Dyscourse
- March 25, 2015
- Owlchemy Labs
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Dyscourse" is a single-player simulation game featuring fabulous visuals and a good soundtrack. As Rita, a plane crash survivor, players navigate choices that determine their group's survival on a deserted island, leading to diverse, emergent stories with over 120,000 words of unique, replayable content. Humorous and sometimes dark, the game forges your story through critical and interpersonal decisions.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features a charming art style and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Dyscourse offers a wide variety of choices that significantly impact the story, encouraging multiple playthroughs to explore different outcomes.
- The characters, while sometimes one-dimensional, have unique traits and backstories that can create emotional connections during gameplay.
- The game is very short, with average playthroughs lasting around an hour, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Many players found the characters to be stereotypical and lacking depth, making it difficult to become invested in their fates.
- Despite the emphasis on choices, some decisions feel arbitrary and do not lead to meaningful consequences, leading to a sense of repetitiveness.
- story95 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by its branching paths and player choices, which significantly impact the narrative and outcomes, offering a high degree of replayability. However, many players find the overall plot to be clichéd and lacking depth, with some expressing disappointment in the limited decision points and character development. While the art style and humor are praised, the storytelling is often described as inconsistent and at times, unengaging, leading to mixed feelings about its effectiveness as a story-driven experience.
“The great thing about this game is that there are so many ways to go through it and see a story unfold... who lives... who dies... all the zany situations... and all in a nice relaxing game atmosphere with easy mood music that still suits the scenes.”
“Going through the story once hasn't taken me more than 2 hours, but don't let that make you think this game is small-- it's packed with tons of different paths to take in the storyline, with each path revealing a different part of the story.”
“Dyscourse is a wonderfully unique little game, with gameplay somewhere between a 'choices matter' consequences game and a choose-your-own-adventure/visual novel with storyline branching, character affinity, and multiple endings.”
“How can you have a story-based game with just no interesting story?”
“The short days (1 day consisted of feeding 2 people and sleeping) and poor storytelling deterred me as a player.”
“The story is horrendously generic (plane crash, desert island, etc.), and none of the characters do a lick to improve on that.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising its charming and unique art style that enhances the overall experience. While some players find the visuals delightful and fitting for the game's quirky tone, others criticize the simplicity and lack of depth in character designs and animations. Overall, the art direction is often highlighted as the game's strongest asset, despite some players feeling it doesn't fully compensate for other shortcomings.
“The art style is beautiful, and things can get pretty crazy pretty quickly.”
“The art style and colors are masterful, and the original soundtrack is beautiful.”
“The game's graphical style and aesthetic is its strongest asset, and there's some good elements of storytelling here.”
“The game has a charming art style, but I found everything else about it to be quite lacking and simple.”
“Really basic graphics, basic story.”
“Didn't like the controls, wasn't fond of the graphics, and the 'language' was just... strange.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Dyscourse is characterized by limited mechanics, primarily revolving around dialogue choices and simple puzzles, which some players find tedious despite the branching narrative and multiple endings. While the game offers a unique experience with its choice and consequence system, many reviewers feel that the overall gameplay is short and lacks depth, leading to mixed feelings about its value for the price. The addition of a 'day rewind' feature allows for replayability, but the overall consensus is that the gameplay experience is minimal and may not satisfy those seeking a more traditional gaming experience.
“However, the addition of a 'day rewind' feature after you've played through the story once, allowing you to reset to any given day on your current adventure, will please those wanting to test out different permutations of the plot mechanics and achievement hunters alike.”
“Dyscourse is a wonderfully unique little game, with gameplay somewhere between a 'choices matter' consequences game and a CYOA/visual novel with storyline branching, character affinity, and multiple endings.”
“Dyscourse is a great game, one of the best games I have ever played. You get to choose your path, your choices will affect the gameplay. If you end up getting the game, I suggest playing it again; you might get a different ending, maybe you end up with another survivor, or maybe you lose a fellow survivor.”
“Gameplay - 3/10”
“Although you can explore different branches of the decision tree, the gameplay itself is quite limited and the story really doesn't change much (though the particulars do).”
“Absence of gameplay: it's pretty tough to call this game a game, there isn't really anything game-like involved with it.”
- humor21 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- -10 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it hilariously over-the-top and charming, while others criticize it as shallow and unfunny. Many appreciate the combination of dark themes with lighthearted dialogue and cartoonish art, though some feel it fails to deliver consistent laughs. Overall, the humor can be entertaining and adds replay value, but it may not resonate with everyone.
“It's hilariously funny and over the top.”
“The writing is really entertaining; the humorous dialog combined with the cartoonish style definitely help to keep the mood light, even when you're dealing with stuff like murder and cannibalism.”
“A fun game with some really funny touches and humorous content.”
“Some rather blatant and therefore unfunny references here and there, along with sometimes unwitty writing. It seems that this style isn't in vogue nowadays, so no sweat.”
“The humor often falls flat, relying on tired clichés and predictable punchlines that fail to elicit any genuine laughter.”
“While the game attempts to be funny, most of the jokes miss the mark, leaving a sense of awkwardness rather than amusement.”
- music16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the soundtrack for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and mood of various scenes. While some describe it as stellar and enjoyable, others feel it could have been improved or find it lacking in certain aspects. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's experience, complementing its art style and narrative.
“The art style is really nice to look at and the music is good!”
“The music adds a lot to the mood of each scene, and the writing is smart and charming.”
“The art style and colors are masterful, and the original soundtrack is beautiful.”
“I don't know why, but I hate everything about this game: the graphics, the animation, the music, the plot, the characters, dialogues.”
“The music isn't great.”
“Along with the soundtrack, the voices sounded quite condemned and therefore dramatic; I spent some time trying to imitate it.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is generally viewed positively, with many players appreciating the short playthroughs and the branching paths that lead to multiple endings. While some users feel the replay value is limited due to repetitive elements, others highlight the engaging decisions and varied outcomes that encourage multiple playthroughs. The consensus suggests that the game offers a decent to high level of replayability, particularly for those who enjoy exploring different storylines.
“Dyscourse has very short sessions; however, the utilization of branching paths and multiple endings encourages replayability.”
“Each playthrough is short - around 15-30 minutes each, but with a lot of replay value due to the amount of choice throughout the game, resulting in many different stories and outcomes.”
“An incredibly short game, but you get to have many decisions that can radically change the game's story, so the game definitely has a lot of replayability and it has some charm too.”
“Plus you can't really speed through a lot of the game that you've seen so many times already, so the replay value is a little low for me.”
“However, the game does claim to have a large amount of replayability, but I have yet to find it.”
“It's not as funny as it might be, but it manages to eke enough out of its cookie-cutter characters to raise its replay value.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game struggles to evoke genuine emotional responses, with characters often appearing bored and humor that feels more slapstick than impactful. This lack of emotional depth and meaningful choices diminishes its potential, especially when compared to more successful titles from Bioware and Telltale, leaving players feeling disconnected from the narrative. Overall, the attempt at humor and emotional engagement falls flat, resulting in a predictable and uninspiring experience.
“The lack of emotional impact when making a choice or dealing with its consequences contrasts with its superior competitors from Bioware and Telltale games.”
“Unfortunately, it is not very funny nor is it very touching, despite subject matter and dialogue that suggests that it is trying to accomplish both of these things.”
“The story feels so predictable and cliched that it fails to evoke any real emotional response.”
“I found the narrative to be boring and lacking depth, which made it hard to connect with the characters.”
“The emotional impact of the game is diminished by its unoriginal and uninspired storyline.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is noted for effectively supporting the storytelling and character design, though some players found it unappealing. Despite mixed feelings, many appreciate the relaxing ambiance and suitable music that enhance the experience of navigating through various narrative paths. Overall, the atmosphere receives a range of opinions, with some rating it as low as 4/10.
“The great thing about this game is that there are so many ways to go through it and see a story unfold... who lives... who dies... all the zany situations... and all in a nice relaxing game atmosphere with easy mood music that still suits the scenes.”
“The atmosphere really supports the storytelling and the character design, but I just kind of didn't like that atmosphere.”
“Atmosphere - 4/10”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being inconsistent and relying on coincidental plot points, which detracts from the overall storytelling. While the atmosphere and unique art style contribute to the experience, some character designs, particularly that of Rita, are seen as unappealing and poorly justified. Overall, the game does not excel in graphics or character depth, leaving players wanting more.
“The character development is engaging and adds depth to the story, making the characters feel more relatable and real.”
“I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their backstories and motivations being explored in meaningful ways.”
“The interactions between characters are well-written, allowing for growth and change that enhances the overall narrative experience.”
“It does suffer from some character development and deaths that are a bit cheap and coincidental, trying to fit the story.”
“The atmosphere really supports the storytelling and the character design, but I just didn't like that atmosphere.”
“It won't blow you away with graphics, animations, or character designs, but the art style itself is a change of pace from what one would typically see.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game can become tedious, particularly after multiple playthroughs, as it lacks tension and excitement. However, the achievement system serves as a motivating factor for some, encouraging players to explore different paths despite the repetitive nature of the gameplay.
“Besides the artistic graphics style, I found this game tedious.”
“I've played through three times (and my sister played it halfway through once). The thing is, the game lacks tension and can be really tedious—especially after the first playthrough.”
