Traverser

About

Traverser is a 2D adventure game set in a fractured underground city where class divides are as sharp as the corporate grip on survival. You play Valerie Bennett, a rookie peacekeeper navigating the Upper and Lower districts of Brimstone. The game blends platforming with environmental puzzles that require shifting between the city’s layers to progress. Hand-drawn visuals give the world a stark, gritty texture, matching its tale of exploitation and resistance. The story unfolds through sparse dialogue and environmental storytelling, letting the decay of Brimstone speak for itself. Players piece together Raven Corp’s abuses by exploring restricted areas and solving mechanics tied to the city’s infrastructure. While puzzle variety dips in the middle act, the final third ramps up tension with revelations about the sun’s death and humanity’s bleak future. A 7.5-hour campaign with optional collectibles and a 78% Metacritic score from 2015 suggests it’s a solid but uneven entry in the indie adventure genre.

Storyline

The sun has died, forcing mankind to retreat towards what little heat remains beneath the planet's surface. Humanity's last bastion, Brimstone, is a city literally divided into upper and lower classes, both controlled by the all-powerful Raven Corporation. Raven Corp also controls the city's breathable air, with the wealthy Upper City getting far more than its fair share… Young Valerie Bennett has just passed the test to become a Traverser; a new kind of peacekeeper with the ability to travel between the Upper and Lower cities of Brimstone. Join her on a mission to reveal Raven Corp's sinister secrets, uncover years of lies and propaganda, and discover the most dangerous thing in all of Brimstone: the truth.