Camera Obscura
An ancient tower in a forgotten land. A lone photographer on a desperate search. Facing dangerous animals, crumbling architecture, and perilous pitfalls, can you reach the summit of the Tower, and perhaps, redemption?
Camera Obscura is a pixel graphics, platformer and indie game
developed by Anteater Games
and published by Anteater Games and BindleBot.
Released on February 19th 2015 is available in English only on Windows.
It has received 1,529 reviews of which 1,110 were positive and 419 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.0 out of 10. 😊
The game is currently priced at 1.99€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Camera Obscura into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Camera Obscura through various videos and screenshots.
Requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows XP or later
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: Shader Model 2.0 or greater
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Storage: 550 MB available space
- Additional Notes: Windows Media Player is suggested for music
Reviews
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Camera Obscura is a puzzle platformer game that utilises photography as its core concept. What makes is stand out from the crowd is that the player isn’t limited to using built-in platforms, instead using a camera to create a temporary, solid image of the base layout to pave the way further. That’s pretty much it, but you really don’t need more here. THE GOOD [*] Photo shooting as the main mechanics is not something I’m familiar with, especially when it’s used to reshape the world instead of just capturing the views. When you use your camera, the current layout of platforms and obstacles is copied. The copy becomes a still, interactive image that gives you extra surfaces for a couple of seconds. This usually gives you multiple ways to beat a level, eschewing the linearity of solutions most games within the genre go with. The game is a great blend of platforming and puzzles, where you can test your dexterity, cleverness and reaction time. The difficulty level progresses at a proper pace, allowing you to hone your skills without throwing you into the deep end. [*] There is a replayability factor in form of medals for finishing a level in a certain time limit, as well as mementos, which serve as collectibles that uncover bits of the story behind the protagonist and what motivates her to rush towards the danger that lurks in the mysterious tower you’ll be visiting. The medals and unorthodox mechanics make the game a decent choice for speed-running. And if you’re a trophy hunter, there’s a lot of hidden goodies to find when you take alternative routes instead of the shortest ones. [*] There is a story in here. It’s not obligatory to follow and you won’t be missing on any information crucial to progressing if you don’t. Still, it’s a good addition, serving as a nostalgic background to the protagonist’s journey, and thanks to its inclusion, there’s four different endings you can get. [*] In case you’re already done with your playthrough and want to challenge yourself further, there’s a built-in level editor and a level sharing tool. All your craziest ideas may come true with a little bit of work, and all your photography-related nightmares may materialise into reality with heaps of downloadable levels from the community creators. [*] The game is laughably cheap. For two bucks you get to spend enough hours in game to call it a shameless steal. I honestly don’t get the price tag, it’s crazy! The madness! THE BAD [*] You can shape the world accordingly to your needs, but there are times (not often, fortunately) where you have to be overly precise with both the camera and movement. Considering that the layout copies only stay for a little while, it can be irritating to lose its perfect positioning because of one nanometre between you and success. This may lead to some frustrations, especially in case of people who aren’t particularly patient and/or skilled in platforming. [*] Photo shooting is a great mechanics. But it’s also the only mechanics. Whilst with each level the game continues to get more and more challenging, you’ll be testing the same skill over and over again. Personally, I enjoyed it, but at the same time I can clearly see it as a completely legitimate reason to call the game monotonous. [*] In a game that invites you to try speed-running its levels, it’s unforgivable to not have a timer. And Camera Obscura doesn’t have one. You can only see your run time after having finished a level, which goes strictly against the very idea of speed-running. This lack of means of comparability can leave you with a feeling of wasting the time you could spend on another try. OVERALL Great idea for the mechanics, good execution of said idea, a couple of issues that don’t take away from the overall enjoyability, decent retro-esque visuals, and a satisfying story that’s playing a background role. Camera Obscura is a nice game for puzzle enthusiasts and for those who love platformers – with emphasis on the former. There’s multiple ways to play it and technically endless opportunities for a challenge, with the level editor. The game’s not reaching to perfection and may seem too simple or lacking in flavour for some people, but you still get much more than what you’d usually get for such a price.
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My wife said if this review gets 50 likes and 5 awards, she will buy a case of beer, guys help me out.
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A charming, if a little clunky, platformer with a fun mechanic - taking a picture of the stage to then use that afterimage to then be able to platform around the level. Ultimately a fairly short game, Camera Obscura isn't one that I felt overstayed it's welcome - and while there are some issues such as the controls being a little stiff, and the fact that despite a bevvy of achievements for time-related feats, there's no timer on screen or any way to enable one (not to mention that the steam overlay just doesn't work, meaning it's hard to know quickly when you've achieved something) means that it's not perfect. That being said, it's very servicable, and I had fun playing it. Give it a go!
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I am 32 years old. My ex-wife and I have a daughter together, and we adopted our son together. Both are now 4 years old. When we were going through our separation, I felt lost and unhappy. I was self-destructive. One day, I was so angry with everything spiraling out of control that I punched a concrete wall in a moment of overwhelming emotion. This resulted in breaking my fifth metacarpal in my right hand—the hand I worked with, played games with, and used to carry my children to bed—the hand I desperately needed to ensure I could continue providing. Upon learning the severity of the self-inflicted damage, I became almost suicidal. Keep in mind that just a few months before this, I was the happiest man, with no history of depression or anxiety. I had never experienced anger outbursts, nor was I the type to break down and cry, but I was in a tough situation that truly prevented me from seeing the light on the other side. With nothing better to do, I looked for a game I could play WITH ONE HAND while recovering. Somehow, I stumbled upon this game and read some of the comments. I decided it was worth a try... I must admit I didn't beat the game, nor did I play as much as some of you. In fact, I may have played this game for only a day or two. That being said, after doing so, I had a new joy and hope for life. I managed to leave behind the pain and suffering that had been thrust upon me. I could experience the joy and happiness of other people. I relaxed for 5 ♥♥♥♥ minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay. After realizing this, I turned off the game and went back to work. My hand hurt a lot, but I was motivated. I stopped feeling so sorry for myself and became the father I needed to be at that moment, not the weak boy I was behaving like. Today, I am close friends with the mother of my children. We don't fight, argue, or say hurtful things to each other. We are parents and friends. Now I have 3 children. My third child is, wait, ALSO 4 YEARS OLD. The woman I am with was going through a very similar situation at the time of my separation, and we just unexpectedly stumbled into each other's lives. We have been dating for a year and are very happy together. Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today. This silly little game helped me realize that. Thank you.
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Last Updates
| Steam data | 19 November 2024 20:03 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 21 January 2025 18:19 |
| Steam price | 23 January 2025 20:47 |
| Steam reviews | 23 January 2025 13:59 |
Online players
0
Developer
Anteater Games
Publisher
Anteater Games,
BindleBot
Release
19 Feb 2015
Platforms