Chernobyl: Origins

About

"Chernobyl: Origins" is a quest game with psychological horror elements, set in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. As a scientist in a secret laboratory, you must solve puzzles and evade dangers to uncover the truth behind the catastrophe. With multiple endings, challenging puzzles, and a haunting atmosphere, your choices and survival skills will determine the outcome.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews

story3 positive mentions

gameplay1 negative mentions

Unique visual style and great artwork that appeals to fans of the genre.
Atmospheric experience with excellent music that enhances immersion.
Interesting puzzles that, while challenging, provide a unique gameplay experience.

Random deaths require players to restart entire chapters, leading to frustration.
The story is considered boring and lacks engagement.
Puzzles can feel tedious and rely heavily on trial-and-error mechanics.

story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
25%
The story has been described as boring, leading some players to rely on hints and guides to progress. However, despite the lack of engagement with the narrative, the game successfully blends quest elements with visual novel mechanics, earning it recognition as one of the best in its genre.
- “This is how a mixture of a quest and a visual novel should look like.”
- “That is one of the best quest games on the market.”
- “I'll heartily admit to using some hints and guides to move the story along and the solutions to the puzzles were maybe a little off the wall (sometimes literally) but I didn't feel cheated.”
- “Boring story.”
- “Boring story.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by great music and visuals. Reviewers highlight the effective portrayal of the disturbing environment of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, contributing to a captivating and engaging experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as intense and compelling.
- “Very atmospheric, great music and visuals.”
- “The disturbing atmosphere of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is conveyed effectively.”
- “I just immersed myself in the atmosphere.”
- “The disturbing atmosphere of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is conveyed coolly.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The gameplay is criticized for being overly padded with lengthy cutscenes and unnecessary dialogues, leading to frustrating resets after deaths and reliance on trial-and-error puzzles, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The game is heavily padded with tedious cutscenes, pointless item usage dialogues, deaths that make you reset 5+ minutes of gameplay, and trial-and-error puzzles.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are highly praised for their atmospheric quality, complemented by excellent music and visuals. The artwork is consistently noted as being well-executed and fitting for the game's theme.
- “Very atmospheric, great music and visuals.”
- “The artwork is on point.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience alongside impressive visuals. Reviewers express strong enthusiasm, highlighting it as a standout feature.
- “Very atmospheric, great music and visuals.”
- “Oh my god, what great music!”
- “Very atmospheric, great music and visuals.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with multiple users finding the story to be unengaging and lacking depth.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to excessive padding from tedious cutscenes, unnecessary item dialogues, and punishing death mechanics that require lengthy resets, alongside trial-and-error puzzles that contribute to a sense of monotony.
- “The game is heavily padded with tedious cutscenes, pointless item usage dialogues, deaths that make you reset 5+ minutes of gameplay, and trial-and-error puzzles.”