The Entropy Centre

published 2025-12-31 | tags: #backlog #games

I have mixed feelings about Entropy Centre.

On the one hand it does scratch the "Portal" itch very well, copying and then building on top of the Portal series with test chambers, cubes, and a gun that doesn't shoot bullets.

Buuuuut puzzles do not have The Sauce. They aren't atrocious but they're not nearly as fulfilling as I would have liked, oscillating between too easy and "wtf?". Puzzle design is difficult and while these are passable and get the job done demonstrating the mechanics, it's certainly not on par with my memory of first playing Portal/Portal 2.

The game uses the tropes and design of Portal to get the player up to speed quickly on some interesting puzzle mechanics, but does not in my opinion live up to Portal in most ways. The writing, the physics, the mechanics, the secrets -- the polish and execution is solid but not Valve-level.

All that said it is very impressive that this was largely written, designed, and implemented by one person (Daniel Stubbington)!

If you're looking for Portal 3, this isn't it, but it's a good placeholder.