Cahors Sunset

About

Cahors Sunset is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Locomotivah and was released on January 13, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Cahors Sunset" is a light-RPG that puts you in the role of an elderly French man living in the small town of Cahors. The goal is to make decisions each month to keep him alive for as long as possible, balancing the positive and negative effects of each action on his health. Every choice you make has consequences, and not all outcomes are beneficial.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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61%

Audience ScoreBased on 62 reviews

story11 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and emotional narrative that explores the life of an elderly man, prompting players to reflect on their own lives and mortality.
For its low price, the game provides a decent amount of writing and a thought-provoking experience, making it worth a try for fans of text-based adventures.
The integration of real historical events into the storyline adds depth and context to the character's experiences, enhancing the overall narrative.

The game is currently unplayable due to launch issues related to Adobe AIR, with many players unable to start the game at all.
Gameplay mechanics are overly simplistic and can feel repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement and diminishing replay value.
The portrayal of aging and the randomness of events can come off as overly negative and may not resonate well with all players, making the experience feel more like a 'depression simulator' than a meaningful exploration of life.

story
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
77%
5%
The story in the game revolves around the life of an elderly French man, exploring themes of aging and reflection through a series of choices that impact his well-being. While some players found the narrative touching and thought-provoking, others criticized it for being generic and lacking depth, with gameplay mechanics that detracted from the storytelling experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a significant draw, but its execution varies widely among players, leading to mixed feelings about its emotional impact and engagement.
- “The game tells you the story of the man's past, and while doing so, you are supposed to keep the man alive as long as possible.”
- “Reading the life story of the main character is a rollercoaster of emotions, and the historical facts that pop up are both entertaining and informative.”
- “Seemingly being a tribute to the life of someone related to the developer, it's a touching story of an old man trying to live out the rest of his life and trying to balance the elements of his life so that he has a peaceful and yet fruitful back third of his life.”
- “The opportunity wasn't taken, though, and the story is rather generic, with short, laconic sentences which don't really get to you.”
- “The choices you're making don't really come together to form a cohesive story, quickly becoming a random mess of events that even start repeating themselves in more advanced levels.”
- “I can admire what they were trying to achieve by making this a fully choice-driven story, but it takes the most stereotypical view of elderly people and fails to convey anything really deep and meaningful.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
65%
20%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it simplistic and tedious, often feeling like a mere filler for the narrative rather than an engaging experience. While some appreciate the unique birthday mechanic and its thematic relevance, others criticize the limited interactivity and lack of depth, suggesting that the game prioritizes storytelling over gameplay mechanics. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a weak point, overshadowed by a compelling narrative.
- “The light RPG mechanics work well enough, but to me the story is really the game's main draw, and it delivers it well.”
- “I really like the storytelling and gameplay ideas, along with the minimalistic style.”
- “Sure, it's not a game that's going to blow you away in terms of its strategy or mechanics; they are really there to tell more of a story and to show the struggles and needs of those toward the end of their life.”
- “Since every birthday you take a penalty to all survival gauges and it increases every year, it is just a matter of time until you get grinded down, which as an entertainment narrative might work but mechanically for a game it's not ideal as it hurts interactivity, which is probably not something you should do in an already niche game about old age.”
- “The gameplay itself is just filler that limits how much story you can see.”
- “I liked the story, but the gameplay is very tedious and to play it just to experience the full story is not worth it.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the emotional and atmospheric qualities of the soundtrack, particularly noting its fittingness to the game's themes. However, others find it tedious and repetitive, leading to a desire to mute it after a short period. Overall, while the music can enhance the experience, it may also detract from it for some players.
- “The royalty-free music chosen blends well with the photography, making for a languid, melancholy atmosphere.”
- “On the positive notes, it has a really nice soundtrack, a lot of solid effort to convey what is going on within your character's life, full texts and decent length.”
- “Maybe it was the beautiful violin soundtrack, but this was a relatively emotional and unique experience, which I wouldn't have expected from a CYOA game about finance management.”
- “The music is incredibly tedious; it gets tiresome really fast and you will want to mute it as soon as possible.”
- “All that with a great look and horrible music.”
- “Music is repetitive but is fitting for the game's themes.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a surprisingly emotional experience, weaving a touching narrative about an old man's life that resonates deeply with players, often evoking tears and personal reflections on life and loss. Enhanced by a beautiful violin soundtrack, the story effectively connects players to the protagonist's journey, making it a standout choice for those who appreciate emotional storytelling in games. Overall, it serves as a heartfelt tribute that leaves a lasting impact on its audience.
- “Maybe it was the beautiful violin soundtrack, but this was a relatively emotional and unique experience, which I wouldn't have expected from a CYOA game about finance management.”
- “This game is really involved; the story is beautiful and touching. At some point, a tear rolled down my cheek. I would recommend it.”
- “Seemingly being a tribute to the life of someone related to the developer, it's a touching story of an old man trying to live out the rest of his life and balance the elements of his life for a peaceful and fruitful end.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The graphics in the game are minimal and primarily serve to set the mood, utilizing stock photos of Cahors, France, rather than original artwork. While some users appreciate the atmospheric intent, the visuals are generally considered lacking and not a focal point of the experience, aligning with the nature of visual novels.
- “Overall, the visuals are designed to create a certain mood for the background story as well as the whole premise of Cahors Sunset.”
- “It's clearly not meant to be that type of game, but is any visual novel really about the visuals?”
- “Graphics are pretty much non-existent as they are stock photos of the Cahors town in France.”
- “Overall, the visuals are only there to create a certain mood for the background story as well as the whole premise of Cahors Sunset.”
- “It's not amazing as far as gameplay, sound, graphics... no.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Cahors Sunset is noted for its limited replayability, primarily due to the lack of multiple characters to explore. However, some players find the game's introspective nature offers a limitless replay value, suggesting that its depth can encourage multiple playthroughs despite its constraints.
- “The replay value is limitless, and the introspective nature of the game is priceless.”
- “Cahors sunset lacks replayability.”
- “The game could have had much more replayability if there had been more than one character to play through.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and tiresome, often leading to a desire to mute the music and disengage from the gameplay. While the story has its merits, many feel that the effort required to experience it is not justified by the repetitive nature of the grinding. Overall, the grind is seen as a detriment to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “I liked the story, but the gameplay is very tedious, and playing it just to experience the full story is not worth it.”
- “It's only a grind for as long as it takes for you to realize that grinding your life away is not the life you should want to live.”
- “The music is incredibly tedious; it gets tiresome really fast, and you will want to mute it as soon as possible.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by a languid and melancholy tone, enhanced by the well-chosen royalty-free music that complements the photography effectively.
- “The royalty-free music chosen blends well with the photography, creating a languid, melancholy atmosphere.”
- “The immersive sound design and stunning visuals transport you to another world, enveloping you in a captivating atmosphere.”
- “The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack perfectly complements the eerie environments, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “The royalty-free music chosen blends well with the photography, making for a languid, melancholy atmosphere.”