DIVINATION

About

DIVINATION is a single player action game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Mojiken and was released on December 12, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"Divination" is a futuristic narrative game where you play as a fortune teller, using runes to predict clients' futures and impact their lives. The game features four diverse characters and a unique rune reading mechanic, with multiple endings determined by your divinations. Your decisions will shape the fates of humans and robots in a small, uncertain city.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 206 reviews

story22 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

Divination features a clever fortune-telling mechanic that enhances the storytelling experience.
The game has a striking art style and a moody soundtrack that effectively sets the atmosphere.
Despite its short length, the narrative raises thought-provoking philosophical questions and offers multiple endings.

The game lacks clear guidance on how to achieve the desired endings, leading to confusion and frustration.
There are numerous grammatical errors and typos throughout the text, which detract from the overall experience.
The gameplay can feel repetitive and unengaging, with some players feeling that the story is too vague and underdeveloped.

story
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
The game's story is a dark, intriguing experience that explores themes of suicide, depression, and anxiety, but it often feels vague and underdeveloped due to its brevity. While some players appreciate the clever mechanics and potential for deeper exploration, others find the narrative lacking in substance and clarity, leaving them wanting more from the overall experience. The art and atmosphere are praised, but the storytelling could benefit from more depth and care in handling its sensitive themes.
- “Great story and great ending :)”
- “Incredible cyberpunk art, mood, and very interesting story premise.”
- “I think the idea is brilliant and the story is so full of potential, but this game feels like an introduction.”
- “Content warning: the game's entire story is about suicide, and it has a pretty depressed vibe.”
- “Sort of a neutral rating - I feel like the story is too vague and barebones to be properly good.”
- “Unfortunately, due to the length of the game, these concepts presented within the story are not explored very far.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
35%
9%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning art style and visual polish, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the unique aesthetic and effective soundscaping, noting that the visuals significantly contribute to the game's appeal, particularly for fans of visual novels and cyberpunk themes. Despite some concerns about gameplay repetition, the striking visuals and engaging worldbuilding leave a lasting impression.
- “The art style is also quite striking and beautiful.”
- “The atmosphere was very immersive and the visuals are stunning; it's in its own world with its own lingo but the lore doesn't get stuffy and overbearing like it can with most cyberpunk media.”
- “Gorgeous art style and general visual polish.”
- “I really do think the setting and visuals were really neat, and the gameplay was fun the first two or three times I had to run through the story, but the rest of the game really brought it down.”
- “One of my most favorite games this year despite being short in duration, and it was heavily carried by the art style.”
- “The visuals and interface are really well rounded, and I enjoyed the worldbuilding coming from both the story and the way the world presents itself.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
67%
13%
The gameplay in Divination is characterized by a unique fortune-telling mechanic that initially feels obscure but evolves into a puzzle-like experience through repeated attempts. While the art and setting are praised, many players find the gameplay clunky, repetitive, and at times jarring, with a focus on rearranging runes to achieve different endings. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a mixed bag, offering intriguing elements but ultimately falling short due to its execution and thematic depth.
- “Divination is a focused experience that gives you one story with a few twists and turns and a clever fortune-telling mechanic.”
- “The story itself wasn't particularly unique, but the gameplay made it more interesting since you can combine different things in more than one order and it results in many outcome branches.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and intuitively to understand.”
- “I really wanted to like this, but the gameplay is a bit clunky.”
- “While the art and setting were cool, the overall theme, moral, and gameplay of this game were boring, depressing, and repetitive.”
- “The gameplay is rather obscure with ordering runes and trying to interpret the results.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
24%
13%
The music in "Divination" is consistently praised for its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that it complements the visuals and storytelling effectively. The soundtrack is described as moody and unique, contributing to the overall immersive experience of the visual novel. Overall, the music, along with the artwork, is considered a significant highlight and adds value to the game.
- “The music matches the ambiance well.”
- “Divination is a really interesting visual novel with great art design and a moody soundtrack.”
- “The music is just right for the atmosphere.”
- “I also really liked the artwork and music; it was unique and caught my eye/ear before I decided to purchase.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
22%
7%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive quality, stunning visuals, and engaging music, creating a unique world that captivates players. Reviewers note that it successfully balances mystery and lore without becoming overwhelming, making it an intriguing experience. Overall, the atmosphere significantly enhances the storytelling, leaving players hooked from the start.
- “The atmosphere was very immersive and the visuals are stunning; it's in its own world with its own lingo but the lore doesn't get stuffy and overbearing like it can with most cyberpunk media.”
- “The vibe and atmosphere of the game is great, and I was really hooked after my first run through.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic.”
- “The music is just right for the atmosphere.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game has very low replayability, as players feel that once they achieve their goals, there is little incentive to play again. While it offers an interesting experience, particularly with its unique rune reading mechanics, its short length contributes to the lack of replay value.
- “This game was really interesting to play; there's not a lot of replay value, and it's a short game, but it uses rune reading in a cool way.”
- “There is very low replay value once one gets the achievement.”
- “This game was really interesting to play, but there's not a lot of replay value and it's a short game. However, it uses rune reading in a cool way.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by an abundance of amusing typos that can obscure character communication, adding a layer of comedic confusion. Players find humor in the juxtaposition of chaos percentages, where a low chaos route humorously contrasts with a high chaos message, enhancing the overall comedic experience.
- “(I still found it funny that my route led to 3% chaos, while the conveyed message is reached at 100% chaos.)”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized as a touching and unsettling experience, blending grim and bizarre elements that evoke mild disturbance. Despite its brevity of around 20 minutes and some minor language issues, it is recommended for fans of the genre, especially given its low price point.
- “It's a touching, unsettling, grim, bizarre, and mildly disturbing tale.”
- “It's very short (like 20 minutes tops) to go through a single time and the English text could use a bit of touching up in a few spots, but for the cost of a soda or candy bar, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game somewhat tedious, as it requires repetitive gameplay to uncover the true ending. However, some appreciate the meta-narrative, which can mitigate the frustration of the grind for certain individuals.
- “Grinding in this game feels excessively tedious, as it often requires repetitive tasks that can drain the enjoyment out of the experience.”
- “The need to grind for resources and levels becomes monotonous, making the gameplay feel more like a chore than an adventure.”
- “While the game has potential, the grinding aspect is a major drawback, as it forces players to repeat the same actions over and over again.”