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

replayability, grinding

77% User Score Based on 122 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

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 128 reviews

story19 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features charming visuals and a delightful soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
It's a relaxing and lighthearted choose-your-own-adventure game that can be enjoyed in short play sessions.
The storytelling is whimsical and engaging, making it a great option for families and young children.

The gameplay is repetitive, with many paths leading to similar endings, which can diminish replay value.
Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, making navigation frustrating at times.
The game is very short, with most playthroughs lasting only about 15-30 minutes, leading to concerns about its value at full price.

story
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
69%
6%
The game's story is described as a charming, whimsical experience akin to an interactive storybook, appealing particularly to young children and families. While it features multiple branching paths and a delightful art style, many reviewers note that the narrative can become repetitive and lacks depth, with limited player agency and only a few distinct endings. Overall, it is seen as a pleasant but short storytelling vignette rather than a fully fleshed-out game, making it more suitable for casual play rather than those seeking a complex narrative.
- “If you like story-based games and aren't bothered by mousefeel, give this charming little game a try.”
- “The option to make the paths you chose into a real book at the end is a perfect celebration of the story you've made, which is another thing that would be great for a small child.”
- “The game unfolds as a charming storybook divided into a dozen or so interwoven vignettes, with a subdued art style befitting nursery walls, particularly outstanding writing and entrancing music.”
- “The plot could get a little boring by the 10-ish loop.”
- “Pursuing the other branches of the decision tree quickly becomes unsatisfying because you're only rewarded with trivial variations to the main story when there are actually only two endings and there's no way to speed up or skip scenes you've already encountered.”
- “The story means... nothing, it's just meaningless babble; 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
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
39%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and aesthetically pleasing art style, featuring cheerful vector graphics and minimalistic designs that evoke a storybook feel. Players appreciate the unique visuals paired with a captivating soundtrack, creating an immersive experience, although some note that the controls can feel sluggish. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a standout element, enhancing its appeal and contributing to its indie charm.
- “Get greeted by cheerful vector graphics and Icelandic/Norwegian-esque visuals, humor, folktales, and music.”
- “This is a short, choose-your-own-adventure game with gorgeous graphics and calming music, perfect for a rainy afternoon at home.”
- “The game unfolds as a charming storybook divided into a dozen or so interwoven vignettes, with a subdued art style befitting nursery walls, particularly outstanding writing and entrancing music.”
- “What the devs' real profession is/was, I don't know, but this 'game' seems like something graphic designers would do, to make maximum money with minimum effort.”
- “The only appeal that it could have for anyone is the graphics and the sale price during a Steam sale.”
- “If you don't get charmed by its graphics, you will fall under the charm of the soundtrack!”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
36%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and versatility, featuring catchy, quirky tunes that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the unique sound design, often created with vocalizations, which adds a playful and soothing atmosphere to the gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout element, contributing significantly to the game's aesthetic and emotional impact.
- “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.”
- “I recommend the soundtrack too as it is as gorgeous as the art style.”
- “A peaceful interactive storybook with a charming soundtrack and playful sound design.”
- “At one point, the men ended up swimming in the sea while the background music played along with what sounded like someone gargling a mouthful of water.”
- “Music seems like the only part of the game they tried in.”
- “Good looking but very, very short and buggy (music + getting stuck)”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The gameplay is characterized by simple mechanics and a unique approach, offering a blend of click-and-drag interactions and minimalistic design that some players find intriguing and relaxing. However, many reviewers note a lack of depth and replay value, with gameplay often feeling repetitive and lacking substantial content. While the art and sound design are praised, they do not fully compensate for the perceived shortcomings in gameplay, leading to mixed overall impressions.
- “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!”
- “Emergent gameplay at its finest.”
- “The game operates on original mechanics that contribute to its creativity, such as the action of stretching panoramas to move characters.”
- “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.”
- “The art and the writing are good, but believe me, not good enough to compensate for the boring gameplay this game has.”
- “It seems like the only reason it took me 2.5 hours to complete is because you had to wait for the buggy move mechanics, and the ridiculous sections of 'just move right' because they wanted to add filler.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers multiple endings and some unique stories, many players find the endings too similar and the lengthy cutscenes tedious, diminishing the incentive to replay. Some users appreciate the potential for replaying to discover hidden content, but others view it more as a short story experience rather than a game with substantial replay value. Despite these criticisms, a few players highlight the enjoyable aspects and quirky elements that can make replaying worthwhile.
- “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.”
- “Burly Men at Sea is a very quaint and surprisingly enjoyable twist on the point-and-click genre, with lovely visuals, an impressive and quirky soundtrack, and more replayability than first thought.”
- “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 (which is what I would recommend).”
- “Given the lack of game-ness here and the limited replay value, it's hard to recommend this as anything but a pleasant experiment in short story reading.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its clever and cheerful humor, blending cute visuals with lighthearted jokes and folktales. Players appreciate the balance of funny and serious moments, creating an enjoyable and charming experience that resonates with those who appreciate subtle humor and artistic storytelling.
- “A clever little piece sprinkled with humor.”
- “If you enjoy art, if you enjoy stories, if you enjoy a quiet humor, then this game is for you.”
- “There are some funny jokes and some serious moments which all together set a beautiful tone to the world.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly when attempting to unlock all endings, which often requires navigating through similar dialogues and paths multiple times. The clunky controls further exacerbate the experience, leading to frustration and a loss of charm as players engage in what feels like a slog to achieve completion. While there are minor variations in dialogue, the overall experience is marked by a sense of monotony.
- “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.”
- “The completionist side of me made me get all endings, but that was a bit tedious, going through the same dialogues without much innovation.”
- “A lot of tedious repetition if you want to play through all the endings.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming art, engaging story, and captivating soundtrack, creating a distinct and delightful experience reminiscent of an old Irish tale. Players appreciate the combination of clever controls and storytelling, describing the atmosphere as both zen and engrossing.
- “The art, story, and soundtrack are all so charming and create a very distinct atmosphere.”
- “Nicely atmospheric short-form storytelling game.”
- “The game just has that adorable old Irish tale atmosphere.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its lovely and wholesome stories, with many users highlighting it as one of the most emotionally uplifting experiences they've encountered.
- “Lovely and wholesome little stories.”
- “This is one of the most, if not the most wholesome games I have ever played.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is visually appealing but suffers from significant stability issues, including bugs that cause music glitches and character movement problems, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. Players report that these issues contribute to an artificially extended playtime due to frequent interruptions and unengaging sections.
- “Good looking but very, very short and buggy (music + getting stuck)”
- “It seems like the only reason it took me 2.5 hours to complete is because I had to wait for the buggy move mechanics, and the ridiculous sections of 'just move right' because they wanted to add filler.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization aspect is primarily focused on book advertisements, indicating that the game may rely heavily on promoting external content rather than offering a seamless gaming experience.
- “It's a book advertisement.”
- “The monetization feels excessive and intrusive.”
- “I can't enjoy the game without being bombarded by ads.”
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.