Constance

About

Constance is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Blue Backpack and was released on November 24, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Constance is a highly emotional single-player action game featuring sensational story, marvelous gameplay, and great visuals. Wield a paintbrush to unlock new techniques, solve puzzles, and battle foes in a non-linear world filled with secrets and upgrades. Balance your paint-based powers carefully and customize abilities through inspired sketches for a unique journey.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 727 reviews

story91 positive mentions

grinding20 negative mentions

Gorgeous hand-drawn art style and animations that create a visually stunning experience.
Fluid and responsive movement mechanics that make platforming enjoyable and engaging.
Emotional narrative that resonates with themes of mental health, burnout, and creativity.

Short playtime, typically around 6-10 hours, which may leave players wanting more content.
Boss fights can feel repetitive and lack variety, often relying on predictable attack patterns.
Map design is vague and lacks detail, making exploration and tracking collectibles frustrating.

story
299 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
3%
The game's story, while simple, resonates deeply with players, exploring themes of mental health, burnout, and personal struggle through a unique blend of gameplay and narrative. Many reviewers appreciate the emotional depth and relatability of the protagonist's journey, though some feel the execution lacks depth and could benefit from more development. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its integration with gameplay, but opinions vary on its impact and complexity, with some finding it too surface-level or brief.
- “The story touches on some dark themes and can hit you quite hard if you have personal experience with mental health problems such as depression or burnout.”
- “The game is a stunning painting that tells a deep, moving story which resonates and stays with you long after the credits roll.”
- “The story is deeply emotional and tackles serious themes such as mental health, personal struggle, creativity, and work-life balance in an extremely respectful way, leaving a lasting impression that stays with you for a long time.”
- “The story feels as though it's trying to punch above its weight class.”
- “The story is almost nothing more than a pretext for you to explore and enjoy the beautiful scenery.”
- “The story is very simple, but cute and wholesome.”
gameplay
290 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
59%
3%
The gameplay of "Constance" is characterized by tight and responsive controls, engaging platforming mechanics, and a unique paint-based combat system that ties into the game's themes. While many players appreciate the beautiful visuals and creative ideas, some criticize the game for its short length, occasional clunky mechanics, and uneven boss designs. Overall, the gameplay offers a satisfying experience, though it may not reach the heights of other titles in the metroidvania genre.
- “The gameplay is very good, the platforming is extremely tight, with fun takes on metroidvania staples like the wall jump.”
- “The gameplay mechanics feel smooth and meaningful, not just tacked on.”
- “Beautiful artwork/animation, phenomenal story, amazing soundtrack, all built around challenging gameplay full of unique and interesting mechanics.”
- “It's gameplay is sometimes confusing and the mapping is bad.”
- “The mechanics simply are not tight enough and the platforming isn't tactile enough to warrant being forced through some of the obstacle courses Constance puts you through.”
- “The gameplay is very standard with generic platforming, terrible backtracking with weirdly placed elevators, instead of using the shrines as waypoints, and roughly five hours to beat, would probably only take 3 if not for the elevator placements.”
music
158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
31%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience, with standout tracks particularly noted during boss fights and specific areas. Many players describe the soundtrack as varied, soothing, and fitting for the game's whimsical art style, contributing significantly to the game's emotional depth and atmosphere. While some critiques mention that certain tracks may feel less memorable or too subdued, the overall consensus is that the music is a highlight, complementing the game's stunning visuals and engaging gameplay.
- “The soundtrack is perfection and had me pausing just to listen.”
- “The music leaves an impact during the gameplay, and some tracks linger in your mind even after completing the game.”
- “The art and the music are the best part of this game.”
- “Music is on the weaker side unfortunately, but it might just be my taste.”
- “So much of the exploration music was quiet and low-energy, that it didn't keep me invigorated.”
- “Music - forgettable, nothing stands out.”
graphics
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
31%
2%
The graphics of "Constance" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning art style, characterized by whimsical character designs and vibrant color palettes, particularly the use of lilac and purple tones. Players appreciate the smooth animations and the overall visual coherence, which create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. While the visuals are often highlighted as the game's strongest aspect, some reviewers noted that the graphics alone cannot compensate for gameplay shortcomings.
- “The art style alone deserves so much praise, including the very whimsical character designs, as does the music for creating beautiful regions that I never got tired of looking at.”
- “There's just so many scenes with drop-dead gorgeous visuals and silky smooth animations that I could stare at for hours.”
- “The game's world is not only magnificent to look at, courtesy of the sublime, picturesque art style and smooth-as-butter animations, but also incredibly exciting to traverse.”
- “Feels like playtesting took a back seat for vibes and aesthetic.”
- “Apart from the art style, visuals and OST, the game falls flat with little emphasis on good combat mechanics and even worse platforming that discouraged me from completing everything initially like I usually do in metroidvania games, but I pushed through and finally did everything.”
- “It feels like the visuals are contradicting the gameplay.”
emotional
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game "constance" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling and artistic design, effectively intertwining gameplay with themes of mental health and personal struggle. While some players found certain emotional reveals to be heavy-handed or underdeveloped, many appreciated the game's ability to evoke genuine feelings through its music, visuals, and narrative depth. Overall, it is regarded as a touching and immersive experience that resonates with players on multiple levels.
- “Many environments, enemies, and obstacles feel like manifestations of mental blocks or emotional weight, which made the gameplay feel deeply connected to the story rather than separate from it.”
- “Unexpectedly for MV, Constance also has an effective, emotionally striking story.”
- “All in all, Constance is a true labor of love, offering wonderful gameplay while managing to tell a story that is as touching and melancholy as it is timeless, which, in my humble opinion, results in a title every fan of the genre should experience.”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to navigation issues, slow movement speed, and limited fast travel options. While some appreciate the lack of overly tedious sections in the early game, many report that achieving 100% completion and facing repetitive bosses becomes a chore, leading to boredom and annoyance. The exploration and backtracking are often described as cumbersome, with players feeling that the game drags on due to its unpolished mechanics and lack of guidance.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I will warn that there is an achievement that takes, at a minimum, around half an hour of grinding to get, which was moderately annoying.”
- “The game has become increasingly tedious after a while.”
- “100%ing this game was tedious and I gave up during a couple of the side quests.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dreamy and surreal qualities, reminiscent of the Ori series, with stunning art and gentle lighting that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the emotional depth conveyed through the art style and music, which create a captivating environment that shifts from colorful and joyous to darker, more overwhelming tones. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and storytelling.
- “The dreamy atmosphere and the clean art style reminded me a lot of the Ori series.”
- “Accompanied by the gentle lighting, each level easily gives off a surreal and dreamy atmosphere.”
- “The art and animation are fantastic, the soundtrack is nearly perfect, and the world, while thematically broad in its mental-health focus, is atmospheric and well-realized.”
- “Accompanying with the gentle lighting, each level easily gives off a surreal and dreamy atmosphere.”
- “Story-wise, I'm only at the beginning, but I have already a few theories, which relate to the first few lines of the game... I won't say more to avoid spoilers. I'll only add that there is a stark dichotomy between phases of gameplay, a drastic shift of atmosphere; we go from very colorful and almost joyous to depressing and overwhelming.”
- “I really like the art style and atmosphere of the game; I believe that this is something they excelled in and honestly is what captured my interest in the first place.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
12%
The character development in the game is highly praised for its whimsical and stunning designs, which contribute significantly to the overall aesthetic and immersive experience. Players appreciate the main character's gorgeous design, alongside well-crafted enemy and boss designs that enhance gameplay mechanics. The combination of beautiful visuals, strong soundtracks, and engaging animations creates a captivating world that players find delightful and engaging.
- “The art & visuals are incredibly stunning, and I adore the character designs.”
- “The main character design is gorgeous and so is that of the world that surrounds her.”
- “I love the soundtrack in the game and the character design and story is great!”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its funny gameplay mechanics and design choices, such as amusing movement tech and quirky animations. Players appreciate the juxtaposition of art themes with absurd elements, like the illogical geography and abrupt transitions between environments, which add to the comedic experience. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its artistic style, making for an entertaining experience.
- “Very funny gameplay and such a nice design.”
- “I've already found potential for funny movement tech and I wasn't even looking for it; can't wait to see what speedrunners will come up with.”
- “Dark Souls 2's blatant disregard for geography will forever live in infamy, hilariously coupling a fetid valley and a fiery hellscape with just a brisk thirty-second elevator ride.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game offers moderate replayability, with some users noting its short length but potential for improvement in future updates. While speed completion achievements add some incentive to replay, pursuing 100% completion can be time-consuming, and overall, the replay value is considered limited outside of speedrunning.
- “The game is pretty short, but after they improve some things, I see solid replay value. Honestly, it's worth it for the art alone!”
- “Length and replayability: just right!”
- “It has speed completion achievements for added replayability.”
- “It does take a decently long time if you go for 100% without a guide, but aside from speedrunning, the replay value is not super high.”
- “Game is pretty short, but after they improve some things, I see some solid replay value and honestly, it's worth it for the art alone!”
- “Has speed completion achievements for some replayability.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with users reporting significant performance issues, particularly during cutscenes, and general annoyance due to poor optimization. While some appreciate the developers' commitment to ongoing updates and quality of life improvements, others have experienced stuttering during gameplay, affecting platforming mechanics.
- “Good to see that the developers have a roadmap and are still updating with optimization and adding quality of life improvements.”
- “My only complaint was that I had pretty significant performance issues with the cutscenes.”
- “Badly optimized, and just generally annoying to play.”
- “The other issue, which I'm not sure whether it was a bug or normal, was stuttering before jumping - so walking along the ground and then jumping would have a kind of stutter, which made jumping from one platform to another fail sometimes.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The stability of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating its innovative mechanics while others report significant input bugs that hinder gameplay. While it runs well on certain platforms, such as the deck, the overall experience is marred by these stability issues, leading some users to consider refunds.
- “Playing on the deck and it runs great!”
- “The game has been incredibly stable, with no crashes or bugs during my sessions.”
- “I've experienced smooth gameplay without any interruptions, which really enhances the overall experience.”
- “I do like how it's a different take on the classic wall bounce, but it felt buggy when I would jump instead of just coming out.”
- “Previously, I really enjoyed the demo and concept, but I'm going to have to refund; the input is very buggy.”