A Golden Wake

About

A Golden Wake is a single player action game with fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by Grundislav Games and was released on October 9, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

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…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 264 reviews

story70 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a unique setting in 1920s Florida, providing a refreshing backdrop for the story.
The voice acting and music are well-executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
The historical context and character development, particularly of Alfie Banks, add depth to the narrative.

The puzzles are overly simplistic and lack challenge, making the gameplay feel linear and unengaging.
The story can feel disjointed and lacks a compelling arc, leading to an unsatisfying conclusion.
The game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more substance and depth.

story
252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The story of "A Golden Wake" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its historical context and character development, while others find it dull and lacking in engagement. Set in the 1920s, it follows the rise and fall of a real estate agent, incorporating real-life events and figures, but many reviews criticize its linearity and reliance on fetch quests, which detracts from the narrative's potential. Overall, while the game has moments of intrigue and solid voice acting, its execution leaves some players wanting more depth and excitement.
- “I had a great time, and this game reminds me why I love curated, relatively short experiences that give you a good story and solid gameplay.”
- “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.”
- “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 rather trite and uninteresting, going for the typical cliché-filled storyline which almost anyone will predict long before the game ends.”
- “It's just very difficult to understand why they felt this incredibly dull story needed to be told, in the dullest fashion imaginable.”
- “The character is rather flat and doesn't develop; the storyline isn't compelling.”
music
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
39%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its authenticity and ability to immerse players in the 1920s setting, with many noting the jazzy soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall atmosphere. While some reviews mention that certain tracks may feel a bit forgettable or not perfectly aligned with the scenery, the majority agree that the music is well-composed and complements the game's narrative and art style effectively. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant highlight, contributing to the game's charm and emotional depth.
- “From the art deco façades to the jazzy, era-appropriate soundtrack, the atmosphere feels lovingly researched, imbuing every screen with a sense of place.”
- “The music is fantastic! It perfectly captures the essence of the 1920s and enhances the overall experience of the game.”
- “The carefully created backgrounds, the jazzy soundtrack, and the writing together do a bang-up job of creating a feeling of nostalgia for a place in history long gone.”
- “The music score is acceptable, if forgettable, played by a midi synth.”
- “While the game starts out nicely with the usual Wadjet Eye games quality of voice acting and music, it soon turns out to be a non-story non-game.”
- “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
68 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 criticize the low resolution and occasional lack of detail in backgrounds. Overall, the visuals are seen as adequate for the genre, complemented by strong voice acting and a fitting musical score, though technical issues like glitches have been noted.
- “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 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
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The gameplay of "A Golden Wake" is a traditional point-and-click adventure that combines classic mechanics with a unique historical setting, but it often feels linear and slow-paced. While some puzzles and the persuasion mechanics offer interesting challenges, many players find the gameplay tedious and lacking in depth, with a reliance on basic fetch quests and trial-and-error solutions. Overall, the game provides a charming experience but may disappoint seasoned adventure fans seeking more complexity and engagement.
- “A Golden Wake is an ambitious point-and-click adventure by Grundislav Games that attempts to blend classic LucasArts-style mechanics with an underexplored historical backdrop - the 1920s Florida land boom.”
- “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.”
- “By the end, the gameplay feels like dull busywork rather than genuine problem-solving.”
- “To top it off, everything related to the actual gameplay is unbearably slow as well.”
- “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
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
15%
15%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive recreation of the 1920-30s, enhanced by a well-researched art style, a fitting jazzy soundtrack, and engaging voice acting. While some critiques mention flat writing and character development, the overall ambiance and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic adventure games are highlighted as the game's strongest aspects. The combination of pixelated graphics and suggestive music effectively conveys a rich sense of place, making the atmosphere a standout feature.
- “From the art deco façades to the jazzy, era-appropriate soundtrack, the atmosphere feels lovingly researched, imbuing every screen with a sense of place.”
- “The atmosphere of the 1920-30s is perfectly rendered.”
- “The atmosphere is great and the soundtrack is comprised of old-timey jazz tunes that really add to the game.”
- “Presentation relies on a suggestive musical score and nicely stylized graphics that effortlessly convey the atmosphere of the 20s.”
- “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.”
- “Where the game really shines is in its story and atmosphere.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the heartfelt journey and impactful endings that evoke strong feelings, others find the voice acting and script lacking in emotional depth. Standout performances exist, but overall, the narrative struggles to consistently deliver the emotional weight expected from its themes.
- “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 is boring, and the scripts are not very good.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters feels lacking and unconvincing.”
- “I didn't feel any connection to the characters or their struggles.”
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!”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game's optimization is inconsistent, with reports of crashes, particularly when using features like alt-tabbing or the Steam overlay, which negatively impact performance. While the voice acting is generally serviceable, it varies in quality, with some standout performances overshadowing others, contributing to an uneven emotional experience.
- “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.”
- “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 lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I experienced significant lag in certain areas of the game, which made it frustrating to progress.”
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 successful overall experience. However, some players felt that the development was slow to progress, only gaining momentum towards the end, which left them disappointed, especially compared to previous titles in the series.
- “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.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report minor stability issues in the game, 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 are few and far between and they're not really game-breaking.”
- “The game suffers from stability issues, with frequent crashes and long loading times that disrupt the overall experience.”
- “I encountered several glitches that affected gameplay, including characters getting stuck in the environment and quests not progressing properly.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highly praised, particularly for its witty commentary and memorable moments, such as the amusing interactions with characters like Strong Bad. Players find themselves laughing out loud at unexpected scenarios, like a character being knocked out by a drunken NPC, which adds to the overall enjoyment of the experience.
- “The commentary is awesome and funny, especially the Strong Bad and... well, you'll see.”
- “Had me laughing hysterically when I inadvertently had Jeremiah Miller knocked out by an old drunk.”
- “The humor is top-notch, with clever writing and hilarious situations that keep you entertained throughout.”