Onde Review

Light the scented candles, turn off the phone and slowly descend into Onde

Onde is a 2D Smooth sound-surfing rhythm platformer and it’s the most relaxing thing you can play or do all year. 

Drawing influences from games such as Osmos, Onde is unlike most other games on the market today. Rather than encouraging combat or a fast-paced narrative, this is a title which seeks to relax through abstract forms and ambient music.

Smooth as silk, chill as ice

At times, Onde can be challenging, as it is a platformer at heart. Therefore, it takes a little getting used to in order to glean enjoyment. However, once you get going, there is nothing quite like it. It’s the video game equivalent of taking a hot bath on a cold day.

Concordant harmony

The narrative of Onde, if one is present at all, is evocative and impressionistic at best. There appear to be references to evolution, flora, fauna and higher beings, but this is all very abstract. It all works well though, tying in with the beautiful visuals and sound. 

The developers clearly did not wish the game to have a clear narrative, stating they aimed to make a game “without ludo-narrative dissonance” – the hope being that Onde’s lack of story would allow players to not be distracted, instead focusing on the relaxing experience. 

And for the most part, this is achieved and leads to a satisfyingly tranquil experience. 

Oh, tranquil, aqueous world!

From immeasurable oceans to the furthest reaches of outer space, there are several distinctly different biomes in Onde, each overflowing with eye-popping colour. 

The world of Onde is generally non-hostile, relaxing and ripples along like spring water. It is very pleasurable to inhabit the Onde universe. 

Dazzling set-pieces

At many points throughout, Onde will not feel like anything most players will have experienced before. The game is beautiful while getting from A to B, but the real dazzle comes from the set pieces. 

When the player gets to certain points in the level, they are rewarded with visually spellbinding sights of immeasurable grandeur. The developer clearly took a lot of inspiration from nature, which ties in with the philosophy of the game to want to imitate the beauty of everything natural.

Move forward, little creature

The Player simply moves forward toward the end goal, using the propulsion of waves cast out from circles. 

The gameplay is very innovative, I’ve never played anything quite like it. Despite it being a platformer, platforms are round and guide the player on a loop. This is what marks Onde out from any previous platformer. 

And despite there not being many game mechanics present in this title, they are not needed, as simplicity is the key here. 

However, while deliberately simple, Onde is also a varied game. The minimalistic design and therefore minimalistic gameplay works perfectly to form a meaningfully pleasant experience.

Despite all this simplicity, the game can be a bit of a challenge initially, while learning how the game works and how to progress. There is zero hand-holding for the player unless you count colours and shapes as tutorial guidance. But, like anything, a bit of perseverance brings many rewards. 

Deeply ambient animal

The musical score of Onde is a large part of the experience. Though it changes throughout as the player visits all the different biomes, there is a coherent, linking theme throughout. 

The original musical score seems to borrow from influences such as Steve Reich, Brian Eno, Aphex Twin and Lemon Jelly, amongst others. This synthesis of ambient artists results in a deeply immersive experience, running alongside chill gameplay. 

Emotive response

Although a little hard to get into initially, Onde is an unforgettable experience. Once it gets going and I was familiar with the controls and the dynamic of the game, everything flowed like ice cool water. 

Music and gameplay coalesce beautifully to create one of the most relaxing experiences any player can have with a video game. 

It doesn’t get much more wholesome than Onde as a way to relax. 

Onde is available on Steam for £10.99.