Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2016
Californium
Developer Darjeeling, Nova Production, ARTE France
Californium is an adventure game co-developed by Darjeeling and Nova Productions, and released in February 2016 for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux under Proton. Californium was developed as a tribute to science-fiction author Philip K. Dick on the 30th anniversary of his death. The player controls Elvin Green, a struggling writer dealing with family matters, as he discovers the means to manipulate reality, and… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
195 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Aug 10, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
68
Fresh
130 positive · 61 negative
95% range 61–74%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 130 | 61 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
4 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
289 of 412 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 195 · most liked firstAn awesome visual journey with a serviceable story/plot which isn't the focus here, your interactions with the different worlds and beings that inhabit them are and in this regard it succeeds succinctly.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/32482033/]Crim's Humble Opinion Curator A vignette of strange realities Californium is a curious title that pays homage to the science fiction works of Phillip K. ♥♥♥♥. The player takes on the role of Elvin Green, a washed-up novelist on a downward slope due to his vices. On a very eventful day in Elvin's life, he discovers pathways into alternate realities. Desperate to escape his failures, he plunges into what the other timelines have to offer. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not a game for everyone, but I liked it. If you go for an odd/weird story that might not make sense, and explore unusual colorful environments, give this a go. It's more of an experience game, but it is a game. You must explore, find, and advance the story mechanics, and the narration is well done. I loved the visuals and being a visitor in the weird world. The themes of authoritarianism and humanity were well developed. I had to consult a guide a couple times, so thanks for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Guess this is what people mean when they make fun of artsy games. I often enough like them, but not this one. Catches your attention with fancy visual style, but has nothing else to offer. And doesn't even look that good in motion, yet runs like crap for some reason. Story is barely existent and the only gameplay mechanic literally is looking at stuff. This was one of the most boring and uninteresting gam ... well, interactive experi ... hm, softwares I've used in a long time. Thankfully, it…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Californium is a synthetic, radioactive metal. What does it have to do with this game? Nothing obvious. Like probably everyone else, I was pulled in by the eclectic style & PKD inspiration. Too bad the gameplay is based on one of the worst ideas I've encountered: you have to click on symbols that appear in each area and making them visible requires trial & error positioning. It's almost tolerable, except the symbols often disappear if you look at them too long. You may have to look away and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game probably isn't for everybody but if you like a game that is visually interesting and you just want to take your time looking around for a set of symbols for each area after looking at a TV with a bit of story line for different dimensions of the same person then this is the game for you!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At first glance the art style grabbed my attention. A few minutes in I'm wondering what the heck I'm supposed to do? I figure out what I'm supposed to do to progress, and it seems kinda basic. After half an hour of wandering around looking for symbols that sometimes you need to be standing in the exact position, and looking in the right direction to see, I've decided this is a huge waste of time and not enjoyable at all. Had there been a little more direction, or any kind of direction on what…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good idea, bad execution, great art. The thought behind it is kinda "dickish" but the gameplay was "dickish" as well. It plays so horribly I was just frustrated instead of involved. Bug when I fell down through nondimension without barrier forced me to repeat last chapter didn't help as well.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Introduced me to Phillip K ♥♥♥♥, who is awesome, and it's a beautiful experience, but the gameplay itself isn't great and the puzzles were a miss for me. Just go read a PKD novel tbh
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful atmospheric game, graphicwise, but the gameplay solely consists of hunting hidden objects, sigils, which can be found by looking all over the map from certain viewpoints and angles. Sometimes these sigils are only visible while you're moving. Stop and they're gone. This makes for a very frustrating hunt for these sigils. Thank god for the handy guide with screenshots someone posted for this game: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=737234199 The game is short, it…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Man. This is a weird game. If you are into Philip K ♥♥♥♥ at all, don't bother reading any more reviews, just buy this. If you're on the fence, read on. Californium is a game that looks like walking sim going in, turns out to be a bit more of a puzzle game, but with a few sections that require an eagle eye and twitch FPS reflexes. But you can't jump and you can't die. So it's like a walking sim again. It's a weird mishmash, totally unique. The graphics are very stylized, drenched with pastels…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Californium is an unusual 3D first person adventure/puzzle/walking sim featuring abstract low poly art. From a technical perspective, the game works well on modern PCs, but the low poly art is a bit lacklustre. However, it's understandable as the various game levels are overlaid as part of the visual narrative, which is an interesting concept that's woven into the game. This may be a little spoilerish, but gameplay involves finding hidden hotspots. Each time you find one, the environment…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →At first I wasn't giving much credit to this game. I thought it's just a simple walking simulator with a few NPC interactions in a colorful world. Boy, how wrong I was. Even if the world is smaller and the little puzzle-like features and the length of the game is short and simple, the story, that unfolds...it really is deep. So I end up highly suggesting this game for a play. Especially I'd advise obtaining it on sale. It's really worth it. I wouldn't spoil it, rather try it yourself. However,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was a pain to get through. The gameplay was abysmal and repetitive and the story was just barely enough to keep me going. I felt like it was a waste of two hours. I honestly feel like I would have had a better experience just looking at the screenshots and imagining the game for myself.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like this game, but I can't recommend it for most people. Still, it might be for you. Flip through the screenshots and see whether it looks like something that will entertain you for two hours for a dollar or two on sale. It's an adventure game with exactly one gameplay mechanic. It's decent, but in more than one place you're left wondering what you're doing wrong. It's totally fine when games don't hold your hand, but it's a fine line between giving you something to explore and just not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pro: * Story and setting are heavily inspired by (but no direct adaptation of ) various Phil K. ♥♥♥♥ stories and the game pulls it off convincingly for the most part. The presentation is also well done, even if the promotional materials suggest a much bigger game world than the game actually features. Con: * Despite its rather grandiose self-description, this is just a hidden object game in an eccentric coat of paint. And the gameplay gets old really quick even though the game is just about…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't need drugs to get high, I've got Californium Californium is trippy. You assume the role of Elvin Green, the textbook tortured artist. He's spiralled out of control, now a drug abuser and a drunk who can't meet his writing deadlines. As bleak as the premise is, the vibrant colours of the setting outside of Elvin's dingy apartment are a hopeful(?) foreshadowing of events to follow. Let's break down the good and the bad. G O O D T H I N G S The graphics are tantalising, and each setting…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A digital monument to Philip K. ♥♥♥♥. Rich, stylish, trippy and dripping with atmosphere of both the 60s and the 60s sci-fi (modern folk refer to these qualities as "weird"). The puzzles are Witness-like, and those fit well just about in any game. They also don't distract you from the narrative. Great experience deserving more recognition. PS I love Steam censorship:) ♥♥♥♥ Cheney ♥♥♥♥ Cavett Moby ♥♥♥♥
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is short in gameplay, content, replayability, and commentary on Philip K. ♥♥♥♥. What is there is a perfectly functional Stanley Parable experience, and one that looks visually interesting. The hidden object gameplay is functional, but lacking. There is no real interactivity in this game, and playing it unfolds like an Linklater-esque indie movie where hunting for glowing sigils unfolds the plot. Also, the latter half of the game is weak and unoriginal, and my enthusiasm plummeted when…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great inspiration, cool art style, and horrific game play. Maybe you can stick it out for PKD, but I can't.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A slightly vertigo inducing looking game in many ways. You are a writer, of science fiction, or at least you should be, just as you are evicted from your flat, chewed over by your publisher who cuts you loose, your writers block lifts. Will your ex girlfriend whom you still love kill you? Your prerogative is to tear the world apart now, as you seek the truth. Will the martians get you first, or will society collapse or instead laud your work? Delusional, psychedelic and yet simple story that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very, very frustrating mechanics... not sure if it's worth putting up with this even for Philip K. Dıck....
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Californium is what I would call a mix between Stanley Parable (kinda) and Jazzpunk (kinda), but it is very much its own game. Unique, surreal and almost psychadelic at times. It tells a story of Elvin Green, an author with a writer's block. If I said anything more... well that would spoil the game. The game has an interesting art design where the world is 3D but the characters are creepy 2D cut-out dolls. It makes the game feel even more surreal than it already is to begin with. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Now, while I say "Yes" I would definitely recommend this game, really, I would only recommend it to other hardcore PKD fans like myself. Granted, the fact that you're even viewing the page for this game implies there's a pretty decent chance that you already are, but I just want to make sure that's clear. By normal standards, the gameplay can probably be thought of as "limited", though it's not exactly meant as an action adventure, and it's actually not even based on any one specific story by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wrote a review a couple of days ago which has disappeared. However, I will go on and write a new one. This is an interesting game for those with some interest in science fiction and the writer Philip K. ♥♥♥♥. I couldn't identify all the dialog and situations with his books, but there are undoubtedly many quotations and references. I was attracted to the game mostly by the artwork, which is somewhat influenced by pop art and is appropriate for the period, the 1970s, and sunny California,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Artsy pretentious crap. The story was... Fine. It involves a sci-fi writer and the unraveling and exploration of reality, but it feels like a first year art student's end year project rather than a complete game. I understand that it won a bunch of awards, but people are allowed to be wrong. Gameplay wise, this game was like pulling teeth. I finished it in 3 hours and yet it feels like I wasted 10 of my life. The main mechanic is a hidden object puzzle, finding a number of sigils, and it is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Wonderful Philip K. ♥♥♥♥ esque mind melting, reality restructuring, insanity inducing, time theater thriller. Your 2 hour journey through the mind of a writer on the brink of sanity as he tries to determine the nature of reality. Walking simulators where you are lost in a forest are BS. I could go get lost in a forest myself, I don't need a game for that. This is what walking simulators should be like. A great story to experience with the anxiety coming from the feature rather than the desire…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Boring. Search for random symbol in a random space that requires you to stand in a VERY specific, random position.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Philip K. D1ck (damn your censorship Steam) is one of my favorite sci-fi writers. His style is weird and unique, but all in a good way, and playing Californium gave me the same vibes that his novels usually do, which alone gets a huge thumbs-up from me. Californium will definitely not be to everyone's liking, of that I'm certain. The surreal bizarre atmosphere is bound to deter some players, but at the same time it will immerse others - those who don't mind mixing reality with surrealistic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're going to make an artsy avant-garde game with no gameplay and only story, it would be best to make your story actually *good*.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've never been more attracted to a game's aesthetics than this. That's ultimately why I wanted to play this game so much, because it was facinating to me. After playing the game the story, atmosphere, and setting blew me away as I expected. The music is eerie and strange and I love it. Even if it makes me sad for some reason. But anyhow the game faulters when it attempts to implement gameplay. They went with this completely mind numbingly horrible hidden object type system where you have to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DNF I just didn't love it. It felt repetitive and the story wasn't keeping me hooked.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My impression of this game is quite mixed. Game's description is far more alluring than the actual game. Basically it's just a spacial puzzle with a bit of background story. At times it's hard to figure out what the game wants from you, but once you get the hang of looking for those glitches, it becomes quite easy. Chaos chapter was very cool. Graphics and music are quite pleasant. Overall experience is a somewhat boring and heavy. But so are bad trips. I might have gotten an actual vertigo…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Californium is a good adventure game with a great story, a weird ambiant and some colored deisigns. For his low price, I recommend it!!! ❤️
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Two times in the span of an hour I paused the game and accidentally restarted the level when I wanted to just unpause. So that's enough of that game, lol.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A decent homage to PKD. The main attraction are the visuals and the level design; the writing and the ideas are so filled with references to PKD that I was left wanting for more originality. And sadly, the gameplay felt like someone wanted to gamify QA. You walk around trying to get to the exact spot or do the exact sequence of things where something goes wrong. Still, if you like PKD, not an entirely terrible way to spend two or three hours.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a neat attempt at a game. If you like Philip K. ♥♥♥♥, you may enjoying it. It has many little references to his work and his life, and obviously the whole theme about shifting realities. The game mechanics themselves, though, and don't have much interesting - thematically or otherwise. There is a tenuous connection to what (and which) reality is, but that's about it. Unfortunately, the game is quite buggy, sometimes fatally - the first time I booted the game, the mouse kept moving to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I kinda like the game but I think I didn't get what was it all about. A grief driven alcohol+drugs infused hallucainations? A sub-consciuos of a man broken by his loss? Visuals and music are ineteresting, seasching for hidden sigils and dimensional puzzles are fun. At some point at the start I even thought it's inspired by "Naked Lunch". But I don't think I get the deeper meaning if there is one. I guess this is one of the "an art not a game" examplars.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Modern version of pixel hunting. Weird story. Three beers required.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful work of art that captures the atmosphere of a bygone era and a disillusioned mind, but ultimately hampered by tedious and oftentimes frustrating gameplay.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While the works of Phillip K. ♥♥♥♥ are broadly influential, few fictional works – and even fewer games – have attempted to embody the haunting, paranoid worlds he so consistently created. For better or worse, Californium feels like something ♥♥♥♥ could have produced himself, and was one of my more memorable gaming experiences of 2017.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Californium is a part of the walking simulator genre. The only difference between "Dear Esther"'s gameplay and Californium's gameplay are the puzzles which are "search and click"-alike. The graphics are simple but the developers used their possibilities nicely to create 4 unique worlds with different looks and different feelings in graphics, music, sounds, story and characters. The characters are plain but not because the devs weren't able to create 3D models but there is a little story twist…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good game when interested in pkd
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The World's #1 Ubik-themed Philip K. ♥♥♥♥ Simulator.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a charming little trip through a well written story and a beautiful world with an amazing soundtrack. I would love to see this re-imagined as a VR title, it would compliment the game's minimal mechanics perfectly. I see a lot of people complaining about the puzzle mechanic and how it's frustrating and annoyingly simple, this game is meant to emulate a bad trip; the paranoia, the frantic movements, the frustration of something simple being slightly out of reach or ephemeral, it captures…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a reader of PKD I came to try this game, quite well-recommended by the community. After a great setup and introduction, I finished buteforcing problems until i thought: "What the h***, this is not fun, will I spend all game looking for signs?". I had walked around, room after room, looking in all directions for a sign, disturbing me from the flow of the story. I felt no satisfaction with this gameplay. Before refunding i found the review by @wizardovoz "- Absolutely horrible idea for…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A hidden object game wrapped inside a walking simulator. I wanted to like Californium—despite how tedious and pretentious it can often be—but I just can’t. It has an interesting premise and good art direction (for the most part), and that’s about it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great adventure game with unique mechanics and narrative execution. It can be finished in a couple of hours which some will consider a problem. For me this is the ideal length of a simple, yet solid story. I wish more games had this kind of pacing. GG!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game was broken in the last chapter i replayed several times same thing
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Regardless of all the bugs during 20min and terrible camera movement, It doesn't have a proper load/save function.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Californium is onsale for 0.90 it's a first person adventure game inspired by Phillip K Dick store.steampowered.com/app/402060/C...
unlabelledView post →This is a "yes" with a LOT of asterisks next to it... It would be 100% recommend if it were given an update and some love after launch. To start with the good: - I enjoyed exploring the game, and unravelling the story. - Cool take on a hidden object/walking sim game - Quite satisfying to solve the puzzles - Philip K ♥♥♥♥ references all over the shop! :) - Such a brilliant unique art style and premise! I really did sit going "how the heck did they do that" at times. - The world created,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice graphics but the only gameplay mechanic is just horrible.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →luv the visuals
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →overall: -------- Interesting artsy/trippy puzzle/hiddenObject game with atypical atmosphere and artstyle. Recommended if you like that sort of stuff. gameplay: ----------- You "talk" to the TVs and then trying to find symbols in game world that appear sometimes only when you standing in specific spots or when you "clear" all objects in bookshelf with your mouse etc. Story itselft doesn't make much sense but it's interesting nonetheless thanks mainly to good voice acting. Sometimes you get…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The trailer is misleading, the game is boring AF
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Californium is a surreal walking sim about the creative process (?). Not only does it look amazing, it manages to tell an interesting story in an unusual setting. It's worth playing for the visuals alone, the fact that it also has a gripping and well written plot is just the cherry on top. It's main mechanic integrates well into the narrative and lends a unique look to the game, that makes it stand out among other walking simulators. Without spoiling anything, the game is like Cloud Atlas,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Repetitive, no real direction, and really really awkward to play on a dual monitor set-up as there doesn't appear to be mouse lock.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →no 'gameplay', fails as a walking simulator, superficially rips off phil k themes without understanding them, and doesn't let you save - absolute rubbish, don't waste your money like me
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a trippy exploration game that I have had a lot of fun with. If they were asking 20 bucks for this, I'd advise you to pass, but at under $10 it is an easy pick up. Note to devs: This is the kind of game I would really like to play in VR.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.
You Might Also Like
similar titlesFINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Game
DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined
DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined
Game
Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City
Game
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Game
What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch
Game