Break the Game
- July 15, 2019
- Simon Fredholm
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Break the Game" is a rhythm-based puzzle platformer where players must exploit glitches to progress. By manipulating the game's code and bugs to their advantage, players navigate through levels filled with obstacles and enemies. The game encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, as breaking the rules is the key to success.
Reviews
- The game features an interesting and thought-provoking story that engages players emotionally.
- The soundtrack is well-produced and adds to the overall experience of the game.
- The characters are unique and memorable, with humorous dialogue that can be entertaining.
- The pacing is often slow due to long, unskippable cutscenes and dialogue that can feel tedious.
- Gameplay can feel shallow and repetitive, with a lack of challenge in platforming and combat.
- There are technical issues, such as bugs and clunky controls, that detract from the overall experience.
- story223 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its unique, meta narrative and humor, while others criticize its pacing and lengthy, unskippable cutscenes that detract from the experience. Some find the plot engaging and emotionally resonant, despite its childish elements, while others feel it lacks coherence and depth, often feeling forced or overly simplistic. Overall, the story is seen as the main focus of the game, appealing to those who enjoy narrative-driven experiences, but it may frustrate players seeking more dynamic gameplay.
“It's one of the best storytelling I've ever seen in a game, and it demonstrates that you don't need fancy graphics to have fun.”
“The story itself seems cool: in short, a game developer managed to create sentient life inside of his programming, but also made them so smart and independent that they rebelled against him.”
“The story was a pleasure to follow, and it had me laughing hysterically one minute and bawling my eyes out the next.”
“The plot is boring and makes no sense; even characters that don't exist have main character syndrome.”
“The story had way too many long cut scenes that just dragged on and on for no reason, which had me begging for a skip button.”
“The story is given to you very slowly.”
- gameplay109 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as simple and often overshadowed by lengthy, unskippable cutscenes and dialogue, leading to a disjointed experience. While some players find the mechanics enjoyable and the platforming elements fun, many express frustration with the frequent interruptions and lack of depth in gameplay. Overall, the game leans heavily on its narrative, with a significant portion of the experience dedicated to story rather than action.
“The gameplay is simple, yet charming.”
“Witty dialogue, fun gameplay, I felt engrossed in the game the whole time.”
“The gameplay is part platformer, part shooter, and honestly it's competent at what it does, and I'm a sucker for glitchy art styles, so I quite enjoyed the scenery.”
“The gameplay continued for 10 seconds only to continue with a cutscene.”
“Barely any gameplay, and the cutscenes were unbearable.”
“Slow, boring, like half the game is waiting for the characters to finish talking, the gameplay itself isn't particularly good or bad.”
- humor104 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highly polarizing, with many players finding it a mix of childish, random internet meme jokes and forced attempts at comedy that often fall flat. While some appreciate the quirky and meta humor, others criticize the lengthy cutscenes and repetitive gags that detract from the overall experience. Overall, humor is subjective, and while some players find it hilarious and charming, others feel it is immature and tiresome.
“The game was fun; it had its clunky controller moments or a lot of unskippable dialogue to go through, but overall I enjoyed its meta humor and the ending left me conflicted.”
“I really liked the story this game takes you through, a mix between hilarious and sad at the same time but also a little challenging.”
“It's an utterly charming, cool, and funny platformer.”
“For me this game was 'what if Undertale was boring, unfunny, slow, with a super predictable ending and 0 replayability.'”
“The jokes are always explained which makes all the jokes inherently unfunny.”
“Most cutscenes are annoyingly long or so unfunny it's cringeworthy, or both.”
- music46 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its ability to enhance the overall experience and fit the game's mood perfectly. The soundtrack is described as diverse, engaging, and sometimes even better than the gameplay itself, with standout moments where it syncs impressively with boss attacks. While some found the music unoriginal or bland, the majority agree that it significantly contributes to the game's charm and emotional impact.
“Every song fits the mood to a T.”
“The soundtrack is amazing; at no point is there awkward silence or unfitting music (unless it's for comedic effect).”
“The music is surprisingly great in many places, especially where it syncs with boss attacks.”
“So when I finish this review and tab back in, I'll just be watching myself float through space and listening to bad music because I can't even alt-tab this game to do something when the game has forced you into a 10+ minute window where you can't play the damn game.”
“The tone is uneven; the Steam store page says lite horror, the unsettling missives aimed at the player in the first minute of gameplay hint at horror, and ultimately melt away to happy royalty-free music and omg squees from offscreen characters.”
“The music is bland.”
- graphics33 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a glitchy, minimalist art style that aligns with its subversive storytelling, though opinions vary on its effectiveness. While some players appreciate the unique aesthetic and the option to disable certain graphical effects, others find the visuals overwhelming or lacking in impact, particularly during key gameplay moments. Overall, the graphics are seen as fitting the game's theme, but they may not appeal to everyone, especially those sensitive to motion effects.
“The visuals are pleasant and unobtrusive.”
“Graphically, this game is great.”
“I find it very cute and loved the graphics and design of the game.”
“The visuals are often just too much and it's impossible to see anything (especially in the sound core fight).”
“Honestly, it's just some kind of platformer that pretends to be more than that by telling you so, but then the visuals don't match up.”
“Graphically, I'm disappointed.”
- emotional15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of responses, with some players finding it deeply moving and effective, while others feel that the pacing and comedic elements detract from the emotional impact. Many reviewers highlight the unique ability of the game to evoke feelings even for inanimate shapes, though some criticize the execution of emotional moments as rushed or overshadowed by drawn-out humor. Overall, it presents a mixed but generally positive emotional experience, resonating with players who appreciate its heartfelt storytelling.
“Long story short - not many games manage to make me this emotional.”
“Overall, Break the Game is an amazing emotional experience!”
“It's a unique, engrossing, surprising, emotional experience that's definitely worth the purchase.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the humorous dialogue and character interactions that enhance the experience, while others feel that the comedic elements undermine tension and immersion. Despite some criticisms regarding pacing and glitches, many reviews highlight the game's polished levels and engaging gameplay as contributing positively to its overall atmosphere. However, the blending of comedy and horror has proven to be a contentious point, with some players finding it ineffective.
“Such a great game! The storyline is nice, the characters are funny, and the way they interact with the player creates a fantastic atmosphere!”
“I liked the funny dialogues, the atmosphere, and the gameplay is really good, especially shooting; the gun feel is very spot on.”
“The levels had a great atmosphere, and the controls are easy to use, leading to fun gameplay.”
“The dialogue keeps getting more 'trying to be funny.' It tries to treat everything like a joke, which really hurts the atmosphere.”
“Kevin just gave me the nickname 'banana,' further making me question my choices and ruining any sense of atmosphere or tension.”
“The game mostly consists of jokes and references but tries to build somewhat of an atmosphere at the same time (comedy and horror don't work together, at least not that way).”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, citing long and tedious cutscenes that detract from gameplay and offer little in terms of story progression or challenge. The excessive dialogue and inability to skip these sections contribute to a sense of boredom and dissatisfaction during the grinding experience.
“Also, I really hated some of the more tedious sections of the game.”
“It is not exaggerating to say these sections last 30+ minutes and they are tedious, boring, and without progressing the story or providing any challenges.”
“My biggest issue is that there is way too much text, with long, tedious sections of zero gameplay and only talking.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the stability of the game is generally positive, with no major game-breaking glitches reported by players. While some users find the visual glitches to be more of a stylistic choice than functional, accessibility features allow players to disable them if desired. The gameplay experience remains enjoyable, with a solid soundtrack and engaging story, despite the presence of intentional glitches.
“In Pony Island, the glitches felt 'real' - like the game was really breaking apart - this is just a graphics filter on top of a traditional platform.”
“All form, no function to the glitches in a game about glitches = big no no from me.”
“I'll update this review when I've played more, but I wanted to write and say that there are several accessibility features involving the visual glitches in the game that allow players who can't play with those (or just don't want to) to turn them off.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while there are extra secrets to discover, the lengthy cutscenes and dialogue can lead to boredom, potentially discouraging players from replaying. Some users feel that the lack of engaging content and predictable outcomes diminishes the incentive to revisit the game, with some suggesting that watching a playthrough might be more enjoyable than playing it again.
“Replayability-wise, you can find some extra secrets, though you also need to sit through all of the cutscenes. Even with the dialogue being sped up using a button (check the options), I recommend you don't skip too much in your first playthrough.”
“It makes for good replayability, but I could see a lot of people getting confused and/or bored and quitting before the story becomes clear.”
“Replayability-wise, you can find some extra secrets, though you also need to sit through all of the cutscenes. Even with the dialogue being sped up using a button (check the options, though I recommend you don't skip too much in your first playthrough), sitting around doing nothing while waiting for all the text to scroll by can get a bit boring.”
“I don't know if the devs planned to make DLC or something, but I was really hoping for some more replayability.”
“You could just watch a YouTube playthrough of this game because it has no replay value, so there isn't much to go back for.”
- character development3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is effectively conveyed through engaging dialogue and expressive eyes, despite simplistic character designs that rely on basic shapes and colors. While some players find the design lacking and the romantic trope overused, the well-crafted interactions and humor contribute positively to the overall experience.
“A great 4th-wall-breaking adventure with awesome music, nifty little secrets, and well-done character development, all expressed brilliantly with just a pair of eyes.”
“The character design is just different shapes with slightly different eyes and colors, but it's in line with the 'lore,' so it's good enough.”
“Although the character design leaves much to be desired, and the 'blue thing loving the pink thing' flash game trope is really overdone, the dialogue between the characters really saves this game and makes it something different.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally considered good for a single-player experience, but some users feel that the value does not justify the price, especially given the limited playtime of around five hours.
