Cyrano Story

About

Cyrano Story is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by Alice & Smith and was released on April 16, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Born from an Alternate Reality Game experience created by Alice & Smith in 2019, Cyrano Story is a complex puzzle game designed to ascend to intergalactic forces and give insight into the backstory of Funcom’s cosmic horror game Moons of Madness.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

65%

Audience ScoreBased on 260 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

story25 negative mentions

Cyrano Story offers a unique and emotional narrative experience, beautifully blending romance and poetry with engaging character development.
The game's art style and atmospheric music enhance the overall experience, creating a captivating environment that draws players in.
The puzzle-solving aspect encourages research and critical thinking, making it a rewarding challenge for players who enjoy ARGs and narrative-driven games.

Many players experienced technical issues, including server errors and bugs that prevented the game from functioning properly, leading to frustration.
The puzzles can be overly complex and obscure, often requiring external guides to solve, which detracts from the intended gameplay experience.
The promotional aspect of the game, offering keys for another title, has led to disappointment among players who feel misled about the rewards.

story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
42%
39%
The story of "Cyrano Story" is a poignant and immersive narrative that serves as a prequel to "Moons of Madness," blending themes of love, sacrifice, and cosmic horror. Players engage with the story through atmospheric audio logs and cryptic puzzles, which enhance the emotional depth and connection to the overarching lore. While the game is short and niche, it is praised for its compelling voice acting and storytelling, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “The big thing of this game is listening to audio logs, so good voice acting is needed so you can take the story seriously, and that's one thing this game absolutely nails; the voice acting is great.”
- “It was fully believable, and I enjoyed the emotions of the character as she delivered the story that really helped me get immersed.”
- “The atmosphere, the story, its themes, and the sound are all great.”
- “Cyrano story is one of the most boring puzzle games I ever played.”
- “First of all, I did not dive deep into the puzzles, and I don't even know what the story is.”
- “Halfway through Cyrano story you might start finding clues and connections that aren't there and feel both amused by yourself and slightly worried.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The graphics in the game are described as unique and visually appealing, effectively capturing a cosmic horror aesthetic with dark, trippy visuals and evocative animations. While some players appreciate the artistic quality and immersive atmosphere, others note that the graphics can become repetitive and are not the main focus of the gameplay. Overall, the visuals contribute to the game's spooky ambiance, but their impact may diminish over time.
- “That being said, the cosmic horror is there and the game gets it right, and the visuals are unique.”
- “Great indie concept, beautiful graphics, dark, mysterious but no logic at all to me (or too hard).”
- “This is really a great artwork for me.”
- “Graphics are simple swirly dark colors with an eye or oval or something in the middle.”
- “The soundtrack, visuals, and puzzle challenges offer little in the way of gameplay.”
- “- what an effectively-made product this is, as it's spooky despite being little more than some trippy visuals and some very creepy sounds/voices.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it confusing and overly reliant on external guides to solve puzzles, which can detract from the experience. While some appreciate the puzzle mechanics and narrative, others criticize the lack of substantial gameplay and the tedious nature of the tasks, leading to a perception of it being more of a treasure hunt than an engaging game. Overall, the gameplay is seen as simplistic and short, with significant room for improvement in execution.
- “For the players who appreciate a challenge, the puzzles are brain-racking and provide a good test of your problem-solving skills.”
- “The gameplay is reminiscent of the spirit of Ahnayro, offering a unique experience that stands out among similar games.”
- “The mechanics are simple yet engaging, making for a good puzzle experience with an interesting story behind it.”
- “There's basically no gameplay to speak of here.”
- “The puzzles themselves, which are the only real gameplay element available, I found to be brain-racking and impossible to solve without a guide.”
- “The gameplay is boring and mostly doesn't involve the game itself but a treasure hunt on the internet.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
11%
11%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and intriguing qualities, effectively enhancing the story and themes. While the voice acting is generally well-received, some critiques mention that certain character voices, like the male antagonist, detract from the overall creepiness. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating and atmospheric experience, particularly appealing to fans of Lovecraftian themes.
- “The atmosphere, the story, its themes, and the sound are all great.”
- “Atmospheric and creepy in its simplicity, well-written and well-acted - this ARG was worth saving.”
- “Both the unlocked sound files of Dr. Mason and the overall atmosphere are very interesting if you like Lovecraftian vibes, and the introduction to Moons of Madness' story works well from my point of view.”
- “The voice acting is well done; however, the male antagonist's voice sounded a lot like Cookie Monster, which took away some of the creepy atmosphere.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking in quality and engagement, while others appreciate its contribution to the overall experience alongside graphics and animations. However, many feel that the soundtrack does not enhance gameplay significantly, leaving a desire for more memorable or immersive compositions.
- “I post this positive review because of the music, graphics, animations, and the interaction.”
- “Eerie music from the other Alice & Smith/Funcom games, where are you?”
- “There's also music, but it's not that good.”
- “The soundtrack, visuals, and puzzle challenges offer little in the way of gameplay.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly criticizing the low drop rates and poorly implemented mechanics that extend gameplay unnecessarily. Overall, the experience is seen as a negative one, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Lol, tedious trash. Thanks for the free frustration though, devs! Hopefully, the review score for this reflects the 5% drop rate you changed it to, and at this point, I wish you the same amount of success with your new game.”
- “It was a nice gesture by Alice & Smith and Funcom, but that's where the good feels ended. It's a tedious short game made extremely longer by poorly implemented puzzle-solving using data-sending mechanics.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express concerns about the developer's honesty in advertising on the Steam store page, suggesting that promotional strategies, such as offering coupons to players, could improve transparency and engagement.
- “The developer is not honest in their advertising on the Steam store page.”
- “Why not promote the game by giving away coupons to players?”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted through its narrative-driven approach, drawing inspiration from "Cyrano de Bergerac" to explore themes of romance and poetry, while also allowing players to make impactful emotional choices. Additionally, the puzzle-solving elements contribute to a sense of accomplishment, enhancing the overall emotional engagement.
- “Cyrano story – a narrative-driven visual novel inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac, blending romance, poetry, and emotional choices.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be engaging, particularly enjoying the witty responses to their inputs and the amusing scenarios that arise, such as the game reacting negatively to specific answers, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining twist to the experience.
- “The responses to certain things I typed were humorous.”
- “There is a funny thing that can happen where the game gets upset at you for answering a certain way, and bumps you out of the game, lol.”