Cibele

61%
Game Brain Score Based on 288 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • emotional
Cibele Game Cover
Sat in front of a stranger’s desktop, I felt like an intruder.
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"Cibele" is a single-player Role Playing game that tells a wholesome and intriguing story of a 19-year-old girl named Nina's online relationship. The game unfolds in three acts, featuring multiple short films and an interactive desktop that offers an intimate glimpse into Nina's life. With amazing visuals, a beautiful soundtrack, and a richly illustrated online game world to explore, "Cibele" provides a dense and unique gaming experience, though it is not very replayable.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

61%
Audience ScoreBased on 288 reviews
story67 positive mentions
gameplay15 negative mentions
  • Cibele offers a unique and intimate exploration of online relationships, capturing the awkwardness and vulnerability of first love.
  • The multimedia approach, combining voice acting, desktop exploration, and in-game interactions, creates a compelling narrative experience.
  • The game resonates with players who have experienced similar online relationships, evoking nostalgia and emotional reflection.
  • The gameplay is minimal and often tedious, with repetitive clicking mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
  • The story feels rushed and lacks depth, leaving players wanting more development and resolution.
  • Some players may find the dialogue cringeworthy or unrealistic, which can hinder immersion in the narrative.
  • story325 mentions

    The story of *Cibele* is a short, linear narrative centered on a young woman's first online relationship, presented through a mix of multimedia elements like voice chat, emails, and video cutscenes. While some players appreciate its personal and relatable themes, many criticize the execution as shallow and underdeveloped, feeling that the gameplay detracts from the storytelling experience. Overall, it offers an intimate glimpse into the complexities of online romance, but its brevity and lack of depth leave some players wanting more.

    • “Cibele tells a very personal and enlightening story that addresses things that hit a lot of us at some point in life, such as confidence, the ways men take advantage of that, and infatuation.”
    • “It's a short game that tells the story of two people bonding over an online video game.”
    • “The story is incredibly short, but less 'short and sweet' and more 'well, where's the rest of it?'.”
    • “The story does not branch, so the interactive part doesn't change anything because there are no real choices to make.”
    • “The story ends so much faster than you think and that is fine, but the main arcs of the story are so brief that it is hard to keep up with.”
    • “Not only is the method of storytelling executed quite poorly, but the story in itself is nothing to write home about.”
  • gameplay96 mentions

    The gameplay in this title is largely minimal and repetitive, primarily consisting of simple clicking mechanics within a fictional MMO, which many reviewers found to be boring and lacking depth. While the interactive elements serve as a backdrop to the narrative, they often detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration and a sense of monotony. Despite its shortcomings in gameplay, the story and character development resonate with some players, making it more of an interactive storytelling experience than a traditional game.

    • “The gameplay is threadbare, but it fits very well with the story told: falling in love over the internet, (mostly) in an MMO, the medium fades to the background, becoming just mouse click sounds.”
    • “Cibele is essentially a story being told with some light gameplay interaction thrown in.”
    • “The gameplay allows you to investigate and dive deeply into the main character's thoughts and feelings.”
    • “The gameplay itself is just incredibly boring, and doesn't offer the player any substance.”
    • “The actual gameplay parts (inside the game within a game) were pretty difficult to navigate.”
    • “However, to put it simply, the gameplay was extremely boring and it felt more like a chore I needed to get through to advance the story.”
  • emotional38 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game "Cibele" is described as deeply personal and heartfelt, resonating with players through its exploration of online relationships and the insecurities of the protagonist, Nina. While some reviewers noted that the narrative felt rushed and underdeveloped, many appreciated the game's ability to evoke visceral emotions and introspection, making it a touching experience despite its minimal interactivity. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a realistic and emotional journey, though expectations regarding gameplay length and depth should be managed.

    • “And so there were times where this game truly felt honest, emotional, and ugly (ugly in the sense that I felt myself cringe because I said, 'yup, I've been there!') --- and not at all tailor-made to cater to our society's expectations that entertainment and video games should always have us winning and perfectly beautiful human beings with perfectly happy endings.”
    • “I cared about Nina, I emotionally connected with her, and I was truly rooting for her the whole time.”
    • “Cibele is an intensely emotional and personal experience.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the unique incorporation of video and photographic elements that lend authenticity to the autobiographical narrative. While the art style is often described as simplistic yet beautiful, with harmonious colors, others find the overall execution lacking, feeling that the visuals do not compensate for the game's weak story and gameplay. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is noted, but opinions vary significantly on its effectiveness in enhancing the gaming experience.

    • “The graphics are amazing for a game released last year, and they still hold up today.”
    • “The art style is beautiful, and I loved the soundtrack, which helped.”
    • “The presentation of the interface and the art style of the game are engaging enough to keep you from growing tired of it.”
    • “The art, photos, dialog, etc. feel 'real' (because they are without exception utterly crap, as real life typically is), as if the developer just took images from that time from their hard drive and used them as the game's graphical assets.”
    • “Considering the hundreds of hours of artwork in quality games, this game is just an insult.”
    • “The story wasn't interesting and the graphics were weird.”
  • grinding17 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and monotonous, with many reviewers noting that it effectively simulates the experience of grinding in MMOs but at the cost of engaging gameplay. While some appreciate the unique storytelling approach, they find the execution lacking, leading to a frustrating experience filled with repetitive tasks and uninspired content. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the narrative, leaving players feeling bored and disconnected.

    • “It's a walking simulator, except, instead of walking setting the pace, beating up grindy mobs in an MMO sets the pace.”
    • “The 'MMORPG' section is tedious point-and-click with some below-average voiceover; the rest of the game is just reading garbage poetry, watching Nina's photos from 7 years ago, and waiting for something interesting to happen.”
    • “The actual 'game' sections were very tedious to be honest and left me feeling cold.”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game has received generally positive feedback, with many reviewers appreciating its beauty and atmospheric qualities, which enhance the overall experience. While some found it to be somewhat off or not to their personal taste, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout element amidst criticisms of other aspects like storytelling and character acting. Overall, the music is seen as a valuable component that contributes to the game's artistic appeal.

    • “The art style is beautiful, and I loved the soundtrack, which helped.”
    • “The music is beautiful and so is the art.”
    • “The music was atmospheric, and I enjoyed the treatment of the various videos.”
    • “So, it's a terrible game, used to deliver a terrible story, with terrible assets (apart from the music, which is not my thing, but at least not technically awful).”
    • “Second, I felt like the music was... somehow off.”
    • “That isn't necessarily a bad thing, since the intense nature of the soundtrack and conversations versus the extremely repetitive gameplay would get exceedingly boring if you were forced to play for any longer.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting the absence of meaningful choices and a short playtime of under two hours. While some appreciate the personal and dialogue-driven experience, the consensus is that the game offers little incentive to replay, making it feel expensive for the limited content provided.

    • “It's a relatively quick game to play through, but it has a substantial amount of replay value - you can go back and reexamine the game the same way you might dissect your own old diaries.”
    • “It is in no way a standard game with lots of replay value built in, but I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a very personal, dialogue-driven experience.”
    • “It is remarkably short, which is a very brave thing to do in a world where we want our games 'replayable'... if only more games would accept that sometimes 90 minutes is enough.”
    • “Barely an hour of content, no replayability, nothing interesting.”
    • “It hasn't any replay value as far as I can see, and so it's a bit expensive for the <2h you'll get out of it.”
    • “There's no replay value, the story is just boring, the gameplay is frustrating to non-existent.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is effectively conveyed through well-crafted video cutscenes that immerse players in Nina's world, complemented by atmospheric music that enhances the emotional storytelling. While some may find the interactivity and user interface lacking, those who appreciate a strong narrative experience will likely enjoy the overall ambiance.

    • “As the game progresses, you'll see video cutscenes that give you a glimpse of Nina's world outside of her computer, and these videos do a good job of capturing the atmosphere of her story.”
    • “However, if you can overlook minimal interactivity and clunky UI for atmospheric and emotional storytelling, and you have the right set of expectations going in, I think this is an experience you will enjoy.”
    • “Cibele did a really great job of recreating the atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real depth.”
    • “The music is repetitive and does nothing to enhance the overall experience.”
    • “The game fails to create an immersive atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for being poor, with users reporting significant bugs, lag, and an overall uninspired performance, despite the innovative storytelling approach.

    • “It's an interesting approach to storytelling by an indie game dev, and I love how out of the box the thinking was with it, even if the implementation was pretty awful; bland, tedious, and buggy.”
    • “It's buggy, it's laggy (my machine is more than capable of a lag-free experience, so I don't know where that came from), and it's uninspired.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The optimization of the game is generally viewed as adequate, with the narrative and character dynamics effectively conveyed, though some players feel that the performances could be improved. The story unfolds predictably, particularly for mature audiences, suggesting that while the optimization supports the experience, it may not elevate it to exceptional levels.

    • “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
    • “I encountered numerous performance issues that made it difficult to enjoy the game.”
    • “The game feels unpolished, with optimization problems that detract from the overall experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Players appreciate the character development in the game, noting it as a highlight of their experience and contributing positively to their overall enjoyment.

    • “I actually very much enjoyed the game, and I loved the character development throughout my gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
1-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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