A Hand With Many Fingers
- January 28, 2020
- Colestia
- 3h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"A Hand with Many Fingers" is a puzzle-adventure game set in a surrealist universe. Players must manipulate a mysterious hand with many fingers to solve increasingly complex puzzles, while uncovering the story of the bizarre world they find themselves in. With its unique art style and intriguing gameplay mechanics, this game offers a fresh and engaging experience for puzzle enthusiasts.
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Reviews
- Engaging gameplay that encourages players to take notes and piece together clues, creating a satisfying detective experience.
- Atmospheric design that effectively builds tension and paranoia, enhancing the overall immersion of the game.
- Unique concept of using a corkboard to connect clues and evidence, making players feel like real investigators.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 1-2 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
- The ending feels abrupt and lacks a satisfying resolution, leaving some players confused about the overall narrative.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the corkboard and document organization, can be clunky and frustrating to use.
- story71 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story, centered around a real-life conspiracy, is intriguing but often feels superficial and incomplete, leaving players wanting more depth and clarity. While the mechanics of piecing together information are engaging, many reviewers noted that the narrative lacks a satisfying resolution, with an abrupt ending that may frustrate those seeking a more cohesive plot. Overall, it appeals to fans of investigative storytelling but may require additional research to fully appreciate the historical context.
“This game will definitely stay with me, both because of its high entertaining value and well-crafted world, but also for telling a story of lies, cover-ups, and the danger of uncovering the truth.”
“The story was interesting, and it was really fun trying to connect everything together and running around to find boxes of evidence to continue digging deeper into the story.”
“In a hand with many fingers, you act as an investigator, gathering information and searching archives, to unravel the true story of a cold war mystery.”
“The story is practically nonexistent since it leaves it up to you, the player, to figure absolutely everything out and come up with your own conclusion about what happened.”
“I thought maybe I'd found a bug, because it seemed like half the plot was missing, but that really was it.”
“Even after collecting all the documents and rereading them a few times, I had to do a lot of secondary research to try and get the real story of what went on with the Nugan Hand bank scandal.”
- gameplay70 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is centered around a unique detective mechanic that involves reading and organizing documents on a corkboard to uncover clues, creating an engaging yet simple loop that some players find rewarding. However, many reviews note that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with a desire for more complex puzzles and a broader narrative. Overall, while the core mechanics are intriguing and well-implemented, there is a consensus that the game would benefit from additional content and variety to enhance the experience.
“The actual gameplay involves reading newspaper clippings, bank records, and CIA communiques, organizing this information on a cork board, and finding new boxes by combining these clues.”
“It is brilliantly simple in its mechanics and flow, and as a mystery-solving game it is both intriguing and challenging.”
“A neat investigation game with a great corkboard mechanic that lets you pin and connect different clues.”
“I would have even forgiven a bland storyline if the puzzle mechanic had been a puzzle and not just a 'find file x, open file x, find file y' loop that required absolutely no thought whatsoever.”
“The gameplay loop involves looking at some of the highlighted terms on a newspaper clipping, business card, receipt — that kind of thing — finding a name, year, geographical location, and walking out into a hallway, finding a drawer with a specific year that belongs to that geographical area, and then flicking through the cards in what should really be a smoother and more satisfying experience before walking down to the basement, picking up a box, taking it back to your 'office,' opening it, getting another thing with another name, year, and location, and doing all that over again until the 'game' ends...”
“The game is another one of those where the gameplay loop is based on the procedures of a bureaucrat.”
- atmosphere32 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie and unsettling qualities, effectively inducing feelings of paranoia and tension without relying on cheap scares. Players appreciate the haunting ambiance created through excellent sound design and lighting, which enhances the overall experience and immerses them in a sense of danger and intrigue. Despite some critiques regarding the game's length and resolution, the atmospheric elements are consistently highlighted as a standout feature that elevates the gameplay.
“The general atmosphere is eerie, and you always feel like you're being watched and feel generally unsafe.”
“The atmosphere and tone are pitch perfect, the music dropping off as you enter the archives, giving it a deeply unsettling feeling.”
“The general atmosphere is eerie and you always feel like you're being watched/followed and feel generally unsafe.”
“The game carries a real haunting atmosphere that manages to induce minor bouts of paranoia in its albeit short playtime.”
“The atmosphere created brings you right in, and the extra effort to fill out what is essentially a text game is wonderful.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as simple and low-quality, yet they effectively contribute to the overall atmosphere with strong art direction and good lighting. While some players appreciate the minimalist style, others find the graphics basic and occasionally hindered by technical issues, such as resolution bugs. Overall, the straightforward visuals do not detract significantly from the immersive gameplay experience.
“The game is fantastically subdued; simple graphics but great lighting and sound design provide a really nice atmosphere.”
“The graphics are very basic, but the art direction is strong.”
“Simple mechanics, lovely minimalist graphics, and brilliantly judged balance of hand-holding and free research.”
“The graphics are very low quality, the gameplay is very linear, and the story is mostly just facts.”
“- a bug reduces the resolution on restart about half of the time and makes the graphics and text completely illegible.”
“I had to fiddle with the graphical settings to 'fix' the problem each time.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting that it can be completed in about two hours, making it feel unsatisfying and short-lived. Reviewers suggest that the absence of additional stories or gameplay mechanics contributes to its one-time play nature, indicating it may not provide good value for those seeking a more enduring experience.
“My only complaint is that it was too short, and there is absolutely no replayability, so you're getting about a 2 hour experience here.”
“It's boring, unsatisfying, and has zero replayability based on what I've read in other reviews — which I really should have paid more attention to before buying this on sale, not playing it for months, finishing it in about two hours, and not being able to refund the nothing-sandwich that it is.”
“Please note that if you need a game that is bang for your buck, this is not it, it offers no replayability (understandably), and is rather a one and done experience.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, though some players find the looping classical track can become repetitive and annoying. The absence of music in certain areas, like the archives, effectively creates a tense and unsettling ambiance, contributing to the overall tone of the game.
“Great music, simple straightforward graphics, and the gameplay loop, while also simple, is rewarding.”
“The atmosphere and tone are pitch perfect, with the music dropping off as you enter the archives, giving it a deeply unsettling feeling.”
“The looping classical music sample on the radio becomes annoying, so I turn it off, only to realize that the sheer quiet of the archive is host to a palpable hostility.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; some players find it deeply engaging, especially those with a vivid imagination, while others feel it lacks emotional impact entirely.
“So if you have a vivid imagination and get all emotional about reading historical Wikipedia articles, this game is for you.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game for its unique index searching mechanic, which enhances information discovery while minimizing guesswork. Although some find the box retrieval process tedious, the anticipation of uncovering new items keeps the experience engaging, especially for those who enjoy slow-paced gameplay and immersive storytelling.
“The index searching was an interesting approach to the problem of making information discoverable without allowing too much guesswork, and while the box retrieval got a bit tedious, I never got tired of the walk back out and the anticipation of 'ooh, I'm gonna open this box and there'll be something in it.'”
“First of all, I absolutely love these types of games that have slow-paced gameplay, a good story, and this a bit tedious, but still informative 'investigation work stuff.'”
