The game features a unique art style and impressive visuals that enhance the overall experience.
The story is engaging with multiple endings and interesting characters, providing a rewarding experience for players who pay attention to details.
The logic puzzles and mini-games are challenging yet satisfying, requiring players to think critically and engage with the narrative.
The writing quality is inconsistent, with grammatical errors and awkward dialogue that detracts from the overall immersion.
Some players found the game to be too short and felt that the endings were unsatisfying or left too many questions unanswered.
The gameplay can feel more like an e-book than a traditional game, leading to frustration for those expecting more interactive elements.
story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
12%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its intriguing narrative and atmospheric elements, while others criticize it for being underdeveloped and lacking depth. Many enjoyed the engaging plot and the variety of choices, though some felt it fell short of being a true detective or horror story. Overall, the story is seen as a strong aspect of the game, despite some inconsistencies and an unsatisfying conclusion.
“The graphics, music, and story all work together to create a mysterious, unique, and wonderful atmosphere.”
“An excellent story, many choices, awesome and hidden secrets.”
“The story is set in 1990s Japan and revolves around a young woman whose parents die under suspicious circumstances, hiring a detective agency to find out who is responsible and why... with consequences.”
“This story feels like it was written by a recently punished preteen, and this is their revenge on their oppressive parents.”
“The parent figures in the story are portrayed as absurdly verbally mean, nearly to a level of verbal mental abuse.”
“For a story-based game, this lacks substance.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and aesthetically pleasing art style, often compared to the visuals of Gorillaz, which contribute to a mysterious and immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate how the visuals and sound design work harmoniously to enhance the overall experience, despite some criticism regarding the writing quality. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature that elevates its appeal.
“The graphics, music, and story all work together to create a mysterious, unique, and wonderful atmosphere.”
“First and foremost, what caught me was the visual style; everything in this game is aesthetically pleasing, something that only grew with the sound design.”
“The art style is awesome, where both myself and others have likened it to a style similar to Gorillaz.”
“Unfortunately, the weakest aspect is the writing and grammar; there are many typographical and grammatical errors throughout, run-on sentences, unexplained references to pop culture, and strange motivations in regards to some of the characters.”
“Aesthetic and auditory decisions aren't a game, though - so what is Broken Minds, and how does it hold up as a game?”
“The reason why I chose to play Broken Minds is because I seriously found that the art style and music really tickled my pickle.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The gameplay in this visual/interactive novel is largely criticized for its lack of depth, primarily consisting of poorly written dialogue and minimal interaction, with players mostly clicking through text. While some elements include logic and reading comprehension puzzles, the overall experience is described as disappointing, especially for those expecting more engaging detective-style gameplay akin to titles like Phoenix Wright. However, the mini-games, which incorporate civics and logic challenges, are noted as a highlight, providing some enjoyment amidst the otherwise lackluster gameplay.
“The strongest aspect of the gameplay are the incredibly fun minigames, which also demonstrate as mini-civics and logic puzzles, so, uh, yay?”
“Some parts of gameplay, but you can turn on an easy mode in the most complicated logic mini-game that is based on searching for logical fallacies in arguments.”
“As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature much in the way of notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
“So, the phrase 'the gameplay consists of logic and reading comprehension puzzles' is completely true, and you can't go on to the next part by pressing 'skip'.”
“To be honest, I was expecting the reading to be broken up by point-and-click detective style gameplay in a similar vein to Phoenix Wright.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The music in the game is praised for its unique charm and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, contributing to a mysterious and engaging experience. While it may not reach the heights of iconic soundtracks, it serves as enjoyable background noise that complements gameplay, with many players expressing a desire to purchase it as DLC. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant factor in the game's appeal, particularly for fans of visual novels.
“The graphics, music, and story all work together to create a mysterious, unique, and wonderful atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack also dope, I enjoyed bopping to it a fair amount.”
“The soundtrack wasn't a 'Skyrim' or 'Child of Light' or anything, but I'd buy it if it was a DLC; it was good background noise for figuring out the puzzles on the first playthrough.”
“I could take a pass if the game art was bad (it's amazing and I love the stylized designs so much), but for me, sound and music is make-or-break, especially in visual novels.”
“Not your usual visual novel by any means, weird as heck, very unique art and musical style, tons of charm.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its cohesive blend of graphics, music, and storytelling, creating a mysterious and engaging experience. Reviewers highlight the aesthetic and audio design as integral elements that enhance the overall ambiance, making the atmosphere feel like a character in its own right. Additionally, the inclusion of commentary adds a personal touch, enriching the player's connection to the narrative.
“The graphics, music, and story all work together to create a mysterious, unique, and wonderful atmosphere.”
“Because I had fun; the characters, writing, and atmosphere were all great, and with the added bonus of commentary, I felt like I got to have a pleasant conversation with the author.”
“Amazing aesthetic and audio style; the atmosphere is as much a character as anyone else.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where players must click to progress through text. Even with skip functions, the navigation and repetitive nature of the gameplay can lead to a sense of monotony, diminishing the excitement of discovering new endings.
“Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
“Even with the skip function, it takes a bit of time for a playthrough since you still have to navigate through the rooms, etc. It felt kind of tedious after a while and the endings didn't offer something surprisingly new for me.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of dark and light-hearted moments, with players finding amusement in the contrast between the serious plot involving Noa's parents and the cheerful demeanor of characters like Takuma. The comedic elements, particularly Takuma's antics, provide a refreshing balance to the more somber themes, keeping players engaged and entertained.
“Noa's parents may have slain me with the sad circumstances of their role in the plot, and Takuma's corpsing had me laughing at this and that, mostly his cheerful face. I'm plum out of reasons to stop.”
“The humor in this game is so well-timed that even the most serious moments are lightened by a perfectly placed joke.”
“I found myself chuckling at the witty dialogue and absurd situations that kept popping up throughout the game.”