Dr Livingstone, I Presume?
- May 20, 2021
- Vulpesoft
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Dr Livingstone, I Presume?" is a puzzle-based adventure game where players explore a mysterious mansion filled with complex puzzles. As they delve deeper into the mansion, players will unravel a mystery surrounding their dear friend's unexpected letter and the silence that greets them. The game challenges players to be thorough, wise, and sharp-minded to solve all the puzzles and reach the truth.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique atmosphere with beautiful graphics and a compelling story that engages players.
- Puzzles are varied in difficulty and often require creative thinking, providing a satisfying challenge for players.
- The voice acting and music enhance the overall experience, contributing to the immersive environment.
- Controls are clunky and can be frustrating, particularly when interacting with objects or solving puzzles.
- Many drawers and cupboards are empty or contain non-interactive items, leading to tedious gameplay as players search for useful objects.
- The game lacks clear visual feedback for interactable items, making it difficult to identify what can be used or examined.
- story41 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story, set after the historical meeting of Stanley and Livingstone, is a blend of emotional depth and historical fiction, exploring themes of friendship and adventure. While some players found the narrative engaging and well-integrated with the gameplay, others criticized it for being slow-paced and lacking clarity. Overall, the story is appreciated for its touching moments and compelling atmosphere, despite some frustrations with controls and puzzle design.
“The story woven through was lovely and worked well with the overall game.”
“The story was sweet and touching and the end was perfect.”
“The plot is simple; you travel to your friend Dr. Livingstone's home to meet him, however he is nowhere to be found.”
“The game is rather interesting and I like the concept of it based on the historic meeting of Stanley and Livingstone, but the story itself doesn't feel very integral to the game apart from the beginning and end.”
“The camera movement feels nauseating, and the story feels almost pointless.”
“There are notes to read and things to look at that will trigger some narrative bits, but overall, I found the game to be lacking in both the story and puzzles.”
- graphics34 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique low-poly art style and atmospheric design that fits the setting, while others criticize the limited color palette and cluttered visuals that make it difficult to distinguish important objects. Overall, the aesthetic is described as charming and engaging, complemented by a fitting soundtrack, but the execution can hinder gameplay due to visibility issues.
“The art style and the music are nice and engaging, and the game has a quite compelling story with a twist at the end.”
“Lovely soundtrack, great graphical style, and solid voice acting make this a great experience to get lost in for a few hours.”
“Overall, the game has a very nice graphic design and atmosphere.”
“The graphics aren't great as everything is often one color, which makes it hard to distinguish different elements.”
“The graphics are mostly very orange/tan in color and pretty 'meh' overall.”
“Sometimes because of this cluttered aesthetic, it was difficult to locate objects that just blended into the background.”
- music20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, with an African-inspired soundtrack that complements the visual aesthetics and storytelling. While some players found the music repetitive or forgettable, others appreciated the quality of the voice acting and the atmospheric sound design. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gaming experience, despite a few criticisms regarding specific music puzzles and occasional sound issues.
“The music and voice acting are quite nice, and the visual aesthetics are also fitting for it being set in Livingstone's home in Africa.”
“Lovely soundtrack, great graphical style, and solid voice acting make this a great experience to get lost in for a few hours.”
“The music was relaxing and nonintrusive, and the voice overs were well done.”
“Pretty boring, background drumming music is also questionable.”
“Music is boring and forgettable.”
“The music doesn't really fit the theme I'm seeing in the game.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique "reversed escape room" concept, but suffers from clunky mechanics and frustrating puzzles that detract from the experience. Players report issues with controls, particularly with the ball key and door interactions, leading to a tedious experience. While some puzzles are challenging, the overall execution feels awkward and can be hindered by poor design choices, making the gameplay less enjoyable.
“Nice first-person adventure, mostly find-and-use puzzles with a few mechanical ones, but it was quite a short game.”
“Some of the puzzles can be quite challenging, also because the game mechanics can be clunky at times.”
“The gameplay is basically; walk around and grab items.”
“The mechanics are a little clunky, the ball key being the biggest pain as others have mentioned.”
“The tutorial portions at the beginning of the game either feel useless or intrusive to the gameplay.”
“The gameplay was mostly tedious.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique aesthetic, lovely music, and attention to detail, which collectively enhance the immersive experience. Reviewers highlight how the atmosphere complements the gameplay, making it enjoyable despite some minor control and puzzle frustrations. Overall, the combination of graphics, sound, and thematic elements creates a captivating environment that resonates with players.
“The music was lovely and unobtrusive, the atmosphere in each room perfect for the room's use, and I encountered no problems aside from the temporary sound issue.”
“Overall, I enjoyed the little time I spent with this game, mainly because of its atmosphere and moving story.”
“Huge respect to the game creators for taking care of all the details, which build a great atmosphere.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching narrative centered on friendship, which resonates deeply with players. Many reviewers noted that the story evolves from a standard mystery into a profound exploration of relationships, culminating in a heartfelt ending that evokes strong feelings, including tears. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to blend emotional depth with engaging gameplay.
“The story was sweet and touching, and the end was perfect.”
“Story starts like a standard mystery but then extends into something much more emotional and profound.”
“Even though it's an escape room-like with some foreboding, it's just as much a touching story of friendship and reminiscing about the good old days, with Stanley constantly commenting on various items and documents scattered around the house.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling that the controls and puzzle mechanics detract from the overall enjoyment. While the game features an interesting story and appealing graphics, the repetitive and cumbersome nature of certain puzzles can lead to a less satisfying experience.
“The gameplay was mostly tedious.”
“Some of the puzzles were so ridiculous that, even after you knew the answer, you would have to spend ages with the tedious nonsense of trying to input it exactly. An example would be a puzzle where you had already found a key but then had to spend a large amount of frustrating time trying to 'adjust' the key in order to make it fit a lock.”
“A generally enjoyable escape room game with an interesting story and nice graphics/sound, but the game is let down by tedious controls and some pretty obtuse puzzles.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, particularly highlighting bugs in specific levels that disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
“Thanks for curing my insomnia and then waking me up with anger because of the buggy clinic level.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced constant lag and glitches that ruined the overall experience.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game can be completed in a single session, resulting in minimal to no replay value, which may limit its long-term appeal for players.
“It can be finished in one sitting and there’s no replay value.”
“Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
“The lack of different endings or choices makes replaying feel pointless.”
