Ambre

About

"Ambre" is a game about Tristan Malory, a man stuck in a mundane routine, until he meets a mysterious girl named Ambre. As their relationship deepens, Tristan begins to experience surreal events and must navigate a world filled with illusion and reality. The game explores themes of loneliness, connection, and the power of imagination in a poignant and visually striking narrative.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 392 reviews

story107 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a compelling and emotional story that takes players on a surprising journey with a significant twist.
The art style and music are well-executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
It's a free kinetic novel, making it accessible for anyone interested in a short, thought-provoking experience.

The initial premise and relationship dynamics can be disturbing and may trigger discomfort due to implications of pedophilia.
The writing can be repetitive and lacks depth in character development, leading to a less engaging experience.
The handling of sensitive topics, such as mental illness and societal pressures, may come off as superficial or poorly executed.

story
420 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
70%
5%
The story of "Ambre - a heartbreaking kinetic novel" is a complex and emotionally charged narrative that begins with a seemingly innocent premise but quickly delves into disturbing themes, including mental illness and societal expectations. While the plot twist reveals deeper layers to the characters and their relationship, many players find the initial portrayal unsettling, leading to mixed reactions about its execution and overall message. Despite its flaws, the story is noted for its emotional impact and artistic presentation, making it a thought-provoking experience for those willing to engage with its challenging content.
- “Once you start reading the story, you can be sure you’re going on an emotional ride in a wild roller-coaster.”
- “Ambre - a heartbreaking kinetic novel is a beautifully sad and kind of disturbing casual virtual novel game. Trust me, it's not going to go in the direction you expect; just stick with it till the end.”
- “This story is dark, but it is actually pretty good. It made me feel sick for a while, but the soundtrack and plot are great.”
- “The writing is cringey at times (many times) and the setup is so ridiculous that it makes you wonder how any decent story could come out of it.”
- “The suggested pedophilic themes were disgusting, and the feeling of uneasiness that I felt while reading about Tristan's feelings and actions with the little girl Ambre didn't go away with the plot twist in the second half of the game.”
- “The story is really made well, in reality too much to handle, hope I never met such fate as a man.”
emotional
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Ambre - a heartbreaking kinetic novel" is highly polarizing, with many players describing it as a deeply moving experience that evokes strong feelings, including sadness and discomfort. While some found the narrative to be genuinely heartbreaking and impactful, others criticized it for its unsettling themes and perceived insensitivity, leading to mixed reactions about its emotional depth and execution. Overall, the game successfully elicits a range of emotions, but its controversial content has left some players feeling disturbed rather than touched.
- “As the title of the game suggests, Ambre is a heartbreaking kinetic novel.”
- “Once you get to reading the story, you can be sure you’re going on an emotional ride in a wild roller-coaster.”
- “It is definitely heartbreaking, and it is a kinetic novel, as advertised.”
music
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
42%
6%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many reviewers praising its fittingness to the game's tone and atmosphere. While some describe it as decent or simple, others highlight its beauty and ability to enhance emotional moments. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, even if it doesn't fully redeem the story.
- “The music was very good; it complemented the game quite well, and I also enjoyed that the game was free.”
- “The music is beautiful, the art is good, and the story is so sad and good.”
- “The soundtrack was pretty good, and I did not notice any looping.”
- “Attractive art and music do not redeem an unbelievable story.”
- “The music was fitting, albeit neither here nor there in terms of remarkability.”
- “The art is cute and I guess the music is alright but the story isn't worth it.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
32%
9%
The graphics and art style of the game are generally praised for their cute, vibrant, and anime-inspired aesthetics, with many reviewers highlighting the pleasing color palettes and diverse level designs. While some found the visuals charming and well-executed, others noted a lack of polish and described the overall visual experience as somewhat bland or unsaturated. Despite mixed opinions on the execution of the story, the artwork consistently received positive remarks for its originality and appeal.
- “The graphics/art style is very good, very pleasing to the eyes and very cute. It has this nice anime-ish feel to it with vibrant and bright colors, even in some of the more somber parts.”
- “The levels in the game are nicely diverse, each with its own interesting look. I especially like the child's room; it's very pleasing to look at with its bright color palette and plenty of great set pieces that make it feel like any little girl would love it.”
- “The art style is cute, and it's overall pretty nice for a free game.”
- “All the visuals seem unsaturated in color, but at the same time, it gains its charm when combined with the charming narrative.”
- “Cute art style though, and the idea would be interesting if it was a bit more polished; but overall I really wouldn't recommend this game to anyone I know.”
- “Plain and simple graphics; nothing fancy but isn't shabby either.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay is primarily a visual novel format, requiring players to click through a linear story with no meaningful choices, which some reviewers argue detracts from the experience. Many find the writing subpar and the themes disturbing, leading to a repetitive and unsatisfying gameplay experience. Overall, the lack of interactivity and poor narrative quality have drawn significant criticism.
- “The gameplay is very simple; it's basically like any visual novel game where you just read the story. However, unlike those games that offer some choices, this game doesn't provide any, which I believe is beneficial as having choices would have detracted from the story.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this game doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's primarily a lot of clicking through dialogue that lacks quality, raising the question of how such poorly written content made it onto Steam.”
- “Okay, so let's talk about the gameplay:”
- “There is no gameplay; you left click and read the story.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which presents the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “Sorry, but most of the story seems to be a pedophilia-supporting 'gameplay' (there is no actual choice, you only click through the novel) and it's exceptionally disturbing, especially for the fact that you really have to get through the entire story in one sitting to understand what's going on in the first place.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books to be tedious, likening it to a frustratingly slow reading experience where progress is hindered by constant clicking. After a short period, the novelty wears off, leading to a sense of monotony and diminished suspense, making the experience feel more like a chore than an engaging narrative.
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey, but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “After about 20 minutes in, it sort of felt like a tedious task to finish and get to the end because around then everything I thought would happen happened and there was no longer any suspense.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is praised for its hand-drawn art and engaging plot, with the music contributing positively despite being somewhat repetitive. Overall, it creates an immersive experience that enhances the game's appeal.
- “I love the hand-drawn art, the plot, and the atmosphere.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization aspect is critiqued for its portrayal of societal pressures through advertisements and media, highlighting the impact of these influences on personal identity. While the narrative effectively builds tension and offers insightful commentary on values in advertising, it could benefit from a more show-don't-tell approach. Overall, the emotional resonance of the story is acknowledged despite its shortcomings.
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without constantly being bombarded by ads.”
- “I feel like the game prioritizes profit over player experience, with in-game purchases that are essential to progress.”
- “It's frustrating that the best content is locked behind a paywall, making it feel like a cash grab rather than a fair gaming experience.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
While the game features appealing character designs and music, the character development is criticized for lacking depth, particularly in the portrayal of an unsettling relationship between a young girl and an older man. Reviewers feel that more development could have provided better context for this dynamic, despite acknowledging the game's status as a short free title.
- “I feel as if there could have been a little bit more character development to help back up that, but as a short free game, it's not bad.”
- “I feel as if there could have been a little bit more character development to help back up the story, but as a short free game, it's not bad.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users have noted that initial perceptions of glitches in the game were later understood to be intentional elements of the story, suggesting that the game's stability may be misleading at first but is ultimately part of the design.
- “At first, I thought there were glitches happening as I played, but then I realized it was part of the game/story.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
- “I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is criticized for its misguided attempts to address serious issues like sexism and eating disorders, resulting in a tone that many players found offensive and distressing rather than funny.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players appreciate the replayability of the game, noting that even though it may lead to the same ending, the experience feels fresh due to the illusion of choice, which enhances engagement in an otherwise brief gameplay experience.
- “It's perfectly okay to end up at the same ending (illusion of choice); it's what Tristan is locked into from the start, but it adds a sense of replayability in an otherwise too short game.”
- “The multiple paths and choices keep the experience fresh, encouraging players to dive back in and explore different outcomes.”
- “Each playthrough reveals new details and interactions, making it rewarding to replay and discover what you missed the first time.”
- “It's perfectly okay to end up at the same ending (illusion of choice); it's what Tristan's locked into to begin with, but it gives a sense of replayability in an otherwise already too short game.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel forced rather than enjoyable.”
- “After completing the game once, there’s little incentive to play again since the outcomes don’t change significantly.”