Crowalt: Traces of the Lost Colony

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In Crowalt: Traces of the Lost Colony, players join Hugh Radcliff, a young adventurer seeking to solve the mystery of the Lost Colony that disappeared in 1587. Set in 1737, Hugh explores the island of Crowalt, now inhabited by different people, and encounters classic point-and-click puzzles. Watch out for pirates who are also visiting the island, as they add an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay. This adventure game combines traditional storytelling with modern pixel art graphics.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

story17 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features an intriguing story that keeps players engaged and curious about the mystery of the Lost Colony.
The pixel art style is vibrant and well-executed, contributing to a pleasant visual experience.
Puzzles are generally logical and not overly difficult, making the game accessible for newcomers to the genre.

The game suffers from excessive backtracking and a lack of fast travel options, leading to tedious gameplay.
Dialogue and writing quality are subpar, often pulling players out of the immersive experience.
Technical issues, such as slow movement and poor user interface design, detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
32 mentions
53 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it intriguing and engaging, particularly due to its mysterious elements and plot twists. However, some critiques highlight issues with coherence and writing quality, suggesting that parts of the narrative feel disjointed or poorly translated. Overall, while the atmosphere and pixel art are praised, there is a call for a richer and more polished storytelling experience.
- “The story is intriguing; the more you play, the more you wonder what's ahead.”
- “The story is very fluid; you want to play as long as you can to see the rest of the story.”
- “The plot is gripping; you really want to know what comes next.”
- “However, I could get over the slow walking speed, lack of a usable map, and other minor annoyances (why have a mini-game option if the outcome doesn't matter?), but constantly being removed from the story by the writing was my breaking point.”
- “The main issue is that the bits and pieces of the story here seem incoherent.”
- “Looks like many parts of the story just seem to be lost in translation.”
graphics
17 mentions
29 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming pixel art and vibrant colors that create a pleasant visual experience, while others criticize the overall quality as amateurish and lacking authenticity. Many reviewers express disappointment in the low-resolution graphics and poor art style, describing them as a "hamfisted mess" that detracts from the game's potential. Overall, the visual presentation seems to polarize players, with some finding it appealing and others deeming it subpar.
- “This game was a pleasant surprise; early 1700s America is not usually an era I have a lot of interest in, but I liked the art style and I am glad I gave it a shot.”
- “It has a simple but beautiful art style that will please your eyes, catchy music, and quality sound effects that will create a cozy atmosphere to relax while playing fun mini games and solving the mystery of the lost colony.”
- “The graphics are good for pixel art and there is a blend of lively colors which makes the game pleasant to look at.”
- “The artwork here is terrible; it's a blend of old retro pixel art used as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics, and some of the most amateurish MS Paint-style drawings I've ever seen.”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to hire someone who can do graphics properly, or a lack of talent. Regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low as a result of these decisions.”
- “Visually, this is a ham-fisted mess, a dog's breakfast of bad visuals, and this kind of laziness and poor quality should never be foisted on gamers.”
music
7 mentions
86 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects in the game are highly praised for their quality and ability to create a cozy atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the catchy tunes and stylish compositions that complement the engaging art style and contribute to the enjoyment of the gameplay. Overall, the music is described as a significant and delightful aspect of the game.
- “It has a simple but beautiful art style that will please your eyes, catchy music, and quality sound effects that will create a cozy atmosphere to relax while playing fun mini games and solving the mystery of the lost colony.”
- “I love the style and the details; it makes the whole experience so enjoyable, and the music completes it.”
- “Interesting and mysterious story with stylish, beautiful music.”
gameplay
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players finding it simplistic and better suited for younger audiences, while others appreciate its chill nature and engaging puzzles. The inclusion of minigames adds variety, but some feel that it falls short compared to other point-and-click titles. Overall, the gameplay is described as enjoyable but may not appeal to those seeking more complexity.
- “Really amazing game with a nice story and nice gameplay!”
- “I liked it very much because it has a very chill gameplay and sweet puzzles until now.”
- “I just couldn't force myself to continue playing when almost every other point-and-click game is better designed, interface and gameplay-wise.”
- “The gameplay also seems rather simplistic, seemingly designed with kids in mind or at least people who aren't all too familiar with point-and-click games.”
- “There are minigames to break up the gameplay.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of dark, slow-dread elements and witty dialogue from NPCs and the protagonist, particularly Hugh, whose novice adventurer persona adds comedic charm. Players appreciate the clever observations and humorous interactions that enhance the overall experience.
- “It has a similar feel to Distraint, another side-scrolling puzzle game, in that it has a slow dread feeling throughout the game, with some humor from NPCs and the main protagonist's dialogue.”
- “I briefly played the first act of the game, but with the parts I've experienced so far, and the humor of the game, I've been enjoying it.”
- “Hugh's demeanor is hilarious; he's a novice adventurer, and I don't want to give too many spoilers.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful pixel art, catchy music, and quality sound effects, creating a cozy and relaxing environment. Players appreciate the calming ambiance that enhances the experience of engaging in mini-games and unraveling the story of the lost colony.
- “I love the atmosphere and story; the pixel art is so pretty.”
- “It has a simple but beautiful art style that will please your eyes, catchy music, and quality sound effects that create a cozy atmosphere to relax while playing fun mini games and solving the mystery of the lost colony.”
- “I loved the atmosphere and calmness of the game.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to slow movement, lack of fast travel, and cumbersome navigation with tiny icons and zoomed-in visuals. Despite these frustrations, some still appreciate the game's charm.
- “Left click to move very slowly, twice to move somewhat faster, can't double-click on exits to leave the area instantly and with everything so zoomed in, there's a lot of tedious clicking just to get around, that's why an actual map would be handy.”
- “The art-style is not that impressive (just not my cup of tea maybe), the UI is kind of annoying with tiny icons for the action verbs and the movement is slow and tedious, no fast travel either.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a touching storyline that adds a relaxing yet challenging experience for players.
- “A relaxing yet challenging game that features a touching storyline.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me.”
- “I was moved to tears by the heartfelt moments throughout the game.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, particularly with the menu navigation and hotspot indicators, which are described as buggy and inconsistent. The lack of clear icons and unreliable interaction points contribute to a frustrating user experience.
- “The menu navigation is frustrating; there's no icon to click for 'Esc', and the spacebar serves as a buggy and inconsistent hotspot indicator.”
- “Hotspot indicators are unreliable, making it difficult to interact with objects, and exits are almost never highlighted properly.”
- “The lack of clear icons and the inconsistent functionality of the spacebar for interactions lead to a very unstable gameplay experience.”
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game offers a moderate level of replayability, as players can complete all achievements in a single run of approximately 4-5 hours, but can return to explore different choices and outcomes.
- “It's possible to achieve everything in one run of the game (about 4-5 hours if you read everything), but there's still replayability as you can go back and choose different options.”
- “The game offers a great deal of replayability, allowing players to explore various choices and outcomes on subsequent playthroughs.”
- “With multiple endings and choices to make, each playthrough feels fresh and engaging, encouraging players to dive back in.”
- “It's possible to get all achievements in one run of the game (about 4-5 hours, if you read everything), which limits the replayability to just choosing different options afterward.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's not much incentive to replay it since the story doesn't change significantly with different choices.”
- “The game lacks depth in its choices, making replaying feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”