Baobabs Mausoleum Ep.2: 1313 Barnabas Dead End Drive
- February 27, 2018
- Celery Emblem™
- 76h median play time
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
Get on SteamBaobabs Mausoleum™. Mixing Monkey Island, Zelda Link´s Awakening DX with Twin Peaks and SpongeBob Squarepants. Welcome To Flamingo´s Creek: Population 64.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a quirky and unique atmosphere, reminiscent of retro games, with interesting character designs and a charming art style.
- It offers a variety of gameplay styles and mini-games, keeping the experience fresh and engaging despite its short length.
- The soundtrack is fun and complements the bizarre narrative, making it a memorable experience for those who enjoy unconventional storytelling.
- The gameplay is often tedious, with many puzzles being either overly simplistic or frustratingly difficult, leading to a lack of enjoyment.
- The writing and dialogue suffer from poor translation and numerous typos, detracting from immersion and making the story hard to follow.
- Technical issues, such as clunky controls and bugs, hinder the overall experience, making it feel unfinished and poorly tested.
- gameplay50 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Baobabs Mausoleum is criticized for being tedious and lacking engagement, primarily revolving around fetch quests and poorly designed mechanics. While the game attempts to incorporate various styles and unique elements, many players find the execution clunky and frustrating, with puzzles that range from overly simplistic to punishingly difficult. Overall, the gameplay feels disjointed and underdeveloped, overshadowing the game's quirky aesthetic and narrative ambitions.
“The soundtrack is kooky and fun, gameplay and art-style are both delightfully weird.”
“Though it's not that difficult and the gameplay maybe could have been a bit more engaging, the atmosphere and the environment in general are really great.”
“I love weird games with unconventional stories, aesthetics, and gameplay, so naturally, I was quite drawn to this game.”
“I wanted to enjoy this game for its Twin Peaks-style quirkiness, but instead I was treated to the most boring 30 minutes of intro gameplay since the time I played Golden Nugget on PS1 as a child.”
“The gameplay appears to be built around fetch quests with nothing fun during or in between.”
“The puzzles are mostly either extremely easy and obvious or obnoxiously punishing – forcing you to restart a whole section or level, just because of some poor collision detection or badly designed gameplay issue.”
- story28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story is characterized by its bizarre and whimsical elements, which some players find charming while others deem it nonsensical and unengaging. While the narrative is unfinished and often feels disjointed, it has potential for development in future episodes, appealing particularly to fans of unconventional storytelling. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some enjoying the unique style and atmosphere, while others criticize the lack of coherence and depth in the plot.
“The plot is the thing that links the whole thing and it's as weird as it is charming.”
“I thought it was a rather wacky game that has some interesting story elements that could be fleshed out in future episodes.”
“Baobabs is highly recommended for fans of storytelling, Twin Peaks fans, and lovers of David Lynch.”
“The story is unfinished and there's a sequel to this too.”
“The story is terrible.”
“It's one thing for a game to clearly be meant for atmosphere and context doesn't matter, but having 'acts' and clearly named characters with implied backstory and just saying 'to hell with it' immediately leaves something to be desired.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as charmingly weird and nostalgic, with a unique art style that some players find appealing. However, there are mixed opinions on their quality, with comments on inconsistency across different styles and cutscenes, as well as some criticism of the overall aesthetic being unappealing or overly simplistic. Despite these critiques, many players appreciate the quirky visuals and how they complement the game's soundtrack and atmosphere.
“The visuals were awesome and there are tons of hidden references and jokes.”
“The aesthetic is lovely, spooky yet charming, and the soundtrack works really well with the graphics.”
“It's got a charmingly weird art style.”
“The graphics are inconsistent as well, not just between each game style but also within the cutscenes.”
“In every aspect (mechanic, graphics, music, plot, etc.) I feel like there was no clear decision made to go in any one direction with the design choices.”
“The graphics are bad.”
- music26 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as kooky and fun, complementing the unique art style, but opinions are mixed regarding its cohesiveness and ability to enhance the atmosphere. While some players appreciate the soundtrack and find it charming, others criticize it for lacking a consistent tone and failing to effectively support the game's mood. Overall, the music is seen as a highlight for some, but its inconsistency detracts from the overall experience for others.
“The soundtrack is kooky and fun, gameplay and art-style are both delightfully weird.”
“The aesthetic is lovely, spooky yet charming, and the soundtrack works really well with the graphics.”
“Personally, I enjoyed the game, the visuals, the music, the mood and setting, and honestly looking forward to episode 2 in the series.”
“Usually, music can be used as a tool to strengthen the atmosphere in the game, but here it falls short, as the music choices are as confusing as the game.”
“In every aspect (mechanic, graphics, music, plot, etc.), I feel like there was no clear decision made to go in any one direction with the design choices.”
“Nothing in this game, aside from the unique and sometimes even charming graphic style and music, is worth spending your money and time on.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as quirky and visually appealing, with a unique VHS tape aesthetic that some players find intriguing, while others feel it contributes to a confusing experience. The music fails to enhance the atmosphere, leading to mixed feelings about its effectiveness. Overall, while the environment is praised, the lack of coherence in the atmosphere leaves players wanting more in terms of context and engagement.
“The filter and the atmosphere are cool.”
“Though it's not that difficult and the gameplay maybe could have been a bit more engaging, the atmosphere and the environment in general are really great.”
“It's a fun game with some nice art and a quirky atmosphere.”
“The overall atmosphere is really weird and even made me feel headache all the time while playing it.”
“Usually, music can be used as a tool to strengthen the atmosphere in the game but here it falls short, as the music choices are as confusing as the game.”
“It's one thing for a game to clearly be meant for atmosphere and context doesn't matter (like, say, hylics), but having 'acts' and clearly named characters with implied backstory and just saying 'to hell with it' immediately leaves something to be desired.”
- humor10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate its unpredictable and unique weirdness, others find the jokes unfunny and the overall experience frustrating. Despite mixed opinions, there are those who enjoy the nonsensical elements and find the humor enjoyable, indicating a divide in player reception.
“I like the humor as well; it's not just annoying poopy jokes but actually unpredictable weirdness sometimes.”
“I don't understand the purpose of this or many of the other nonsensical elements of this game, but I'm sticking with it for now because it's funny and enjoyable in other ways.”
“Funny, unique, and weird experience - a bit short but can't wait to see more.”
“The game is not funny at all; it is just too frustrating and weird to be humorous.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be somewhat lacking, with players often resorting to repetitive actions like clickspamming to progress. While the environments and character designs are visually appealing, they do not compensate for the absence of a compelling narrative or deeper character engagement. Overall, the game may rely on other immersive elements rather than strong character development to captivate players.
“Finally, my opinion is that a great game doesn't necessarily need to have any plot at all, as long as it can immerse you in other ways, like innovative puzzles or clever character development.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and forgettable, with many expressing frustration over the lack of engaging gameplay and poor writing quality. Overall, the grinding experience is described as painful and uninspired, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“So tedious it hurts.”
“The gameplay is tedious at best and forgettable most of the time.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game's atmosphere is unsettling, with some experiencing discomfort and headaches during gameplay, indicating a strong but potentially overwhelming emotional impact.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including glitches that prevent playing in windowed mode on Mac, necessitating restarts. Additionally, essential resources for solving the game, such as codes, are no longer accessible on the developer's site and must be sourced from forums, further complicating the experience.
“But the reason I can't recommend it is the fact that there are various glitches (can't play the game in windowed mode on Mac because of glitches, requiring a restart) and various things you need to solve the game (a code on the dev's site) are no longer available and must be found on the forum.”
