Venineth

The most important element of the Venineth is exploration, overcoming obstacles and solving puzzles in different corners of space. The purpose of these activities is to discover the secrets of an ancient alien civilisation, which was only left with ruins on various planets, asteroids and gas giants. The game is the debut work of a small Venineth Team studio, consisting of several experienced Polish developers.

Mechanics

The hero of the game is a small ball made of metal-like material. Our goal is to guide it through the available levels, including planets, moons, alien megastructures, orbital stations and other space objects. There are more than 20 places to visit, and the developers have focused on their non-linearity and openness. The paths at the end of the map lead through rock canyons, toxic lakes or lava rivers that form complex mazes. At the beginning of each mission we go through a special portal, sending us into the appropriate area of space. Once we get there, the portal shuts down and we have to find our way back on our own. The place we aim to explore is another portal, leading to a spaceship which is a much larger version of the hero. After entering it, we get to a special hall, where we choose (i.e. place the ball under the appropriate hologram) the next object to be examined.

As a ball, we don't have a lot of options to move around. We can roll in different directions, accelerate or slow down and jump, but often a better way to overcome an abyss or other space is to accelerate and bounce back from the bumps, so we can go much further. If we fail and we fall into the forehead, into lava, etc., the game will take us back to the last checkpoint it sets.

The game is full of logical puzzles, using various physics-related mechanics. In addition, we can hit the linear orbital stages, where we have to overcome purely arcade platform boards, overwhelmed by force fields, gravity and weightless spaces.

While exploring, it is worth looking for collectibles taking the shape of glowing cubes. Collecting the right amount of them provides various bonuses for our ball.

Technical aspects

Despite the small budget, the game looks very nice in terms of graphic design. Particular attention should be paid to the shading and lighting system, including reflections on metal surfaces, and molecular effects.

Other information

During the game we are constantly accompanied by calm music in the style of space ambient, intensifying the impression of being in space.