Publisher(s): First Break Labs
Platform(s): PC (Steam), Steam Deck, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5
Release Date: Q3 2025
Particle Hearts is objectively a fun game, even though I know I am not the target audience for it. Developed by a four-person team out of Los Angeles, Particle Hearts is an atmospheric adventure game where you solve puzzles with Metroidvania-esque gameplay elements in a world comprised entirely of particles.
The graphics are quite lovely, and my mind constantly went “how can all this be rendered at once?!” Everything, from the plants to the animals to the world around you and even yourself is comprised of particles that ebb and flow as you go around. It’s something I’ve never quite seen before, and I found myself just standing around after the opening cutscene ended and I was given control of Particle Hearts because the cinematics and the gameplay fit that seamlessly together. I will also say that even though this was a demo, I was impressed at how absolutely SMOOTHLY Particle Hearts ran on Steam Deck, and it felt like a natural home for this indie title.
In the opening parts of the demo I played on Steam Deck, I had to go around and locate different wind chimes throughout the sprawling environment. When I would get semi-somewhat-kinda close to where one was, I could hear it softly chiming through the spatial audio. You’re going to want to make sure you have your headphones on -or at least the sound up- for this game, because I was fully reliant upon changing my direction to wherever the audio was coming from in order to find the wind chimes. I found myself just wondering around the field without aim until the audio cues would pick up. I am not the type of gamer who enjoys just wondering aimlessly on end, and hoping to eventually find the relevant audio cues needed to continue the gameplay, but I know there are others who will absolutely adore it. I also wish the character moved a bit faster. I found myself constantly spamming the dash move to get around, when I wish my avatar was going faster than it was.
Most of the way through the demo, the PR person guided me (at my request) to a puzzle area so I could explore how that aspect of Particle Hearts works. There are platforming segments, and the gameplay mechanics for jumping worked actually quite well. I was displeased, however, with solving some of the puzzles themselves. I knew I needed to do something in order to move forward, but I could not figure out what to do. I ended up asking for help, and I was told to look at the purple bridge- which was not really distinguished in a sea of OTHER purple particles- with my character in order to have it move into place. Other puzzles were much more intuitive than that, thankfully.
Ultimately, I had to cut the demo on the Steam Deck a bit short because I had to move onto another demo before my session time was up. I do think that Particle Hearts is a bit rough around the edges still, but that’s why it is still in development! There is so much to enjoy- particularly the graphics built up of particles- and I am excited to see how this game ultimately turns out, even if it might not be quite for me.
What kind of exploration do you want to do in Particle Hearts?
Are you excited for this title coming from First Break Labs?
Let us know in the comments below!
