Taking the form of wacky shenanigans and a first-person experience of a bad trip, Californium pays homage to sci-fi legend Philip K. Dick by transporting you into the life of a writer who is searching for his own identity. Explore the worlds of Californium, a first person exploration game where you are a writer trapped into shifting realities. Will you find what’s behind the simulacra?
About the story
Berkeley, 1967. You are Elvin Green, a writer whose career is not better than his sentimental life. Besides, the day starts badly : your wife Thea left you a break up letter. As for Eddy, your editor, he summons you : "you are a writer who does not write" - you should find yourself another editor. Your world is falling apart. Too much acid and cheap booze ? Too many sleepless nights stuck to your typewriter, powerless to tackle your first novel ? Your poor mental health is collapsing. Luckily this nightmarish world is unstable, you can extract yourself from it and thus access another reality! You have nothing to lose!
Platforms
Mac PCGenres
Adventure Indie PuzzleThemes
Fantasy Historical Science fiction
Languages: English and 2 more
| Interface | Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | |||
| French | |||
| German |
Media
Critic Reviews
Cubed3
By OfisilCalifornium is a labour of love that didn't even try to do a fine job at using the thing it loves the most. It makes promises of offering a plot-heavy adventure that is heavily inspired by Philip K. Dick, when it's just marginally influenced by it, and, even worse, gameplay-wise, it is a frustrating hidden object game, which becomes less so due to its gorgeous, wallpaper-worthy visuals.
Kill Screen
By Alexander KrissCalifornium can't get past writer's block
GameSpew
By Becca S.[Californium] did get challenging at times, and I would be lying if I said I didn't rage quit once or twice, but in the end the reward for finishing was worth it.
NoobFeed
By Bogdan Robert MateșCalifornium is first and foremost a delight for the eyes and the ears. Then, it’s an analysis on the effects of Elvin’s writing upon him, done in a quasi-interactive manner. Its simplistic, tedious gameplay drastically reduces the amount of players Californium can hope to appeal to.
New Game Network
By David WillExploration through stylish worlds with a dash of subtle, paranoia-inducing surrealism makes this a strong—if somewhat tedious—walk-em-up, but for a game building off the memory of a literary legend, the actual narrative leaves a lot to be desired.
