Dawngrown
- February 14, 2023
- Hugimugi
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreShort adventure about healing people's inner worlds, refreshingly cute and in which no one kills anyone.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming pixel art and beautiful sound design create a relaxing atmosphere.
- The game features unique mechanics and a heartwarming storyline that resonates with players.
- It's a short, cozy experience that is enjoyable for those looking for a quick, delightful adventure.
- The game is very short, with a main story that can be completed in under two hours, leaving players wanting more content.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive and tedious, detracting from the overall relaxing experience.
- The story and character development are underwhelming, lacking depth and emotional engagement.
- gameplay18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its unique mechanics and satisfying controls, particularly when interacting with the environment, which many players find relaxing and rewarding. However, some reviews highlight issues with repetitiveness and a tedious gameplay loop, where the initial enjoyment diminishes as the tasks become monotonous and the story feels underdeveloped. Overall, while the game offers beautiful graphics and a cozy atmosphere, its gameplay may not appeal to everyone due to its lack of depth and variety.
“Beautifully textured game with relaxing and satisfying gameplay.”
“The satisfying gameplay is very rewarding and the artwork is just fantastic!”
“Great graphics, music, and gameplay loop that'll make you joyous.”
“Its story came across as rather undeveloped and the gameplay itself was tiresome and repetitive.”
“The gameplay alternates between clearing areas of corruption and then 'painting' over the whole level screen with a separate tool.”
“It's simple and promising gameplay at the start but levels quickly become tedious as options are introduced but then strangely taken away, making the whole experience a chore.”
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's story is a brief, poetic experience that some players find relaxing and heartwarming, featuring interesting twists and a positive premise. However, many reviewers criticize it for being underdeveloped and rushed, lacking emotional depth and leaving players wanting a longer narrative. Overall, while the story has potential, it fails to fully engage due to its brevity and lack of depth.
“If you are looking for a super long experience, you won't find it here, but if you want a short story with a bit of poetry, I would recommend checking this game out!”
“Took exactly one hour to get through the main storyline; overall, an extremely relaxing short game with a nice story and interesting mechanics.”
“The storyline feels real and it has a couple of twists, too.”
“It definitely seems like a story that's meant to be told over a longer arc, but got rushed, which doesn't make the emotional parts hit as hard.”
“Its story came across as rather undeveloped and the gameplay itself was tiresome and repetitive.”
“The whole story feels like it was adapted directly from a one-page rough draft.”
- music8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its delightful and relaxing qualities, complementing the charming pixel art and overall gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the combination of beautiful music and graphics as a key factor in making the game enjoyable and recommend it for its soothing atmosphere.
“Music and art style were very nice and relaxing as well; I played this on stream and thoroughly enjoyed it.”
“The music is delightful and it's kind of relaxing to clear the corruption and restore the land.”
“Overall, I recommend this game to everyone because its relaxing gameplay and music make for a nice and cute experience.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their cute pixel art and overall visual appeal, which many reviewers describe as fantastic and a standout feature. The art style, combined with top-notch music, creates a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
“Graphics and music are top notch!”
“Great graphics, music, and gameplay loop that'll make you joyous.”
“The cute pixel art is dawngrown’s strongest feature, and it is clear that much effort went into the visuals.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it aims for a heartwarming and wholesome narrative, many players feel that the rushed storytelling and minimal dialogue undermine its impact, resulting in a cozy experience that lacks deeper emotional resonance. Despite its appealing visuals and relatable themes, it often fails to evoke strong feelings.
“The game may be a little on the shorter side, but it's cozy, cute, and has a nice wholesome message towards the end that I could personally relate to quite a lot!”
“- heart-warming storyline”
“It clearly wears aspirations of being a cute, wholesome, comfy game about emotions, but it falls short of evoking anything in me beyond it being nice to look at.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninspired, detracting from its intended "cozy" experience. While the gameplay starts off simple and promising, it quickly becomes repetitive and frustrating as options are introduced and then removed, leading to a sense of fatigue rather than relaxation.
“It's not necessarily difficult, but I found the repetition tedious, not relaxing, which seems to go against its 'cozy game' style.”
“It fits more within the 'cozy' games subgenre, but its uninspired and tedious gameplay loop left me feeling tired, not relaxed.”
“It's simple and promising gameplay at the start, but levels quickly become tedious as options are introduced and then strangely taken away, making the whole experience a chore.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is perceived as shallow and lacking depth, despite the appealing pixel art and charming character designs. Reviewers feel that the overall execution feels somewhat cynical, detracting from the potential for meaningful character growth.
