels rather than literal storytelling. The conflict between “softness” and “hardness” serves as a central metaphor. The infected world—once pliable and organic—now features rigid, unforgiving barriers, mirroring themes of constraint versus freedom. Squish’s ability to reshape the environment embodies creativity, adaptability, and the power to overcome rigid systems. The game’s non-linear structure reinforces this, allowing players to explore and uncover the story at their own pace. Cutscenes depict Squish interacting with the world, suggesting themes of guardianship and sacrifice: Squish is implied to be a creation of a benevolent force tasked with restoring balance. However, the lack of explicit dialogue or concrete lore leaves the interpretation open-ended. This ambiguity is a double-edged sword; it invites players to project their own meanings onto the world, but it also results in a narrative that feels incomplete and underdeveloped. The ending, in particular, is criticized as rushed and anticlimactic, failing to deliver a satisfying payoff after the journey’s emotional weight. Ultimately, Semblance prioritizes mood and theme over plot, using its minimalist approach to explore ideas of transformation, resilience, and the fragile beauty of a world in flux.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its heart, Semblance is a masterclass in reimagining the platformer. By making the environment itself the primary puzzle piece, it subverts genre conventions, transforming static platforms into dynamic, interactive tools. The core mechanic is deceptively simple: players dash into surfaces to deform them. Malleable platforms, identifiable by their solid color (typically purple or green), can be pushed, pulled, or reshaped in real-time. Need to reach a high ledge? Push the ground beneath it upward. Blocked by spikes? Deform the terrain to create a tunnel or lower the obstacle. This tactile, physics-based interaction is the game’s genius, allowing for near-infinite puzzle solutions. As one critic noted, it’s “the first true platformer” in that platforms are no longer passive elements but active components of gameplay progression.

The game introduces new mechanics gradually across three distinct worlds, each building on the last. Early levels focus on basic deformations, while later puzzles incorporate lasers, crystals that reset terrain, and hazards that react to the player’s actions. Squish itself can be reshaped—flattened into a disc for narrow passages or elongated for higher jumps—adding another layer of strategy. This evolution keeps the experience fresh, though some critics argue the concepts aren’t fully explored, leading to a sense of missed potential. The puzzles themselves are non-linear, with multiple paths and collectible orbs in each area, encouraging experimentation. A forgiving checkpoint system ensures failure is rarely punitive; dying respawns players close to the puzzle, preserving momentum.

Yet the gameplay isn’t without flaws. Controls can be occasionally imprecise, especially on the Nintendo Switch’s handheld mode, where Joy-Con accuracy wavers during complex, zoomed-out sequences. Collision detection bugs, while rare, can trap players or cause unintended deaths. More frustratingly, the game struggles to communicate its mechanics; as Eurogamer noted, it took players an “astonishingly long time” to discover lateral deformations. The UI is minimalist to a fault, relying on color coding that isn’t always intuitive. Despite these issues, the core loop remains satisfying. The tactile feedback of deforming terrain—squishing, bouncing, and reshaping the world—provides a unique sense of empowerment. When Semblance works, it feels like solving a riddle with your hands, a puzzle-platformer that prioritizes creativity over reflexes.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Semblance’s world is a triumph of minimalist artistry, a vibrant yet serene dreamscape that feels both alien and intimately familiar. The aesthetic is defined by its soft, organic forms and a bold color palette dominated by pastel greens, purples, and neon pinks. Inspired by Eric Carle’s children’s book illustrations, the world resembles a living Play-Doh sculpture—pliable, inviting, and teeming with subtle life. Textures are simple yet expressive: crystalline infections are rendered with a watercolor-like translucence, contrasting sharply with the solid, malleable surfaces. This visual dichotomy reinforces the game’s core themes, creating a world where the “infection” is an invasive, harsh intruder on a gentle, forgiving landscape.

The game’s three distinct worlds—each with its own color scheme and environmental challenges—offer a journey of escalating beauty and complexity. From lush, forested areas to stark, crystalline zones, the art direction prioritizes atmosphere over detail. Quirky critters, like floating jellyfish-like creatures, add life to the scenes without overwhelming the minimalist design. Animation is equally subtle; Squish’s eyes dart around with curiosity, and plants jiggle as players pass by, creating a sense of dynamic, breathing environments. This approach extends to the sound design, which is as integral to the experience as the visuals. The soundtrack, composed by Keith Kavayi and Daniel Caleb, blends ambient electronica with African influences—gentle percussion, layered synths, and hypnotic melodies that ebb and flow with the gameplay. It’s a calming, almost meditative score that never intrudes, enhancing the game’s relaxing pace. Combined with soft squishing sounds and tactile audio cues, the sound design reinforces the tactile nature of the world, making Semblance a feast for both the eyes and ears.

Reception & Legacy

Upon release, Semblance received a mixed-to-positive reception, with critics praising its innovation while lamenting its brevity and technical imperfections. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 74, with outlets like Nintendo Force Magazine (90), Shacknews (90), and Destructoid (90) hailing it as a standout in the crowded puzzle-platformer genre. Eurogamer awarded it a “Recommended” score, calling it “a slight but smart adventure it’s hard not to be charmed by.” The core mechanic was universally lauded as a refreshing twist; Rock Paper Shotgun noted it was “a properly good debut from South African developer Nyamakop, and a genuinely interesting take on puzzle platforming.” Critics also admired its art style and sound design, with many comparing its visuals to Eric Carle’s work and its music to a “hypnotic” blend of ambient and African influences. The non-linear structure and forgiving checkpoints were praised for accessibility, though some reviewers felt the puzzles lacked depth.

However, the game’s flaws were equally prominent. Its short runtime—typically 3–5 hours—was a recurring complaint, with Jeuxvideo.com stating it “boucle en à peine quelques heures” (wraps up in just a few hours) while feeling like it had more to offer. Technical issues, including collision bugs and fiddly controls, marred the experience, particularly on Switch. GamingTrend was harsh, scoring it 50% and arguing that the mechanic “wears thin even before you get to the end.” The anticlimactic ending and underdeveloped narrative also drew criticism, leaving players wanting more substance to complement the gameplay. Commercially, Semblance found success on Steam, where it maintains a “Very Positive” user rating (83%), and its budget-friendly price point ($9.99, often discounted) made it an accessible indie darling.

In the years since, Semblance has carved out a legacy as a cult classic and a symbol of indie ingenuity. It paved the way for other terrain-manipulation games like Etherborn and Unbound: Worlds Apart, cementing the “deformable world” as a viable subgenre. Its story of development—from a university project to a glitch-inspired triumph—has become an industry parable, frequently cited in talks about embracing bugs as features. Nyamakop’s achievement as the first African-developed studio on Nintendo Switch has also amplified its significance, highlighting the growing diversity in indie game development. While it may not have reached the commercial heights of contemporaries like Celeste, Semblance remains a beloved curiosity, remembered not for its perfection but for its heart, creativity, and the sheer delight of squishing a world into shape.

Conclusion

Semblance is a game of delightful contradictions: a brief yet memorable journey, technically flawed yet mechanically brilliant, narratively sparse yet thematically rich. It succeeds not by refining the puzzle-platformer formula but by shattering it, replacing static platforms with a world that bends, squishes, and breathes at the player’s touch. The core deformation mechanic remains a stroke of genius—a tactile, physics-based puzzle that rewards creativity and experimentation, even if its potential isn’t fully realized. The game’s art direction and sound design are equally commendable, crafting a serene, hypnotic world that feels like a living watercolor painting. Yet, Semblance is undeniably a work of restraint. Its short length, underdeveloped narrative, and occasional technical hiccups prevent it from achieving greatness, leaving players with a sense of unfulfilled promise.

Despite these shortcomings, Semblance endures as a landmark achievement. It stands as a testament to the power of indie innovation—proof that a game born from a happy accident and nurtured with passion can create experiences that resonate far beyond their scope. For players seeking a unique, meditative puzzle-platformer, it remains essential: a squishy, joyful adventure that asks you not just to jump, but to shape the world itself. In the grand tapestry of video game history, Semblance may not be a masterpiece, but it is a masterpiece of possibility—a small, vibrant gem that reminds us that sometimes, the most memorable games are the ones that bend the rules.