Boyhood's End

About

"Boyhood's End" is a juvenile sci-fi horror adventure game set in a world ruled by a mechanical overlord, "R. Karellen". The player controls Giovanni, a young boy with the lowest human score, who faces bullying and discrimination. The game features hand-drawn pixel art and animated conversations, with puzzles to solve and a story to explore. Please note that it contains depictions of bullying and violence. *NO RELEASE DATE OR DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE*.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 86 reviews

story19 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The game features beautiful pixel art and animation, creating an immersive and visually appealing experience.
The story is engaging and thought-provoking, with well-developed characters and unique gameplay mechanics.
Players appreciate the atmosphere and emotional depth, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

The game is still in early access and has several bugs, including freezing and crashing issues that can disrupt gameplay.
Some puzzles can be confusing or frustrating, particularly due to unclear directions and language barriers.
The lack of save slots and occasional gameplay inconsistencies can detract from the overall experience.

story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
35%
9%
The story of the game has been widely praised for its engaging narrative, compelling characters, and beautiful visuals, creating an emotional and immersive experience. Players express excitement for future chapters, noting the well-paced storytelling and the potential for deeper character development despite some initial clichés. Overall, the combination of a gripping plot and stunning pixel art has left a positive impression, making it a strong choice for fans of story-driven RPGs.
- “The story so far is well put together, engaging, and adequately paced.”
- “The story is great with a particularly interesting setting and likeable characters.”
- “The story is equally as promising with the way it was already tugging at the heartstrings, and the interesting characters and mystery.”
- “I had to look up videos of what other people did to progress the story forward.”
- “There are basically no choices to make; the game is more about telling just a story with pixel art visuals and puzzles from time to time.”
- “Like seriously, how am I supposed to remember the name of the roommate of some character the story mentioned like twice?”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
30%
20%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning pixel art style, which many reviewers describe as the most beautiful they've encountered in this genre. The visuals are complemented by a compelling story and an engaging soundtrack, creating an immersive experience that captivates players with intricate details and a strong aesthetic appeal. Overall, the game's presentation is noted for its excellence, enhancing the storytelling and gameplay.
- “I also really like the pixel art style as I feel it best suits the style of the game.”
- “The visuals are sublime, easily being the prettiest game using a pixel art style that I have played.”
- “Extremely great start for this game, beautiful pixel art, a great soundtrack, and a game with compelling and creepy visuals.”
- “There are basically no choices to make; the game is more about telling just a story with pixel art visuals and puzzles from time to time.”
- “The art style is so eye candy!!!!”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits notable stability issues, including frequent freezes and crashes, particularly during scene transitions and initial loading screens. While autosave features mitigate progress loss, players report a variety of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay. Despite these technical challenges, many users still find the overall experience enjoyable and engaging.
- “The game freezes and crashes sometimes, not a big issue due to the autosaves in terms of losing progress (it mostly happens right after a scene change actually), but before I figured out that I just have to close and reopen the game, it wasn't the ideal situation.”
- “In the beginning of the game, after loading into Giovanni's room, the screen freezes and I have to reopen the game. It doesn't give me the same kind of error as mentioned before, but it definitely shouldn't happen; reopening the game fixes the issue.”
- “Very buggy, crashed, multiple errors, then got softlocked two hours in.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
13%
38%
The gameplay is praised for its unique mechanics, engaging storyline, and beautiful visuals, creating a captivating atmosphere in a psychological horror setting. However, some players find it unintuitive at times, leading to repetitive actions and minor UI issues, though these do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite some glitches and simplicity in puzzle-solving, the gameplay remains compelling and leaves players eager for future chapters.
- “Great character writing, worldbuilding, background music, art, and unique gameplay create a psychological horror wonderland, covering difficult topics in a way that doesn't seem completely off-putting despite being very real and hard to deal with.”
- “Sprite work is absolutely gorgeous, and the storyline, despite being just the start of a five-chapter arc, was gripping. Outside of some glitches I encountered, the gameplay was engaging. I can't wait for the other four chapters to be completed and released; overall, this was amazing and I can't sing its praises enough for now.”
- “Has a strong start and a nice presentation of the visuals and mechanics it introduces.”
- “I really want to like this, but I can't with how its gameplay is.”
- “The gameplay does feel a bit unintuitive at times, and you end up walking around, repeating the same activities, only to randomly stumble upon something and progress further.”
- “Gameplay is quite simple with light puzzle solving.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and compelling quality, complementing the engaging puzzles and captivating visuals. Reviewers highlight the impressive production values and the standout soundtrack, noting that it enhances the overall experience of the game. Overall, the art and music are considered exceptional, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Great production values, love certain music tracks and the presentation is on point in certain scenes.”
- “The art, music, and story are super compelling and well done.”
- “Art and soundtrack is incredible, it's the most impressive RPG Maker-based game I've ever played.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its exceptional character writing, immersive worldbuilding, and evocative background music, creating a psychological horror experience that feels both unique and engaging. It effectively tackles difficult themes in a manner that is thought-provoking yet accessible, enhancing the overall emotional impact.
- “The atmosphere is a psychological horror wonderland, with exceptional character writing, worldbuilding, and background music that create a unique gameplay experience. It tackles difficult topics in a way that feels authentic yet approachable.”
- “The game's atmosphere is hauntingly immersive, drawing players into a world that feels both familiar and unsettling, perfectly complementing the narrative.”
- “Every element of the atmosphere, from the art style to the sound design, contributes to a deeply engaging experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers notable replayability for a story-based title, with players finding value in revisiting the content even after the release of just the first chapter.
- “For a story-based game, I find that it has quite good replay value even after just the first chapter has been released.”
- “The different choices and outcomes make each playthrough feel unique, encouraging me to dive back in.”
- “With multiple endings and character paths, I can't help but replay the game to explore every possibility.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the character designs, indicating that they contribute positively to the overall character development in the game. However, there is limited feedback on the depth or progression of the characters themselves.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is characterized by its cinematic approach, delivering a deeply emotional experience within a sci-fi horror narrative. Players are drawn into a compelling story that evokes strong feelings and engages them on a personal level.
- “A cinematic-heavy, emotional sci-fi horror story that truly captivates the player.”
- “The game masterfully blends storytelling and emotion, leaving a lasting impact.”
- “Every moment is filled with tension and heart, making the emotional journey unforgettable.”