A Guidebook of Babel

About

"A Guidebook of Babel" is a story-adventure game where players embark on a rebirth journey on the mysterious spaceship Babel. Using a Memory Extractor, your memories are erased before launching you into the afterlife with a cloud cannon. The game features four chapters of time-travel, puzzle-solving, and subtle manipulation of history to change the future of Babel. Explore various locations, meet eccentric characters, and uncover the secrets of this intriguing world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews

story39 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging story that explores themes of life, death, and the afterlife, with quirky and memorable characters.
The puzzles are creatively designed, utilizing a time manipulation mechanic that allows players to rewrite events, making for an interesting gameplay experience.
The art style and music are charming, contributing to an overall enjoyable atmosphere that enhances the storytelling.

The game can feel tedious and slow-paced, with some players finding the hand-holding in puzzle-solving frustrating and the tutorial overly lengthy.
Localization issues are prevalent, with awkward translations and unclear dialogue that can detract from the overall experience.
Some puzzles may be too obscure or illogical, leading to confusion and requiring players to rely on guides to progress.

story
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
3%
The story of "A Guidebook of Babel" is a heartfelt and engaging narrative that explores themes of life, death, and the complexities of human emotions, often blending humor with poignant moments. While some players found the character reactions and plot conventions frustrating, many appreciated the unique mechanics of altering timelines to solve puzzles, which added depth to the storytelling. Overall, the game is praised for its charming characters, emotional depth, and the ability to evoke strong feelings, making it a standout in the puzzle-adventure genre.
- “A guidebook of Babel is a story-rich puzzle game where you follow several characters on their journeys aboard a ship after their deaths.”
- “The game's narrative is expertly woven, with a main storyline that's both engaging and emotional.”
- “The story flows nicely, it doesn't overstay its welcome and the ending has me tear up a bit.”
- “Although the story touches briefly on some deep topics about death, don't expect anything too profound.”
- “The story takes kind of a while before you start feeling like you have any idea what is happening.”
- “The monotonous music or gameplay just made me feel tired, and the story just didn’t grip mostly because I was seeing things twice or three times.”
gameplay
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
6%
The gameplay of "A Guidebook of Babel" is characterized by its unique time manipulation mechanics and engaging puzzle-solving elements, which are enhanced by a helpful notebook feature that aids players in organizing their thoughts. While some players found the puzzles either too easy or poorly communicated, the charming characters, art style, and music contribute to an overall enjoyable experience. Despite some criticisms regarding clarity and pacing, the game offers a quirky narrative and a satisfying blend of light puzzles and storytelling that appeals to a wide range of players.
- “I was very surprised by this game; it has a very specific charm and very functional time-traveling mechanics that make it really stand out from other games in the genre.”
- “The gameplay is a really neat take on time loops, and how everything interweaves with each other was wonderful.”
- “The heart of 'A Guidebook of Babel' lies in its ingenious gameplay mechanics, which infuse traditional word adventure elements with modern sensibilities.”
- “This is still a cautious recommendation though, as the actual gameplay is made up of puzzles that were either too easy or too random to find fun.”
- “I used a walkthrough for most of this game, as so many solutions felt poorly communicated and I was getting frustrated trying to figure out what mechanic to use when.”
- “The developers failed one of the most basic, fundamental requirements of game design: 'show, don't tell.' You'll spend a huge amount of time not playing the game, but clicking through endless lines of poorly written visual novel text cutscenes because the developers couldn't work out how to relate their narrative through the game mechanics.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The game's graphics have received mixed reviews, with many praising its charming and unique art style that complements the quirky narrative and emotional depth. However, some players criticize the simplistic 2D visuals as lacking in quality and sophistication, falling short of contemporary gaming standards. Overall, while the art style is appealing to some, it may not satisfy those seeking more immersive or photorealistic graphics.
- “This game's art style is what sticks out most to me.”
- “A journey that is a mix of time and space travel, afterlife exploration, touching stories of intertwined human destinies, darker, subtle references to real historical events and political factions, script writing and butterfly effect wrapped in cheery, surrealistic cartoon graphics and quirky unique backgrounds.”
- “The artwork, albeit simple, is really pleasing to the eye and conveys enough emotions to give the story a quirky and funny side while also having an extremely interesting story that can take a very serious turn once you've delved deep enough into the characters' lore.”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to arrange someone who can create graphical assets properly, or a lack of talent.”
- “Regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is very low, beneath what PC gamers have come to expect in this era of cutting-edge photorealistic 3D graphics.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt storytelling, which blends humor with touching moments, particularly in the impactful ending. Players appreciate the unique narrative that intertwines themes of time travel and human destinies, often evoking strong feelings and even tears. While some found the pacing and gameplay monotonous, the overall consensus is that the emotional depth and engaging plot make it a memorable experience.
- “The story was surprisingly heartfelt, which was a pleasant surprise.”
- “The storyline made me cry with the ending, which was so heartbreaking and so emotional.”
- “The game's narrative is expertly woven, with a main storyline that's both engaging and emotional.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its lively and whimsical quality, enhancing the overall experience with a fun and engaging soundtrack that complements the charming art and characters. While most reviews highlight the music as a standout feature that contributes positively to the gameplay, a few critiques mention instances of monotony that detract from the experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, perfectly capturing the game's atmosphere and adding to its appeal.
- “You find the varied, lively soundtrack to be a great accompaniment to this extravaganza.”
- “The soundtrack is equally impressive, perfectly capturing the game's whimsical and mysterious atmosphere.”
- “Fun story, fun puzzles, an insanely fun soundtrack, there's a lot to like here.”
- “The monotonous music and gameplay made me feel tired, and the story didn't grip me, mostly because I was seeing things two or three times.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “The music feels out of place and doesn't enhance the overall experience; it often distracts rather than immerses.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, described as adorable, sweet, and occasionally touching, with a unique blend of clever writing and quirky storytelling that elicits genuine laughter. However, some players found the execution a bit clunky, suggesting that improved writing could enhance the comedic impact and character motivations. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with deeper emotional themes, leaving players with a warm feeling despite some tedious gameplay elements.
- “Overall a very adorable, sweet, funny, and enjoyable game.”
- “The story is most of the time sweet and funny, but also touching sometimes, especially the end.”
- “The game's unique mechanics and clever writing will have you thinking outside the box and laughing out loud.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and a slog, detracting from the otherwise appealing art style and humor. While some backtracking for time-travel events is mentioned, it does not alleviate the overall sense of monotony.
- “I really wanted to like this; the art style and focus on some humor sounded good, but it's just so tedious.”
- “Such a tedious slog!”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development in babel is positively highlighted through its charming art style and character design, although the gameplay itself may not match the complexity or immersion found in other puzzle narratives.
- “The character development in this game is truly remarkable, with each character feeling unique and their growth throughout the story being both believable and engaging.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by how deeply the characters were fleshed out; their backstories and motivations added layers to the gameplay that made me care about their journeys.”
- “The way the characters evolve based on player choices creates a dynamic experience that makes each playthrough feel fresh and personal.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its short length and minimal replay value, but it is still recommended for purchase if found at a low price.
- “The only downside is it's very short with minimal replay value, but if you can get it cheap, definitely pick it up.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a whimsical and mysterious tone, enhanced by an impressive soundtrack that complements the overall experience.
- “The soundtrack is equally impressive, perfectly capturing the game's whimsical and mysterious atmosphere.”
- “The game's environment is richly detailed, immersing players in a world that feels alive and vibrant.”
- “Every corner of the game is filled with ambient sounds that enhance the overall atmosphere, making exploration a truly captivating experience.”