1931: Scheherazade at the Library of Pergamum

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 144 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
1931: Scheherazade at the Library of Pergamum Game Cover
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"1931: Scheherazade at the Library of Pergamum" is a steam game where players assume the role of Sadie Keating, an aspiring archaeologist on a quest to save the world from a sinister mastermind and unlock 11 different endings. The game features over 100 hours of gameplay, 50+ story arcs, and the chance to seek romance, friendships, or rivalry with a cast of hundreds. It has been updated with 90+ achievements, UI improvements, and new character art.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 144 reviews
story43 positive mentions
grinding26 negative mentions
  • The game features a rich and engaging storyline with over 50 different storylines and multiple endings, providing high replay value.
  • The main character, Scheherazade, is charming and adventurous, making her journey through the game captivating.
  • The game offers a diverse cast of characters with unique personalities, allowing players to explore various romantic routes and relationships.
  • The user interface and some art designs feel outdated and do not meet modern standards, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • The pacing of certain storylines can be slow, leading to a dragged-out experience that may frustrate players.
  • The stat-raising mechanics can be overly complicated and unbalanced, making it difficult for players to progress without grinding.
  • story152 mentions

    The story of "1931: Scheherazade at the Library of Pergamum" is praised for its intricate and immersive narrative, featuring well-developed characters and multiple branching paths that enhance replayability. While the game excels in storytelling, some players find the gameplay mechanics cumbersome and the pacing slow, with a significant focus on stat management that can detract from the narrative experience. Overall, the rich plot and character interactions make it a compelling choice for fans of story-driven games, despite some criticisms regarding its length and complexity.

    • “The strength of 1931: Scheherazade lies in its intricate storytelling.”
    • “The choices you make throughout the game have consequences, influencing the outcome of the story and allowing for replayability.”
    • “The story is interesting and immersive, and the soundtrack is fine.”
    • “The story and gameplay just didn't hook me.”
    • “But even without the gameplay, the story couldn't carry the game.”
    • “It's hard to focus on what might be a decent (if somewhat scattered) story when the gameplay is such a distracting, frustrating slog.”
  • gameplay65 mentions

    The gameplay of "1931: Scheherazade" is characterized by a mix of complex stat mechanics and immersive storytelling, but it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of clarity in its mechanics, making it frustrating for many players. While some appreciate the depth and challenge it offers, particularly in stat management, others find the gameplay tedious and unbalanced, detracting from the overall experience. Ultimately, the game appeals more to fans of the visual novel genre who prioritize narrative over gameplay mechanics.

    • “Exciting Indiana Jones-style stories, engaging characters, and uniquely challenging gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay I found challenging, but not so challenging I wanted to quit.”
    • “To summarize, Scheherazade is a fun, extremely meaty visual novel game that oozes atmosphere and charm and even manages to incorporate a considerable degree of strategy in the form of stat-management mechanics.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game's shortcomings in pacing extended to its mechanics.”
    • “In the end, the game mechanics are not enjoyable.”
    • “It's hard to focus on what might be a decent (if somewhat scattered) story when the gameplay is such a distracting, frustrating slog.”
  • music37 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to capture the 1930s atmosphere and complement the setting, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of emotional depth. Some players find the soundtrack catchy and enjoyable, enhancing the overall experience, while others feel it detracts from the immersion due to its monotony and occasional mismatched tones. Overall, the music is seen as a significant aspect of the game, though it could benefit from more variety and emotional resonance.

    • “The musical score in 1931: Scheherazade complements the atmosphere and setting perfectly.”
    • “This game has an incredibly beautiful soundtrack, much higher quality than any other visual novel I have ever played.”
    • “The designers gave a lot of attention in capturing the mood of the period, both in the game's writing and its amazing soundtrack.”
    • “The background music is an exercise in monotony, looping the same few bars over and over until I found myself reaching for the mute button just to keep my sanity.”
    • “Overall, the music would benefit from some polishing, and I would have enjoyed some more emotion-filled tunes at some points of the story.”
    • “It seems out of all of the types of music from the 30s they had to choose the most annoying, boring, and repetitive songs.”
  • grinding26 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating due to the repetitive nature of leveling up and stat management. While some appreciate the depth and story, others feel that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging mechanic. Cheats are available to alleviate some of the grind, but the core gameplay still relies heavily on repetitive tasks that can be off-putting for casual gamers.

    • “Even on easy, the leveling up felt like grinding against an unyielding iceberg.”
    • “This is incredibly impractical and becomes extremely tedious to do since this is the core mechanic of the game.”
    • “And the skill system is ridiculous; it adds only mindless grinding to the game, nothing to benefit the story, just something to extend the torture.”
  • graphics26 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding the visual presentation to be lackluster and reminiscent of outdated styles, while others appreciate the polished artwork that aligns well with the 1930s setting. Despite some aesthetic appeal, issues like pixelation and a lack of resolution options detract from the overall experience, leading to a consensus that the visuals could have been significantly improved with more attention to detail. Overall, while the art style has its fans, many feel it falls short of modern standards and could benefit from further refinement.

    • “The visual presentation of 1931: Scheherazade is polished and aesthetically pleasing.”
    • “The artwork felt in harmony with the game's 1930s setting, creating an immersive atmosphere that had the potential to thaw the most frigid gamer.”
    • “An intriguing story which is well crafted with nice stylized graphics.”
    • “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
    • “While the artwork itself might be considered passable, the visual presentation here is negligible; it might as well be a slideshow or a YouTube video.”
    • “I expected to feel visually transported back to the 1930s, but the graphics were often more reminiscent of the early 2000s.”
  • humor22 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, witty dialogue, and charming character interactions, making it both fun and engaging. While some players find the protagonist's antics endearing, others consider her annoying, which may affect their overall enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a delightful mix of humor and adventure, appealing to those looking for lighthearted entertainment.

    • “This part-visual novel, part-stats management game is cute, funny, and well-written.”
    • “The characters hook you in and the protagonist is hilarious, irreverent, and adorable.”
    • “15 seconds in I was chuckling and didn't stop until 3 AM when I made myself go to bed.”
  • replayability11 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players highlighting the impact of choices on story outcomes and the presence of multiple endings and quests. While some note that certain aspects may feel repetitive in consecutive playthroughs, the variety of character development and adventures encourages players to return for new experiences. However, a few reviews mention limited replay value for specific elements, such as romance.

    • “Amazing, clever, intricate, endlessly replayable game.”
    • “It guarantees replayability, making the game fun each and every time.”
    • “There's decent replay value, since you won't be able to do all the quests or achieve all the relationships in a single playthrough (though replays back-to-back get slightly repetitive).”
    • “A third caveat: this has very little replay value, at least if you're interested in the romances.”
    • “The choices you make throughout the game have consequences, influencing the outcome of the story and allowing for replayability.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and originality, featuring beautifully illustrated designs that enhance the distinct personalities of each character. Players appreciate the immersive relationship-building that enriches the narrative, while the unique inspiration system adds layers to character progression and challenge-solving. Overall, the combination of emotive character designs, engaging storytelling, and replayability contributes to a compelling character development experience.

    • “The character designs are beautifully illustrated, bringing each individual to life with distinct personalities and visual flair.”
    • “About the system, it's quite original as it makes you think about how you want to develop the character and what kind of challenges you can overcome, but character development is not everything, as the inspiration system allows you to overcome obstacles that would be impossible otherwise.”
    • “The game chose to immerse itself in extensive character development and relationship-building that transformed the narrative experience into a test of endurance.”
    • “While the system is quite original and encourages you to think about how to develop your character and the challenges you can overcome, character development is not everything, as the inspiration system allows you to overcome obstacles that would be impossible otherwise.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The atmosphere in "1931: Scheherazade" is highly praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by a fitting musical score and artwork that reflects the 1930s setting. Players experience a sense of adventure and exploration, particularly when solving puzzles, while the game's charm and strategic elements further contribute to its captivating ambiance.

    • “The musical score in 1931: Scheherazade complements the atmosphere and setting perfectly.”
    • “The artwork felt in harmony with the game's 1930s setting, creating an immersive atmosphere that had the potential to thaw the most frigid gamer.”
    • “Sometimes the writing might go over your head if you aren't well-versed in history or old religions and their gods, but there's an atmosphere of adventure and exploration that comes with helping the protagonist figure out the puzzle of the mechanical statues that control hidden panels of the tomb.”
    • “To summarize, Scheherazade is a fun, extremely meaty visual novel game that oozes atmosphere and charm and even manages to incorporate a considerable degree of strategy in the form of stat-management mechanics.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is significantly enhanced by its melodic tunes and ambient sounds, which complement the storytelling. However, the absence of voice acting is noted as a missed opportunity that could have further enriched the emotional experience. Overall, the writing is praised for its wit and emotional depth, particularly highlighted in a touching epilogue.

    • “The melodic tunes and ambient sounds enhance the emotional impact of the story, providing a fitting backdrop for the various scenes and dialogues.”
    • “Witty, emotionally engaging, and very well written.”
    • “The epilogue is pretty detailed and, dare I say, touching.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates excellent stability with minimal bugs and smooth performance. However, players have expressed frustration with unclear stat mechanics and the tedious leveling process, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “Bugs and glitches were as rare as a snowflake in summer, and the game ran smoothly, but the lack of clear requirements for stat mechanics and the agonizing grind of leveling up left me, a frost-bitten wanderer, lost in a blizzard of confusion.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for being perceived as a poorly executed cash grab, particularly in titles marketed towards female audiences, leading to frustration among players who expect higher quality and genuine effort in development.

    • “I am tired of games marketed to girls being second-rate, badly coded cash grabs.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, prioritizing profit over player experience.”
    • “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating for players who don't want to spend extra money.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

2hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
2-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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