Conscience

About

Conscience is a single player action game. It was developed by Bowker Studios and was released on December 30, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Conscience is a noir detective mystery where you play as a private investigator hired to uncover the truth behind Jack Beckham's suspicious death. Explore Jack’s apartment thoroughly, examining every corner for clues and evidence. Piece together hidden details to unravel the mystery and discover what really happened.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews

story5 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a solid and engaging story within a short playtime, making it a great quick detective fix.
The atmospheric art and noir style effectively set the mood, enhancing the overall experience.
Despite its simplicity, the game provides enjoyable puzzles and a satisfying sense of deduction.

The game is very short, leaving players wanting more content and a more complex mystery to solve.
Some gameplay mechanics, such as the UI and flashlight functionality, are frustrating and can hinder the experience.
There are minor bugs and grammatical errors that detract from the overall polish of the game.

story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The game features a solid, engaging detective story presented in a film noir style, with a mix of humor and absurd plot twists reminiscent of soap operas. While the narrative is straightforward and somewhat short, it effectively focuses on character dialogue and atmosphere, leaving players intrigued for potential expansions in both gameplay and story. Overall, it offers a unique approach to storytelling through text-based clues, making it a promising debut for Bowker Studios.
- “When the game opens, you get so many cues that this is a film noir style detective story.”
- “The focus stays on the story and characters, letting the dialogue and dilemmas take center stage.”
- “Quite atmospheric at times and with a good story that you piece together.”
- “Every twist in the story is like a plot twist in a soap opera, and you’ll be laughing and shaking your head at how absurdly tangled everything gets.”
- “Indeed, the story is straightforward to a fault, as simply reading the game’s text will tell you whodunnit and why.”
- “I'll be interested to play it if it undergoes some more detailed review and development and perhaps incorporates more than just this one storyline as part of being a detective.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
Overall, the graphics received positive feedback for their gritty visuals and appealing art style, which effectively set the atmosphere of the game. Many users appreciated the unique aesthetic and smooth performance, although some noted minor issues with overlays affecting gameplay. The combination of good graphics and engaging ambiance contributed to an enjoyable experience, despite the gameplay being relatively simple.
- “The ambiance and art style are also appealing.”
- “I loved the art style; the gameplay is a little different, and the noir vibes are great. I'd definitely play more if the devs expand the game!”
- “The investigation notes couldn't be completed because the graphics were overlaid, and you couldn't scroll down or do anything else... I wanted to like this a lot.”
- “Gameplay and visuals are pretty simple, but they are enough for this experience.”
- “But I'm glad to have experienced this with these gritty visuals to set the stage.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its strong visual presentation and immersive qualities, creating a tense and unnerving experience that enhances the storytelling. Players appreciate the eerie and gritty ambiance, often feeling a sense of being watched, while the rainy and dark setting contributes to the overall mood without relying on traditional horror elements like jump scares. Overall, the atmospheric art and design effectively engage players, making the brief experience memorable.
- “There's only about 15 minutes of content here, but it's an excellent display of atmospheric art.”
- “It has that dark and quiet atmospheric feel that kept me tense throughout my playthrough, making me anticipate some sort of jump scare with each door I opened.”
- “The atmosphere is eerie and makes you feel like you're being watched.”
- “The presentation and atmosphere were unnerving, which fits the story well.”
- “I also really liked the atmosphere that the artwork gives it; it's not too scary, but there's something gritty about it.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is characterized by a quick and engaging investigative experience, typically lasting around 15 to 30 minutes, with straightforward mechanics that involve finding highlighted words in text to solve a mystery. While the art style and noir atmosphere are praised, some users noted issues with optimization and minor bugs that can affect the experience. Overall, the gameplay is simple yet intriguing, leaving players eager for more content and expansion.
- “Quick and fun little 20-minute investigation with easy-to-understand mechanics and clear clues.”
- “The gameplay is a little different, because instead of wandering the environment looking for clues that you stick in your inventory like an adventure game, you find words in various bits of text that tell the story of the mystery.”
- “The investigative mechanic is to find highlighted clue words or phrases in documents, letters, messages, etc., and then use a selection of them to produce a conclusion about the man's death; the game finally reports whether the player has successfully solved the mystery or not.”
- “Good environment aura and concept, poor optimization and gameplay.”
- “It definitely left me wanting to see both the gameplay and the story expanded on.”
- “It also has a few bugs (both visually and in gameplay) and is a bit finicky, but nothing too major that would ruin the game.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is generally well-received, enhancing the noir atmosphere and evoking a detective vibe, though some players wish it were longer and more consistent. While the sound design is praised for its quality, there are occasional technical issues, such as music not playing on certain devices. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance.
- “The music, the rain, the empty streets, and smog obscuring the detail of tall red brick buildings which block the skyline.”
- “Smooth FPS, simple but cute graphics, great music and sound design.”
- “Only 2 wishes would be if the noir music continued as that made you feel like a grizzled old detective, but also if it was a little longer.”
- “It was alright, it's free, find the clues, 1 code puzzle, put clues together... the music didn't have any sound when I pushed play though on my cell phone.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a compelling environment and concept, but suffers from poor optimization that negatively impacts gameplay.
- “Good environment aura and concept, but poor optimization and gameplay.”
- “The game suffers from severe performance issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- “Despite its potential, the optimization is lacking, leading to frustrating lag and crashes.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players feel deeply immersed in the role of a detective, with the game effectively evoking emotions tied to investigation and discovery.
- “This game truly made me feel like a detective, immersing me in a world of mystery and emotional depth.”
- “The emotional storytelling left a lasting impact, making me connect with the characters on a personal level.”
- “I was moved by the game's ability to evoke such strong feelings, creating a memorable and heartfelt experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in *conscience* is characterized by its absurd and tangled plot twists reminiscent of a soap opera, eliciting laughter and disbelief from players. The game invites players to engage in comical sleuthing, enhancing the overall entertaining experience.
- “Every twist in the story is like a plot twist in a soap opera, and you’ll be laughing and shaking your head at how absurdly tangled everything gets.”
- “So, grab your detective hat (or just a hat, really) and get ready for some hilarious sleuthing in *Conscience*!”