Backspace Backspace Backspace
- August 5, 2024
- Blue Tango Street
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Backspace Backspace Backspace" is a narrative-driven visual novella following a struggling writer in an automated world. Its pixel art and chiptune-style music evoke the GBA era, while meaningful choices and two endings add depth to the story. This passion project of a two-person team supports four languages, with more localizations possible through community involvement.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The writing is beautifully crafted and resonates deeply with those struggling in creative fields, providing a cathartic experience.
- The game features a lovely soundtrack and pixel art that enhances the overall atmosphere, making it an immersive experience.
- It offers a relatable and introspective look at the challenges faced by creatives in today's AI-driven world, leaving players with a sense of hope.
- The game is very short, with a playtime of around 15-20 minutes, which may leave some players wanting more content and endings.
- Some players found the dialogue to be overly dramatic or pretentious, which could detract from the overall experience.
- The game has limited branching paths and choices, leading to repetitive playthroughs that may not engage all players.
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story explores the struggles of a creative individual in an AI-driven world, drawing inspiration from the narrative style of the "milk inside/outside a bag of milk" series. While the narrative is praised for its emotional depth and hopeful conclusion, some elements are noted as tonally inconsistent, though certain impactful scenes resonate strongly with players. Overall, the combination of story, music, and art creates a compelling experience, despite some narrative shortcomings.
“A short story game about what it is like to be a creative individual in today's AI-focused world.”
“The story is disheartening, scary, and yet still very hopeful towards the end. The music shifts, and the art is well done, complementing the writing beautifully.”
“The story is disheartening, scary, and yet still very hopeful towards the end; the music shifts and the art are well done and complement the writing very well.”
“This story is told through the eyes of an aspiring writer who has great ideas but forgets what he had in mind whenever he actually sits down to put pen to paper (so to speak).”
“Other parts of the story missed their mark or were tonally flawed.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and emotional resonance, effectively complementing the story's themes of hope and despair. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as lovely and well-integrated with the game's art and writing, enhancing the overall experience.
“The story is disheartening, scary, and yet still very hopeful towards the end; the music shifts and the art are well done and complement the writing very well.”
“I also enjoyed the soundtrack.”
“Very lovely story & music.”
“In contrast, when it comes to music or writing, I literally never have those issues.”
“The writing, the music, the art.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's graphics, characterized by a distinctive pixel art and 2-bit art style, effectively enhance its overall atmosphere, creating visually intriguing scenes that complement the sound design. This minimalist approach contributes to a unique aesthetic reminiscent of other titles, such as "milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk."
“The sound design meshes quite well with the graphic side and overall atmosphere of the game.”
“The visuals of the pixel art do a great job contributing to the atmosphere of this game.”
“This game reminds me of milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk, as both have similar graphics, narrative style, and even gameplay.”
“Another example of less-is-more is the 2-bit art style, which hides as much as it reveals and makes for some visually interesting screens.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a strong synergy between its sound design and pixel art visuals, creating an immersive experience that captivates players.
“The sound design meshes quite well with the graphic side and overall atmosphere of the game.”
“The visuals of the pixel art do a great job contributing to the atmosphere of this game.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as extensive, offering at least 20 hours of content, but lacks compactness, leading to a somewhat convoluted experience. The comparison to "milk inside a bag of milk" suggests a repetitive or layered design in both graphics and narrative style.
“Absolutely flawless with zero compromises in mind and at least 20 hours of gameplay.”
“This game reminds me of milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk, as both have similar graphics, narrative style, and even gameplay.”
“Absolutely flawed with zero compactness in mind and at least 20 hours of gameplay.”
