Burly Men at Sea

Burly Men at Sea is a beautifully realized dive into Scandinavian Folklore. The stories Brain&Brain tell are unique and interesting, but they get stale after a handful of playthroughs.

69%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

gameplay, grinding

64% User Score Based on 329 reviews

Critic Score 76%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Burly Men at Sea" is a choice-driven folktale game featuring a trio of bearded fishermen seeking adventure. With a visual novel-point-and-click hybrid gameplay, the branching story is shaped by the player's decisions, offering replayability and innovative controls. The game boasts a playful aesthetic with handcrafted animation and a folkloric-inspired soundtrack. It is a charming and engaging interactive fairy-tale experience, free of in-app purchases or ads.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 335 reviews

story51 positive mentions

gameplay9 negative mentions

The game features charming visuals and a whimsical art style that enhances the storytelling experience.
The dialogue and character interactions are entertaining, providing humor and engaging moments throughout the game.
The game offers multiple endings, allowing for replayability and exploration of different story paths.

The gameplay can feel repetitive, as many scenes and dialogues are similar across different playthroughs.
The controls are awkward, particularly for PC, as the game seems designed for touch screens, leading to a frustrating experience.
The overall length of the game is short, with many players feeling that it does not justify the price point.

story
247 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
72%
7%
The story in "Burly Men at Sea" is described as whimsical and charming, resembling a children's interactive storybook with beautiful visuals and a soothing soundtrack. However, many reviewers note that the narrative is repetitive and shallow, often requiring multiple playthroughs to explore different endings, which can become tedious due to the lack of substantial variation in the storylines. While it may appeal to younger audiences or those seeking a light, casual experience, it ultimately lacks depth and engagement for players looking for a more compelling narrative.
- “The writing style is laconic, but every character, no matter how small, has a unique personality that really helps bring the story to life.”
- “Burly men at sea is a lesson in simple elegance and whimsical storytelling.”
- “The art, story, and soundtrack are all so charming and put together a very distinct atmosphere.”
- “All in all, I’ve found the story disjointed and, on subsequent playthroughs, pretty boring.”
- “The story is boring and nothing you do is fun.”
- “The story means... nothing, it's just meaningless babble, not that I have a problem with that, typically, but it's described as a 'choice driven adventure with a branching story'; that's half-true for the first two scenarios of the game until you realize, as I said before, you're just doing and experiencing the same things over and over.”
graphics
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
53%
3%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, minimalistic art style that many players find appealing, with clean lines and vibrant colors that evoke a whimsical atmosphere. While some appreciate the simplicity and aesthetic quality, others note that certain scenes can be convoluted, making it difficult to discern details. Overall, the visuals are often highlighted as a standout feature, contributing to a relaxing and enjoyable experience, despite some criticisms regarding their polish and depth.
- “The stylish visuals are what drove me to play this game (and the fact that I was reading Moby Dick at the time).”
- “Burly Men at Sea delights with its simplistic pastel art style, smooth animations, and pretty music.”
- “This is a game with beautiful aesthetics, a relaxing and minimalist style.”
- “While I do appreciate the simplicity of the art style, some scenes—like the one with the island and the giant—are so convoluted that it's hard to discern what's going on.”
- “It doesn't help that the art style is very much minimalistic and pretty low effort.”
- “What I got was a repetitious annoyance with not much in terms of story, odd controls on the PC as the game was developed for touchscreens, and even the artwork quickly became boring and drab.”
music
127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
42%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and calming qualities, featuring a mix of ukulele melodies, vocalizations, and whimsical sound effects that enhance the overall atmosphere. While many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout element, some note that its repetitiveness can become grating over time, especially during extended gameplay. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, creating a soothing and immersive experience that complements its minimalist art style.
- “The music is easily the highlight, as it's catchy when it wants to be, dramatic when it needs to be, and relaxing every other time.”
- “A peaceful interactive storybook with a charming soundtrack and playful sound design.”
- “The art, story, and soundtrack are all so charming and put together a very distinct atmosphere.”
- “However, there’s not enough soundtrack to cover all the 12 possible adventures.”
- “The soundtrack started to get on my nerves after finishing half of them.”
- “You have calm, royalty-free type of music playing, but then you have mouth-noises as sound effects for some things.”
gameplay
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
74%
14%
The gameplay in this game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it simplistic and lacking depth, often describing it as boring or nearly non-existent. While some appreciate the artistic presentation and soothing soundscapes, they feel that the controls are awkward and the mechanics are overly simplistic, leading to a repetitive experience with minimal engagement. Overall, the game seems better suited for those seeking a relaxing narrative experience rather than traditional gameplay challenges.
- “The whole game and how its visuals and gameplay work is very clever; it's the first time I've seen this kind of approach to games - so kudos for that!”
- “Simple mechanics, endearing soundscapes, amusing escapades.”
- “The gameplay isn't really more than nudging our three bearded (and burly) heroes into different directions, but it somehow feels just right.”
- “Controlling it feels awkward as hell, the drag mechanic feels annoying at its best moments and detrimental at worst.”
- “The gameplay itself is non-existent.”
- “The appealing art style does not make up for the repetitive gameplay and story.”
humor
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its clever writing, funny sound effects, and charming characters. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, particularly during repetitive gameplay, others enjoyed the lighthearted and whimsical tone throughout the adventure. Overall, the game is described as a delightful blend of humor and art, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of quirky storytelling.
- “Funny and charming little game about three bearded brothers and their adventures on the vast seas!”
- “For the simplicity and minimalism, it's a very well-made game with a lot of clever humor and self-awareness that only deepens its charms.”
- “Hilarious writing and delicious art and sound, I've been recommending it to everyone I know.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with many expressing frustration over the need to replay sections multiple times to unlock all endings and achievements. While some appreciate minor changes in dialogue and cutscenes, the overall experience is described as exhausting and lacking depth, leading to a loss of charm as the game progresses. The requirement for extensive repetition detracts from the enjoyment, making it best suited for short play sessions rather than marathon runs.
- “I'm not a fan of repeating things multiple times, and this game started to feel grindy even though it is a very short game.”
- “Getting the true ending by unlocking all the endings was a painfully tedious slog, and the game lost its charm for me once I saw only a few endings.”
- “While it's initially refreshing to experience a story which is purely meant to entertain, this lack of depth does little to motivate subsequent playthroughs and makes them more tedious than delightful.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers multiple story paths and choices that can lead to different experiences, many players find the endings too similar and the lengthy cutscenes tedious, diminishing the incentive to replay. Some appreciate the casual nature and imaginative storytelling, suggesting it can be enjoyable for a few playthroughs, but ultimately, the limited content and repetitive elements may leave players feeling less motivated to return after exploring the available branches.
- “While it is quite short, it does have some replay value since the choices you make send the characters on different paths.”
- “It won't take up bags of time, but is easily replayable if you want to and will give you lots of different stories.”
- “A short peaceful story with tons of replayability, and a brilliant soundtrack to go along with it.”
- “Even the most ardent point-and-click adventure gamer will grow tired of the gameplay in no time, and while it does offer three endings, they are more or less identical, so there is no real replay value.”
- “But despite the emphasis on replayability, the end of each playthrough has a lengthy, unskippable cutscene, which turns the experience into a bit of a slog even if you space the playthroughs out over the course of several days.”
- “I could have happily played for three more hours if there had been content to play; unfortunately, there is little replayability once you've found all of the branches, unless you don't play it for a little while and forget where all of the secrets are.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its peaceful, storybook quality, enhanced by minimalistic yet beautiful art and a unique, whimsical soundtrack that includes human-made sound effects. Reviewers highlight the game's charming, child-friendly aesthetic and its ability to evoke a sense of wonder, making it a delightful experience that feels like an interactive fairytale. Overall, the combination of art, sound, and storytelling creates a distinct and immersive atmosphere that resonates well with players.
- “A peaceful interactive storybook with minimalistic yet amazing art, with a soundtrack that continues in this vein (and I think I even heard some sounds made by a human humming?) in a Nordic fairytale atmosphere.”
- “From the theme (which is literally 'go on an adventure!') to the wholesome art style to the sound effects (most, if not all, of them are made by mouth; one of the first you encounter is a blacksmith where the hammer is literally someone going 'tink, tink, tink...'); it's all creating a delightful atmosphere that is actually pretty unique.”
- “The game uses simplistic, yet beautiful vector artwork which sets a really nice style to the game and the story is well described with the graphics, short amount of text, and atmosphere.”
- “Finally, the game is extremely child-friendly, it reads like a storybook and to be honest, I would highly recommend this on a mobile device over PC as I think the experience would be much more heightened with an atmosphere to match.”
- “The art, story, and soundtrack are all so charming and put together a very distinct atmosphere.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its lovely and wholesome storytelling, unique sound effects, and delightful atmosphere, which evoke a sense of wonder and nostalgia. Players appreciate the endearing art style and quirky vocal sound effects, contributing to an overall experience that feels both charming and childlike. Many reviewers consider it one of the most wholesome games they've encountered.
- “Lovely and wholesome little stories.”
- “From the theme (which is literally 'go on an adventure!') to the wholesome art style to the sound effects (most, if not all, of them are made by mouth; one of the first you encounter is a blacksmith where the hammer is literally someone going 'tink, tink, tink...'); it's all creating a delightful atmosphere that is actually pretty unique.”
- “This is one of the most, if not the most wholesome games I have ever played.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting buggy controls, significant lag in fullscreen mode, and various gameplay issues such as getting stuck and problematic movement mechanics. These stability concerns detract from the overall experience, making it feel incomplete and frustrating at times.
- “The controls are sometimes a little buggy, but are pretty rudimentary.”
- “In fullscreen, the game lags immensely (most likely a 144Hz refresh rate issue).”
- “Good looking but very, very short and buggy (music + getting stuck).”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being primarily an advertisement for a coffee table book rather than a standalone gaming experience, with users noting that the graphics resemble modern advertising design rather than traditional game art.
- “This isn't actually a game, it's an advertisement for a hipster coffee table book.”
- “It's a book advertisement.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features impressive presentation but falls short in optimization, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- “A short adventure with great presentation but lacking in terms of gameplay and optimization.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is highlighted by charming 2D designs and visually appealing artwork, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience.

76%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

Buy Burly Men at Sea

3h Median play time

3h Average play time

3-3h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Burly Men at Sea Review- Visual Storybook

Simplicity, folktales, and beards --- Burly Men at Sea review

Burly Men At Sea Review

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