Auf Abwegen

About

Auf Abwegen is a single player survival platformer game. It was developed by Kindman and was released on March 9, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Explore the beauty and dangers of nature in this narrative mini-puzzle-platformer - a one-man project from Kindman. Slip into the role of a red fox in its natural habitat - feed your family and survive the threats of the forest - and humans too!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 198 reviews

story27 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and relaxing, mesmerizing music that enhances the atmosphere.
Unique and intriguing story with emotional depth and interesting narrative elements.
Free to play with a short and engaging experience that some players found enjoyable and memorable.

Controls are often unresponsive, clunky, and frustrating, especially the jumping mechanic.
Gameplay is very challenging and sometimes unfair, leading to frustration and repeated failures.
Lack of clear instructions and game saving, making progression confusing and progress easily lost.

story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The game's story is widely praised for its beautiful art, engaging plot, and intriguing character interactions, often described as cute, meaningful, and unexpectedly twisty. However, many players find the story mode short and sometimes overshadowed by frustrating gameplay and control issues, which hinder full enjoyment of the narrative. Overall, the story is seen as the game's highlight but leaves some wanting more depth and length.
- “The story was excellent and I enjoyed the character interactions and art style.”
- “The main point of this game is the story behind it, set in the future, all of this is just a simulation because the earth we know has ruined, and people are living in space.”
- “I won't spoil anything story wise, but I will tell you that the story ends with such a sudden twist, that I didn't expect it.”
- “Story never teaches you how to begin, and I already roamed around the entire unlocked areas available to me at the time.”
- “I didn't even know what story the game was trying to tell.”
- “The game ends right on the cusp of the player being invested in the story and the events that are unfolding.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
The game features a charming and appealing art style with simple, 2D visuals complemented by a calming soundtrack and cute character designs. While the graphics are generally praised for their beauty and nostalgic arcade feel, some animation details and lack of modern features slightly detract from the overall experience. Despite strong visuals, unresponsive controls and gameplay issues often overshadow the otherwise well-executed graphics.
- “The art style, storytelling, and music were all done extremely well.”
- “Amazing game - graphics are amazing, story is interesting and the feeling of a simulation is amazing!”
- “[b]Graphics:[/b] The art in it is very cute, I love the fox design.”
- “There's no "maybe" in Steam reviews unfortunately, and while this sort of fits into the "maybe" pile, the 2D graphics and lack of modern PC gaming features and amenities drop this below acceptable standard.”
- “Old school game in new graphics era.”
- “Graphics is ok.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
45%
23%
The gameplay is widely criticized for being frustrating, overly difficult, and featuring unresponsive or poorly designed mechanics, particularly with jumping controls. While some players find it challenging yet engaging after effort, many feel it detracts significantly from the overall experience despite the game's strong story, art, and music.
- “(I recommend deliberately falling in the water a few times, the dialogue is hilarious.) The gameplay, while quite challenging, was quite enjoyable once you work out a few things.”
- “Otherwise the game is solid, story and gameplay is engaging; I just wanted more.”
- “Otherwise the art is beautiful, the mechanics I couldn't master, and the story is only revealed as you play which gives you a sense of accomplishment.”
- “You can barely get past the first pond; the jumping mechanic is so hard and the instructions are so unclear.”
- “Beautiful art style and music, destroyed by horrible mechanics and sometimes completely unresponsive controls leaving me trapped in the pond where the log moves back and forth.”
- “The framing device of a couple playing a simulation of the world that once was from, presumably, the orbital colonies above the long-ruined planet is interesting, the DOS-like framework is well done and the art and music are attractive and engaging, but unfortunately the gameplay ruins it because it's just unreasonably hard.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
30%
15%
The game's music is widely praised for being calming, pleasant, and well-crafted, often complementing its beautiful art style and storytelling. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a strong point that enhances the overall atmosphere, despite some criticisms directed at gameplay and controls. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive and somber experience.
- “The art style, storytelling, and music were all done extremely well.”
- “This is a very beautiful game, lovely story, art and music.”
- “This game has great art style and calming music along with it.”
- “Beautiful art style and music, destroyed by horrible mechanics and sometimes completely unresponsive controls leaving me trapped in the pond where the log moves back and forth.”
- “The artstyle and the soundtrack are pretty well done but, given all the issues above, it's literally impossible to play.”
- “Once the game booted you are treated to a somber soundtrack and simplistic but well done visuals that feel at home with the main menu somehow even if it looks completely different.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is hindered by unresponsive and buggy controls, leading to a frustrating experience rather than a challenging one. Players often encounter control issues that detract from gameplay, making progress feel repetitive and difficult.
- “The game is kind of good but has unresponsive and buggy controls.”
- “The gameplay caught me off guard because the controls feel heavy and buggy.”
- “It feels unresponsive and buggy; instead of feeling challenged, it feels like Groundhog Day.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game deeply touching and emotionally moving, describing it as a relaxing and wholesome experience with a satisfying, happy ending. Some minor discomfort with background movement was noted but did not significantly detract from the emotional impact.
- “I think that this is the most touching game I've played this year!”
- “Made me shed a tear.”
- “A very relaxing and wholesome experience with a happy ending.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is well-received, with witty and realistic dialogue between characters providing multiple laugh-out-loud moments. Players especially enjoy humorous interactions tied to specific in-game actions, enhancing the overall entertaining experience.
- “I love the storyline and the dialogue between the two characters made me laugh on multiple occasions.”
- “(I recommend deliberately falling in the water a few times, the dialogue is hilarious.) The gameplay, while quite challenging, was quite enjoyable once you work out a few things.”
- “The storyline was quite nice, and the dialogue between the characters was rather realistic and humorous.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is universally praised, receiving a perfect 10/10 rating for its immersive and captivating environment. Users find it exceptionally well-crafted, enhancing the overall gaming experience.