Bloomtown: A Different Story

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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"Bloomtown: A Different Story" is a narrative-driven game that explores the life of a young adult, Mia, in the town of Bloomtown. Players will navigate Mia's relationships, make choices that affect her story, and uncover the town's hidden secrets. Through stunning visuals and branching dialogue options, the game invites players to experience a heartfelt and immersive adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 379 reviews

story86 positive mentions

grinding27 negative mentions

The game features beautiful pixel art and animations, creating a visually stunning experience.
The soundtrack is fantastic, with engaging battle music that enhances the overall gameplay.
The story is intriguing and combines elements of mystery, humor, and dark themes, making it captivating.

The combat can feel tedious and repetitive, with a high miss rate and limited strategic options.
There is no manual save option, which can lead to frustration if players need to exit the game unexpectedly.
Some quests and mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion and potential missed opportunities.

story
258 mentions
33 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "Bloomtown: A Different Story" is generally well-received, praised for its engaging narrative, charming characters, and a blend of humor and darker themes. While many players appreciate the depth added by side quests and character interactions, some express disappointment over pacing issues and a lack of clarity in quest progression. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic mix of JRPG elements and heartfelt storytelling, though some feel it could benefit from further development and additional content.
- “I loved this game; it reminds me of a mix of different genres, JRPG, Earthbound-esque, with a hint of a monster-catching game, and some mystery with a nice story to go with it.”
- “The story centers on a group of children navigating big, often tragic problems, yet the writing captures their perspectives with authenticity and care.”
- “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, tackles many serious topics and never shies away from sincere depictions of loss, friendship, education, child-parent relationships, youthful attempts at orientation or sibling warfare.”
- “The story feels... phoned in.”
- “Pretty much the entire time I was asking 'what is going on?' 'how am I in this situation all of the sudden?' just felt like fractions of a story were being thrown at me and it was all mashed up together.”
- “For a game subtitled 'a different story,' this one doesn't actually feel all that original.”
music
154 mentions
49 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its beautiful and catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The battle music, often compared to that of Persona 5, is particularly noted for its energetic and engaging quality, although some players found it repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is described as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.
- “The music is phenomenal.”
- “The soundtrack is packed with unforgettable tunes—I found myself humming them so much that my boyfriend surprised me with the soundtrack!”
- “The battle music especially just makes me always want to sing along at full strength!”
- “The music is inconsistent.”
- “In dungeons, you have this bland 2-track audio, but in battles, you have a whole song complete with a vocal track.”
- “I can understand it gets some influence from Persona, but in this particular game, the combat music does not fit at all.”
gameplay
100 mentions
23 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of engaging turn-based combat and life-simulation mechanics reminiscent of the Persona series, offering a fun and charming experience. However, many players find certain mechanics confusing or lacking depth, particularly in combat, where status effects often feel ineffective against bosses. While the game features enjoyable elements like trivia and mini-games, some aspects can become repetitive, and the overall execution may leave players wanting more clarity and refinement.
- “Gameplay-wise, it's fun and engaging.”
- “The gameplay was quite good; I would have liked a better explanation for the demon subduing mechanic, but otherwise, it is classic turn-based combat with characters that have specific classes, spells, and roles.”
- “The overall gameplay just feels half-baked.”
- “The game has two sides: the art is excellent, but there are so many serious problems with the gameplay and progression systems that it really feels like the developers didn't know what they were doing (or at least I hope they didn't).”
- “Despite the charming aesthetic and inoffensive core gameplay loop, I really can't tolerate the incredible amount of trivia unrelated to anything in the game, none of which has any manner of learning opportunity whatsoever, and the seeming majority of which result in immediate failure of whatever side quest or stat gain opportunity without recourse.”
- “Very fun for the first 2 chapters before falling off hard with its repetitive gameplay loop.”
graphics
86 mentions
63 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning pixel art style, charming animations, and attention to detail, often described as both nostalgic and innovative. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful artwork and engaging character designs, which contribute significantly to the overall atmosphere and enjoyment of the game. While some players noted minor gameplay issues, the visual presentation remains a standout feature that enhances the overall experience.
- “The art style of this game is absolutely beautiful.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the story is engaging, and it offers a lot of exploration between the dungeon crawling.”
- “The artwork and animations are stunning and feel so polished.”
- “There are so many interesting things to look at but you can't interact with most of them, so I'm unsure whether the game is unfinished, had issues with scope, or the things are just there for aesthetics.”
- “I really wanted to like this game; if the game felt finished and didn't have these massive problems, I would have really loved it because it has everything else down: the combat (pretty average), the exploration, art style, atmosphere, the music, but they all feel like fractions of a whole.”
- “The graphics aside from the quest and map issues are very pretty.”
grinding
27 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in the game, noting that while some players appreciate the farming and crafting elements, many find them tedious and unnecessary, often opting to purchase items instead. The combat is described as frustratingly slow and repetitive, with bosses acting as mere HP sponges, contributing to an overall sense of tedium. Despite the game's beautiful artwork and engaging story, the grinding mechanics detract from the enjoyment for several players.
- “It's tediously door after door, room after room, most absolutely irrelevant.”
- “There are a few not very useful features too, like farming, that don't really go anywhere.”
- “The story seems fun, but the combat is excruciatingly tedious.”
humor
23 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever and meta dialogue, with many players finding it both hilarious and engaging. While some initial lines may come off as cringeworthy, the overall comedic tone improves significantly, featuring a mix of witty references, funny character interactions, and a lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. The humor is described as both accessible and mature, appealing to a broad audience while contributing to the game's charm and storytelling.
- “The dialogue is hilarious, the story is great, and the combat is fun.”
- “The game has a lot of funny moments, dialogues, and discrete references to pop culture.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
20 mentions
45 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its blend of humor and horror, reminiscent of 80s classics like "Stranger Things" and "Stand By Me." Players appreciate the beautifully crafted environments, pixel art, and attention to detail, which create an immersive experience filled with nostalgia and emotional depth. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as compelling, enjoyable, and integral to its narrative and gameplay.
- “Incredible atmosphere of the game <3 I couldn't stop playing.”
- “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.”
- “If you're here for the chill atmosphere, you won't care about this.”
- “I really wanted to like this game; if it felt finished and didn't have these massive problems, I would have really loved it because it has everything else down: the combat (pretty average), the exploration, art style, atmosphere, the music, but they all feel like fractions of a whole.”
- “The atmosphere is much like 'Stranger Things' with a lot of references to the 80s.”
emotional
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of heartfelt storytelling and charming characters, with many players noting its ability to evoke feelings of warmth and nostalgia. While some found the emotional impact less intense compared to other titles, the game's wholesome themes of friendship, loss, and hope resonate well, complemented by an impressive soundtrack and engaging art style. Overall, it offers a sweet, albeit sometimes uneven, emotional experience that balances both lighthearted and poignant moments.
- “A lot of heartbreaking experiences which hide inside the charm of Bloomtown and its residents.”
- “Bloomtown: A Different Story is a heartfelt gem that deserves far more attention than it’s received.”
- “A very sweet and well put together RPG with a heartwarming story of friendship, coming of age, moving through loss and hope.”
replayability
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mix of high replayability due to anticipated prequels/sequels and the introduction of diverse playable characters, which enhances the experience. However, some users feel that replayability is limited, suggesting that certain elements could be improved to encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “A prequel/sequel is much anticipated yet highly replayable.”
- “More playable characters - Preston became one of my favorites after the little quest with him.”
- “Not much replayability.”
- “Which... increases replayability, I guess?”
- “I know I would if it were playable!”
character development
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by a deep system that enhances the gameplay experience, complemented by a variety of enemy designs that keep combat engaging. However, while the animation and art are generally well-received, some players find the character designs to be somewhat bland. Overall, the combination of challenging fights and character progression contributes positively to the game's appeal.
- “Challenging fights and a deep character development system.”
optimization
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players noted that while the game has potential, it suffers from performance issues, particularly in forest areas, and could benefit from improved animations to enhance combat fluidity. Additionally, incorporating varied weapon art could add more visual appeal.
- “It would be nice to see the art for the different weapons, just to add more flavor, and some optimizations of animations to make combat flow more smoothly.”
- “It would be nice to see the art for the different weapons, just to add more flavor, and some optimizations of animations to make combat flow better.”
- “Performance was a bit rough in some parts, especially in the forest; I had to tough it out.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is perceived as exploitative, with many users feeling that the game relies on appealing visuals and similarities to superior titles to attract players, ultimately viewing it as a cash grab.
- “This honestly feels like a cash grab trying to use nice art and a resemblance to better games to rope players in.”
- “The monetization system is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, which ruins the overall experience.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is currently plagued by numerous glitches, leading to a lack of stability that prevents users from recommending it in its present state.
- “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.”