3 Minutes to Midnight - A Comedy Graphic Adventure
- August 22, 2024
- Scarecrow Studio
- 20h median play time
Get on SteamIn "3 Minutes to Midnight," play as Betty Anderson and Eliza Barret to unravel the mystery of a town where danger lurks around every corner. Encounter quirky characters, from a power-hungry mayor to a vengeful potbelly pig, as you uncover a doomsday plot. This classic point-and-click adventure game features HD cartoon art and humorous dialogue.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features excellent art and animation, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures, with a vibrant and engaging visual style.
- The dialogue is witty and humorous, with many clever references to classic games and pop culture, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- The puzzles are well-designed with multiple solutions, allowing for creative problem-solving and enhancing replayability.
- The game suffers from excessive and lengthy dialogue that can feel tedious and detracts from the overall pacing, especially in the later chapters.
- Some players found the humor to be hit-or-miss, with certain jokes falling flat and feeling forced, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- There are instances of unskippable dialogue and cutscenes, which can be frustrating, particularly when players are trying to progress through the game.
- humor86 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the witty and sarcastic dialogue, creative puzzles, and absurd scenarios that evoke classic point-and-click adventures. However, some found the humor inconsistent, with lengthy and irrelevant conversations detracting from the overall experience, leading to moments where jokes fell flat or felt forced. Overall, while the game has its share of genuinely funny moments and clever writing, its reliance on filler content and subjective humor may not resonate with all players.
“The humor is just the right mix of absurd and light-hearted.”
“It's packed with witty, tongue-in-cheek moments that kept me smiling and chuckling all the way through.”
“The dialogue is sharp, filled with witty banter and the kind of humor that made games like The Secret of Monkey Island timeless.”
“Your enjoyment of this title will depend greatly on your tolerance for jokes that are really overdone and just fall flat, along with way too much pointless, unfunny, unskippable dialogue.”
“The constant (and mostly unfunny) wisecracking in almost every other line of dialogue is exhausting. Believe me, the jokes are terrible - and not in an 'amusingly terrible' way; they are just unfunny, and they keep on coming.”
- story70 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players praising its engaging narrative, memorable characters, and humor reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures. However, some critiques highlight issues with linearity, predictability, and a lack of coherence in later chapters, suggesting that the plot may feel overstuffed or nonsensical at times. Overall, while the story captivates and entertains, it also leaves room for improvement in structure and depth.
“This game not only carries the best features of its predecessors but also adds an engaging story, memorable characters, great humor, and well-animated cutscenes with action sequences.”
“The story is rich, original, and surprisingly good, keeping you hooked from beginning to end.”
“The mix of deep storytelling, humorous dialogues, and interesting characters makes it stand out.”
“I completed the ending with a feeling that I must have missed some major narrative shifts or plot points.”
“The story is completely nonsensical and not in a good way.”
“The depth of story, character development, puzzles, and humor simply isn't there.”
- graphics37 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, vibrant art style, and attention to detail, reminiscent of classic adventure games. Players appreciate the charming hand-drawn aesthetics, excellent character designs, and the overall quality of the animations, which enhance the immersive experience. Coupled with top-notch voice acting and a fitting soundtrack, the graphics significantly contribute to the game's appeal, making it a standout in the genre.
“While pixel art isn’t bad, it has become a standard in the genre, so it’s a treat to get such beautiful visuals for a change.”
“The graphics are excellent, and the story is pretty good as well.”
“If you want the best of this game, go to their website and download the media release artwork, and imagine the rest for yourself.”
“It's a point-and-click graphic adventure, but that's where the similarities end.”
“The hand-drawn art style is vibrant and packed with detail, reminiscent of the richly animated worlds of LucasArts games.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of classic point-and-click mechanics with engaging puzzles and a strong narrative, though some players feel the pacing is hindered by excessive dialogue that detracts from the overall experience. While the initial humor and complexity of item use are praised, the quality of writing and voice acting varies, impacting immersion. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience with over 20 hours of content and multiple endings, appealing to fans of the genre despite some pacing issues.
“In terms of gameplay, the use of items is more complex compared to other games of this type.”
“However, this is a small complaint, as the gameplay itself is delightful.”
“The gameplay is smooth and engaging, the visuals are stunning, and the story had me hooked from start to finish.”
“The first chapters were mainly positive because of the witty and sarcastic dialogues, but after a while the dialogues start to be less humorous and seem to be added to increase playing time, instead of adding gameplay interactions.”
“3 minutes to midnight is easily one of the worst point and clicks I've ever played, not necessarily because of the gameplay itself (which is surprisingly well-planned) but because of the absolutely godawful pacing and writing.”
“During the last hour of gameplay, I found one simple task; all the rest is just dialogue.”
- music17 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in these games is widely praised for its quality and variety, with many reviewers noting that it enhances the overall experience and complements the quirky characters and engaging plots. While some find certain tracks forgettable, the majority agree that the soundtracks are memorable and effectively capture the mood of the game. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the polished and enjoyable nature of the games.
“The voice acting and music are excellent.”
“The sound design is equally impressive, with a soundtrack that captures the mood of each scene perfectly and voice acting that brings the quirky cast to life.”
“Voice acting is decent enough, although the music is relatively forgettable.”
“One of the other countermeasures is the music, which really doesn't get old.”
“Everything feels polished—the script, the backgrounds, the voice acting, the music...”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to limited interactions and time constraints that make solving puzzles feel like a chore. Many reviewers noted that the experience becomes increasingly laborious, leading some to rely on guides or abandon the game altogether, especially when faced with unskippable cut scenes during critical moments. Overall, while the game shows potential, the grinding elements detract significantly from the enjoyment.
“By the end of chapter 4, I was just using the guide to get it over with, and still, it was tedious enough that I stopped playing.”
“Worst of all, the very last puzzles have unskippable cut scenes that, when combined with a limited time window to try solutions, rapidly become extremely tedious and then outright infuriating.”
“It's clearly a labor of love from a very small team, but that doesn't prevent it from being a tedious slog of by-the-numbers adventuring.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game "3 Minutes to Midnight" boasts high replayability due to its multiple pathways, diverse character perspectives, and various puzzle-solving approaches that lead to different outcomes. Players can enjoy a rich narrative filled with humor, drama, and romance, alongside numerous easter eggs and semi-hidden scenes, making each playthrough a unique experience. Overall, the game's depth and dynamic storytelling encourage players to return for multiple sessions.
“3 Minutes to Midnight is an ambitious point & click game with real replayability, endearing characters (you'll love to torment), excellent voice acting, great dialogues, many easter eggs, a lot of semi-hidden scenes, pathways not taken, drama with high stakes and higher personal stakes, comedy (which can be mean/dark if you want it), romance (if you want it or want to help it), a dynamic mother-daughter pair story, two playable characters with their own view on the world, and some fourth wall breaking - if you insist.”
“I was about 8-9 hours in when I learned one of the crowning achievements of this game: replay value.”
“A lot of the puzzles can be solved in more than one way, which results in different outcomes and adds to the replay value.”
“This makes the game replayable, which is refreshing.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its brilliance and immersive quality, with many noting its clever references and strong character integration. Influences from previous titles, such as Thimbleweed Park, contribute to a unique and captivating environment that draws players into its peculiar world.
“The atmosphere, characters, and clever references are all done brilliantly.”
“Great atmosphere, I'm totally immersed in this weird world.”
“They fit perfectly with the atmosphere and the characters.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some players report smooth performance and no bugs, others experience significant performance issues, including long pauses between dialogue. The standout voice acting, particularly from Maayan Voss de Bettancourt, adds character to the experience, but technical hiccups detract from the overall enjoyment for some users.
“Runs smoothly with no fiddling on the Steam Deck.”
“Lots of performance issues, long and consistent pauses between dialogue which makes it appear as if the game has locked up.”
“Performance issues aside, not a single bug encountered during my 24-hour playtime.”
“Every performance of each talent is hilarious and full of character from start to finish.”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
"3 Minutes to Midnight" features charming character design and a captivating narrative, effectively balancing character development with world-building. However, some reviews note a lack of depth in story and character development, suggesting that while the voice acting and design are strong, the overall character growth may not be as robust as expected.
“A classic point-and-click adventure with all the good (and bad) elements of the genre, 3 Minutes to Midnight excels in its charming character design and captivating sci-fi mystery narrative.”
“Great balance of character development and world building.”
“Good voice acting is married to strong character design, and the environments are a delight to poke around in.”
“The depth of story and character development is severely lacking.”
“Character development feels shallow and uninspired.”
“There is a noticeable absence of meaningful character growth throughout the game.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on the Steam Deck with impressive battery life and effective controller support.
“Runs great on the Steam Deck with long battery life and excellent controller support.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a very stable gameplay experience.”
