Bloomtown: A Different Story

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 221 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Bloomtown: A Different Story Game Cover
Bloomtown: A Different Story is a turn-based JRPG where bartering your soul with Satan is the least of your worries. The games’ quirky characters and unconventional story are a highlight and pull you in instantly. Sadly, the inquisitiveness and allure drop rather quickly due to an overabundance of mechanics and inconvenient design making Bloomtown wilt away.
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In "Bloomtown: A Different Story," a narrative JRPG set in a 1960s Americana town, players must uncover the mystery behind disappearing children and a growing demon world. As Emily, an adventurous 12-year-old, players will experience turn-based combat, monster taming, and social RPG elements to save the town and its inhabitants from a dark fate. The game features a cozy town façade hiding a sinister secret, with fear and vices taking the form of monsters that players must confront and overcome.

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Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 221 reviews
story47 positive mentions
grinding14 negative mentions
  • Beautiful pixel art and animations that create a charming atmosphere.
  • Engaging story with well-written characters and humorous dialogue.
  • Fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, especially during battles.
  • Combat can be tedious with a high miss rate and underwhelming status effects.
  • Lack of manual save options can lead to frustration if players need to exit unexpectedly.
  • Some quests and mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion during gameplay.
  • story143 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its charming characters, engaging dialogue, and beautiful visuals, while others find it simplistic or lacking depth. Some reviews highlight the fun and immersive side quests, though they also note issues with vague instructions and quest progression. Overall, while the narrative has its strengths, including humor and emotional moments, it often feels overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and can leave players wanting more in terms of originality and coherence.

    • “I absolutely love this game so far, I think the art is really beautiful and the story has kept me hooked.”
    • “The story and fighting mechanics were its most powerful assets.”
    • “The aesthetics (pixel art at its absolute best!), the creativity, the atmosphere, the animations, the music, the astounding love of detail... the mature story, often funny and witty, with interesting side quests... I just loved reading everything, especially every line coming from the colorful ensemble of memorable and distinct characters.”
    • “Shops were only open on some days, and sometimes you need those shops to progress the plot, which leads to you sitting around reading four books in one day or fishing for six hours waiting for a shop to open.”
    • “Sometimes quest progression was baffling, and I was confused about how I got where I was and what I was supposed to be doing.”
    • “The story initially seemed promising, but it is definitely campy.”
  • music90 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy and upbeat soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The battle music, often compared to that of the Persona series, is particularly noted for its ability to energize players during combat. While some found the combat music to be repetitive or not to their taste, the majority agree that the soundtrack is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.

    • “Great RPG game with fantastic pixel art and a brilliant soundtrack!”
    • “The music is amazing, the pixel art is fantastic, and the turn-based fighting is great.”
    • “The battle music especially just makes me always want to sing along at full strength!”
    • “Music is inconsistent.”
    • “In dungeons, you have this bland 2 track audio, but in battles you have a whole-ass song complete with vocal track.”
    • “I can understand it gets some influence from persona, but in this particular game, the combat music does not fit at all.”
  • gameplay56 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many praising the turn-based combat and life-sim mechanics reminiscent of the Persona series, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth. Players enjoy the character interactions and pixel art, but some find the mechanics underexplained and the overall experience somewhat bland as the game progresses. Despite its flaws, the game is considered a decent introduction to the genre, especially for fans of turn-based RPGs.

    • “The gameplay is fun; I am now a fan of turn-based battles.”
    • “The overall gameplay loop is very fleshed out and addicting.”
    • “So first, yeah, gameplay-wise it borrows many elements from Persona 3-5, and that's great; Persona 5 is one of the best games of all time, and if you love that, you'll love this.”
    • “Very fun for the first 2 chapters before falling off hard with its repetitive gameplay loop.”
    • “Even the story beats were short and bland, just an excuse to move to a new dungeon to repeat the same gameplay all over again with very little variation.”
    • “The overall gameplay just feels half-baked.”
  • graphics51 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and polished pixel art style, which evokes nostalgia and showcases a high level of detail and creativity. Reviewers highlight the beautiful visuals as a standout feature, complementing them with fantastic music and engaging character designs that enhance the overall experience. The art style is described as both cute and atmospheric, effectively supporting the game's narrative and themes.

    • “This game is absolutely adorable, with charming graphics and a lovely pixel art style.”
    • “The graphics are amazing and very polished, and it is one of the best-looking pixel games I have played recently.”
    • “The aesthetics (pixel art at its absolute best!), the creativity, the atmosphere, the animations, the music, the astounding love of detail... I just loved reading everything, especially every line coming from the colorful ensemble of memorable and distinct characters.”
    • “The graphics aside from the quest and map issues are very pretty.”
    • “The artwork and animations are reminiscent of classic RPGs, characterized by pixels and turn-based combat.”
    • “Its like Persona but with pixel art style, the resemblances are uncanny to be called influenced-by.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and unnecessary, particularly due to long animations during farming and combat that disrupt the flow of gameplay. While some players appreciate the inclusion of farming elements, many feel that it detracts from the overall experience, making battles feel monotonous and lacking in impact. Overall, the game struggles to balance its farming and combat mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience for those who prefer more dynamic gameplay.

    • “Unnecessarily long animations for farming.”
    • “I know others will enjoy it and I'm glad they will, but I cannot recommend this game when it fell apart and became tedious as jarringly as it did.”
    • “Sadly I can't recommend this game; the combat is tedious, sometimes animations and hits are not in sync or just don't show the impact, buff or debuff messages, and you had no idea if something really happened.”
  • humor12 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever and witty dialogue, which resonates well with players and enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers appreciate the blend of lightheartedness and mature themes, noting that the humor is both engaging and well-integrated into the story and character interactions. While some found the humor hit or miss, the majority enjoyed the comedic elements, contributing to a charming and memorable atmosphere.

    • “Its super cute, funny dialogue, and even puzzles! I am enjoying this game very much!!!!”
    • “I love the humor; I find the characters to be fun. The story itself might seem simple, and it is, but the game doesn't need a crazy plot.”
    • “There is a lot of reading dialogue, but it's written well and there's a lot of snark and humor to it that I found myself chuckling at.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautifully crafted environments, detailed pixel art, and engaging animations that create a unique and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the blend of humor, mature storytelling, and a sense of nostalgia, all contributing to a captivating vibe reminiscent of a "summer spent in a decrepit mysterious town." The combination of thoughtful dialogue, creative world design, and a fitting soundtrack enhances the overall ambiance, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The aesthetics (pixel art at its absolute best!), the creativity, the atmosphere, the animations, the music, the astounding love of detail... this is dialogue, here are real authors at work that understand the fine line between irony and sincerity.”
    • “Very atmospheric game with its own vibe.”
    • “If you're here for the chill atmosphere, you won't care about this.”
    • “The environments are beautifully crafted, full of details, animations are well done, there is a lot of humor in the way some characters are shown, and it contributes beautifully to this 'summer spent in a decrepit mysterious town' atmosphere.”
    • “Love the atmosphere and the art style.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it features a heartwarming story and an impressive soundtrack that evokes feelings of friendship and hope, some players felt a lack of emotional depth and engagement as the game progressed. Overall, it successfully balances wholesome and creepy elements, creating a charming atmosphere filled with small, uplifting details.

    • “For the amazing soundtrack itself, this game deserves a reward; the heartwarming stories and the amazing gameplay!”
    • “No need to sink in 200+ hours to get a full experience with nice, wholesome characters and a fantastic art style.”
    • “A very sweet and well put together RPG with a heartwarming story of friendship, coming of age, moving through loss and hope.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Reviews highlight a strong appreciation for the art and animation quality, though some find the character designs somewhat bland. The character development system is noted for its depth, adding a layer of challenge to the gameplay.

    • “Challenging fights and a deep character development system.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game is currently plagued by numerous glitches, leading to a lack of stability that prevents users from recommending it. Despite being a new release, the technical issues significantly detract from the overall experience.

    • “However, it is a new game, so I expected a lot of glitches. It's just that I cannot recommend the game in its current glitchy state.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for experiencing performance issues, particularly in forest areas, which detracted from the overall experience for some players.

    • “Performance was a bit rough in some parts, especially in the forest; I had to tough it out.”
    • “The game struggles with frame rates during intense scenes, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
    • “I encountered frequent stuttering and lag, which really detracted from the overall gameplay.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Users generally feel that the game lacks significant replayability, suggesting that once completed, there is little incentive to play through it again.

    • “There isn't much replayability.”
    • “The game lacks incentives to play through again.”
    • “Once you've completed it, there's little reason to return.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

52% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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