Along the Edge

About

Along the Edge is a single player action game with romance and mystery themes. It was developed by Nova-box and was released on October 12, 2016. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Along the Edge" is a narrative-driven adventure game where players step into the shoes of Daphne, a woman on the verge of inheriting her grandmother's house in a small rural village. The game features a branching storyline with multiple endings, inspired by historical and political events of the 20th century. Decisions made throughout the game affect Daphne's relationships, the town's dynamics, and her own personal growth.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 266 reviews

story136 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a fantastic art style and interesting musical compositions that enhance the overall experience.
Choices in the game significantly impact the protagonist's personality and appearance, leading to varied endings and high replay value.
The narrative is engaging and mature, with a compelling story that draws players in and keeps them intrigued throughout.

The game lacks a save feature and a skip option, making it tedious to replay for different endings as players must go through the same text multiple times.
Some characters and romantic options feel underdeveloped and unappealing, which detracts from the overall experience.
The story can feel predictable and may not provide a satisfying conclusion, leaving some players wanting more depth and resolution.

story
348 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The story of "Along the Edge" is a mature and engaging visual novel that revolves around Daphne, who inherits her grandmother's estate and navigates a world filled with mysticism and personal choices. While the narrative offers multiple paths and endings based on player decisions, it has been critiqued for its brevity and occasional predictability, leaving some players desiring a deeper exploration of its themes. Overall, the combination of beautiful artwork, atmospheric music, and a compelling storyline makes it a recommended experience for fans of story-driven games, despite some narrative shortcomings.
- “In Nova-Box's debut, they create a short but enthralling story where a young woman gives up her life to inherit her grandmother's estate in a small village where the townsfolk believe in mystic happenings.”
- “A well-crafted visual novel with gorgeous artwork and an engaging story.”
- “The story has several twists and branches, with the choices that you make being rather important for the outcomes that occur.”
- “It was tedious and there were times where I couldn't see how the story could be any more boring than it was.”
- “The story ends somewhat abruptly - it feels like it's missing a third act, and in particular the globe-side endings leave the story ending on an unsatisfactory note, with a ton of loose ends that don't get wrapped up.”
- “Very short and uninspired, this story carries very heavily the weight of writing to purpose.”
graphics
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
27%
3%
The graphics in "Along the Edge" are widely praised for their stunning, impressionist-inspired artwork that enhances the game's atmosphere and narrative. Reviewers highlight the unique art style, which is reminiscent of French and Belgian comic books, and appreciate the effort put into the visuals, making them captivating and engaging throughout the gameplay. Overall, the beautiful artwork significantly contributes to the game's appeal, making it a worthwhile experience for players.
- “The visuals are stunning; the more I've played visual novels, the more I've appreciated the alternative art styles they've beget, and 'Along the Edge' is a prime example.”
- “Finally, 'Along the Edge' has some of the most beautiful artwork I have ever seen in a video game.”
- “The artwork is beautiful, the atmosphere is wonderfully moody and creepy, and I love how your decisions alter the game, even in terms of your character's appearance.”
- “Art styles in other visual novels have the problem of getting old pretty quickly.”
- “It has a nice style and it's impressive how much effort they put into the rough but effective graphics.”
- “The abstract artwork and haunting soundtrack fit together beautifully.”
music
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
58%
6%
The music in the game is generally praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, complementing the beautiful artwork and narrative. While many find the compositions engaging and fitting, some critiques highlight issues with repetitiveness and abrupt transitions between tracks that can disrupt immersion. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a valuable part of the experience, enhancing the emotional depth of the story.
- “The music is relaxing and not interfering.”
- “Art and soundtrack are amazingly beautiful.”
- “The abstract artwork and haunting soundtrack fit together beautifully.”
- “Music is unobtrusive, but repetitive.”
- “The music is pretty but unremarkable.”
- “Unfortunately, the cuts between tracks and between music and silence/ambience are way too rough, which can kick you out of a mood.”
replayability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
The game offers strong replayability due to its multiple endings and the impact of player choices on character development, plot, and relationships. Many players have enjoyed multiple playthroughs, noting that the variety in outcomes encourages exploration of different narrative paths. However, some reviewers expressed a desire for deeper branching in choices to enhance the replay value further.
- “It's very replayable (I've gone through 3 times) and the art is amazing.”
- “The protagonist's appearance varies due to gameplay choices, which gives you replayability options beyond a simple 'good run/bad run': 1 - Daphné's character/appearance; 2 - the overall plot; 3 - relationships with family/friends/romantic NPCs; 4 - minor conditions/achievements.”
- “I do wish the choices branched the game even further, changing the narrative more deeply to increase replayability.”
- “Towards the end of the game, the choices you made will have influence both the main character and the storyline in a major way, which should lead to a fair amount of replayability.”
- “However, there is some replayability because of the many choices that you have.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
72%
17%
The gameplay is characterized by meaningful decision-making that significantly impacts the narrative, offering a minimum of 3-4 hours of playtime with high replayability due to multiple endings and character variations. The mechanics revolve around a dual alignment system that enhances player engagement, moving away from a purely text-based experience. However, some users feel the price does not justify the gameplay duration, suggesting better alternatives exist.
- “The feeling when playing is that there are enough forks, that the decisions made do matter (unlike what happens in other games), and offers a minimum of 3 or 4 hours of gameplay... obviously more if you want to try other paths.”
- “The protagonist's appearance varies due to gameplay choices, which gives you replayability options beyond a simple 'good run/bad run': 1 - Daphné's character/appearance; 2 - the overall plot; 3 - relationships with family/friends/romantic NPCs; 4 - minor conditions/achievements.”
- “But I don't think it's worth the price, and I would rather recommend Demon Heart - a much better, polished version of this game with a better plot, characters, and mechanics.”
- “The primary game mechanic is the pair of alignments - globe/star (belief) and sun/moon (attitude), corresponding roughly to science/occult and nice/bitchy.”
- “Actually feels that you are doing something instead of just reading, which is good for these types of games that are overcrowded with a style too close to books.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
18%
19%
The game's atmosphere is richly crafted, featuring beautiful artwork in a sketch paint storyboard style that enhances the overall experience. The music is stunning and contributes significantly to the mood, which ranges from gentle and nuanced to moody and creepy. While the story unfolds slowly, establishing atmosphere as a priority, some players feel that the light game elements limit its potential.
- “The artwork is beautiful, the atmosphere is wonderfully moody and creepy, and I love how your decisions alter the game, even in terms of your character's appearance.”
- “Also, the music is absolutely stunning and adds to the atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere has potential, but as it stands, the game elements are so light they are almost immaterial, even by the standards of the genre. Placing the story in service to them places a firm cap on its potential.”
- “The story is good, though you have to be patient; it takes its time to get to where it's going, establishing atmosphere first.”
- “It will delight you with its gentle, nuanced atmosphere and romantic conception of village life in France.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a well-written and engaging story that, while not groundbreaking, offers a heartfelt experience akin to a short novel or a modest TV show. Players appreciate the dynamic visuals, touching music, and the depth of character development, which fosters a genuine connection to the narrative, despite some feeling a lack of emotional investment for repeated playthroughs. Overall, the game successfully blends elements of mystery and supernatural themes within an adult-oriented storyline that addresses significant existential issues.
- “The visuals are very appealing, and the story is both thrilling and touching; I've come to really care for the characters.”
- “It has an intriguing and emotional plot that for me is not too dramatic and has a mix of supernatural and mystery.”
- “When I read that the game is set in an 'adult universe,' I took this to mean that it features a deep storyline told with multifaceted, original characters, touching on important existential problems.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the lack of a skip function and the inability to save before dialogue choices, which makes exploring different routes time-consuming. While the artwork and story flexibility initially enhance enjoyment, repeated playthroughs can lead to boredom and frustration. Despite these issues, some players are still motivated to explore alternative endings.
- “One of my big complaints is that there is a lack of a skip option and you cannot save before dialogue choices, which makes it very tedious and time-consuming to explore the game and its options.”
- “The game does not have a skip functionality, which might make it a bit tedious for some after multiple playthroughs.”
- “While the replays can get a little tedious, along the edge is one of the few games whose alternative endings I have been compelled to explore.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The character development in the game is praised for its depth and engagement, complemented by beautiful art and a gripping narrative that offers meaningful choices and multiple endings. Players feel a strong connection to the characters as they navigate a richly crafted world filled with dark forces, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
- “Thrilling writing, gorgeous illustrations, nice character development.”
- “(+) beautiful art, well written, very long and gripping story, lots of choices with effects, the real feeling that you have to deal with dark forces and that you are living in this strange but special town, lovely character design, different endings, a story as good as a movie (should be a movie!)”
- “In this game, the art style and character design manage to stay fresh and pretty for the full duration of the game.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization system in the game is criticized for its lack of coherence, as promoting certain metaphysical beliefs can negatively impact unrelated gameplay challenges, leading to frustration among players. This disconnect between in-game choices and their consequences undermines the overall experience.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a dichotomy between endearing, funny characters and those perceived as snobby or unlikable, allowing players to engage with comedic elements through their choices.
- “The choices are Mister Nice & Funny or Snobby Loser.”