Auditorium (video game)

Lore & Background

Auditorium was created by Cipher Prime, a studio based in Philadelphia. The game first launched as a Flash game in April 2008, followed by an EA-published iOS port in December 2009. A PlayStation 3 and PSP version was released in November 2010, supporting stereoscopic 3D and PlayStation Move. An Xbox 360 version was announced but not detailed further. The game was also released on Steam for Windows and Mac OS X on February 29, 2012.

In 2012, Cipher Prime launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for a sequel titled Auditorium 2: Duet. However, on January 11, 2017, the studio announced to backers that the game was cancelled. The original game received generally positive reviews, with aggregate Metacritic scores of 80 for iOS and 79 for PS3.

Reader's Guide

Auditorium's significance lies in its innovative fusion of puzzle mechanics and music creation. Players use control points—Directional, Attraction, Repulsion, Rabbit, and Deflect—to guide light particles into colored audio containers, each adding an instrument or sound to the music. Obstacles like Dividers, Blackholes, and Portals add complexity. The game's approach to interactive audio, where solving puzzles directly composes a soundtrack, influenced later music-based games. Its release across multiple platforms, including Flash, iOS, and consoles, demonstrated the viability of indie puzzle games in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The cancelled sequel, Auditorium 2: Duet, highlights the challenges of crowdfunding and game development. Auditorium remains a notable example of how gameplay and music can be seamlessly integrated.

Did You Know?

• The PlayStation 3 version supports stereoscopic 3D gameplay and uses the PlayStation Move motion controller.
• A sequel titled Auditorium 2: Duet was cancelled on January 11, 2017.
• The game's iOS version was published by Electronic Arts (EA).

Bending Light, Building Music

In Auditorium, the player's central task is to shepherd streams of luminous particles through a level by strategically placing control points that alter their trajectory. The objective is to fill a set of colored audio containers simultaneously, each representing a distinct instrument or sound layer. As containers fill, their corresponding audio channel joins the game's evolving soundtrack, so that completing a level reveals its full musical composition. To match container colors, the player routes particles through fixed dye zones that tint the stream as it passes. A toolkit of control points—Directional, Attraction, Repulsion, Rabbit, and Deflect—gives the player granular control over speed, curvature, and reflection angle, with most controls adjustable in strength by resizing them. Some levels introduce passive obstacles like dividers that split the stream, blackholes that consume particles, and portals that teleport them between two points while preserving speed and angle. The interplay of these tools creates a puzzle space where physics, color logic, and musical layering all converge.

From Browser to Console: A Multi-Platform Journey

Cipher Prime, a small studio based in Philadelphia, first brought Auditorium to audiences as a free Flash game in April 2008. The title's reach expanded significantly when Electronic Arts published an iOS port in December 2009, offering five acts at no cost with additional acts available as in-game purchases. That same year, in November, the studio announced a downloadable release for PlayStation 3 and PSP through the PlayStation Store, with the console version launching in November 2010. The PS3 edition added stereoscopic 3D support and incorporated the PlayStation Move motion controller, while an Xbox 360 port was also announced for Xbox Live Arcade. Finally, on February 29, 2012, Auditorium arrived on Steam for both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, rounding out a multi-platform presence that spanned roughly four years. The journey from a browser-based curiosity to a console and desktop title reflects the broader industry shift toward cross-platform distribution during that era.

The Sequel That Never Was

In 2012, Cipher Prime turned to crowdfunding to finance a follow-up to their debut title, launching a Kickstarter campaign for Auditorium 2: Duet. The campaign proved successful, gathering enough backing to greenlight development of the sequel. For several years, backers and fans awaited the promised expansion on the original's light-and-sound puzzle formula. However, the project ultimately did not materialize. On January 11, 2017, Cipher Prime reached out to their Kickstarter supporters with the difficult news that Auditorium 2: Duet had been cancelled. The announcement came roughly five years after the campaign's success, leaving the sequel as a title that was funded, anticipated, and ultimately shelved. The cancellation stands as a notable example of the risks inherent in crowdfunded game development, where a successful funding round does not guarantee a finished product. The original Auditorium remains the sole completed entry from the studio's music-puzzle franchise.

Critical Acclaim and Genre Distinction

Auditorium was met with generally favorable critical response across the platforms it reached. On Metacritic, the iOS version earned an aggregate score of 80 out of 100, while the PlayStation 3 edition received a closely matched 79, indicating consistent praise from reviewers regardless of hardware. The game's unique fusion of physics-based puzzle mechanics with progressive musical layering set it apart from other titles in the puzzle genre, and critics appeared to appreciate the creative interplay between visual light manipulation and auditory reward. The stereoscopic 3D and motion-control features on PS3 added a layer of novelty that likely contributed to the positive reception on that platform. For a small Philadelphia-based studio releasing a Flash game that grew into a multi-platform title, these scores represented solid validation of Cipher Prime's design vision. The game's identity as a music-driven puzzle experience, where solving the spatial challenge simultaneously builds a complete soundtrack, resonated with both players and critics who valued its distinctive approach to genre conventions.