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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.
Burly Men at Sea Game Cover
69%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
gameplay, grinding
64% User Score Based on 330 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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Burly Men at Sea Game Cover

About

Burly Men at Sea is a single player casual role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Brain&Brain and was released on September 29, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"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.

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Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
Burly Men at Sea screenshot
+6
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64%
Audience ScoreBased on 330 reviews
story50 positive mentions
gameplay9 negative mentions
  • Charming art style and whimsical soundtrack create a delightful atmosphere.
  • Engaging writing with humorous dialogue that adds personality to the characters.
  • Offers multiple endings and paths, encouraging replayability and exploration.
  • Gameplay is repetitive, with many scenes and choices feeling similar across playthroughs.
  • Controls can be awkward, especially for a PC port originally designed for touch screens.
  • Short overall experience, with many players feeling it doesn't justify the full price.
  • story
    247 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Burly Men at Sea" is described as a whimsical, interactive tale featuring three bearded men on various adventures, with 12 different endings based on player choices. While the charming art and sound design are praised, many reviewers find the narrative repetitive and shallow, often feeling that the gameplay lacks depth and engagement. Overall, it is seen as a cute, albeit simplistic, interactive storybook better suited for young children or casual play rather than a compelling gaming experience.

    • “Burly Men at Sea is an adorable point-and-click visual novel where you play as three bearded men going on different adventures at sea, with an accompanying storytelling text that describes the unique path you choose to take.”
    • “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.”
    • “It's a cute and lovely storytelling game, not worth $10, but I got it on sale for $5 and that is worth it.”
    • “All in all, I’ve found the story disjointed and, on subsequent playthroughs, pretty boring.”
    • “The story is so random... and seems like a way to show off the developer's art skill and music.”
    • “The problem is the same as several narrative games: in order to get to the unique endings, you have to keep going through the same old start of the story several times.”
  • graphics
    143 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 storybook aesthetic. While some appreciate the simplicity and whimsical nature of the visuals, others note that certain scenes can be convoluted, making it difficult to discern details. Overall, the graphics are often highlighted as a standout feature, contributing to a relaxing and enjoyable experience, despite some critiques 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

    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.”
    • “But then environmental music is also made by mouth and it conflicts with the background music and it just sounds bad.”
  • gameplay
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the 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 note that the controls can feel awkward and the mechanics are reminiscent of mobile games, 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!”
    • “The gameplay isn't really more than nudging our three bearded (and burly) heroes in different directions, but it somehow feels just right.”
    • “A beautiful picture-book game with wonderful sounds and music, and gameplay that surprised me.”
    • “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 gameplay isn't all that engaging, but the art and music and fairy tale storytelling are just so charming.”
  • humor
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating the clever writing, funny sound effects, and charming character interactions. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, particularly during repetitive gameplay, others enjoyed the lighthearted and whimsical tone, making it a delightful experience for fans of point-and-click adventures. Overall, the game is noted for its cute and humorous elements, contributing to an enjoyable journey.

    • “Funny and charming little game about three bearded brothers and their adventures on the vast seas!”
    • “Hilarious writing and delicious art and sound, I've been recommending it to everyone I know.”
    • “The sound effects borderline on hilarious and at times are very clever.”
  • grinding
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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

    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 artistic elements, noting that it can be enjoyable for a quick playthrough, but overall, the replay value is considered limited once all branches are explored.

    • “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 3 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

    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. Players appreciate the charming, child-friendly environment that evokes a sense of wonder and nostalgia, making it a delightful experience for those who favor narrative-driven gameplay over action. Overall, the game's distinct atmosphere is a standout feature, creating an engaging and immersive storytelling experience.

    • “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

    Players describe the game as a heartwarming experience, highlighting its lovely stories, unique sound effects, and delightful atmosphere that evoke a sense of wonder and nostalgia. The combination of wholesome art and charming vocal sound effects creates an endearing environment, making it one of the most emotionally uplifting 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

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting buggy controls, significant lag in fullscreen mode, and issues with movement mechanics that hinder gameplay. While the visuals are appreciated, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, leading to frustration and a feeling of incompleteness.

    • “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

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being primarily an advertisement for a coffee table book rather than a genuine 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

    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

    The character development is highlighted by charming 2D designs and visually appealing artwork, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience.

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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews
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3h Median play time
3h Average play time
3-3h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Burly Men at Sea is a casual role playing game with fantasy theme.

Burly Men at Sea is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, iPhone and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Burly Men at Sea.

Burly Men at Sea was released on September 29, 2016.

Burly Men at Sea was developed by Brain&Brain.

Burly Men at Sea has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Burly Men at Sea is a single player game.

Similar games include Pilgrims, Tengami, Tiny Echo, Beacon Pines, Last Day of June and others.