Myriad Cypher was one of a handful of games created during the McBacon Game Jam and modelled around the theme of deprivation and excess.

Unlike it's fellow games, it takes a different route when it comes to exploring the required themes. Instead of applying the theme to the actual character of the game, it instead uses a trading simulation to show it off - by having different planets be rich or poor in certain resources.

This doesn't mean that the theme doesn't affect the main character in any way, however. The deprivation comes across in relation to the player in the form of your family who were sent ahead of you and to whom you aim to reach - by completing missions in order to open warp gates to new areas.

This theme is touched on lightly in this aspect, with space transmissions from your wife at set points of your progression through the different planets. It's your motivation for playing but is completely missable in the current demo, due to the way the missions are triggered. Indeed, you can miss the whole point of the game quite simply by not checking your mission at the first planet. This is an issue that the creators know of, however, and is currently being considered.


Graphically, the game is simple but sweet. You control a spaceship that can spin in circles (yay!) flying against the backdrop of space. Space looks much the same in any of the various areas you travel through, though each planet is different enough from each other to add some variation. There is also a cool map which can be accessed at any time you are not in a menu, which shows you the ways to get to the different sectors.

Sound is default RTP music, but it fits well for where it is used and there is news of custom music to come in the future.

Gameplay is really the main focus of the game. You fly from planet to planet, interacting via menus and then head back off to space. It's fairly simple and thankfully the game doesn't go for too long, so you don't get sick of your seemingly endless travels (though I imaging skipping the trigger for the story makes this a lot less enjoyable.)

The controls are quite fluid and it's a lot of fun just controlling your little ship as you coast through space. Menus are easy to understand, the map is easily brought up and there is no challenge at all to the game - just a fun cruise through the galaxy, filling missions and trading.

There were a few small glitches, though - mainly when the ship hit a planet, sometimes it would get stuck in the ... gravitational field... and not be able to leave. Cue constant cancelling of the planetary menu as you try to wiggle your way out of the area. It was a little annoying but overall didn't hinder the enjoyment of the game too much.

The lack of combat is also a downside, as I was quite looking forward to firing my lasers and beating the hell out of space pirates.

Overall, I quite enjoyed it though the game was rather sparse and lacking in much to do. It was fun, and thankfully quite short. It would have been nice to have larger maps and maybe some alternate endings depending on what you did, but it was a neat game all told.

Due to the various issues currently in the game and the fact that it's lacking a lot of the planned gameplay, I won't be adding a score but if I were to score what is currently available, I'd give it a 3.