Three Minutes To Eight
Three Minutes To Eight
Game
Game2023
Verne: The Shape of Fantasy
Developer Gametopia
Become Jules Verne and adventure into the dangers that hide in Hemera, a fantastic parallel world built from his own imagination. Explore, solve puzzles and unlock the most coveted secret of the mighty Atlantis. From the Steam store page
213 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
83
LovedLoved
104 positive · 22 negative
95% range 75–88%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 104 | 22 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 5 | 0 | 78 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
107 of 131 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
83% recommend · 104 yes, 22 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 126 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (271 of 329 positive).
Players praise the beautiful pixel art and atmospheric world. [1][2][3] Many find the story engaging and a tribute to Jules Verne. [4][5][6] Some reviewers criticize the puzzles as too easy and the stealth sections as frustrating. [2][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [16]
After about an hour of play, I have to say that I am quite disappointed. It started off so promising: a beautiful pixel adventure game starring Jules Verne on board of the Nautilus in a dark alternate reality history world and some mysterious items. Then all the efforts to build an enticing world gradually broke apart. I am not a native English speaker, but even I noticed the numerous typos, missing letters or even …
- [1]
Two of my favorite things in the whole wide world are steampunk and adventure games. I was really looking forward to playing this game and immersing myself in Jules Verne's extraordinary journeys. The love for Verne and his creations radiated from this game, but sadly I have some reservations about its execution. Trying to come up with a clear review has been difficult, so I think a simple pros/cons list will do the …
- [2]
An amazing and captivating story full of surprises, all accompanied by beautiful pixel art visuals. The gameplay, on the other hand, bleeds from multiple wounds and many times I felt like it's sole purpose was to ruin my experience. Fluctuating difficulty, frustrating stealth parts, Imag is underused and buggy like hell,
- [9]
Short version: It tries and fails to be a puzzle platformer, but can still be enjoyed as a visual novel. Slightly longer version: Story's pretty great. Voice acting is good (full VA throughout!), although the main character says "merde" exceedingly often. Gameplay is nonexistent mostly (feels very on rails most of the time, there's only one story line, basically nothing in terms of exploration, and there are no …
- [3]
This is a gorgeous pixel adventure inspired by works of Jules Verne. Go searching for the source of the power of Atlantis aboard the submarine Nautilus. Gameplay: https://youtu.be/DXzxf0BsVQ4 You will be exploring Jules Verne’s memories, gorgeous underwater locations and the Nautilus looking for objects of interest or information. You will use a unique artifact-tool called the IMAG, that allows Verne to alter time …
Summarised from 34 of the 201 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
83% of the 126 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Verne: The Shape of Fantasy. The complaint that keeps coming up: puzzles are too easy and simplistic. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 213 · most liked firstOkay so I went into this game expecting something completely different. Not to say that it's bad, just that it's not what I was expecting. This is a heavily story driven game with gameplay mechanics similar to point and click adventure style games. It's got a lot of dialogue, item collection, puzzles as well as QTE events. The one unique thing that this game has is a time warp mechanic where Verne can use this Item he has called an IMAG and he can use it to basically re-write a past event.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After about an hour of play, I have to say that I am quite disappointed. It started off so promising: a beautiful pixel adventure game starring Jules Verne on board of the Nautilus in a dark alternate reality history world and some mysterious items. Then all the efforts to build an enticing world gradually broke apart. I am not a native English speaker, but even I noticed the numerous typos, missing letters or even words as well as grammatical errors in the subtitles, which sometimes were…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Claremont-Mudd-Scripps just won a game 5-0 over La Verne in D3
neutral · AI labelView post →Verne World (1995, SNES) Today's shots were provided by @videogamebeach.bsky.social 🏖️, from a neat looking game that I'd never even heard of before today. Always love to be introduced to games from old systems that I thought I'd seen it all from, especially when it involves cute pixel art plants!
neutral · AI labelView post →I wish i could recommend this game. But it suffers from some major disappointments. 1. The "mechanic" of changing realtity is disappointing. There are no real options just linear uninteresting ones. It might just also be called the rubble remover. 2. There are some stealh sections that are really frustating and no fun. 3. Certain plot holes also exist. Why do i have to suffer through a stealth section only to teleport the bad guys away, which could have been done in the first place? 4. Last…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →YAYY Session 0, got to play as my new chara, Verne!! She's next in line for the throne, whether the throne knows it or not >:D | OCs #wherechaosreigns (Playing live, every thursday over on twitch.tv/MordioAndNova)
neutral · AI labelView post →Story intruiging (though starting as if we are missing an introduction), nailing the atmosphere, style and sound is simply FANTASTIC, some of the best pixel art & animation I've ever seen, the visuals are STUNNING, I'd love them on my walls. However... Ironically, being a tribute to writer Jules Verne, there are numerous spelling mistakes, words in the wrong order (or is that supposed to be 1800-talking maybe), and a bunch of other linquistical errors. The writing sometimes comes off as if the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I would donate cash fn money for a Jules Verne ass subway from London to Chicago, so no Brits have to ever eat whatever the fuck those low res, video game, self delusion, baba yaga's hut ass meals those were! Holy fuck! They added peas to a...chicken...maybe... cutlet...like it's gotta help! No!
neutral · AI labelView post →Two of my favorite things in the whole wide world are steampunk and adventure games. I was really looking forward to playing this game and immersing myself in Jules Verne's extraordinary journeys. The love for Verne and his creations radiated from this game, but sadly I have some reservations about its execution. Trying to come up with a clear review has been difficult, so I think a simple pros/cons list will do the trick. Pros: * Art - The pixelated art is goregus - I took so many screenshots…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As there are many positive reviews, it likely is a taste thing, but I did not enjoy the game. I almost finished it, but stopped playing at some point. I want to explain a lil more detailed what my impression/issue was, so people can make up their own minds: My main issue: The game kept introducing interesting ideas and mechanics but did not follow through with any of them. It kept pretending to be things it is not. It was the sum of many little disappointments, that made me quit. An example:…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is basically: 1. Go where you're told. 2. Solve a trivial puzzle. 3. Go to 1. The voice acting is just silly. I can't help thinking that Jules Verne deserves better treatment.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Embark on a mesmerizing journey through the enigmatic depths of "The Shape of Fantasy", a captivating pixel art tale that beckons you to unwind and immerse yourself in its mysterious allure. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3020769429 As the protagonist, Verne, you awaken to a cacophony of alarms resonating from the fathomless abyss of an underwater submarine. The narrative unfolds with an uncanny Lovecraftian ambiance, shrouding the experience in an aura of enigma and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just teared up a little at that intro to the SECCG. End of an era, y'all: this is the final SEC on CBS game, the final time we're going to hear the theme before they play it exclusively before shit like Rutgers-Oregon. So happy they let Uncle Verne get behind the mic for it.
neutral · AI labelView post →Honestly, it's a game with many shortcomings. However, if you're a fan of Jules Verne and his novels, and if you like the sensibility of venturing into the sea as depicted in 'Vingt mille lieues sous les mers' and 'L'île mystérieuse,' it's nice to give this game a try, playing it as a tribute to Jules Verne. 쥘 베른의 '해저 2만리'와 '신비의 섬'을 좋아한다면
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aside from slapping the names from Verne's stories, the plot of this game has little to do with Jules Verne or his works. The control is slow and not intuitive. I would rather it is a point-and-click, instead of pure WASD control. The game made great promises and delivered little.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The visuals can be charming at times. Beyond that one positive, I find it difficult to give praise to any other aspect of the game. From voice acting & narrative to game design & technical competency, there just isn't anything that warrants praise. The best I can say is that most of this game delivers an 'almost par' experience. A consistent 6/10 dragged down by its trial & error puzzle design and habit for wasting the players time through constant back tracking filled with nauseatingly slow…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a walking simulator for the most part, sometimes you need to use items from your inventory. Most of the puzzles are related to ladders or elevators and those puzzles are really bad. Few of them are related to turning some wheels or items. It's a very lightweight game in general and those puzzles feel like they are only made to stop you from progressing and are not very good or clever. There are a few places where you also need to sneak but those parts are very easy. The story is okay and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Steampunk. Looks pretty good. If you're seeking a faithful adaptation of Jules Verne, look elsewhere, but at this point Verne is fair game and this seems like a quality production. Will check out the first one at least. I guess it's out on Disney plus. It's a British/American co production.
neutral · AI labelView post →My very first game - the co-op submarine roguelike We Need To Go Deeper - is having a Steam DAILY DEAL today at a historic 75% OFF! 🦑Dive into a Verne-inspired world 💰Uncover loot and upgrades 🔱Trade with underwater civilizations 💀Work together or die ➡️ store.steampowered.com/app/307110/W...
neutral · AI labelView post →What links Jules Verne and our upcoming train management game, Iron Roads? 🤔 #ironroads #julesverne #vactrains #trainfacts #gamedev #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →The game is the definition of 'okay' as an overall package. The puzzles are easy but I wish Verne wouldn't point out how to solve them as you look at them, I understand getting hints if the player gets stuck but don't say the solution out loud immediately before the player has time to even take in what the puzzle even is. The other reason I wouldn't recommend it is the massive exposition dump near the final chapters. They were doing a decent job at hinting at stuff, slowly building up and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wonderful game ! Really enjoyed it...only minus: even though we have a thrilling story with overall good puzzles, there are some action or stealth scenes, which would not have been necessary in an adventure. Anyway, I highly recommend this game !
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the time you wish Steam had a neutral choice, however it's closer to reject than approve. The game is a point and click adventure without the point and clicking, the controls are all done by the keyboard. The story is merely okay, the voice acting merely okay, most of the puzzles are merely okay though some are quite illogical. A merely okay diversion, but not the best the genre has to offer and I don't think i'll ever replay it, unlike the best point and click games.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →42. Okay prompted by @darksapiens.bsky.social, I love DnD and versions thereof (including Munchkin!). My husband and 9yo twins and I have a home game that’s been running for a couple years - I’m a bronze dragonborn fighter named Verne who’s gruff and pragmatic and mysteriously afraid of the ocean.
neutral · AI labelView post →Interesting and atmospheric game with beautiful pixel graphics. Not a long game, about 4-5h of content if you explore all of it. Could be better, could be worse. Recommended if you find the setting interesting
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Alright adventure with great pixelart and a pretty interesting mechanic where you are Jules Verne (yes, the writer) who joins Nemo on the Nautilus (just go with it) searching for an Atlantean artifact (I promise it will make sense... probably). Verne can use his imagination and a Macguffin to rewrite the world around him to solve various puzzles. It's just that it's not used all that often, or in a especially clever way, it's mostly to move something that is in your way or be able to pick up a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Am I an idiot for only just realizing Odyssey and Bananza are referencing Jules Verne books? "Around the World in 80 days" and now "Journey to the Center of the Earth" obviously their next game is about Wario's undersea adventures
neutral · AI labelView post →Disappointing overall. The game boasts a beautiful art style, but it's ultimately let down by mediocre voice acting, weak writing, and uninspired puzzles. There are glimpses of something worthwhile beneath, but a game like this needs to come together as a polished package and this one simply doesn't. The story starts dragging by the halfway point, to the extent that I found myself skipping dialogue. It does improve slightly in the final two chapters, but by then, it's too little, too late. Just…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Seriously, Jean Verne is one of these layout artists that WILL made your game stand.
neutral · AI labelView post →As a fan of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and Around the World in Eighty Days, it really didn’t take much to get me interested in Verne: The Shape of Fantasy. Using Verne’s life and works as inspiration, the developers crafted a decent platform adventure game that stars Verne as Captain Nemo’s guest on the Nautilus. Set in an alternate world called Hemera, Verne finds himself in control of an Atlantean reality altering device called the Imag, which as the name suggests,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An amazing and captivating story full of surprises, all accompanied by beautiful pixel art visuals. The gameplay, on the other hand, bleeds from multiple wounds and many times I felt like it's sole purpose was to ruin my experience. Fluctuating difficulty, frustrating stealth parts, Imag is underused and buggy like hell,
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pro Pinball: Fantastic Journey by Cunning Developments (1999 - Windows 98) is a pinball game under a mixbag in-between Victorian and Jules Verne universe thematic; We must assist a professor scientist to "land" on the moon while a foe tries to destroy it. #gaming #retrogaming youtu.be/-DitmuoP38I
neutral · AI labelView post →Verne is getting ready for game night this #caturday
neutral · AI labelView post →I just can't bring myself to give a clear labour of indie love a thumbs down. But, and this is a big but: I didn't feel it. Convulated storytelling, the writers obviously out of their comfort zone, trying to hit the tone of the source material but missing. Too much thrown at you, they wanted to emulate Verne, but ended up with writing up synopsises of his works in a log book, it borders on infotainment. I love me a pixel art point and click just like the next guy, but this ain't it. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Verne Lundquist recounts his call of ‘The Kick-Six’ ahead of its ten-year anniversary: ‘My favorite game of all time’
neutral · AI labelView post →I really enjoyed this game. It has all the elements of a quality adventure - cool story, beautiful artwork, diverse scenery, soothing sound track, and reasonable puzzles. You follow Jules Verne through a series of encounters with the Nautilus and Captain Nemo on a quest to save the world. While most achievements are obvious to the observant gamer, there are a few collectibles that are easily missed. The game auto-saves on exit and does not provide the ability to 'circle back' to a prior…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game was okay it wasn't bad and it wasn't good I wish i could rate it neutral, The voice acting really broke my immersion though, all of the voices in the game just seemed unfit for their roles, two specific ones though; Jules Verne a french person sounding like a young English guy or Captain Nemo who is supposed to be Indian sounding nothing like they should, really turned it into more of a comedy at times with how badly they sound in their roles. The art and environment and music and sfx…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →80. Race Against the Nuckelavee by @ostrichmonkey.bsky.social A turn-of-the-century steampunk Eldritch horror delve though a sunken submersible 🤿 Compatible with his other FREE game, Strange Voyagers, this one is beautifully written & has vibes for days! Jules Verne & LoEG fans would love this
neutral · AI labelView post →It's #WishlistWednesday again, so time to share one of my most anticipated games, Under a Rock!!! Really excited for this Jules Verne-esque survival game. Check out their official trailer and wishlist on Steam. #survivalgame #Steamgame #indiegame youtu.be/V8PMRW5LfII?...
neutral · AI labelView post →You know this is dystopian nu-fantasy because: 1) Jules Verne uses "Before Our Era" instead of "Before Christ." Too bad. The rest of the game was really cool. But rejecting Jesus isn't.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short version: It tries and fails to be a puzzle platformer, but can still be enjoyed as a visual novel. Slightly longer version: Story's pretty great. Voice acting is good (full VA throughout!), although the main character says "merde" exceedingly often. Gameplay is nonexistent mostly (feels very on rails most of the time, there's only one story line, basically nothing in terms of exploration, and there are no significant sidequests). The worst thing about it is that most puzzles are so…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I prefer to separate a literary work from its creator. I'm puzzled why the game designer chose to leave all the fantastic adventures in Verne's books untouched but focused the essence of this game on Verne himself. The story of Verne, no matter how it's decorated, is a common tale that has occurred with nearly every famous writer. You had the world at your feet, but you chose to step on an anthill.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a fan of Jules Verne and someone old enough to appreciate pixels, I was very impressed with this love letter to Verne's works. There were some dialogue errors and audio issues, and the puzzles were a bit on the easy side, but I was impressed with the story, voice acting and environments. To the creators, merci et bon chance!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super Duper nice Game with nice Visuals and suuuper nice Pixelart and a really good written and interesting Story, the Backgrounds and the over all Design were friggin stunning. The stealth parts were a bit frustrating but after 1-2 tries easy peasy doable and the Puzzles are pretty balanced not too hard and not too easy fits just perfect.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Design and aesthetics are great. Story is a disaster. As a fan of Verne Jules I'm so offended
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →12 Days Of Christmas Giveaway! Game: Verne: The Shape of Fantasy Rules: Like, repost or comment your favourite art in a game. Follow so I can DM you & for more Giveaways & content! Ends in 10 hours! #gaming #Christmas #giveaway #12DaysOfGiveaways #steampunk #steamkey
neutral · AI labelView post →"Verne: The Shape of Fantasy" is a pixel art narrative experience with puzzles. pros: The beautiful pixel art is highly detailed. Story is interesting and the voice acting elevates it greatly! (Usually pixel art games avoid voicing.) This indie game is a passion project and love letter to the french writer Jules Verne and has a lot of trivia about Verne's life and books. cons: The puzzles on the other hand are rudimentary and easy. If the story is about "imagination" maybe having an advanced…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Although they might look like something from a Jules-Verne-novel, robotic subs might develop into something like a game-changer in maritime warfare.
neutral · AI labelView post →[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6142328/] With 1,400+ reviews, make sure to follow The Cpt Froggy Club Curator Page for plenty more! Verne: The Shape of Fantasy: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The war with the Brutal “Nation” is at its peak, and it looks like the land of Hemera will be razed to the ground. Maybe there is the last opportunity, a chance that this will not occur if Verne, Captain Nemo and the entire Nautilus crew can retrieve the Flame of Hephaestus, an Ancient artifact of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a linear, narrative-heavy experience. If you're not a fan of this genre, it may not be your cup of tea. However, if you do enjoy this type of game, you're in for a treat. Going into it, I already knew the visuals would be amazing, and the developers didn't disappoint. They've skillfully created intricate and stunning scenery within the constraints of a pixelated format. What took me by surprise, though, was the beautifully crafted narrative that weaves together real-world events…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The idea was there, doing a game inspired by jules verne made me have high expectations for the game. But the story line was a bit boring. As to the jumping timeline, it seemed unnecessary to displace the chronological storyline. especially with the demo. It was kind of an odd choice choosing a later chapter as the demo. In general, the story could be more well explained/richer, then the purposeful displacement of the timeline would make more sense.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Full Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/R2LPSfwW7bE Gameplay: Decent Graphics: Retro Music: Good Story: Good PC Requirements: Potato Game Time: 2-3 hrs
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A mediocre point and click game where you play as Verne. 7 chapters to explore including ancient volcanoes, your submarine, and caves. Pros: - Puzzles are not too difficult and multiple collectible items to find. Also, there are various references to his other books. - Atlantis Mythology enhances scenes with tidbits of history mixed with artistic flair. Cons: - Main aspect I did not enjoy were the stealth parts where you are forced to sneak by guards. - The imag (magic tool) solved every…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mariah Carey's Christmas song starts playing. When she says "all I want for Christmas is..." your bartender cuts to Verne and Gary dancing to the YOOOOOOOO in Crank That by Soulja Boy from the Auburn game in 2007. You are 22 years old and it's the funniest thing you've ever seen in your life.
neutral · AI labelView post →A interesting albeit short pixel adventure game. As much as i like the basic premise alot of gameplay elements seem to be underused. The puzzles are all rather easy. The pixelgraphics are great, sound is good and the voices suffice. Buy on Sale if you want to spend 3-4 Hours in a okish pixel adventuregame. I whish they whould do more with Jules Verne books aka the source material. There is so much to explore in his writings.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#SoloSaturday spills over to Sunday! This gem has been sitting on my shelf for far too long. Let's take a trip under the Seven Seas with Cap'n Nemo! #Verne #Nautilus #Wargaming @vpgame
neutral · AI labelView post →First off, Linux users, if you can't run the game, switch the Proton version from experimental to v9 or v10. (Devs, if you are reading this, please change it in the Steamworks settings as experimental doesn't work.) Now, for the review: excellent art style, excellent game. The voice acting is a bit hit and miss, but all in all an excellent story game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I hope this team gets to work with a better script in the future. The writing is fine but lacks a bit of focus. Fun puzzles and world and character writing which will always put me into good graces with the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Doc Rivers passed on advice he got from Verne Lundquist: "Celebrate the game" and he'll have a great broadcast and the viewers will enjoy it just as much. #Bucks #mubb
neutral · AI labelView post →OPP also expands the meta-line considerably. As of this writing, there are three additional TC games: Anima - a cyberpunk game set between Aberrant and Æon Aether - Jules Verne adventure set in the backdrop of the Martian Invasion Aegis - heroism in the Hellenic golden age
neutral · AI labelView post →
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