Alone in the crowd

About

Alone in the crowd is a single player simulation game. It was developed by MachineNun and was released on February 27, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

Settled on a dystopian future, Alone in the Crowd is a humorous puzzle simulation investigative thriller, where you use a weird variety of gadgets to satisfy this mysterious, self proclaimed friendly AI character. Confused and scared, you wake up in a strange room filled with all kinds of machinery. You can't remember what happened, but this secret messenger starts helping you. There's a lot of…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features unique mechanics and gadgets that enhance the investigative gameplay, making it engaging and enjoyable.
Visually beautiful with a well-crafted atmosphere, the game offers a captivating experience that combines humor and a dystopian narrative.
The puzzles are challenging yet rewarding, providing a satisfying sense of accomplishment as players progress through the game.

The slow pace and lengthy tutorial can be frustrating, leading to moments where players may lose interest in the story.
Some players have encountered game-breaking bugs that hinder progress, causing significant frustration.
The story lacks depth and emotional engagement, making it feel less impactful compared to similar games in the genre.

gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of familiar mechanics from the genre and unique innovations that enhance the experience, particularly in its thoughtful introduction of complexity. While some players experienced frustration with progression issues, the overall gameplay is smooth and engaging, featuring a compelling narrative set in a dystopian world. The game stands out for its originality and the developers' evident passion, making it an intriguing choice for fans of the genre.
- “However, the game stands out with some fun new mechanics that are gradually and thoroughly introduced.”
- “The mechanics are thought out, introduced gradually, and it's a joy to feel the mindful increase in complexity without being overwhelmed.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is smooth, I love the style, and I'm intrigued by the world-building.”
- “This was a frustrating experience where I wasted time assuming that I was misunderstanding basic mechanics, watched a playthrough on YouTube, checked the Steam discussion forums, and finally manually looked through all 400+ options before confirming that my playthrough was messed up with no way to progress.”
- “However, this has almost no effect on the gameplay, so replayability is a bit low in my opinion.”
- “I've always wanted to play Papers, Please, but after seeing full gameplay walkthroughs of it, I wasn't really burning to play it.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The game's story is described as slow-paced and lacking emotional depth, with a classic dystopian theme that feels underdeveloped and abrupt. While there are choices that can lead to different endings, the narrative does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience, making it less engaging compared to similar titles like "Papers, Please." Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the mechanics rather than a compelling driving force.
- “Depending on some choices you make, the story is completely different.”
- “The game's distinctive blend of puzzle-solving and storytelling creates an immersive experience that's both thought-provoking and entertaining.”
- “The problem is, after a while, the slow pace makes you stop caring about the story, and you just want to finish it.”
- “The story is also where the game gets its (admittedly rather minor) replayability from.”
- “I wouldn't really recommend this game to everyone, given its bland story.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game's replayability is mixed; while it features multiple endings and randomized elements that enhance replay value, some players feel that the story's impact on gameplay is minimal, resulting in lower overall replayability. However, fans of detective games may find enough variety to keep them engaged.
- “Really good game if you like detective-type games; it also has a lot of replay value and is something to do to get the brain working.”
- “With multiple endings and various approaches to completing tasks, the game offers high replayability.”
- “It took me a bit to realize that each person you have to search for is actually randomized, adding lots of replayability, making it similar (but not as complex) to Shadows of Doubt's randomization.”
- “The story is also where the game gets its (admittedly rather minor) replayability from.”
- “However, this has almost no effect on the gameplay, so replayability is a bit low in my opinion.”
- “Really good game if you like detective-type games; however, it has limited replay value.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's graphics are highly polished and visually appealing, contributing to an immersive and eerie atmosphere. Overall, players appreciate the quality of the visuals and the smooth performance of the game.
- “The game's visuals are highly polished, and the soundscape draws you in, creating a world that is both fascinating and eerie.”
- “The graphics are good, and the game runs well.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of "Alone in the Crowd" is a compelling blend of dystopian elements and unexpected humor, creating a unique and engaging experience. Its distinctive ambiance, paired with clever writing, sets it apart from other games in the genre.
- “Alone in the Crowd offers a captivating puzzle-driven experience that skillfully combines a dystopian atmosphere with moments of unexpected humor.”
- “With its distinctive atmosphere and clever writing, you can be certain that it stands alone in the crowd.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, noting that it adds an enjoyable layer to the challenging gameplay reminiscent of "Papers, Please." Overall, the combination of humor and difficulty makes it a standout experience.
- “If you like 'Papers, Please' but want more of a challenge and some humor, then this is the game for you!”
- “This game is so cool and funny.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and sound design are praised for their immersive quality, featuring a low ambient soundtrack that enhances the game's atmosphere, along with crisp sound effects for buttons, wheels, and machines that contribute to the overall experience.
- “The sound design is also good; I appreciate the low ambient OST (really immersive 'boxed-in' feeling), along with how crisp the buttons, wheels, and machines sound.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as they spend a significant amount of time learning the mechanics and features, only to face a limited number of monotonous quests before reaching the conclusion.
- “You spend 4 hours simply learning all of the tools, their features, the rules of the world, etc. However, once you're unleashed into the world, you only have a handful of fairly tedious quests to complete before the game ends.”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “After a while, the quests become a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the experience.”