Children of Silentown

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 331 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Children of Silentown Game Cover
Children of Silentown is an atmospheric, story-rich point-and-click adventure game with a dark aesthetic and some unique musical mechanics.
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"Children of Silentown" is a suspenseful narrative-driven adventure game where players control a young girl named Lucy living in a secluded village surrounded by a foreboding forest. Lucy discovers dark secrets and supernatural events as she tries to solve the mystery of the town's silence. The game features a unique blend of puzzles, exploration, and musical rhythm mechanics, creating an eerie atmosphere that keeps players on edge.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 331 reviews
story120 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • Beautiful hand-drawn art style that enhances the game's atmosphere.
  • Engaging and emotional story that keeps players invested throughout.
  • Challenging puzzles that provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment when solved.
  • Repetitive puzzles, particularly the cogwheel ones, can become frustrating.
  • The game lacks a proper hint system, making it difficult to progress at times.
  • Multiple endings require replaying the entire game, which can diminish replay value.
  • story215 mentions

    The story of "Children of Silentown" is widely praised for its engaging narrative, beautiful art style, and emotional depth, often described as a dark fairytale that captivates players throughout their journey. While many reviewers appreciate the atmosphere and character development, some express frustration with the execution, particularly regarding the connection between puzzles and the storyline, which can detract from immersion. Overall, the game is recognized for its compelling storytelling, though some feel it could benefit from deeper exploration and clearer connections in its plot.

    • “I loved the entirety of playing through this game and will remember this little story and adventure.”
    • “The story itself is quite heart touching in my opinion.”
    • “Children of Silentown delivers a compelling story told through stunning hand-drawn graphics and spearheaded by a hauntingly beautiful score that perfectly encapsulates the feelings of melancholy and dread that pervade Lucy’s thoughts.”
    • “Unfortunately, the puzzles are extremely repetitive and frustrating, and the story falls a bit short towards the end.”
    • “The story is very bare bones, so do not expect anything groundbreaking.”
    • “Overall, its sluggish pace, sappy story, and muddled themes don't offer much more than something nice to look at for a while.”
  • music104 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience and narrative. While many players appreciate the incorporation of musical mechanics into puzzles, some note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of captivating sound design and haunting melodies contributes significantly to the game's charm and emotional depth.

    • “The music and sound design are great too.”
    • “The music portrays the atmosphere and evokes emotion very well.”
    • “Children of Silentown is an atmospheric, story-rich point-and-click adventure game with a dark aesthetic and some unique musical mechanics.”
    • “And Lucy's songs get on your nerves.”
    • “There's also only one song that plays on repeat, which gets old really fast.”
    • “First, the music can get a bit repetitive.”
  • graphics101 mentions

    The graphics of "Children of Silentown" are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style, which combines a charming yet haunting aesthetic that enhances the game's atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the visuals as a major draw, noting their timeless quality and ability to evoke emotion, while the overall presentation is described as beautiful and fitting for the narrative. Despite some critiques regarding puzzle difficulty, the art style remains a standout feature that captivates players and complements the story effectively.

    • “The hand-drawn art style paints a world that's both charming and unsettling, perfectly matching the suspense-filled narrative.”
    • “Children of Silentown delivers a compelling story told through stunning hand-drawn graphics and spearheaded by a hauntingly beautiful score that perfectly encapsulates the feelings of melancholy and dread that pervade Lucy’s thoughts.”
    • “The atmosphere is rather creepy and the art style is gorgeous; the game deserves to be played just for that.”
    • “The game looks very simple and uses a cheap and easy art style.”
    • “🔲 Graphics don't matter in this game.”
    • “Although it does utilize some horror tropes, it's not a scary game, but the unique art style certainly adds to the creepy atmosphere.”
  • gameplay45 mentions

    The gameplay of "Children of Silentown" is characterized by its engaging puzzles and unique mechanics, particularly the use of music, which adds a refreshing twist to the traditional point-and-click format. While many players appreciate the charming visuals and atmospheric storytelling, some criticize the repetitive nature of certain puzzles and the lack of impactful choices, suggesting that the gameplay could benefit from more variety and depth. Overall, it offers a relaxing yet interactive experience, appealing to fans of the genre despite some noted shortcomings.

    • “The gameplay captures your attention and keeps you engaged, but is rather relaxing as well!”
    • “Overall, Children of Silentown is a very fun and interactive game with plenty of playtime, different endings, great art style, and one of the most unique game mechanics I've seen.”
    • “The story, gameplay, and visual design are phenomenal and complement each other, which makes for a better experience overall.”
    • “This game has a lot going for it, but ultimately the gameplay drags it down.”
    • “The gameplay didn't feel like it added much; there were some small parts where the game showed that you have choices, but they barely impacted the story.”
    • “For me, the worst part of this game was the mini-games with the same logic puzzles over and over again - they were distracting and slowed down the gameplay.”
  • atmosphere36 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its enchanting art style, haunting music, and a blend of whimsical and eerie elements that create a captivating experience. While some players note that it leans more towards a fairytale vibe rather than pure horror, the overall ambiance effectively enhances the storytelling and emotional engagement. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke curiosity and tension, making it a standout feature despite occasional frustrations with gameplay mechanics.

    • “The town's chilling silence and the looming forest's ominous roars create an atmosphere that makes you second-guess each step.”
    • “A very atmospheric and beautiful game with a bittersweet narrative.”
    • “The atmosphere is rather creepy and the art style is gorgeous; the game deserves to be played just for that.”
    • “It's not really a horror game, more of a fairytale with some light spooky atmosphere.”
    • “I think it backtracked too much on the spooky atmosphere that had drawn me in.”
    • “The ending is kind of ambiguous which I don't mind but after creating a grounded atmosphere for most of the game, having the metaphysical stuff thrown at you at the end after solving those stupid puzzles over and over just got to me.”
  • emotional14 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming and touching narrative, which resonates deeply with players, often evoking tears and reflection. The compelling story, rich character development, and impactful choices contribute to a diverse range of emotional experiences, from joy to sorrow. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to connect with players on a personal level, making it a memorable and meaningful experience.

    • “The power of songs drips through the tale, touching the very soul of everyone.”
    • “Gorgeous art style, compelling story (which on my first playthrough the ending genuinely made me cry), likable characters, multiple endings, the choices you make genuinely matter at points throughout.”
    • “I think there is a different message everyone can get from playing this game, and as a person who left his home country to start a new life, this game sure was emotional for me.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it features multiple endings that encourage exploration and offers collectible rewards, many players find the experience somewhat tedious and repetitive. Some express frustration over the lack of meaningful choices and the absence of a "true ending," leading to a sentiment that the game may not warrant multiple playthroughs. Overall, while there are elements that promote replayability, the execution leaves players wanting more.

    • “It's got multiple endings, which for me means great replay value because I love getting the most out of my games. Also, if you're someone who loves exploring every bit of the world, this game rewards you with cute stickers for doing so, and that's just adorable in my book.”
    • “The only real downside I found was the lack of manual saves, but this also helps make the game replayable.”
    • “Infinitely replayable.”
    • “Insult to injury, you even have to play through the game multiple times (with limited replay value) if you want to see all the endings.”
    • “It is not devoid of flaws with its slightly repetitive soundtrack and demanding replayability for those that want to see all the endings.”
    • “I had some small goodwill to replay it (even though it has no real replay value since the choices don't add much) since I could have just talked with my friend about things we didn't notice before, but the second that I saw that it didn't carry over the collectible stickers I tried rather hard to get, we just closed the game with the words 'fuck it, let's watch the endings on YouTube.'”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of "Children of Silentown" to be tedious and repetitive, with many puzzles feeling overly drawn out and lacking in variety. The game’s reliance on constant puzzle-solving and exploration leads to a frustrating experience, often detracting from the overall enjoyment and pacing. Additionally, the absence of helpful hints contributes to the sense of monotony.

    • “Cogwheel one was so annoying that I ended up using a cheat sheet later on because it was so tedious.”
    • “There are some puzzle styles which are repeated fairly often and just became tedious to solve after a while.”
    • “When there's nothing to solve and your objective is just to talk to this person, find this object, or interact with this for no other reason than to show you who the characters are, the game becomes tedious.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized as cute and funny, blending innocence with emotional depth, which resonates well with players. While some moments elicit genuine laughter, others evoke sadness, contributing to an enjoyable overall experience. Minor glitches, like walking through a wall, add a humorous touch without detracting from gameplay.

    • “Cute, funny, innocent, sad -- and the story has something to tell without being too lecturing about it.”
    • “Some parts of this game genuinely made me laugh, some bits made me emotional, and I just enjoyed this so, so much!”
    • “I only encountered one glitch really, and that's being capable of walking inside one wall. It's not like you could go past it, but you could walk inside it, which made it look funny. It wasn't game-breaking, and you just walk out of it.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting smooth performance on the Steam Deck and no noticeable frame drops, bugs, or glitches during gameplay. Overall, players found the experience enjoyable and free from technical issues.

    • “The game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck without any issues.”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs; the stability is impressive.”
    • “The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
    • “I didn't run into any bugs or glitches, and overall it just felt really fun to play, even if it was a bit slow and vague in its direction.”
    • “Other than that though, no other performance issues. I never dropped a frame while playing, there were no bugs or glitches, and I never got stuck on some random objects. The game played smoothly, not that this game has any quick time events or anything that you need to do, but it's definitely nice to have.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Overall, the game is well-optimized, with users reporting a smooth performance and no noticeable frame drops, bugs, or glitches during gameplay. The absence of quick time events further contributes to the seamless experience.

    • “Other than that, though, no other performance issues. I never dropped a frame while playing, there were no bugs or glitches, and I never got stuck on random objects. The game played smoothly, which is definitely nice to have.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “Despite the interesting gameplay, the lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and complexity, with players noting well-crafted backstories and evolving relationships that enhance the overall narrative. The character design complements this development, featuring visually distinct and memorable characters that reflect their personalities and growth throughout the game. Overall, the combination of rich character arcs and appealing design contributes significantly to player engagement and immersion.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
3-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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