Dépanneur Nocturne
- February 18, 2018
- nicknicknicknick
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Dépanneur Nocturne" is a single-sitting game set in a mystical interpretation of Montréal, where you search for a special gift for your loved one in a corner store closing in an hour. Explore the store at your own pace, discover secrets, and collect gifts without a budget constraint. The game is fully bilingual in English and French with a Québec twist, taking approximately 1-2 hours to complete.
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Reviews
- Charming and cozy atmosphere with beautiful art and sound design, creating a relaxing experience.
- Unique bilingual feature allows players to switch between French and English seamlessly, enhancing immersion.
- Packed with secrets and hidden interactions, encouraging exploration and replayability despite its short length.
- Very short gameplay, typically completed in under an hour, which may leave some players wanting more content.
- Some players experienced motion sickness due to the movement mechanics, which could detract from the enjoyment.
- Limited interaction with the environment and characters, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness after multiple playthroughs.
- graphics34 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and unique aesthetic, featuring a low-poly style that creates a cozy and immersive atmosphere reminiscent of a dreamlike world. The clever categorization of graphics settings as "potato, fries, and poutine" adds a playful touch, while the warm color palette and soothing visuals enhance the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the art style's ability to evoke a sense of mystery and relaxation, making the game visually appealing despite its simplicity.
“The graphics are lovely, with a very strong aesthetic that colors this game’s re-imagination of Québec in a gorgeous blue palette.”
“The visuals are so unique, it's like walking through a hazy dream.”
“A cute, short, and strange little experience encased in a beautiful art style and pleasing color palette.”
“3 settings for graphics, but nothing to tell you exactly what they mean.”
“Not sure if the game auto-selects graphics or resolution for you, based on your hardware and native resolution.”
“As far as the actual game goes there isn't a lot here, but the art style, writing, and world building is wonderful and it left me wishing I could spend a whole lot more time finding out about and exploring not just this little shop but the world outside as well.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its cozy, whimsical, and immersive qualities, enhanced by soothing music and sound design. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the art style and the familiar, inviting settings reminiscent of quaint shops, making exploration a delightful experience. Overall, the game is described as a unique and relaxing journey filled with charm and surprises, perfect for those who enjoy atmospheric exploration.
“The atmosphere is really relaxing and welcoming, and the game is stuffed full of secrets and attention to detail.”
“I really enjoyed the overall atmosphere and tone set by the little shop of curios and trinkets, reminding me of the randomness of a pawn shop but the spirituality and mystique of a metaphysical store.”
“The warm graphical style and cozy atmosphere made the shop seem like a familiar stop, especially when coupled with the helpfulness of the shopkeeper.”
“I would definitely recommend checking this one out, if only to experience the off-beat atmosphere.”
“Really does feel like finding that little shop on a side street with the laid-back atmosphere.”
“But even for just one playthrough the price of the game is totally worth it - a relaxed atmosphere, some moments to make you smile, beautiful use of colors and art direction.”
- story13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is subtly woven into its environment, allowing players to uncover intriguing narratives behind each object without overwhelming them with excessive lore. Set in a charming store run by a quirky shopkeeper, the narrative is both lighthearted and slightly eerie, offering a delightful experience that can be completed in about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on exploration. Overall, players appreciate the compact yet rich storytelling that enhances the game's meditative atmosphere.
“A delightful short story where you brave the rain to find the perfect gift for your loved one.”
“They never dump excess information on the player, burdening the experience with novels of lore, but it’s clear that there’s a story behind every object in Eugénie’s store, and we’re left to imagine all the other stories that make up this world that we’ll never get to hear.”
“There's a surprising amount of story and worldbuilding stuffed into what's really a rather compact game, too.”
“Completing the full story takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much you explore and interact with the shopkeep. You will need to idle the game to get all card drops if you don't want to replay to see if different gifts give you different endings to the story.”
- music12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and chill quality, effectively complementing the overall atmosphere and setting. Players appreciate the simple yet pleasant soundtrack, which enhances the relaxing experience alongside the visuals and gameplay. The integration of ambient sounds, like rain and radio tunes, further enriches the immersive environment.
“The music and sound atmosphere complement very well the setting.”
“The art, music, and gameplay were all very relaxing.”
“Pleasant music plays while you browse, courtesy of a radio which you’re free to retune.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers a moderate level of replayability, primarily due to its multiple endings and collectible achievements, encouraging players to explore different choices. While some players find the replay value limited to minor variations in dialogue, others appreciate the opportunity to uncover missed content and experiences. Overall, it caters to those who enjoy replaying for completionist goals rather than extensive gameplay variations.
“The game’s got a remarkable amount of replay value, too.”
“Short, but surprisingly sweet game - with a lot of replayability!”
“It's pretty short but it has some different endings, so there's replay value :)”
“Not a ton of replayability, unless you want to catch any missed achievements, or see what different endings each gift may produce.”
“It has a little bit of replay value because there are some gifts that you can't obtain during the same playthrough, but as far as I can tell they just change a few lines of dialogue at the end.”
“But via the achievements I was already able to see that there are some more things left to do in the game - so there definitely is some replay value there if you go in blind.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized as both funny and poignant, blending surreal elements with casual, comfortable interactions. Players appreciate the witty comebacks of the main character, particularly in response to player actions, which adds to the overall comedic experience.
“Both funny, poignant, and surreal.”
“What made me fall in love with it is that it satisfies a very specific itch I have for experimental games that are actually casual, comfortable, and funny.”
“You only get to interact with one character in the game (not counting the cat), but she has some hilarious comebacks, especially when you trash the store.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming design and evocative atmosphere, fostering a sense of hope and appreciation for thoughtful, minimalist storytelling in gaming. Players feel a deep connection to the lovingly crafted characters and environments, which invite exploration and reflection.
“The interior and characters are created and written with so much love, it's instantly heartwarming.”
“Contained and lovely, evocative; I could go around touching things in this store for hours.”
“So instead, I want you to imagine it here, telling you how this game made me feel hope that not all of gaming is doomed to follow the tropes of what is popular, and that maybe we don't always have to take a maximalist approach to game design.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its clever integration of English and French dialogue options, enhancing the immersive experience set in Montreal. Players find the overall art, music, and gameplay to be relaxing, with the localized language choices adding depth to the mechanics.
“Bonus points for the English/French language option being integrated into the dialogue; I thought that was a really clever way to incorporate game mechanics into the setting of Montreal.”
“The art, music, and gameplay were all very relaxing.”
“Good choice to have localized Quebec French and international English as options for dialogue, with a subtle language choice being part of the gameplay.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The controls are unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay.”
“There are too many bugs that disrupt the gameplay experience, making it feel unfinished.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is enhanced by charming character designs and intriguing worldbuilding elements, which leave players eager for more depth and exploration.
“The little bits of worldbuilding make me want more, and the character design is really charming.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability has significantly improved since its initial release, with users reporting a smooth experience free of bugs or glitches.
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
“There are still numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay, despite some patches.”
