Backstreets of the Mind

About

"Backstreets of the Mind" is a narrative-driven adventure game where you go back in time to change the main character's life by interacting with the environment, solving puzzles, and unlocking old-school mini-games. The unique gameplay feature is searching for hidden messages in signboards and placing the "right" thoughts in the protagonist's mind. The game boasts an immersive storyline and soundtrack, leading to a pivotal life decision. This game is similar to other popular sandbox titles by the same developer, such as "The Wild Eight."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

50%

Audience ScoreBased on 16 reviews

story5 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The hidden object scenes are visually appealing and provide a relaxing experience.
The game features unique gameplay elements, such as multi-plane scrolling and correcting misspelled words.
The mini-games, while challenging, offer a nice variety and can be enjoyable for players who appreciate dexterity-based challenges.

The game suffers from slow movement controls and a frustrating user interface, making navigation tedious.
The storyline is weak and lacks depth, with choices that ultimately do not impact the gameplay meaningfully.
The game is very short, with a playtime of under 2 hours, leading to a lack of replay value.

story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
27%
27%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it dull, linear, and lacking depth, often describing it as corny or poorly executed. While some appreciate the intriguing psychological themes and photorealistic graphics, others criticize the brevity and skipped narrative elements, leading to an overall sentiment that the story does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience.
- “It has nice 'photorealistic' graphics, an interesting (although a bit melancholy) storyline, and a few mildly amusing minigames.”
- “This game has a psychological/meaning-of-life motif that seems to be in vogue these days, but I found the story intriguing enough to want to play the game to the end.”
- “The story is entirely linear (except the final level), so the 'time-shifting' aspect is just part of the linear storyline; you can’t 'time shift' on your own.”
- “Anyone who plays hidden object games will be used to corny storylines and poor logic, but oof.”
- “The story is the part that I hate.”
- “The story is entirely linear (except the final level), so the 'time-shifting' aspect is just part of the linear storyline; you can't 'time shift' on your own.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their high-resolution quality and photorealistic visuals, contributing to a relaxing experience. The artwork is well-received, and the innovative multi-plane scrolling adds depth to the gameplay, although some players feel the overall experience may not justify the investment.
- “The visuals are high-res and objects are easy to spot.”
- “It has nice photorealistic graphics, an interesting (although a bit melancholy) storyline, and a few mildly amusing minigames.”
- “One twist in the gameplay/graphics was the multi-plane scrolling of each level; moving around shifts the perspective a little, possibly revealing a hidden object.”
- “The story and graphics seem solid, but the rest is just not worth the time and money.”
- “One twist in the gameplay/graphics was the 'multi-plane' scrolling of each level; moving around shifts the perspective a little, possibly revealing a hidden object.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The gameplay features some innovative elements, such as multi-plane scrolling that enhances exploration, but is marred by repetitive mechanics and frustratingly incorrect tools for problem-solving. Players find the experience tedious, compounded by long, unskippable cutscenes and a lack of engaging variety. Overall, the gameplay is considered boring and uninviting.
- “One twist in the gameplay and graphics was the 'multi-plane' scrolling of each level; moving around shifts the perspective a little, possibly revealing a hidden object.”
- “There are some neat ideas in the gameplay, like scrolling the picture and watching the town modernize, but the whole thing where they give you only incorrect tools to solve each problem the first time you attempt it was pointless and annoying.”
- “Really just a very boring game, with long, unskippable, badly acted cutscenes, and the gameplay is just the same thing over and over... don't bother.”
- “One twist in the gameplay/graphics was the 'multi-plane' scrolling of each level; moving around shifts the perspective a little, possibly revealing a hidden object.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to the presence of repetitive and tedious cutscenes that cannot be skipped, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The grinding feels endless, with repetitive tasks that offer little reward.”
- “I spent hours doing the same thing over and over, and it became incredibly boring.”
- “The game forces you into a grind that feels more like a chore than fun.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is generally praised for being pleasant and non-intrusive, allowing players to enjoy the experience without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, the volume controls are well-designed, enabling users to adjust the music to their preference if it becomes distracting.
- “The pleasant music throughout the game creates an immersive atmosphere without being overwhelming.”
- “I appreciate the good controls for volume, allowing me to adjust the music if it feels too distracting.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game demonstrates impressive stability, performing well even on outdated and low-spec hardware, such as an old toaster.
- “Runs great even on an old, broken down toaster.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience throughout.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a very stable gameplay experience.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report excellent optimization, with no performance or technical issues experienced, even on lower-end hardware.
- “No performance or technical issues at all for me and my 5-year-old low to mid-range rig.”
- “The game runs smoothly even on older hardware, showcasing excellent optimization.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by how well the game performs on my budget setup.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is generally perceived to have little to no replay value, indicating that players may not find sufficient incentive to revisit it after completing the initial experience.
- “Little to no replay value.”
- “The game lacks incentives to play through again.”
- “Once you've completed it, there's not much reason to return.”