Cell to Singularity: Beyond review - "Staring into space has never been this rewarding"

Sometimes, all it takes is to look up for us to discover a refreshing perspective in life, and in Cell to Singularity: Beyond, looking up and past the stars in the sky is indeed as refreshing as can be. The idle clicker game from indie developer and publisher Computer Lunch takes all the complexities of the entire galaxy and simplifies its growth into a single click, making you, the player, the ultimate architect of the whole universe.

• Cell to Singularity: Beyond gameplay
• Cell to Singularity: Beyond graphics
• Cell to Singularity: Beyond verdict

Cell to Singularity: Beyond gameplay

As you start the game gazing into the vast nothingness of space, you'll need to click away to collect stardust, accumulating enough until you can create various celestial bodies. Everything you unlock comes with a tiny snippet of educational info to refresh your basic scientific knowledge, which, in itself, is already an absolute delight. Reading through the info for each planet made me feel like I'm back in school again, wide-eyed and curious, piecing together the solar system one Styrofoam ball at a time.

Typical of the genre, Cell to Singularity: Beyond offers an extremely satisfying experience when it comes to the therapeutic nature of idle clickers. Considering I've been nursing tennis elbows from playing too many games, I'm actually not supposed to click or type too much because the repetitive movements can aggravate the condition. But with this game, I was still able to enjoy the full experience even without the incessant clicking.

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This is mainly thanks to the game's super chill music, and its screensaver-esque nature where you can simply marvel at what's happening on screen without the need to do anything. The game rewards you for not paying attention, but it also does the same when you do. For example, clicking on a gold asteroid that zips by the screen every now and then yields tons of stardust in an instant, so it certainly made up for my lack of non-stop clicking.

Graphics of Cell to Singularity: Beyond

The game's graphics are really nothing to write home about, but they do the job extremely well - the 3D simulations of the celestial bodies are majestic and the bursts of colour breathtaking enough to make each new discovery immensely satisfying. New findings from solar flares to dwarf stars all provide a feeling of exhilaration, even if it's just from the thrill of the discovery.

When the elation from a new find dies down, you'll see that each new celestial body will have its own function in your simulation of the universe. For instance, certain "cards" help automate each planet, while others increase the payout of stardust.

Building your universe is a slow and painstaking process, but it never feels cumbersome here as you move from the inner solar system, past the asteroid belt, and beyond. Plus, the sound effects and background music have an almost meditative vibe to them, keeping in sync with the visuals and adding to the low-key and Zen-like feel of the game.

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What's the appeal?

Cell to Singularity: Beyond was a pleasant surprise for me, simply because I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. This being an idle clicker, there's not too much depth here when it comes to gameplay mechanics or narrative, but its progression system is still incredibly well-thought-out.

In particular, you can't fast-forward the growth of your galaxy simply by buying your way through evolution. Gems you purchase to support the free-to-play game can only get you so far - it can multiply payout a certain number of times to speed up your process just a teeny tiny bit. But even with a bunch of gems at your disposal, you'll still have to wait - or click - to get enough stardust to unlock new bodies.

You'll also need to collect enough dark matter to rank up certain cards, which you can receive as rewards when clearing objectives or when finishing Astronomy Missions in the sidebar. Plus, there's this cool Constellations feature where you can gain some nifty boosts for your tiny universe, not to mention learn a thing or two about those glorious specks of shimmering lights in the sky.

Cell to Singularity: Beyond is a refreshing change of pace from the numerous mobile titles out in the market today. Its relaxing nature and educational features add to the game's overall appeal; plus, it actually rewards you even if you're just literally staring into space.