A Golden Wake

About

The Roaring Twenties: a bygone era of glitz, glamour, and promise. Nowhere is this more apparent than Coral Gables, Florida. The real estate market is booming and even an ordinary guy like Alfie Banks has a chance to strike it rich.But with the mob on his back, the Great Depression on the horizon, and the Sunshine State’s idyllic waterfront only a hurricane away from total devastation, Alfie finds…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 246 reviews

story69 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

A Golden Wake features a unique setting in 1920s Miami, providing a refreshing backdrop for the story.
The game has high-quality voice acting and a charming soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The narrative is engaging, intertwining real historical events and characters, making it interesting for history buffs.

The puzzles are overly simplistic and lack challenge, making the gameplay feel linear and unengaging.
The protagonist, Alfie Banks, is often seen as unlikable and lacks character development throughout the story.
The game is relatively short, with many players feeling it doesn't provide enough content for the price.

story
248 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The story of "A Golden Wake" is a blend of historical narrative and personal journey, focusing on the rise and fall of a real estate agent in 1920s Florida. While some players appreciate its unique setting and engaging voice acting, others find the plot predictable and the pacing slow, with many describing it as a series of fetch quests that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mixed bag, with moments of intrigue overshadowed by a lack of compelling character development and a linear structure that limits player engagement.
- “Overall it felt more like interactive fiction, which isn’t a bad thing at all, as the story was quite interesting to follow, the voice overs were of high quality and the art was pleasant to look at.”
- “A golden wake illustrates a narrative based around historical events through the 1920s-40s and I enjoyed how they incorporated real people into the story.”
- “The story is really well written and the voice acting is superb, so I ended up totally engaged in the adventure, and was really surprised by its twists and turns.”
- “It's just very difficult to understand why they felt this incredibly dull story needed to be told, in the dullest fashion imaginable.”
- “The story is nothing to write about either - just your typical 'rags to riches but then turned bad because greed' that doesn't do anything interesting or new or anything that would make it even at least bit engaging.”
- “Sadly, the story is rather trite and uninteresting, going for the typical cliché-filled storyline which almost anyone will predict long before the game ends.”
music
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
37%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to evoke the 1920s setting, with many reviewers praising its jazzy soundtrack and how it enhances the overall atmosphere. While some noted that certain tracks felt a bit forgettable or not entirely fitting, the majority found the compositions to be superb and well-suited to the game's narrative and aesthetic. Overall, the music, along with strong voice acting, contributes significantly to the game's charm and immersive experience.
- “The music is fantastic!”
- “The atmosphere is great and the soundtrack is comprised of old-timey jazz tunes that really add to the game.”
- “The soundtrack, much like the game’s aesthetics, is another aspect which the game does superbly well in emulating that authentic jazzy feeling of the ‘20s.”
- “The music score is acceptable, if forgettable, played by a MIDI synth.”
- “If 1920s jazz music doesn't do it for you, you should probably pass this one by.”
- “The music commentary is 90% about the artist, not about the game; very few commentary markers talk about the music in this game but rather his childhood or ideals or other games he has done.”
graphics
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel art style that resonates well with fans of classic point-and-click adventures, effectively capturing the atmosphere of the 1920s. While some players appreciate the charming aesthetic and detailed backdrops, others find the graphics to be basic and occasionally lacking in detail, with some technical issues reported. Overall, the visuals are generally considered adequate for the genre, complemented by strong voice acting and a fitting musical score.
- “The art style is just gorgeous, and the music makes you lose yourself in the 1920s setting.”
- “The pixel graphics/art style is really good, pretty detailed and beautiful; a lot of backdrops for the game would make great art.”
- “The graphics and the way dialog is done also reflect the older games.”
- “The graphics are another thing that don't help the game.”
- “The graphics are retro pixel style graphics common to point & click games from the 80's-90's.”
- “But other than that, with a plot that couldn't figure out which way it was going and never really tied together, subpar voice acting, a step back in the way of retro-styled graphics that didn't just feel 'retro-styled' but more like it actually was made years ago (and not in a good way)... I just wasn't a big fan of the game.”
gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The gameplay is characterized as a traditional point-and-click adventure with some interesting mechanics, such as persuasion and varied puzzles, but overall it feels sparse and linear, leading to a sense of dullness and busywork. While some players appreciate the charming visuals and nostalgic elements, many criticize the slow pacing, lack of depth, and repetitive mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Despite a few innovative ideas, the gameplay often fails to engage, leaving players wanting more complexity and excitement.
- “The puzzles are challenging enough to keep interest but not so bewildering as to restrict the flow of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is fairly straightforward, but in an enjoyable way so that the difficulty of puzzles doesn't impede the charm of the narrative itself.”
- “The seller's intuition mechanic makes for an interesting challenge as you try to persuade people.”
- “Gameplay-wise it’s pretty bare-bones, though.”
- “By the end, the gameplay feels like dull busywork rather than genuine problem-solving.”
- “Sadly, more seasoned adventure fans looking for a new challenge will not find it here, and are instead likely to be frustrated by the patchy attempts at diversifying the gameplay.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
17%
12%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic homage to classic 80s and 90s adventure games, effectively capturing the essence of the 1920s and 30s through its art, music, and voice acting. While some graphics may not be perfect, the overall presentation, including a suggestive musical score and engaging dialogues, creates a compelling and immersive experience that enhances the storytelling. Many reviewers highlight that the atmosphere is the standout feature, often overshadowing the puzzles themselves.
- “The atmosphere of the 1920-30s is perfectly rendered.”
- “The art and music and atmosphere are fantastic.”
- “The atmosphere is great and the soundtrack is comprised of old-timey jazz tunes that really add to the game.”
- “Where the game really shines is in its story and atmosphere.”
- “There are also a lot of background objects to interact with, which, even though they don't serve any purpose in solving puzzles, really add to the atmosphere of the game.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game offers a mix of replayability through innovative dialogue options and challenging achievements, appealing to players who enjoy exploration and agency. However, some users feel it lacks significant replay value, suggesting a varied experience depending on individual play styles. Overall, it has been noted to possess substantial replayability for those who engage with its features.
- “The game allows you to simply play like a point-and-click adventure game if you want, but includes enough innovative dialogue options to give a sense of replayability and agency throughout.”
- “With a few challenging achievements and detailed developer commentary, it offers substantial replayability as well.”
- “No replay value.”
- “Definitely has replay value!”
- “Replay value!”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is praised for its excellent pacing and depth, with even minor NPCs receiving significant attention, contributing to a rich narrative experience. However, some players felt that the development was slow to progress, only gaining momentum towards the end, which left them disappointed overall.
- “Excellent pacing, voice acting, art (character and background both), plot, dialogues, and character development of even minor NPCs.”
- “I must add that the character development was a key aspect of this game; it is very successful.”
- “Based on real people... probably the only cool aspect of this point-and-click game... I really was disappointed after playing this because I played through all of the Blackwell series and was looking forward to another adventure game by Wadjet... it just lacked in the plot, gameplay, as well as character development.”
- “It was only about 3/4 through the game where it feels like the character development was really kicking in, but the game soon ends.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find the story lacking and the scripts uninspired, others are deeply moved by the protagonist's journey, describing it as both fun and heartbreaking, with one player noting that the ending brought them to tears. Additionally, the connection to the indie gaming community through developer commentary adds a personal touch that enhances the emotional experience for fans.
- “From pushover salesman to tycoon to mobster, he lived a life that was equal parts fun and heartbreaking.”
- “This is probably one of my all-time favorite point-and-click games, mostly because the ending made me cry my eyes out.”
- “Fellow Wadjet Eye fans will recognize voices (I always like picking out Dave Gilbert), and the developer commentary mode once again made me feel like I know the New York indie adventure gaming community.”
- “The story felt dull and uninspired, with scripts that lacked depth.”
- “I didn't feel any emotional connection to the characters or their struggles.”
- “The narrative failed to evoke any real feelings; it was just flat and unengaging.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for frequent crashes, particularly when using features like alt-tabbing and the Steam overlay, which can degrade performance over time. Despite these technical issues, players found the gameplay engaging, especially due to the strong performances of the voice actors, particularly one standout actor.
- “Somehow the game made doing a series of favor chains and real estate minigames fun and interesting, likely through the entertaining performances each actor gives.”
- “Then the voice acting can also be hit-and-miss in places, although full credit has to be given to Alfie's voice actor who singlehandedly put on a stellar performance; he simply overshadowed everyone else.”
- “There were multiple occasions where the game crashed, especially if I alt-tabbed, and using the Steam overlay to talk to friends seemed to reduce performance over time as well.”
- “The optimization is so poor that even on high-end hardware, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
- “I experienced significant lag and stuttering during gameplay, which made it nearly unplayable at times.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highly praised, with players finding the commentary, particularly from characters like Strong Bad, to be hilarious and engaging. Many appreciate the comedic moments, such as unexpected scenarios that lead to laughter, and feel that the humor enhances the overall experience compared to other titles.
- “The commentary is awesome and funny, especially the Strong Bad and 'suck a bag o... ahem, well you'll see.'”
- “Had me laughing hysterically when I inadvertently had Jeremiah Miller knocked out by an old drunk.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Overall, users report minor stability issues, such as occasional bugs and dialogue stutters, but these glitches are infrequent and not considered game-breaking.
- “There are some bugs in the game, like when Alfie Banks sits down, he doesn't sit in a chair; he just sits on nothing, like he’s doing a pantomime. Some dialogue can stutter as well, but honestly, those glitches were few and far between and they're not really game-breaking.”
- “The game suffers from stability issues, with frequent crashes that disrupt the experience and force me to restart my progress.”
- “I encountered several instances where the game froze during key moments, making it frustrating to continue without losing my progress.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find that the grinding aspect often leads to tedious or poorly designed mechanics and puzzles, diminishing the overall excitement of the gameplay experience.
- “The mechanics and puzzles become more tedious and poorly designed, rather than exciting.”
- “Grinding feels like a never-ending chore, draining the fun out of the game.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged with the storyline.”