Chants of Sennaar

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 14,655 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Chants of Sennaar Game Cover
“Chants of Sennaar is an ingenious linguistic puzzle game that takes the right notes from genre greats like Return of the Obra Dinn.”
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In the critically-acclaimed puzzle and adventure game, Chants of Sennaar, players guide a Traveler through an ancient tower to restore balance among isolated Peoples. By observing, listening, and solving intricate puzzles, players aim to mend the bonds of distrust in this expansive world inspired by the myth of Babel. Uncover the truth and unveil the mysteries as you navigate the endless steps of this fascinating universe.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 14,655 reviews
story1,472 positive mentions
grinding213 negative mentions
  • story2,797 mentions

    The story of "Chants of Sennaar" is a beautifully crafted narrative that unfolds as players decipher languages and explore a tower inspired by the Tower of Babel. It emphasizes themes of communication and connection among diverse cultures, with a compelling and heartwarming conclusion that resonates with players. While some reviewers noted that the story could feel simplistic or minimal at times, many found it engaging and well-integrated with the gameplay, making for a rewarding experience overall.

    • “The story was interesting and mysterious and I found myself craving more information from the first moments of the game.”
    • “The art and soundtrack are both stunning, and the storyline is compelling, engaging, and rewarding.”
    • “The story itself is a hero's journey that ties everything neatly together in the end.”
    • “The overall story has precious little for a main motivator even before any sort of antagonist until the final floor; for the main motivator, it is only hinted at in mural depictions in a staircase in the second floor of the tower.”
    • “The story was pretty meager, but cute enough.”
  • gameplay2,487 mentions

    The gameplay of "Chants of Sennaar" is centered around a unique language deciphering mechanic that engages players in solving puzzles through observation and deduction. While the core gameplay loop is praised for its originality and satisfying progression, some players find the stealth mechanics and certain puzzle elements to be frustrating or unnecessary, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game is celebrated for its beautiful visuals, immersive storytelling, and innovative approach to language as a gameplay mechanic, making it a compelling choice for puzzle enthusiasts.

    • “The gameplay loop of typing in a guess for a glyph and then seeing how well it fits the writing and dialogue you encounter was great!”
    • “The core gameplay loop consists of language deciphering by interpretation of symbols, through incremental contextualization.”
    • “The main mechanic of the game is deciphering languages which are spoken by the world's NPCs and written on signs, buildings, etc. around the place, which you then use to solve puzzles and progress.”
    • “I say this only because, while I understand the desire and need to break up the core puzzle gameplay, and while it does successfully do that, they succeed in that only by being deeply unenjoyable and standing out as the 'bad part' of the game which you can then thankfully get back to the game after being forced to play through.”
    • “There is just one problem, and that's the arbitrary stealth sections that grind the linguistics gameplay to a crawl if they don't outright stop it in its tracks.”
    • “Unfortunately it feels like the devs thought the language related mechanics wouldn't be enough to pass for a game so they added stealth and 'action' sequences that, in my opinion, completely take away from the game.”
  • graphics2,023 mentions

    The graphics of "Chants of Sennaar" have been widely praised for their stunning and unique art style, which combines vibrant colors and minimalist design to create an immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate the game's ability to convey cultural diversity through distinct visual themes for each level, enhancing the overall storytelling experience. The accompanying soundtrack complements the visuals beautifully, making for a captivating and engaging gameplay experience.

    • “The art style is so unique and visually stunning with its colors, and it really just fits the atmosphere of the game.”
    • “This game has stunning visuals, great storytelling and immersive worldbuilding.”
    • “I was completely captivated by its unique art style, inspired by ancient frescoes, which gives the game a distinctive and immersive atmosphere.”
    • “Ps noticed bad optimization of the game which trying to melt my notebook (this is ridiculous considering the primitive graphics in the game), for example, rust on max don't giving such a load on my pc”
    • “The art style gives each 'level' of the tower a very distinct colour palette, which unfortunately also makes that area all look the same and gives no indication of where you are within it.”
    • “Graphically the game is pretty basic and i'm not a fan of the simple geometric structures and backgrounds.”
  • music1,739 mentions

    The music in "Chants of Sennaar" has been widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its soothing and immersive qualities. The soundtrack complements the stunning visuals and unique art style, creating a captivating experience that draws players into the game's world. While some players wished for more frequent musical cues, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's emotional depth and storytelling.

    • “I'm in complete awe at everything: the soundtrack is gorgeous, the message comes through beautifully, the puzzles are some of the smartest and most satisfying in a long while, and the concept is unique.”
    • “The art and soundtrack are both stunning, and the storyline is compelling, engaging, and rewarding.”
    • “The music is relaxing; they found a balance; the translation is neither too hard nor too easy, as well as the riddles.”
    • “The music is meh.”
    • “I didn't hear much of the soundtrack, somehow I miss it in every scene, I don't remember anything about it.”
    • “The music is a bit lackluster and always got cut off halfway while entering adjacent room.”
  • atmosphere353 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique and visually stunning art style, which is complemented by soothing music and immersive worldbuilding. Players appreciate the distinct atmospheres of each level, enhanced by vibrant colors and thoughtful sound design, creating a captivating and engaging experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as enchanting, relaxing, and integral to the storytelling, making it a standout feature for those who enjoy atmospheric puzzle games.

    • “I was completely captivated by its unique art style, inspired by ancient frescoes, which gives the game a distinctive and immersive atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere, puzzles, art, and story were all amazing.”
    • “The atmosphere is mesmerizing.”
    • “To a certain extent they provide some sense of scale and atmosphere, but in a game that expects you to backtrack a lot it's very annoying.”
    • “The fifth level goes by very fast and in my opinion the twist it comes with detracts from the rest of the game's atmosphere.”
    • “If you prefer to chill and immerse in the atmosphere, even then there are more preferable options.”
  • emotional336 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Chants of Sennaar" is widely praised for its heartwarming narrative and the profound connections it fosters between cultures through language. Players report feeling a range of emotions, from joy and cleverness during puzzle-solving to deep emotional resonance, particularly at the touching conclusion, which often brings them to tears. The game is celebrated for its beautiful art, music, and the way it immerses players in a meaningful exploration of communication and understanding, making it a memorable and emotionally engaging experience.

    • “Incredible in its simplicity, Chants of Sennaar is a gorgeous game with a heartwarming story at its core.”
    • “The game is full of love (and research!) towards the concept of different languages and how they are spoken, it explores the themes of humanity and understanding between different people, therefore, the concluding part of the game feels really nice and heartwarming.”
    • “The ending was lovely and the story resolves in a beautiful, touching way.”
  • grinding230 mentions

    The reviews indicate that grinding in the game is often perceived as tedious, particularly due to slow traversal, repetitive backtracking, and frustrating stealth sections. While some players found enjoyment in the core mechanics and language puzzles, many expressed that the lack of quality-of-life features and the need for excessive movement detracted from the overall experience, making certain segments feel unnecessarily drawn out. Overall, the game balances enjoyable elements with moments of tedium that can impact player engagement.

    • “I love that whatever moving around and sneaking you have to do, it's not tedious.”
    • “Also isn't tedious like many puzzle games can be, can't recommend it enough.”
    • “I am eternally on the hunt for noncombat games that aren't farming sims.”
    • “I found them to be mostly tedious sets of challenges that made the game more frustrating for me.”
    • “The stealth segments are pretty tedious and unforgiving, though easy to retry.”
    • “It gets really tedious having to explore the same area over and over just to see if you missed anything.”
  • replayability100 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many players noting that once the puzzles are solved and the story is known, there is little incentive to play again. Most reviews indicate a short playtime of around 7-12 hours, and while the initial experience is enjoyable, the absence of dynamic elements and the memorization of content significantly diminish replay value. Players recommend the game primarily if it is on sale, as its replayability is considered minimal to nonexistent.

    • “The replay value seems shallow as I've already memorized huge portions of all the languages, but it's not out of the question that I might just go through and do it all over again five minutes from now.”
    • “Not a lot of replay value, but a very good experience.”
    • “Fairly short with a little replay value, it's still an artistically impressive game with some good puzzles and resonant themes.”
    • “Do note: the game has exactly zero replayability from what I can tell.”
    • “The only bad thing is that this is going to be virtually unreplayable.”
    • “Expect 7-10 hours of gameplay with no replayability (to be expected for this kind of puzzle game).”
  • humor72 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, with players enjoying the light-hearted language puzzles and unexpected physical comedy. Many found the integration of humor into the narrative and gameplay to be both engaging and memorable, often leading to hilarious moments and relatable jokes. Overall, the game's unique art style and smooth music complement its funny elements, creating a delightful experience that resonates with players.

    • “The music is smooth and powerful, the art style is unique and beautiful, and the light humor just adds so much life to the game.”
    • “The unexpected touches of physical humor throughout the game were also a delight.”
    • “It is fun, fascinating, heartwarming, and occasionally downright hilarious at some parts (we were making 'flint lockwood!!' jokes so much in the copper mine).”
  • optimization26 mentions

    The game's optimization is primarily tailored for controller use, leading to issues with keyboard and mouse controls, particularly in camera panning. While the overall technical performance, visuals, and music are praised, some players report significant performance issues on lower-end PCs, suggesting that the game may not be well-optimized for all systems. Additionally, certain sections disrupt gameplay flow, indicating inconsistent optimization across different gameplay elements.

    • “The puzzles, music, technical performance, art direction, pacing - all superb.”
    • “A really cool idea for a puzzle game, with top notch execution in visuals, music and performance to match.”
    • “Marvellous art style, nice music, smooth animations and performance.”
    • “The game is optimized for controller, with keyboard and mouse not working well with camera panning.”
    • “Ps noticed bad optimization of the game which is trying to melt my notebook (this is ridiculous considering the primitive graphics in the game); for example, Rust on max doesn't give such a load on my PC.”
    • “The biggest downsides for the game, in my opinion, are the poor optimization for PC controls, the lack of music, and the walking speed/animation quality.”
  • stability23 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its stability, with users reporting a smooth experience and no significant bugs or glitches. While a few minor movement speed issues were noted when transitioning between screens, they did not detract from the overall gameplay. The game runs exceptionally well on platforms like the Steam Deck, further enhancing its appeal.

    • “This game is so smooth, not buggy, and a lot of fun puzzles.”
    • “It also helps that the game looks and sounds amazing as well, while also being completely bug-free and running smoothly without any FPS drops.”
    • “Fantastic puzzles, love the linguistic approach, no glitches, great music, amazing art style.”
    • “Glitches in the matrix, baby!”
    • “A few movement speed glitches when moving between screens, but nothing major that takes you out of the gameplay.”
    • “As for bugs or glitches, in my experience, there were absolutely none.”
  • character development19 mentions

    The character development in the game is highly praised for its stunning art direction and unique designs that contribute to a strong sense of identity and charm. Reviewers highlight the minimalistic yet flavorful aesthetic, which enhances the overall worldbuilding and storytelling, making the characters feel relatable and engaging. The combination of beautiful visuals and meaningful themes about community connection further elevates the character experience, leaving players invested throughout their journey.

    • “The character design is relentlessly charming, and the gameplay is fairly accessible for someone like me with motor control issues, though dyslexia does get in the way a bit of the main translating.”
    • “I really can't compare this game to anything else I've ever played - it's challenging to the point that I wanted to be stumped until I could figure out linguistic puzzles on my own without resorting to a guide. Its background and character designs are so clean and gorgeous that they go beyond imitation of Moebius into being love letters to his work, and it just has a beautiful, simple message about different communities finding ways of bridging divides.”
    • “The art direction is absolutely stunning, from the character design to the environmental design and to the music of the game.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which detracted from my overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “Despite the appealing character designs, the lack of depth in their backstories left me feeling disconnected from the narrative.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game appears to be tied to its advertising strategy, which suggests a focus on accessibility and appeal to a broad audience, including language learners. However, specific details about in-game purchases or monetization models were not provided in the reviews.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
9-11hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 95 analyzed playthroughs

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