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Backfirewall_

Backfirewall_ is a great mix of solid storytelling, clever puzzles, and tech puns. While it offers nothing new to the first-person puzzle genre, it’s a well-crafted experience with a unique premise and an interesting cast of characters.
Backfirewall_ Game Cover
88%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor
Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, optimization
93% User Score Based on 366 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SXbox OneXboxWindows
Backfirewall_ Game Cover

About Backfirewall_

Backfirewall_ is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by Naraven Games and was released on January 30, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Begin a humorous escapade through various areas of the phone and solve clever puzzles. Meet colorful apps that inhabit the smartphone and have their own opinions about their boss, the update, and the godlike user. Clever physics-based puzzles Review terminal errors in RAM, party in the Speakers’ exclusive nightclub, navigate through the Wi-Fi bureaucracy, and explore other areas of a smartpho…

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Looking for games like Backfirewall_? Here are top casual action adventure recommendations, selected from player-similarity data — start with The Magic Circle, There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension or Children of Silentown.

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Reviews

93%Audience ScoreBased on 366 reviews
story84 positive mentions
replayability4 negative mentions

  • Engaging story with well-developed characters that evoke strong emotions, making players feel attached.
  • Clever puzzles that are fun and challenging, with a unique premise that creatively explores the inner workings of a smartphone.
  • Witty writing and humor reminiscent of games like Portal and The Stanley Parable, providing a delightful experience.
  • Lack of replayability due to no chapter selection, manual saving, or free roam post-game, making it frustrating for completionists.
  • Encountered bugs and technical issues, including save file problems and performance stutters, which detracted from the overall experience.
  • Some characters and story elements felt underdeveloped or confusing, leaving players wanting more depth and clarity.
  • story

    150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    56% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its creativity, humor, and engaging characters, likening it to a Pixar movie. However, some found the narrative to be inconsistent, with moments of confusion and pacing issues that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, while the story is compelling and filled with hidden details, it may not resonate with everyone due to its quirky execution and occasional lack of focus.

    • “The story is compelling, the characters are lovable, the world is vast and interesting!”
    • “Simply put, the story is brilliantly crafted and really creative for such a short game, and my portal-loving heart was pleased.”
    • “To conclude, this game is like a Pixar movie in the form of a video game, with well-developed characters and a story that will keep you entertained from start to finish, and again all the little details everywhere make it amazing.”
    • “The comedy is predictable and boring, the dramatic moments don't leave any impact, the character dialogue ranges from boring to bland, and the overall story beats are mostly just confusing and made me want to rush through by the end.”
    • “The story is not very well-written, dialogues are kinda wacky.”
    • “There should be a tragicomic story, but there is something missing.”
  • humor

    83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging characters, and a blend of meta-humor and existential themes, often described as "tragicomic." Players appreciate the balance of funny dialogue, quirky characters, and light-hearted puzzles, reminiscent of the humor found in games like Portal. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it adds significant charm and entertainment value to the gameplay experience.

    • “The humor is spot on.”
    • “It's hilarious, has fun puzzles and hidden areas, dialogues, and secrets to find.”
    • “The narrator is lovely, hilarious, and emotional.”
  • gameplay

    75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    29% positive mentions, 66% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its intuitive puzzles and humorous elements reminiscent of titles like Firewatch and Portal, while others criticized it for lacking depth and freedom, feeling repetitive and basic. Although the mechanics are conceptually strong, many felt they were underutilized, leading to a gameplay experience that could feel limiting. Overall, while the game offers fun moments and engaging dialogue, it may not satisfy those seeking more complex gameplay challenges.

    • “The gameplay is really funny and the puzzles are really intuitive; it doesn't stress the head on thinking too much about them yet they remain funny to do and have a good balance on the difficulty.”
    • “There's a rich cast of characters, a compelling story, and really fun gameplay.”
    • “I really loved how the game evolved and how the gameplay mechanics were always a really good way for the player to interact with the level design instead of just a way to get from point A to point B.”
    • “While the levels did use different mechanics to solve puzzles, it didn't feel different or engaging.”
    • “The game lacks systematization in its gameplay mechanics; for example, why can't I change the gravity direction for a box if it blocks my way?”
    • “Absolutely no freedom for a player; there is just nothing to do, nowhere for a player to express their mastery in gameplay mechanics.”
  • graphics

    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 49% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the stylized visuals and unique art direction, while others report issues such as lag and stuttering, particularly in specific levels like the art gallery. Although the graphics are not considered AAA quality, many appreciate their charm and aesthetic appeal, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the game. However, some players found the visuals lacking in innovation and expressed disappointment with certain graphical elements.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and there's tons of replay potential; though I've only played it through once as of writing this, I plan on replaying soon.”
    • “The graphics may not be the best, they don't need to be; it's a perfect style and I love it!”
    • “The graphics are not AAA level, of course, but damn are they good!”
    • “There was one level (the art gallery) with very bad graphics stutter (AMD Ryzen 5900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080), but the rest of the game was fine.”
    • “For me, a Windows 10 user, the game had extreme lag; I had to set some of my graphics to the lowest possible option.”
    • “Once I made it through the intro/tutorial, I found myself in the middle of boring puzzles and unpleasant cheap graphics that I just wanted to stop.”
  • emotional

    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game is described as an emotional roller coaster that combines humor with heart-wrenching moments, leaving players deeply invested in its charming characters and their struggles. Many reviewers noted that it evoked strong feelings, often leading to tears, while also providing laughter and a captivating narrative. Overall, it is praised for its ability to create a beautiful yet sad experience that resonates long after playing.

    • “A must play emotional roller coaster for sure!”
    • “By the end I was emotionally invested in these stupid little characters and their problems, and I mean that in the most endearing way.”
    • “This game is beautiful and sad and I cried; I am in love with 0s9!”
  • music

    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    44% positive mentions, 39% neutral mentions, 17% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its high quality, with many reviewers highlighting the superb soundtrack and delightful voice acting. Players appreciate the engaging and humorous atmosphere created by the music, which complements the game's design and storytelling. However, some technical issues, such as bugs affecting music-related dialogue, have been noted as potential drawbacks.

    • “The soundtrack is superb, with delightful voice acting.”
    • “The music is insane, the lore is perfect, the voice overs are incredible, and the puzzles are a good mix between easy and hard.”
    • “In my 2nd playthrough, at the very end of the nightclub scene, the podcast and music's dialogue tree bugged out and wouldn't let me collect the last figurine, which also makes you miss the Data Jesus achievement.”
    • “The music, sounds, and voice acting aspects were all expertly done.”
    • “Oh, and the OST is pretty sweet!”
  • replayability

    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    14% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 29% negative mentions

    Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the opportunity to explore alternate endings and complete the game to 100%, others find the lack of a skip option for cutscenes and challenges in obtaining achievements detracts from the experience. Overall, it offers some replay value, particularly for those interested in character interactions and world-building, but completionists may feel frustrated by the limitations.

    • “So yes, there's some replay value here and it doesn't feel like it's just there to make the game longer since the game makes every conversation fun and interesting, and being able to know every character and more about the world felt really nice.”
    • “The alternate endings add even more depth to the experience and replayability.”
    • “Also, there is no skip option for cutscenes, so replayability is kind of not there and not fun at all.”
    • “No replayability.”
    • “Quite a short game but offers replayability in trying to 100% the game and find all the stuff you missed!”
  • optimization

    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    17% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 33% negative mentions

    Overall, players have reported significant issues with optimization, including frequent stuttering and a lack of noticeable performance improvements across different settings. Many users expressed disappointment and called for developers to address these optimization problems and consider adding an FPS lock option.

    • “Although I would love if the devs would fix some optimization/stuttering issues and add the FPS lock option.”
    • “I experienced stuttering quite a bit.”
    • “Optimization needs work.”
    • “I'll say that between settings there wasn't a huge difference, but the performance of the game felt a little bit of a letdown since I expected better optimization.”
  • grinding

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as it requires extensive scouting for points of interest and repetitive interactions with various objects and characters to unlock achievements. The lack of a skip button exacerbates the monotony, although the puzzles themselves are noted to be creative and engaging.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Replaying the game to get all the achievements can be very tedious since there is no skip button and a lot are related to talking to multiple different objects/characters over the course of the game.”
    • “You will probably skip most of them, because you have to actively scout for every single point of interest, which is quite tedious.”
  • atmosphere

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    25% positive mentions, 75% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with many players noting that it effectively captivates and engages them from the very beginning.

    • “From the start, it creates an atmosphere that is sure to get you hooked right away!”
  • character development

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, -100% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the engaging puzzles and gameplay reminiscent of Portal and The Stanley Parable, but express a desire for deeper character development and a longer narrative experience.

    • “The character development in this game is truly engaging, allowing players to connect deeply with the characters and their journeys.”
    • “I love how the character arcs evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
    • “The depth of the characters adds so much to the overall experience, making the story more immersive and relatable.”
    • “It's a really good Portal/Stanley Parable-based game with really cool puzzles, but I feel it should have been longer and had more character development.”
    • “The game has great mechanics and puzzles, but the character development feels lacking and could have been much deeper.”
    • “While the gameplay is enjoyable, the characters are underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more from their stories.”
  • stability

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Users report that the game suffers from stability issues, including frequent glitches and a hint system that lacks specificity. Additionally, some areas are criticized for being overly dark, which can hinder gameplay.

    • “The hint system could occasionally use more specific direction.”
    • “Currently, the game has too many glitches.”
    • “Some areas are too dark.”
  • monetization

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game appears to be misleading, as users expected a well-crafted experience akin to the Stanley Parable based on promotional ads, but the actual gameplay duration and quality may not meet those expectations.

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Play Times

6h Median play time
6h Average play time
5-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Backfirewall_ is a casual action adventure game. Common tags for Backfirewall_ include indie.

Backfirewall_ is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows and Xbox.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Backfirewall_.

Backfirewall_ was released on January 30, 2023.

Backfirewall_ was developed by Naraven Games.

Backfirewall_ has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Backfirewall_ for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Backfirewall_ is a single player game.

Similar games include The Magic Circle, There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension, Children of Silentown, The Escape Artist, Unforeseen Incidents and others.