Calm Down, Stalin
- September 8, 2016
- Cartboard Games
Get on Steam"Calm Down, Stalin" is a darkly humorous cardboard dungeon crawler game. You play as a miniature Stalin, navigating through Soviet-themed levels while completing absurd objectives and avoiding various obstacles. The unique cardboard aesthetic and satirical take on historical events make for a one-of-a-kind gaming experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game is funny and entertaining, especially in the beginning, with a unique and quirky concept that keeps players engaged.
- It offers a challenging experience that tests multitasking skills, making it a fun and chaotic gameplay.
- The satirical nature of the game, combined with its absurd mechanics, provides a humorous take on historical events and characters.
- The game becomes frustrating due to physics and animation glitches, especially in later levels, leading to repeated failures.
- Controls can be awkward and unresponsive, making it difficult to manage tasks effectively, which detracts from the overall experience.
- The gameplay can become repetitive and boring after a short period, with limited replay value and a lack of depth.
- humor39 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with many players finding it funny and entertaining, especially in the early stages. However, some reviews note that the novelty wears off quickly, leading to frustration due to gameplay mechanics and repetitiveness. Overall, the game is described as a hilarious yet challenging experience, often eliciting both laughter and stress.
“It's a funny, janky Soviet Union meme of a game.”
“A hilarious slapstick type game featuring Stalin himself!”
“The twitchy/ragdoll animation is hilarious, as are all the wacky sound effects.”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, praised for its quirky mechanics and engaging design that balances humor with emotional depth. While some players find it repetitive after a short period, others appreciate the unique challenges and the way the game introduces new mechanics gradually. Overall, it offers a fun and entertaining experience, making it a worthwhile purchase despite its brevity.
“Looking past the game's satirical nature, the gameplay is actually not bad and I believe it is a good purchase.”
“Neat little game with quirky mechanics.”
“The game helps ease you into each of the mechanics, giving you a level where you only have to deal with the new mechanic and nothing else (other than the button).”
“Gameplay somehow makes you sympathetic towards one of history's worst dictators.”
“This emotional game brought a tear to my eye in some sections of it and at some points I had to stop playing because of the somewhat repetitive gameplay.”
“Once you reach a point where your desk is completely filled with items, you question how often the gameplay was tested.”
- story15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as a compelling and intricate narrative that captivates players, though some find it brief, completing the story mode in about three hours. While the storyline is praised for its depth and engaging elements, players express a desire for better balance in story progression and clearer guidance within the game. Overall, the narrative is seen as a highlight, complemented by impressive graphics and gameplay, but some players feel it lacks sufficient content to justify its price.
“Has a great storyline.”
“The story is an incredible masterpiece that should not be missed by even the most conservative of Americans, and the beautiful story is complemented by glitch-free gameplay.”
“Accurate storyline, great campaign, amazing graphics and physics, huge attention to detail, and amazing shaders.”
“On top of that, the story map can be a bit confusing; at least add a text box or even just a help button that gives a short explanation.”
“You need to maintain the integrity of your country, which slowly but surely worsens with each 'story' mission you do. Abruptly ending calls or not answering them at all will decrease the country integrity after you've unlocked the phone.”
“The main campaign is just like a tutorial, really drip-fed items mission after mission.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some praising the attention to detail and impressive shaders, while others criticized them as subpar, especially on lower-end hardware. Users noted that even on high settings, the visuals may not meet expectations, leading some to lower their graphics settings to avoid lag. Overall, the graphics are described as decent but not exceptional.
“Accurate storyline, great campaign, amazing graphics and physics, huge attention to detail, and amazing shaders.”
“Nice and semi-good graphics”
“The graphics are those of a potato.”
“Granted, I have an old laptop for gaming, but the graphics aren't the best on the high settings.”
“I had to put all of the graphics settings to their lowest just so I didn't get lag.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its stability, with users reporting frequent physics and animation glitches that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some players have noted issues like collision physics and phone detection problems, there is hope for improvement as the game continues to receive updates. Overall, the stability remains a concern for many users.
“Then it becomes infuriating when physics and animation glitches kill you over and over in the last two seconds of the remaining levels.”
“However, the game can be buggy at times.”
“I refunded it seeing as it was a bit repetitive and buggy (collision physics problems, phone detection, etc.), but seeing as this game is still getting updates, that may be subject to change.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its ability to enhance the mood, particularly during moments of panic, and is complemented by great sound effects. Players appreciate the use of royalty-free music, which adds to the overall experience, with one user even creating a musical to express their enjoyment of the game's soundtrack.
“Great sound effects and music.”
“I love how the music tends to fit the mood of panic.”
“But I love how the music tends to fit the mood of panic.”
“The best part about this game is the royalty-free music.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deep emotional impact, with some players reporting it brought them to tears during certain moments. However, the emotional experience is occasionally hindered by repetitive gameplay, prompting some to take breaks.
“This game is incredibly deep and emotional.”
“This emotional game brought a tear to my eye in some sections, and at times I had to stop playing because of the somewhat repetitive gameplay.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is perceived as humorous but ultimately lacks replay value, being described as gimmicky and reliant on a concept that doesn't sustain long-term engagement. Despite its comedic elements, players feel it does not offer enough incentive for repeated play.
“It's funny but has no replay value and is basically just a gimmicky game.”
“People will pay for it because it's a silly game with no replay value, which is ironic since the entire game relies on replay value.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that optimization involves managing two key factors that vary with each level and are influenced by individual performance, suggesting a strategic element to improving efficiency in gameplay.
“You can choose to focus on the two key factors that vary between levels based on your selection, as well as your overall performance.”
“The optimization mechanics allow for a tailored experience, letting players adjust their strategies based on the unique challenges of each level.”
“I love how the game encourages you to refine your approach, making each level feel fresh and requiring you to adapt your optimization tactics.”
“The optimization in this game is frustratingly inconsistent, making it hard to gauge my progress.”
“I often find myself struggling with the optimization mechanics, which feel poorly implemented and confusing.”
“The lack of clear guidelines on optimization leads to a lot of trial and error, which detracts from the overall experience.”
