The Swapper Reviews

The Swapper is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10
Aug 6, 2014

One of the best action puzzlers for several years, made all the better by some surprisingly distinctive storytelling and visuals.

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Jul 24, 2014

No matter the platform, The Swapper is a game that people should play. It may be a year later, but the game still stands out as one of the most creative and forward-thinking indie releases in recent memory.

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8 / 10
Jul 29, 2014

Facepalm Games have created something special with The Swapper, with Cruve Studios helping to bring the game to PlayStation. The unique cloning abilities of the mysterious Swapper device pave the way for some challenging puzzle designs and a gripping story, that sci-fi fans will no doubt love. However, you can't help but feel that it's all over far too soon.

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Aug 5, 2014

The Swapper is one of the most unique and fun puzzle games to release in the last few years and is definitely not one to miss.

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90 / 100
Jul 23, 2014

The Swapper delivers on nearly every front. The puzzles are intelligent and challenging, the story is deep and philosophical and the visual style is incredibly unique and inventive. This is a title that is sure to satisfy fans of science fiction and platform puzzle games alike.

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Aug 15, 2014

The clone-based puzzles are superb, while the addition of a thought-provoking narrative is the cherry on top of what is an excellent puzzle/platformer.

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83 / 100
Aug 14, 2014

So overall, I would say 95% of this game is pure excellence. I had an absolutely fantastic time playing it and it was surprisingly long (I thought I could finish it in one sitting, but it actually took me two full nights of playing). It's just a shame that one teeny tiny detail took my impression of it from great down to good. It's still well worth playing even with the frustration, but without that minor detail it could have been one of the best.

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8 / 10
Jul 25, 2014

The Swapper is an indie puzzle platformer with a gameplay hook which is cleverly married to a grand operatic narrative. Its strange visuals and atmospheric soundtrack augment this vision, creating a wholly unique and cohesive experience. While some of its later puzzles are a bit too fiddly for their own good, and the overall pacing sometimes feels a little off kilter, this is still a space voyage that comes highly recommended.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 25, 2014

Despite being a puzzle game with a very simple (albeit ingenious) gimmick, The Swapper manages to subvert expectations and tell one of the best science fiction stories of the year. Between its unique presentation and constantly evolving puzzles, this is one game I'll be talking about for some time to come. The Swapper is a masterpiece of design.

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7 / 10.0
Jul 29, 2014

The Swapper couples complex narrative and mind-bending puzzles nicely. It's a short ride, but the core concept wields enough for on-the-fence gamers to consider a purchase.

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Jun 9, 2015

The Swapper is a unique and interesting puzzler, with a story that keeps you intrigued all the way to the end. The clone creating and swapping element to the puzzling is something brand new, and the puzzles themselves are the right balance between too easy and too hard. The game's setting is suitably eerie with music and in-game conversations to match. For £11.99 (or regional equivalent), it feels like the game could be a little longer, but the content of the story and puzzles that you do get, it is still worth swapping your hard earned money for.

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8 / 10.0
Aug 14, 2014

Overall, The Swapper is a fun, well-designed puzzler that I would recommend playing through at least once. If you can catch it for sale at the PlayStation Store, grab it quickly.

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9.5 / 10.0
Jul 22, 2014

Not everyone may find the same humbling or existential experience that I did, but for me, the game left me with questions beyond the game itself as credits rolled. It successfully made me take a step back, look at my own being, and asked tough psychological, moral, and ethical questions that don't necessarily have a right or a wrong answer. All the while I was embroiled in some of the most well thought out puzzle mechanics in years. The Swapper will fly under many people's radar, which is unfortunate because with its unique take on graphics, puzzles, and narrative, they will be missing out on what I would say is the best puzzle platformer experience since Portal.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 6, 2014

When you first enter the world of The Swapper, you won\'t really understand much aside that you\'re in space. That sense of mystery and wonder at what this game is really about will be with you throughout most of the game as you slowly piece together its intriguing story. Paired with absolutely satisfying puzzle elements you\'ll surely be hooked until the story\'s climax.

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9 / 10
Nov 10, 2014

Although The Swapper was originally released on PC nearly a year and half ago, this does little to dampen its appeal on Wii U; this is a title feels fresh and unique when stacked up against some of the other download games the eShop has to offer. With its unsettling environment, intriguing storytelling and some truly mind-bending puzzles, the entire experience oozes quality.

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4 / 5.0
Aug 4, 2014

The Swapper isn't for everyone. Its plot is dense and tucked away. Only those dedicated to knowing the full story will bother to locate and read all of the terminals. Also, at times, it can be extremely difficult and its one-dimensional gameplay won't do it any favors in attracting a wide audience. However for what it does within its niche, The Swapper is a complete, well-constructed, and well-thought-out game that will keep hardcore puzzle/platformer fans looking for something new very entertained.

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9 / 10
Aug 5, 2015

The Swapper is a fantastic puzzle game that combines a fantastically realised, isolated atmosphere with a minimalist and yet intriguing narrative. Its combination of subtle horror elements and puzzles gameplay make it a game that can be played by anyone of any predisposition, whether they like scarier games or not.

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4.5 / 5.0
Jul 23, 2014

The Swapper is yet another indie coup for Sony, as it is very clearly one of the best puzzle games to come out in years. This is a well-designed experience that has the potential to win over non-puzzler fans.

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5 / 10
May 7, 2015

Despite a strong first impression, The Swapper is a much worse game than I previously thought. Despite being impressed by its visuals and attention to detail, I hadn't first realized how short and lacking in substance it was, and I always begrudge video games like that being released in the first place.

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9.5 / 10.0
Aug 11, 2014

The Swapper is a beautiful, haunting thing. It's rare for a game to leave you feeling emotionally numb, but also satisfied by the journey. All of The Swapper's parts operate in concert, creating a masterful puzzle platformer that deserves to be remembered.

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