Oh my god the references! There's so much nostalgia here for me. I grew up in the period this game is set, so there's so many toys and other junk that I recognize. That aside, this game is, SO FAR, fantastic. If it keeps this level of quality that I've had in the first hour, then it's going to be one of my all-time favourite point/click adventure games.

The music, the visuals, the humor! And the hidden achievements! I just got an achievement for trying to feed the Bubsy poster a pet treat. The result was hilarious.


EDIT: I've just finished ACT 1, which is currently all that's available. Here's my thoughts on my experience:

I'm sure if you only spent your time solving puzzles, you could beat it in about 20 minutes. But that's not what I did. I spent as much time as possible using every object and action on everything else even to the point where I got an achievement for trying to use a pigeon on 30 different objects.

3 hours later, I was very satisfied with the experience, and I will probably play through it again tomorrow to try different object interactions. I hope ACT 2 doesn't take too long to release.

If you're looking for reviews of specific things or whatever, then here you go.

Visuals: Very familiar to Homestuck fans. Some camera errors that don't impede gameplay that I'm sure will be fixed soon.

Audio: The soundtrack is stuck in my head.

UI: The top bar can get in the way of some puzzles, so if you're stuck, maybe try minimizing it while you look around. On the subject, there is no highlight on the interactable objects (aside from your cursor changing when hovering over), which I feel was actually a good choice. When you discover some funny writing by doing something like, as a previous example, feeding a pet treat to a Bubsy poster, it feels all the more special by the knowledge that the game didn't explicitly try to tell you there was stuff you could do with it at all.

Stability: Well, in all the time I played it, it didn't crash. That's something.

Story/Writing: Top quality writing. The story definitely seems to be accessible to people who have never read Homestuck. In fact, I think it will make those people go and start reading it.

If you've got any specific questions, leave a comment on this review. I don't write reviews often so maybe I've missed something you want to know.

Homestuck has ruined my life.

[S] Fandom: Wake Up

So, you have (most likley) seen allot of reviews where people mention how big of a Homestuck fan they are.
Well, when I played Hiveswap I had no clue what Homestuck was. But you don't need to know what it is to enjoy this game as it is only loosely connected and has no impact on the plot. But I enjoyed this game so much that I went out of my way to read it (It's apparently a webcomic) and I love it. Now that that's out of the way, we can start this review. (Well, I start this review)

There isn't much gameplay here because it is a point and click adventure game. But, I have to say, it does have more than I expected. When you use an item from your inventory on a interactable it gives you a unique and sometimes humorous text. It makes a second playthrough worth it and it's way better (and less annoying) than the typical "I can't do that!" text that we all know and hate.
Hiveswap also has something called "strifes". Strifes are a form of combat. But they are really puzzles referencing/parodying Turn-Based combat. You can't fail during these "strifes" but, if you have read any other review, you have probably heard that you can't die either in this game. Which is false because you can die, but it's more of an easter egg.

The writing is amazing! I instantly fell in love with the characters and the story. The jokes are well placed and humorous and I found myself laughing a couple of times. You get to know the characters through their thoughts and dialogue.
The story is great and I found myself deeply invested in it and the characters. I truly cannot wait to see what happens next in ACT 2.

If you have read any other review then you most likely already know how good the music is. I definitely punished myself for not buying the Soundtrack Edition. The music doesn't distract you from the game but it isn't a boring repetitive tune either. It's just simply amazing.

The visuals in this game are beautiful. There is definitely some background material in this game.
I also really liked the character designs. I haven't seen a single character yet that looks boring or unimaginative.
I really liked the monster designs aswell. They definitely look interesting and monstrous. Maybe I just a have a soft spot for eyeless reptilian monsters.

Now, you have probably heard that this game is short. Which is sort of true. It really depends on how you play the game. If you decide to play this game by just solving the puzzles and reading the dialogue then completing the game will take you around 2 to 3 hours. If you decide to also click on every interactable to see the thoughts of the character on it, then it will take you around 7 to 8 hours to complete the game. If you decide to also use every item in your inventory on every interactable then completing the game will take you around a week. I played the game by solving the puzzles, reading the dialogue and clicking on every interactable. It took me almost 8 hours to complete the game this way and I am happy that I played it like this. I got to know allot more details about story and even more about the characters. It made me like them even more. I find playing the game like this personally the best way to play it. It will give you more insight on the story and characters but you also won't be spending hours in one room wiping your inventory on everything, thus distracting you from the story. In my second playthrough I did use my inventory on everything (R.I.P Byers) and even though I got to see more jokes and story details, it was also distracting me from the story.

All in all, this game is amazing and I highly recommend it, even to people that aren't all that interested in point and click games (like myself). I love the characters, the story, the visuals, the music, I love all of it. I give this game a: 9/10.
Now don't put the game on a incredibly high pedestal. As it can only ruin the experience.


(My rating system:
1/10= Rat corpse filled with sh*t
2/10= Terrible "game"
3/10= A really bad game
4/10= A bad game
5/10= A decent game but it needs improvement
6/10= A decent game
7/10= A good game
8/10 A really good game
9/10= A fantastic game
10/10= Perfection)

Alright, so here's the deal. Most of the reviews you'll read on here are going to be people who either just found this game and are wondering what all the fuss is about, or people who've been waiting for this game to come out ever since the Kickstarter launched in 2012, and are just overjoyed to finally play it. I will admit, I belong to the latter group.

But if you want an honest review of this game, it's fantastic. The music is beautiful, the animation and artwork is fantastic, and it captures the comedy and storytelling style of Homestuck perfectly, without being completely impenetrable or falling into the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ the original story did. Is it more enjoyable if you've read that monstrosity of a webcomic? Yes. Is it still a really good game? Also yes. Hiveswap doesn't limit itself to Homestuck references, but branches into every aspect of the 90s, right down to poorly-disguised cameo posters for Metroid or The Neverending Story.


One of the biggest complaints I've seen is that there isn't enough play time to warrant its 8-dollar asking price. And it is certainly true that you *can*beat the game in two-ish hours. You can also spend twice that time and not even clear the house you start out in. It all depends on whether you feel like discovering every hidden dialog line and reaction. When they say you can combine everything with everything, they mean it. Every item can be used on every piece of background and every other item. Pog jokes abound, and there's a shocking amount of story you can discover just by poking around and trying things.


tl;dr:
If you just want puzzles and nothing else, Hiveswap is not for you. If you want to explore a beautifully drawn and written story with some puzzles and gameplay on top, Hiveswap is a great game. Homestuck not required.

I prefer games properly credit those that work on them and not fire entire studios at the drop of a hat. I also prefer them not to threaten legal action against former employees or media that speak out against it

Now you can sell your soul to Hussie on Steam!

Hussie my crops are dying please release act 2

I..I'm so sorry its 2018 and I unironically love homestuck.

I was in high school and heard about the Homestuck Kickstarter. I was ecstatic. I got into college and remained excited. I graduated college, and remained hopeful. Hiveswap arrived. And all is forgiven.
I'm the kind of guy that goes into games exploring and checking everything possible. I've played point-and-click games Venus, where I get disappointed when I'm constantly barraged by the same soundclip of the protagonist saying "I can't do that". When I began playing Hiveswap, I was astounded. I got stuck in Joey's room for a full hour. And not because of a puzzle, but from my own volition. I tried every single item and hotspot combination. And I was fascinated by what I read. I became satisfied when I began getting achievements for trying seemingly innocuous combinations, which was super satisfying. After 8 hours, across a couple of days, I managed to finish Act 1. I was extremely satisfied. I even tried my hand at playing the game all over again, this time skipping all the flavor text. It took me around 15 minutes. That's when I realized my first playthrough was exactly how this game is squeezed out of its content.
I for one found myself relieved with the change of graphics from 3D to 2D. It feels so much more like Homestuck in that way.
The music is just absolutely marvelous. I found myself tapping my foot, my knees, humming along with the music in each room. Even the characters, I gotta say, are a big step up from the source material. Through the constant use of the items and skills in the characters' sylladexes and strife specibi, I got to understand their motivations. Joey's feelings against POGs, Bubsy and her father as well as Xefros' feelings towards his own hobbies and culture.
I really can't wait to see what comes next. 5 years of waiting were worth it, at least for me.