Alpha Polaris

About

In Alpha Polaris, players step into the role of an oil rig engineer confronted with a supernatural Arctic threat. The game is a horror adventure, combining point-and-click exploration with challenging puzzles and a gripping narrative. As the crew's safety unravels, players must uncover the mysterious force threatening their lives and the environment while battling harsh weather conditions and isolation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 317 reviews

story102 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features an intriguing story with elements of horror and Inuit mythology, reminiscent of 'The Thing'.
Characters are interesting and well-voiced, contributing to the immersive atmosphere.
The puzzles, while sometimes challenging, are mostly logical and integrated well into the story.

Some puzzles are overly cryptic or difficult, which can disrupt the pacing and enjoyment of the game.
The game is relatively short, leaving some players wanting more depth and development.
The graphics and animations feel dated, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.

story
259 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The story of "Alpha Polaris" is generally praised for its intriguing premise, engaging characters, and atmospheric setting, drawing on Inuit mythology and Lovecraftian themes. However, many reviewers noted issues with pacing, predictability, and a rushed ending, which detracted from the overall experience. While the narrative is compelling and well-presented, some players felt it could have benefited from deeper character development and a more gradual build-up of tension.
- “The story unfolds at its own pace and while the ending is somewhat predictable, it is well presented.”
- “The story is engaging and keeps you guessing until the very end, with a number of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
- “Alpha Polaris is captivating thanks to a great and very well thought-out story.”
- “The story is lackluster, if only because the game doesn't take the time or care to fully flesh out the details.”
- “The story was just not great, or at least just not well told.”
- “The story basically deteriorated after the middle.”
graphics
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that they feel dated and inconsistent, particularly in cutscenes compared to in-game artwork. While some appreciate the atmosphere created by the lighting and sound design, others criticize the overall quality, describing it as reminiscent of early 2000s styles or even lower. Despite these shortcomings, a few reviewers found charm in the visuals, particularly in character portraits during dialogues, and acknowledged that the graphics serve their purpose within the context of the game's story.
- “The atmosphere of the game is incredibly tense and creepy; the graphics and sound design are top-notch, with stunningly realistic environments and creepy sound effects that add to the overall horror of the game.”
- “I loved the artwork, music, sound, and voice acting.”
- “The voice acting is good and the graphics are neat with 3D renditions mixed with 2D comic book art.”
- “Ugly early 2004 style graphics, predictable story, some puzzles feel quite random.”
- “Graphically this game is a disaster.”
- “The graphics are dated even for its release date (2015).”
atmosphere
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
47%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its tension, creepiness, and immersive setting, often drawing comparisons to Lovecraftian and John Carpenter influences. Players appreciate the detailed graphics, sound design, and the slow-burn horror elements, although some note that the atmosphere can wane in the latter part of the game. Overall, it is considered a strong point of the game, enhancing the storytelling and player experience despite some structural flaws.
- “The atmosphere of the game is incredibly tense and creepy; the graphics and sound design are top-notch, with stunningly realistic environments and creepy sound effects that add to the overall horror of the game.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic and it really feels like there was effort put into details.”
- “Alpha Polaris is a low-key, atmospheric horror game with a unique setting and story.”
- “The lovecraftian atmosphere vanished in the second half of the game.”
- “For being a horror adventure, there is zero atmosphere and the 'evil' in the game is barely fleshed out.”
- “The atmosphere is dull, but it is the Arctic; how exciting is that?”
gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
74%
9%
The gameplay is primarily a classic point-and-click experience, featuring typical puzzle-solving mechanics with some unique parser elements. While many players found the puzzles to be challenging yet satisfying, others noted issues with clunky controls and a lack of direction, leading to confusion. Overall, the gameplay is described as smooth but average, with some players recommending the use of walkthroughs to navigate certain mechanics effectively.
- “The puzzles in Alpha Polaris are challenging but not too difficult, making for a satisfying gameplay experience.”
- “The two-button controls are straightforward and work well, the conversations are easy to navigate, and overall I would say that the gameplay is solid.”
- “The gameplay is smooth.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it plays almost like any other point-and-click game, with the unique addition of parser puzzles.”
- “A walkthrough is nearly mandatory to avoid stalls due to badly thought out puzzle mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is a bit clunky; I found myself confused a lot of times because there wasn’t always much direction on what I should do next.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to create an atmospheric and immersive experience that complements the game's eerie setting. While some players found the soundtrack memorable and fitting, others noted instances of forgettable or sparse music, suggesting that it sometimes serves merely as background noise. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a strong aspect that enhances the game's tone, despite some criticisms regarding its consistency and presence throughout gameplay.
- “The music throughout the entirety of the game does an amazing job setting the tone—something I've found that games have trouble with fairly often.”
- “The game also features an atmospheric soundtrack tailored to the atmosphere of this production.”
- “Very good adventure game with a great atmosphere and soundtrack!”
- “There's some music playing but I don't remember it, which means the music is there for the sake of music.”
- “Very bad graphics, forgettable music, bland characters, and an unoriginal and predictable plot.”
- “Tldr: a solid engine and nice enough overall idea for a narrative made completely forgettable by mediocre voice acting, superficial character motivations, questionable writing level, a lack in quantity of musical scores, a rushed plot, few character developments, and brickwall undecipherable puzzles using text boxes.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in Alpha Polaris is characterized by its dark and absurd elements, including awkward dialogue and intentionally poorly rendered scenes, which some players find hilariously entertaining. Players appreciate the comedic relief provided by the main character's dialogue and funny side missions, such as baking a cake to impress a girl, despite the game's overall bleak themes. However, the humor is often intertwined with unsettling content, making it a unique blend of comedy and horror.
- “I loved the humor and funny achievements.”
- “His dialogue is hilariously bad sometimes and it feels like everything that comes out of his mouth is actually comedic relief, instead of serious stuff.”
- “There's a hilarious one where you bake a cake to try and impress a girl.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often leading them to seek external help like walkthroughs. While some appreciate the nostalgic point-and-click adventure elements, the repetitive nature of puzzles and navigation can detract from the overall experience. However, the inclusion of a double-click feature to skip walking animations is a welcomed improvement that alleviates some of the grind.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It became tedious and frustrating very quickly to the point where I looked up a walkthrough to help me.”
- “Any shorter and it would feel like a quick rip-off, any longer and it would start to feel tedious.”
- “The characters were pretty flat and the puzzles ranged from solid to really tedious.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Reviews indicate that while the character designs are appreciated, the overall character development is lacking, with many feeling that the plot progresses too quickly and fails to provide sufficient depth to the characters. Critics highlight mediocre voice acting and superficial motivations as contributing factors to a forgettable narrative experience.
- “I really like the character designs.”
- “The writing is pretty good, but the plot moves too fast. Having the plot take place over a few more days and including more character development would have made the end result better.”
- “Tldr: a solid engine and a nice overall idea for a narrative made completely forgettable by mediocre voice acting, superficial character motivations, questionable writing quality, a lack of musical scores, a rushed plot, few character developments, and brickwall undecipherable puzzles using text boxes.”
- “Needs more character development.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with only a few minor glitches reported, particularly in puzzles. While some users noted occasional bugs, these did not significantly detract from the engaging story, strong characters, and beautiful visuals.
- “Some buggy puzzles.”
- “A little buggy, but overall -- engaging story, great characters, and beautiful visuals.”
- “Stability: the game seems to run fine, and there were only two glitches I saw.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers limited replayability due to its short length, but the inclusion of enjoyable achievements encourages players to revisit it.
- “It's quite short, but has fun achievements that provide a good amount of replayability.”
- “The game offers multiple endings and choices, making each playthrough feel unique and encouraging replayability.”
- “With various character builds and strategies to explore, the replayability factor is incredibly high.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for its low-quality graphics, which some users liken to poorly made 3D ads, suggesting that the visual presentation detracts from the overall experience.