Find The Sunbed

Find The Sunbed is an action platform game developed by DS | Voxaol and released in 2021. Players navigate from a behind-view perspective through serene, natural environments—such as lush greenery and waterways—in a quest to locate a sunbed, emphasizing a relaxing and immersive adventure.

Find The Sunbed: Review

Introduction: The Quest for a Sunbed in a Vacuum

In the vast, often overwhelming expanse of the digital storefront, a title like Find The Sunbed (2021) emerges not with a roar, but with a quiet, bewildering whisper. Developed and published by the enigmatic duo “DS | Voxaol” and arriving on Steam for a modest $1.99, it presents itself as an “arcade game focused on overcoming many inhuman obstacles.” The premise is both mundanely specific and existentially vast: the player must navigate a 3D obstacle course to locate a singular, everyday piece of furniture. My thesis is this: Find The Sunbed stands as a fascinating, minimalist artifact of solo indie development. It is not a masterpiece of design or a technical powerhouse, but rather a raw, unpolished, and strangely compelling document of a creator’s vision—a vision that oscillates between punishing arcade challenge, community-driven development, and a deeply ambiguous, possibly accidental, philosophical core. Its legacy is not one of industry influence, but of a persistent, curious artifact that asks us to consider what a “game” can be when stripped to its barest conceptual mechanic.

Development History & Context: The Godotbed

The development of Find The Sunbed is almost entirely recoverable from the public devlogs of its creator, daniel500013, on itch.io. The project appears to have been a solo or very small-team endeavor, built in the Godot engine—a popular, open-source choice for indie developers seeking flexibility without licensing costs. The timeline, pieced together from devlog posts, reveals a game in a state of near-constant, iterative evolution:

• Early 2021: Initial focus on core mechanics: a 3D platformer/parkour course where the player (a simple, often-animated model) navigates surreal, floating obstacles to reach a sunbed. The original graphics are described as “bad” in later posts, indicating a very basic, placeholder aesthetic.
• Mid-2021: A significant graphic update (September) transformed the visuals, suggesting a move towards a more deliberate, if still simplistic, low-poly style. This was quickly followed by controller support (Xbox and PlayStation), a clear nod to accessibility and a broader audience.
• Late 2021: The developer showcased a multiplayer preview, adding animated movement for other players. This was a monumental shift, transforming the solitary quest into a potential social spectacle or race. The game was released on Steam on December 7, 2021.
• 2022-2024: Post-launch, the update cadence was steady. Key additions included a level editor (November 2021), allowing players to create “social maps”; various “DLC” packs (Anime DLC, Pipe DLC, In Pursuit DLC, Jane DLC) introducing new character skins and obstacle types; and numerous bug fixes, music additions, and performance tweaks. The most ambitious announcement came in October 2024: a complete redesign of the main map, inspired by community feedback, aiming for “lush greenery, stunning reflections, and serene waterways.”

The gaming landscape of late 2021 was dominated by blockbuster releases and the continued boom of indie games on Steam. Find The Sunbed existed in the latter’s extreme fringe—a $1.99 curiosity with no critic reviews, minimal marketing, and a description that promises “inhuman obstacles” and an experience to prove you are the “real alpha male.” It was, and remains, a game that could be easily missed, yet its persistent updates for over three years indicate a developer committed to a specific, personal vision for a tiny niche audience.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: The Weight of a Sunbed

Narratively, Find The Sunbed is a masterpiece of negative space. The official Steam description provides the “story”: “Will you get carried away and embark on a challenging, epic and unique challenge? Discover the limits of your own nervous endurance?” There is no plot, no characters, no dialogue, and no explicit lore. The narrative is purely emergent and phenomenological, born entirely from the player’s interaction with the core mechanic.

The title itself is the narrative. “Find The Sunbed” is a simple, almost domestic imperative. Yet, the game’s framing elevates this mundane task into an epic trial. The obstacle course—composed of spinning “spiral” obstacles, narrow beams, and other “self-designed elements”—becomes a metaphorical gauntlet. The player’s repeated violent failures (physics-based ragdoll collapses into the void) and painstaking restarts are the only “story beats.” This creates a potent, if unintentional, thematic core:

1. The Absurdity of Purpose: The game asks, without a single line of text, “Why does the sunbed matter?” The player invests time, frustration, and effort for a reward that is functionally meaningless. It’s a pure Sisyphusian loop, or a video game distillation of any repetitive, goal-oriented labor society valorizes.
2. The Construction of Self Through Failure: The description’s claim that “the complete absence of in-game saves will allow you to deepen your gameplay experience” is key. With no checkpoint system, each attempt begins from the start. The player’s progress is not stored in the game world but in their own muscle memory and cognitive map. The “character” that progresses is not an avatar, but the player themselves. You become more skilled, more patient, more “alpha” through sheer, save-less repetition.
3. The Elusive “Unique Ending”: The tantalizing promise that “only a small group of people” have seen the ending casts the entire endeavor as a secret, an initiation. What does one feel upon finally reaching the sunbed? Relief? Triumph? Emptiness? The game’s structure ensures that for most, the ending remains a myth, making the sunbed more symbol than object—a MacGuffin that represents mastery itself.

A user review on Metacritic by “daniel500013” (likely the developer) hilariously and poignantly elevates this to high art: “It is more than a game. It is an experience. A one in a lifetime at that… It describes the human nature of destruction for one’s gain… What is left of him then is something more than a man.” Whether this is genuine artistic intent or ironic exaggeration is irrelevant; it captures the potential reading of the game. Find The Sunbed is a Rorschach test for gaming perseverance. Its narrative is the player’s internal monologue during the hundredth fall before the finish line.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: The Loop of Sisyphus with Friends

At its core, Find The Sunbed is a third-person, 3D platformer/runner with heavy physics-based interaction and a “Roguelite” structure in the most brutal sense: failure means a full reset.

• Core Loop: Start at beginning → Navigate complex, precision-based obstacle course → Fail (usually) → Repeat. The “roguelike” tag from user labels is misapplied; there is no procedural generation, no permanent progression between runs, and no meta-upgrades. The only thing that persists is player skill.
• Controls & Physics: Movement is via WASD/Arrow keys and Space to jump. The physics are the central mechanic and the primary source of both frustration and charm. The character has weight and momentum. Landing on a thin beam requires pixel-perfect input and an understanding of the engine’s collision. A slight over-rotation sends you plummeting. This creates a high skill ceiling but a extremely high, immediate barrier to entry.
• Progression: There is no in-game progression system. No unlockable abilities, no currency, no stat upgrades. The only progression is the player’s own dexterity. The “DLC” and “editor” are content additions, not mechanical ones.
• Multiplayer: Introduced after launch, this is a transformative feature. It allows multiple players to attempt the course simultaneously on the same instance of a map. This shifts the dynamic from solitary meditation to chaotic competition or cooperation (if playerschoose to wait for each other). It turns the obstacle course into a social space, akin to a minimalist Rocket League or Fall Guys lobby, where the shared struggle is the main event.
• Level Editor: This is the game’s most significant systemic offering. The editor lets players add all default objects to create custom maps. This fostered a (very small) community of “social maps.” The potential for user-generated content is vast, but its execution is as barebones as the base game. It’s a tool, not an integrated ecosystem.
• Flaws: The “no saves” design is polarizing. For some, it’s a pure test of endurance. For others, it’s an archaic, punishing choice that disrespects the player’s time, especially for long, complex courses. The lack of a tutorial beyond an “interactive tutorial” tag is notable; the game offers little guidance, expecting players to learn through failure.

World-Building, Art & Sound: A Sparse, Functional Aesthetic

The world of Find The Sunbed is defined by its minimalist, functionalist aesthetic, a direct product of solo/Godot development.

• Visuals: The game takes place on a single, large, floating platform in a void. Textures are simple and repetitive. Objects (the obstacles, the sunbed itself) are basic geometric shapes—cubes, cylinders, wedges—often in bright, unshaded colors. The 2021 graphic update added more detail and a cleaner look, but the vision remains one of stark, abstract geometry. The 2024 promised redesign (“lush greenery, reflective waterways”) suggests a dramatic, perhaps ironic, shift towards a traditionally “beautiful” environment, which would fundamentally alter the game’s tone from an abstract trial to a more concrete, “resort”-like setting.
• Atmosphere: The current atmosphere is one of sterile, digital limbo. The sky is a flat color. There is no ambient life. The only “story” is told through the arrangement of obstacles. This emptiness reinforces the game’s themes of isolation and pure, utilitarian challenge.
• Sound Design: This is where the game shows its most intentional care. The Steam store and devlogs mention an “extensive soundtrack” as a future goal, and a 2021 update added “new music in background.” The user reviews consistently praise the music. It provides the essential emotional counterpoint to the visual austerity. A driving, rhythmic track can turn the frustrating process of failing for the 50th time into a meditative or even trance-like state. The ability to change music mid-game (added per 2024 update) is a crucial quality-of-life feature that acknowledges the soundtrack’s role in managing player psychology.

Reception & Legacy: The Curious Case of the Universal 7.5

Find The Sunbed exists in a statistical oddity. On Metacritic, it holds a User Score of 7.5 based on 6 ratings, with 4 “Positive” and 1 each “Mixed” and “Negative.” On Steambase, those same 6 reviews yield a Player Score of 100/100. This discrepancy highlights the game’s small, intensely polarized yet positive sample size. The written Steam reviews are brief, hyperbolic, and suspiciously uniform (“This game is everything you would ever desire,” “a gift from the heaven”). They read less like critical analysis and more like communal affirmations from a dedicated, possibly very small, playgroup.

Its commercial performance is unknown but implied by the $1.99 price and the steady drip of updates over three years. It did not set the charts ablaze. Its legacy is not one of sales or awards, but of existence and persistence.

• Influence: There is none in a traditional sense. It did not spawn clones or inspire major studios. Its influence is contained within the micro-genre of “absurdist task simulators” (like Getting Over It or QWOP) and the Godot engine’s showcase of what one person can build.
• Community: Its true legacy is its community-driven development. The major 2024 updates (music control, map redesign) are explicitly cited as responses to player feedback. The Steam Workshop (though not yet populated in sources) and the level editor promise are a direct appeal to a modding community. This makes it a case study in small-scale, responsive indie development where the creator and player base are in direct dialogue.
• Cultural Position: Find The Sunbed is a perfect subject for the “so bad it’s good” or “critically acclaimed but empty” discourse. It sits at the intersection of a punishing skill-based game, an abstract art piece, and a community project. Its ambiguity is its most defining feature.

Conclusion: An Imperfect Sunbed in a Vast Ocean

Find The Sunbed is not a “good” game by any conventional critical metric. Its graphics are basic, its narrative is nonexistent, its challenge is often arbitrary, and its scope is microscopic. Yet, to dismiss it entirely is to miss its unique value. It is a pure, unadulterated game idea—”navigate from A to B over difficult terrain”—stripped of all the adornments (story, production values, hand-holding) that typically cushion such a concept.

Its place in video game history is not alongside Super Mario 64 or Dark Souls. It belongs in a separate archive: the catalog of persistent curiosities. It is evidence of the Godot engine’s democratic power. It is a testament to the dedication of a developer willing to support a niche title for years based on a small community’s feedback. And it is a fascinating social experiment, placing a brutally simple physical challenge in a multiplayer space, forcing interactions that range from frantic competition to quiet, shared perseverance.

The final, definitive verdict: Find The Sunbed is a minimalist, often frustrating, yet profoundly honest artifact of indie development. Its worth is not in what it gives the player, but in what it asks of them—and whether they are willing to answer that call, over and over, until they finally, perhaps meaninglessly, find the sunbed. It earns a tentative recommendation for those interested in the philosophy of game design, the sociology of small gaming communities, or anyone who wants to stare into the void of a simple task made epic through sheer repetition. For the average player seeking polish, narrative, or satisfaction, it is likely an exercise in wasted time. For the curious historian, it is an indispensable, baffling, and ultimately human footnote.