There’s a particular kind of panic that sets in when a cat wanders toward a closed door and someone looks away for just a second too long. Anyone who has owned a mischievous pet knows that feeling of turning back around, half expecting chaos, half hoping everything stayed exactly as it was. Object Impermanence takes that tiny, nagging worry and builds an entire game out of it. This first-person puzzle title runs on one unsettling idea: nothing is real unless someone is looking right at it. Turn away from a platform, an object, or even a path forward, and it might disappear, freeze in place, or snap right back to where it started. Blinking has never felt so dangerous. Indie studio Slugware built this strange little world, and it’s set to arrive in Q4 2026.
The Core Mechanic: Your Eyes Are the Game Engine
The idea behind Object Impermanence is simple to explain but tricky to master. What a player sees is real. What a player doesn’t see, isn’t. That’s it. That’s the whole engine driving every puzzle in the game, and it turns something as basic as looking around a room into a constant balancing act.
Three types of “impermanence” keep things interesting. Kinetic impermanence means objects freeze mid-motion the second they leave view, then pick back up right where they left off once eyes return to them. Physical impermanence works a little differently. Objects that aren’t being watched become intangible, letting the player (or other objects) walk straight through them like they were never there. Then there’s spatial impermanence, where unstable objects snap back to their original spot the moment attention drifts elsewhere.
Keeping track of three different rules could get confusing fast, but Slugware built in a color-coding system to help. Yellow objects pause when unseen. Pink ones reset. Even the environment gives subtle hints, since fences and barriers that look thinner than everything else are usually a sign they’ll let a player pass through when nobody’s looking. It’s a small touch, but it turns the whole world into something worth studying closely.
Puzzle Design: Solving Problems by Not Looking
Picture a train barreling down a track, engine roaring, moments from flattening anything in its path. Now imagine looking away, and that train just… stops. Frozen mid-charge. That’s the kind of puzzle Object Impermanence loves to set up, and it flips the usual survival instinct on its head. Instead of watching danger to avoid it, players have to trust that turning away is sometimes the safest move they can make.
The game doesn’t stop at objects, either. Slugware built in non-Euclidean, dungeon-like spaces that twist and shift in ways that shouldn’t make sense. Combine that with the vision mechanic, and exploring even a single hallway starts to feel unstable, like the ground itself might not be trustworthy.
Most puzzle games ask players to push, pull, or rearrange objects directly. Object Impermanence asks something stranger. It asks players to manage their own attention, treating a simple glance like a tool as important as any lever or key.
The Story: A Planet the Universe Forgot
Underneath all the visual trickery sits a quiet, melancholy little mystery. Players explore a planet that the wider universe has started to forget, one slowly drifting toward complete non-existence. The mission is to figure out why reality here is falling apart, and every puzzle solved feels like peeling back another layer of that mystery. The gameplay and the story lean on each other in a way that feels intentional rather than tacked on, since a world about forgetting fits perfectly with a game about not looking away.
Who’s Making It
Object Impermanence comes from Slugware, a small indie team working under the names @elosociu and @tomjerbo. There’s something charming about a concept this bold coming from such a small crew. It has the feel of a passion project built by people who found one strange idea and decided to chase it as far as it could go.
Why It’s Worth Watching
Vision-as-mechanic isn’t a totally new idea in gaming, but rarely has it been handled this literally. Most games hint at the idea of sight mattering. This one makes it the entire foundation. That alone makes Object Impermanence worth keeping an eye on, pun very much intended.
There’s also a tension running underneath everything, a low, steady hum of anxiety that comes from needing to keep things in view at all times. It’s not horror in the jump-scare sense. It’s quieter than that, more like the feeling of walking through a dark house and hoping nothing moved behind on the way back. A demo build has already made its way around, and early looks suggest the mechanics hold up nicely in actual play, not just in theory.
When Does Object Impermanence Come Out?
Object Impermanence is currently set for a Q4 2026 release. No specific platforms have been confirmed yet, so curious players should keep watching Slugware’s channels for updates, future demos, or a wishlist page as the release window gets closer.
Would knowing that danger freezes the instant it’s out of sight make exploring feel safer, or would it just make every glance feel like a gamble?
F.A.Q.
When does Object Impermanence come out?
Object Impermanence is currently set for a Q4 2026 release. No specific platforms have been confirmed yet, so interested players should keep an eye on Slugware’s channels for updates, future demos, or a wishlist page as the release window approaches.
What type of game is Object Impermanence?
It’s a first-person sci-fi puzzle game built around a single core idea: what a player sees is real, and what they don’t see, isn’t. Exploration and puzzle-solving revolve entirely around managing your own gaze rather than pushing, pulling, or rearranging objects directly.
How does the vision mechanic work in Object Impermanence?
Looking away from something can freeze it in place, make it intangible, or snap it back to its original position. The game breaks this down into three types of impermanence: kinetic (objects pause mid-motion when unseen), physical (unseen objects become intangible and can be walked through), and spatial (unstable objects reset to their starting spot once attention drifts elsewhere).
Does Object Impermanence have a color-coding system?
Yes. Slugware built in visual cues to help players keep track of the different rules, with yellow objects pausing when unseen and pink objects resetting to their original location. Even the environment offers hints, since fences and barriers that appear thinner than surrounding objects usually indicate they’ll allow passage when nobody’s looking.
What is the story of Object Impermanence about?
Players explore a planet that the wider universe has slowly begun to forget, one drifting toward complete non-existence. The goal is uncovering why reality on this planet is falling apart, with each solved puzzle revealing another layer of the mystery. The story and gameplay tie together closely, since a world about forgetting fits neatly with a game about not looking away.
Who is developing Object Impermanence?
Object Impermanence is being made by Slugware, a small indie team working under the names @elosociu and @tomjerbo. It has the feel of a passion project from a small crew that found one bold, strange idea and committed to chasing it fully.
Is Object Impermanence worth playing?
For players interested in original puzzle mechanics, it’s shaping up to be a standout. Vision-as-mechanic has been hinted at in other games before, but rarely has it been made the entire foundation of gameplay like this. A demo build has already circulated, and early impressions suggest the mechanics hold up well in actual play, not just on paper.
LilyJoy is an AI writer on the BFG team — turning our real takes, picks, and opinions about games into words. Edited by the BFG staff.
