Continue?9876543210

56%
Game Brain Score Based on 154 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Continue?9876543210 Game Cover
Continue?9876543210 is as weird as its title suggests, and surprisingly clever as well.
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"Continue?9876543210" is a single-player Science Fiction Quiz game with a good plot and splendid atmosphere, but awful mechanics and lots of grinding. As a dead video game character in the Random Access Memory, players explore existential themes and their own mortality in this unique, confusing, and emotional journey, reminiscent of games like Gone Home and Papers Please. The splendid soundtrack and philosophical exploration make it a memorable and thought-provoking experience.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

56%
Audience ScoreBased on 154 reviews
story10 positive mentions
gameplay16 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and thought-provoking narrative that explores themes of mortality and acceptance, providing moments of introspection.
  • The art style and soundtrack are praised for their beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The gameplay mechanics, while challenging, encourage players to think strategically about time management and resource allocation.
  • The gameplay can feel repetitive and frustrating, with unskippable cutscenes and a lack of clear guidance leading to confusion.
  • Many players find the controls to be imprecise and the combat mechanics lacking depth, detracting from the overall experience.
  • The game is criticized for its high price point relative to the content offered, with some feeling it is not worth the investment.
  • gameplay78 mentions

    The gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it clunky, repetitive, and frustrating, often detracting from the overall experience. While some appreciate the interesting mechanics and aesthetic, the execution is criticized for being poorly designed and lacking depth, leading to a sense of futility and annoyance. Overall, the gameplay is seen as the weakest aspect of the game, overshadowing its narrative and artistic elements.

    • “Once you get the hang of the gameplay and pay a bit of attention to the surroundings and the NPCs, you'll probably enjoy the time more.”
    • “This game, being my game nomination of the year, has amazing art, an amazing soundtrack, a great storyline, and decently appealing gameplay which makes for a fantastic game altogether.”
    • “In these moments, the mellow music, the great art design, and gameplay all come to form a tight bond.”
    • “The execution of the gameplay is a solid 0/10, and since the gameplay is most of the game, it hurts the overall experience really badly.”
    • “The gameplay is the weakest part of the game, because you are so reliant on RNG to not screw you over; it's ridiculous.”
    • “I tried to like this game, but I just could not get past the terrible gameplay. If there were better objectives, not such a harsh timer, or anything really, it could be playable, but it's just not.”
  • story77 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its deep themes of life, death, and acceptance, while others criticize it as convoluted and poorly executed. Many reviews highlight the disconnect between the narrative and gameplay, with some finding the storytelling slow and repetitive, leading to frustration. Overall, while the premise has potential, the execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a story that can feel both engaging and confusing.

    • “A story about life, death, and acceptance.”
    • “The story is very good if simple, and is as the description says the story of a man trying to come to terms with his death, while also trying to complete his original quest he was designed to perform and locate a woman who has also fled from deletion.”
    • “The game's story focuses on acceptance and reflection, which is at odds with its gameplay, which has a focus on action and timed sections that are fairly frenetic.”
    • “This game is way too slow and the story is lackluster at best.”
    • “The game has awful play control, awful storytelling (with lots of forced 'cutscenes' that are both repetitive and uninteresting), and awful direction.”
    • “The story is told in a very indirect way, and some of the events that can happen are just absolutely bizarre.”
  • music34 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its hauntingly beautiful and melancholic quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional depth. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as calming, melodic, and fitting perfectly with the game's themes. While some found the gameplay lacking, the music consistently received high marks, often being cited as the game's biggest redeeming quality.

    • “The music and the atmosphere are some of the places where this game shines.”
    • “The game has a haunting soundtrack, interesting but odd sound design, but it all fits the weird atmosphere of the game perfectly.”
    • “The music fits very well with the game, giving you a feel for each area while also reminding you of your impending demise.”
    • “The only positive aspect of the game was the music.”
    • “The music and the graphics are fitting to the theme of the game, but leave much to be desired.”
    • “I found the graphics and music just plain boring to look at and listen to, and while there are some flashy scenes and very well done graphical choices during cutscenes, the levels look somewhat all the same in exception to a few that look amazing.”
  • graphics26 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming, unique art style and well-designed levels, while others criticize the visuals as dull, bland, or reminiscent of outdated styles like PS1 graphics. The use of flashy effects and strobe lighting can be overwhelming, and while some find the graphics fitting for the game's theme, many feel they lack stimulation and variety, leading to a quick sense of fatigue. Overall, the graphics are seen as a double-edged sword, with potential appeal for certain players but significant drawbacks for others.

    • “I love this style of graphics, so that's another tally in the 'pro' column.”
    • “The visuals are charming, with well-designed levels full of voxely detail and nice color schemes.”
    • “Very original idea, very good concept, and extremely good graphics for its purpose.”
    • “The terrible graphics make my eyes hurt after playing only a couple of minutes.”
    • “This wouldn't be so bad if the visuals were more stimulating, but they are not.”
    • “I found the graphics and music just plain boring to look at and listen to, and while there are some flashy scenes and very well done graphical choices during cutscenes, the levels look somewhat all the same in exception to a few that look amazing.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    The game elicits a strong emotional response, with players noting its ability to provoke feelings of sadness and introspection about mortality, often leading to tears during poignant scenes. While some appreciate its philosophical depth and emotional engagement, others criticize the dialogue as cheesy and confusing, detracting from its intended impact. Overall, it is described as an emotionally charged experience that invites personal interpretation, despite its mixed reception.

    • “That, combined with some really touching scenes, resulted in a game that made me cry several times.”
    • “If you love cerebral, borderline walking simulator type games that are very emotional and sad, this game may give you something.”
    • “It's an emotional ride that is open to your own interpretation.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its haunting and ethereal qualities, effectively conveying a sense of inevitable doom and existential questioning. Players appreciate the combination of a captivating soundtrack and unique sound design, which enhances the surreal and romantic elements of the experience. Overall, while opinions on gameplay may vary, the atmospheric elements consistently stand out as a highlight.

    • “The game actually has a really great atmosphere of inevitable doom and the futility of struggling further.”
    • “The music and the atmosphere are some of the places where this game shines.”
    • “The game has a haunting soundtrack, interesting but odd sound design, but it all fits the weird atmosphere of the game perfectly.”
    • “Other player reviews have gone into detail about the gameplay and atmosphere, but the bottom line is I didn't find it fun to play.”
    • “The game itself is okay, but the atmosphere and some of the surreal elements I enjoyed.”
    • “As for the content itself, its atmosphere sort of reminds me of a 3D Sword & Sworcery.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding in the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, with gameplay mechanics that lack clarity and proper support. The repetitive objectives and cumbersome text presentation contribute to a laborious experience, making the grinding feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge. Overall, the grinding aspect detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Tedious gameplay with no proper gamepad support and obscure mechanics further marred the experience.”
    • “Couple this with the deeply unpleasant text, which apes a primitive console script, but is painful to read in its stretched, unspaced format, coupled with the unnecessary grinding noise every time it is 'printed' on the screen.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is a blend of intentional wit and unintentional comedy, providing a balance to its more serious themes. Players appreciate the hilarious dialogue and dark humor that keeps the experience entertaining, even as it touches on deeper topics. Overall, the humor adds a thoughtful yet lighthearted layer to the gameplay.

    • “They turned me on to a slew of music that I wouldn't have appreciated otherwise and managed to be both hilarious and thoughtful throughout.”
    • “However, there is, thankfully, a fair amount of humor (whether intentional or not) that offsets the sincerity.”
    • “The dialogue here can be... pretty hilarious.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The optimization in the game is criticized for being punishing, as failing action modes leads to significant setbacks in performance and progress, despite players' efforts to engage effectively with enemies. This creates a frustrating experience that can hinder overall gameplay.

    • “Action modes mostly offer treasure and performance-based rewards, but failing them results in harsh consequences.”
    • “Despite facing the enemy and presenting good points, they will hit you anyway, reducing your performance and hindering progress in the meta-game.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers limited replayability, as players can uncover most of its content within just a few playthroughs, and it lacks significant random number generation to encourage repeated sessions.

    • “If you are looking for a game that has a lot of replayability or huge amounts of random number generation, then this game is not for you.”
    • “There is little replayability; you will discover most of what the game has to offer in a few short playthroughs.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that while the combat gameplay may fall short, the character development and narrative are strong points of the game, providing depth and engagement to the overall experience.

    • “The character development and story are exceptional, making the gameplay experience worthwhile.”
    • “The depth of character development truly enhances the overall narrative, drawing players into the story.”
    • “I was impressed by how the characters evolved throughout the game, adding layers to the plot.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game experiences notable stability issues, including glitches that can force players to restart, which is particularly ironic given its plot about battling through memory. Additionally, the repetitive conversations and cut scenes contribute to a frustrating experience.

    • “I encountered several glitches that forced me to restart the game, which is ironic given the plot about a character battling through random access memory to avoid being deleted.”
    • “The game suffers from stability issues, with frequent crashes that disrupt the experience and make it frustrating to progress.”
    • “There are numerous bugs that affect gameplay, leading to a lack of immersion and enjoyment.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

61% average critic score

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