Blankspace

About

Blankspace is a single player casual role playing game with romance and mystery themes. It was developed by NoBreadStudio and was released on July 23, 2020. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Blankspace" is a single-player mystery visual novel game with an intriguing story and multiple endings. Wake up in a strange room, handcuffed to a pipe, with no memory of the night before. Your choices affect your relationship and ending in this story-rich, character-driven narrative with puzzle and romance elements. The phenomenal soundtrack is composed by OddTillTheEnd. An optional free H-patch and support for Windows and Linux are also included.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 73 reviews

story31 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features excellent visuals and character design, with well-drawn sprites and a unique art style that enhances the emotional atmosphere.
The writing is engaging, with witty banter between characters and a compelling story that touches on serious themes, making it relatable and impactful.
The puzzles are well-designed, offering a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult, and they integrate seamlessly into the narrative.

The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more depth and exploration of certain plot points and character backstories.
Replaying the game to achieve all endings can become tedious, especially since there is no option to skip puzzles after the first playthrough.
Some players found the navigation within the escape rooms confusing, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
62%
3%
The story of the game is characterized as engaging and emotionally resonant, with well-developed characters and a central focus on their relationships, particularly between Chris and Beryl. While the narrative features intriguing plot twists and themes of regret, some players noted pacing issues and unresolved plot points that detracted from the overall experience. Despite its brevity, the story effectively combines character-driven elements with puzzle-solving gameplay, leaving players eager for more content and alternative endings.
- “The story is amazing and emotionally engaging, leaving me wanting more.”
- “The core of the story is the relationship between Chris and Beryl, as well as their own relationships with themselves.”
- “It's very easy to get immersed in this story, with well-written characters and a compelling narrative.”
- “Another thing I was confused about was how some plot points were hinted at but then were never followed up on.”
- “The story is messed up and pretty sad, but it was a good story, not what I was expecting.”
- “At its core, it's a character-driven story, and they ruin it with a random out-of-nowhere choice.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
26%
13%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players noting its ability to enhance the storytelling and atmosphere. While some describe it as decent or average, others highlight standout tracks that are memorable and emotionally impactful, contributing significantly to the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, with several players expressing a desire to purchase it after playing.
- “The music fits the events well, emphasizing the story to a degree.”
- “I loved the soundtrack too, and that vocal song is going on my playlist!”
- “The biggest surprise for me was the music; it's genuinely great, and I bought the OST as soon as I finished the game.”
- “Just decent enough music.”
- “The music well completes the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The music composed by oddtilltheend does a fine job in evoking an investigative feeling, as it is absolutely necessary if you want to solve these rooms.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mixed response from players; while some struggled to connect deeply with the characters, others found the story profoundly touching and impactful, leading to multiple playthroughs. The narrative's complexity and the treatment of sensitive topics resonated with many, highlighting a blend of heartwarming and darker themes that left a lasting impression. Overall, the game is praised for its emotional depth, character development, and evocative soundtrack, making it a worthwhile experience for those seeking an emotional journey.
- “The glimpses into their experiences were so vivid and touching that I didn't want to let them go, thus playing three endings back to back and breaking my own heart over and over.”
- “So if you're looking for a game to make you ugly cry but also love it, please play this game and support the devs. I had to review it right away because these devs deserve to know how touching this game truly is and how much I loved it.”
- “The story was deeper than I was expecting, and I didn't expect to get as emotionally involved in the game as I did.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The graphics of the game are praised for their excellent visuals and smart art direction, creating a rich and inviting atmosphere. The character designs are fun and interesting, and the overall aesthetic is satisfying, showcasing significant progress from the creators' previous works. While the game addresses serious themes, it avoids graphic depictions of violence and sex, contributing to its thoughtful presentation.
- “Short, sweet, excellent visuals.”
- “Aesthetically, it's all very satisfying.”
- “Graphically, the game is wonderful - and mixed with the OST, the atmosphere is rich and inviting.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The gameplay of this visual novel is engaging and well-integrated, featuring a unique blend of reading and puzzle-solving that enhances the storytelling experience. While it may not appeal to everyone, fans of the genre will find the combination of rewarding puzzles, good music, and memorable dialogue to create a captivating atmosphere. Overall, the gameplay is both fun and approachable, making it a standout title in its category.
- “Good music, good atmosphere, fantastic dialogue, rewarding puzzles, and the unique hybrid gameplay style made this a very memorable experience!”
- “The story and gameplay are really awesome, and it's totally approachable even if you're not used to these kinds of games!”
- “Still, it is hardly less ambitious, given that the gameplay of [i]blankspace[/i] involves both reading and solving puzzles, so a lot of effort went into designing them, making them an intrinsic part of the story, creating all their constituents (such as 3D models and artwork), programming them, and ensuring their correct operation.”
- “Second - gameplay, visual novels, and point-and-clicks aren't for everyone, but if you're a fan of this genre, you should totally give it a try.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its richness and inviting quality, enhanced by fantastic music and graphics. Reviewers highlight the strong storytelling and engaging dialogue, which contribute to a memorable and immersive experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that complements the gameplay effectively.
- “Good music, good atmosphere, fantastic dialogue, rewarding puzzles, and the unique hybrid gameplay style made this a very memorable experience!”
- “Graphically, the game is wonderful - and mixed with the OST, the atmosphere is rich and inviting.”
- “The atmosphere is quite nice, and I enjoyed the writing.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in *Soulset* is characterized by a delightful blend of heartwarming and hilarious moments, seamlessly integrated with deeper themes. Players appreciate the witty dialogue and clever jokes that elicit genuine laughter, while also acknowledging the game's ability to tackle heavier subjects thoughtfully. Overall, the humor enhances the narrative without overshadowing its more serious elements.
- “The reasons I absolutely love [i]Soulset[/i] are plenty: charismatic, multi-dimensional characters; its plot being a complex non-linear ontological mystery that is revealed slowly, layer by layer, with tons of details foreshadowing these reveals; inventive, meta-narrative features, and playing around with the fourth wall; a delightful mix of heartwarming and hilarious moments, organically interwoven with deeper, darker, and uncomfortable stuff, dealt with tastefully and honestly; high production value; the way that even the structure of the visual novel itself supports its premise in a meaningful way; etc.”
- “Good dialogue, a few jokes that genuinely made me laugh and some heavier themes too that at least gave me food for thought, but didn't overdo it.”
- “It made me laugh!”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highly praised, with players noting the relatable and well-crafted characters, impressive dialogue, and strong emotional engagement. The combination of beautiful art and a captivating soundtrack enhances the overall experience, making the character-driven narrative stand out against more conventional titles.
- “I clicked for the character design, was pulled in by this beautiful song that played, and finished the game because it turned out to be quite relatable.”
- “You can slog through AAA titles with half-baked stories, but Blankspace is concise and impressive for anyone who enjoys character development and believable dialogue.”
- “The art, character design, and soundtrack are excellent, but the real star of the show here is the characters and dialogue.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game offers limited replayability in terms of puzzles and its linear main story, but players appreciate the potential for replay value through multiple endings, item collection, and intense moments that enhance the experience.
- “And there is definitely replay value... different endings... finding logos... finding all items... I was actually worried when it was near the end and I had to walk to that one final door... in that hallway... good job on the intense moments!”
- “There's no real replayability in regards to the puzzles, and the main story is essentially linear.”
- “The game lacks significant replay value, as the puzzles and main story do not offer different experiences upon replaying.”
- “While there are different endings and collectibles, the overall experience feels too linear to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that once they master the puzzles, they can complete them quickly; however, the repetitive nature of grinding for achievements can become tedious and detracts from the overall experience, especially with a lack of post-game content.
- “What's great is once you get the puzzles down, it's really easy to quickly do them again - but the downside is repeating them over and over for achievement hunting purposes gets tedious.”
- “The tediousness of the puzzles was my first gripe of two, and my second is that there is no follow-up after the game.”