Cinders

Cinders’ story had me hooked from beginning to end, while its compelling cast of characters, the themes it explores and its deviations from the traditional narrative of Cinderella made for a surprisingly poignant tale that I won’t soon forget.

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"Cinders" is a single-player mystery role-playing game with a fabulous story, delightful graphics, and awesome music. The game allows you to break the classic fairytale mold and explore multiple endings, 120 decision points, and over 300 choices, resulting in a highly emotional and unique atmosphere. With plenty of humor and replayability, "Cinders" offers a fresh take on the story of Cinderella and the lives of four women.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 415 reviews

story142 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

The game features stunning artwork and beautiful visuals that enhance the storytelling experience.
Cinders offers a unique and mature twist on the classic Cinderella story, with well-developed characters and meaningful choices that impact the narrative.
The soundtrack complements the atmosphere of the game, creating an immersive experience for players.

The dialogue can be overly long and preachy at times, which may detract from the overall pacing of the game.
Some players may find the lack of significant variation in endings after multiple playthroughs to be disappointing.
The game lacks a skip function for previously read dialogue, making it tedious to replay for different endings.

story
460 mentions
31 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story of "Cinders" is a modern retelling of the classic Cinderella tale, praised for its depth, character development, and the significant impact of player choices on the narrative. Reviewers highlight the game's stunning artwork and the engaging, branching storylines that allow for multiple endings, making each playthrough feel unique. While some found the story repetitive after several runs, many appreciated the mature themes and the complexity of the characters, which add layers to the familiar narrative.
- “The story is deep with characters who each have their own agenda, morals, goals, and struggles in life.”
- “Cinders is a beautifully illustrated visual novel with a fascinating story and some cool achievements.”
- “The choices in Cinders give you entirely different endings; there are so many variables to the endings in the story and the heroine's personality changes according to the choices you make.”
- “The story is not about him: it is about Cinders and her abusive relationship with her family.”
- “The game promised to add character depth to a familiar story, and it did-- to a point.”
- “Going through the game multiple times to discover how else Cinders' story could have ended became more of a chore than an experience, which is something I don't want to say about a game that almost requires you multiple playthroughs in order to get a better understanding of the characters and the story.”
graphics
177 mentions
66 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning and beautiful art style, featuring vibrant colors, detailed character designs, and atmospheric backgrounds that enhance the storytelling experience. Many reviewers noted the dynamic artwork and subtle animations that bring the visuals to life, making it a standout feature of the game. However, some criticism was directed at the repetitiveness of certain visual elements and the lack of unique graphics for special moments, though overall, the artwork significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
- “The artwork is gorgeous, vibrant colors and detailed characters; I loved how as you got each ending it added to the title screen.”
- “The artwork in this game is really beautiful; each scene is vibrant and full of life, filled with detail and a saturation that gives the impression of a fantasy world, bordering on a fairy tale.”
- “The visuals are stunning and the background sounds work well.”
- “It's bad writing, cliched characters, and awful graphics.”
- “Steam says the release date is in 2014, but the graphics are like games from the 1980s.”
- “This was a horrible game with very old graphics.”
music
128 mentions
60 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers noting its beauty and fitting nature for the game's themes. While some mention a lack of variety and memorability in the soundtrack, it is generally described as soothing and immersive, complementing the stunning artwork and engaging storytelling. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The whimsical and atmospheric soundtrack brings the world to life, building on the fairy tale impression created by the artwork.”
- “The music is perfectly suited to each scene, and the choices you make have an effect on later events and character relationships.”
- “The artwork is gorgeous, and the music is lovely.”
- “There isn't a lot of variation in the music, but what's there is fine; it never got grating.”
- “Music is atmospheric, though largely unmemorable.”
- “The music is honestly pretty forgettable.”
replayability
49 mentions
37 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game offers a high level of replayability due to its multiple endings and numerous decision points, allowing players to explore different narrative paths and character dynamics. However, some reviewers noted that the experience can become repetitive due to recycled dialogue and a relatively short playtime, which may limit long-term engagement. Overall, while the game is visually stunning and provides a satisfying replay experience, its value may be best realized during sales rather than at full price.
- “Very replayable too, especially as the artwork is so gorgeous you keep wanting to see it all again!”
- “With over 120 decision points and multiple endings, this visual novel has very high replayability.”
- “The many different paths and endings you can achieve give the game a high level of replayability, along with the handy 'skip' button (which stops automatically whenever you encounter a new scene or piece of dialogue you haven't seen before).”
- “There's not much replay value once you play through a few times, but the artwork is beautiful and the dialogue is good.”
- “Lots of ending variations, but since replayability is limited by a lot of recycled text between routes, I recommend getting it on sale.”
- “You can finish most, if not all, endings in one sitting, so it, unfortunately, has little replay value story-wise.”
atmosphere
28 mentions
82 % positive mentions
7 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of whimsical and sinister elements, enhanced by a beautiful art style and an atmospheric soundtrack that immerses players in a fairy tale world. Reviewers highlight the depth and complexity of the characters and story, noting that the music and visuals work together to create a captivating and immersive experience. Overall, the game is recommended for its stunning aesthetics and engaging narrative that brings the atmosphere to life.
- “The whimsical and atmospheric soundtrack brings the world to life, building on the fairy tale impression created by the artwork.”
- “You have to experience it yourself; the atmosphere is so immersive you feel like you are part of a fable.”
- “The artwork is beautiful, and the settings have a magical atmosphere.”
- “The somehow sinister atmosphere really gives a new meaning to the story.”
- “What really emphasizes the atmosphere is the music.”
- “The music also contributes to this atmosphere, setting the tone for each scene.”
character development
19 mentions
47 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the growth of certain characters, particularly the female leads and sisters, while others criticize the lack of depth and flatness in others, including love interests and the stepmother. The pacing of character interactions is often described as rushed, leading to a feeling of disconnection from the characters' journeys. Overall, while the art and design are highly regarded, the effectiveness of character development varies significantly among different characters and story arcs.
- “But fear not, there's still room for heartwarming moments and genuine character development.”
- “Cinders is less of a romance and more of a player-dependent character development story of the main protagonist.”
- “All of the female characters had a great personality and character development and growth.”
- “For a game that focuses heavily on character development, it felt off-putting to have very few brief interactions with the other characters.”
- “The characters are flat and lifeless; there is no character development.”
- “Lack of, or rushed character development: pacing feels off somehow, and it gives you a feeling that everything is happening too fast.”
gameplay
18 mentions
22 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and typical visual novel mechanics, focusing on dialogue choices that influence the story and character relationships. While it offers replayability and a good skipping mechanic, some players find it passive and short, with limited interactivity beyond reading and making choices. Overall, the experience is immersive but may feel repetitive after multiple playthroughs, especially given its relatively brief duration for a visual novel.
- “The gameplay is pretty simple and typical of a visual novel: you click through the screens, reading a lot of dialogue and sometimes making choices that push the story forward.”
- “Mechanically, the game focuses on role-playing through dialogue choices and what you select impacts both your ability to explore the world and meet people, and the relationship you have with other characters.”
- “The gameplay is more like reading a storybook with options of choosing decisions at some points in the story, allowing you to change certain outcomes.”
- “The gameplay feels so passive and slow, and the writing is so terrible -- especially the dialogue.”
- “However, for a $20 visual novel, the gameplay is very short and routes compared to other visual novels I have played.”
- “I wouldn't recommend buying at full price; after the first gameplay, it gets kind of boring when trying to reach alternative endings.”
humor
14 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by clever writing and witty dialogue, often blending serious themes with lighthearted moments. Players appreciate the thought-provoking and amusing conversations among characters, with some noting the presence of dry humor and amusing banter. While some dialogue may feel repetitive or cliché, the overall narrative quality and humor contribute to an engaging experience that resonates even with those unfamiliar with the genre.
- “Choose-your-own-adventure style, but with a wicked sense of humor.”
- “The writing is clever and has made me laugh out loud several times.”
- “The game is also filled with some excellent dry humor, and amusing banter.”
grinding
13 mentions
23 % positive mentions
-15 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially when attempting to unlock all endings and achievements, leading to repetitive gameplay. While some appreciate the decision-making mechanics, the lack of variation in story outcomes contributes to a sense of monotony during multiple playthroughs. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative and character engagement.
- “No tedious stat building!”
- “The grinding feels rewarding and keeps me engaged.”
- “I love how the grind leads to meaningful progress in the game.”
- “Repeating the game can feel very tedious after the fourth or fifth playthrough even though it lets you fast forward through conversations that you've already seen.”
- “There isn't much variation to the story no matter what ending you pursue, making it extremely repetitive and tedious when trying to explore all the game's content.”
- “It was tedious to start all the way at the beginning in order to collect all the endings though.”
emotional
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming moments and genuine character development, particularly in its nuanced portrayal of traditionally villainous characters, which fosters empathy. However, some players feel that the variety of routes and endings detracts from deeper emotional engagement, as certain character traits, like exaggerated sarcasm, can undermine the connection to the story. Overall, the game's music effectively enhances the emotional atmosphere, contributing to a more immersive experience.
- “But fear not, there's still room for heartwarming moments and genuine character development.”
- “This is basically a really good retelling of the Cinderella story with a more believable main character, 'villains' who are not just evil for the sake of being evil. This retelling made me feel more sympathetic for the 'evil stepsisters' than Cinders at times, even the stepmother! And a ton of believable alternative endings.”
- “Such attention to identity helps in the establishment of an emotional link between you and Cinders' world.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game aligns with its mature theme, offering players a nuanced experience that reflects the complexity of its characters. However, specific details about pricing or in-game purchases were not mentioned in the reviews.