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Else Heart.Break()

A beautiful adventure with heart, humour, and satisfying hacking puzzles you can enjoy even if you dont know anything about coding.
Else Heart.Break() Game Cover
70%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, grinding
65% User Score Based on 645 reviews
Critic Score 86%Based on 2 reviews

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Else Heart.Break() Game Cover

About

Else Heart.Break() is a single player role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Erik Svedäng and was released on September 24, 2015. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

In Else Heart.Break, play as Sebastian, a young adult seeking his identity and love in the city of Dorisburg, while navigating a dynamic world through programming and interaction with characters. Experience a rich, detailed story in a living, breathing city, filled with secrets and intrigue. Solve problems your way as you form friendships and uncover the city's dark secrets.

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Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
Else Heart.Break() screenshot
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65%
Audience ScoreBased on 645 reviews
story69 positive mentions
stability28 negative mentions
  • Unique and engaging hacking mechanics that allow players to manipulate the game world creatively.
  • Vibrant art style and atmospheric soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
  • Encourages exploration and problem-solving, rewarding players for their curiosity.
  • Slow start with unclear objectives, leading to frustration and aimlessness for many players.
  • Bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and cause players to get stuck.
  • Weak narrative and character development, with many interactions feeling shallow and unimpactful.
  • story
    557 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "else heart.break()" is often described as confusing and lacking depth, with many players feeling it is too short and poorly structured. While some appreciate the quirky, offbeat narrative and the exploration of themes like coming-of-age and hacking, others criticize the lack of clear direction, quest tracking, and engaging character interactions, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game seems to prioritize its unique mechanics over a compelling storyline, leaving many players wanting more from the narrative aspect.

    • “The story is interesting and weird, and it really captures that youthful college vibe of going off on drunken adventures with friends.”
    • “The story is rich and creative (yet somewhat breakable), and you even get to learn code along the way.”
    • “The exploration of the city and what lies underneath its surface is the real game and the story told through floppies and character's routines is much better than just following the story linearly.”
    • “The story is way too short in my opinion; the game ended just as I thought the story was beginning proper.”
    • “I really wanted to adore it after being brought nearly to tears by Hacknet, but it's entirely too short, and the story is not very interesting.”
    • “The story feels half-finished, like an early rehearsal long before opening night.”
  • gameplay
    142 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique programming mechanic that allows players to interact with the world in innovative ways, offering a rewarding puzzle-solving experience. However, many players find the initial hours tedious and slow, with a lack of guidance that can hinder engagement before the core mechanics are fully introduced. While the art style and atmosphere are praised, the overall execution suffers from clunky controls and a weak narrative, leading to mixed feelings about the game's potential.

    • “The hacking mechanic allows for some fun sequence breaks and exploits, and it's a lot more fun than the trial-and-error of classic point-and-clicks.”
    • “The main game mechanic, programming, introduces a new dimension to an already interesting point-and-click adventure, and you're given so many possibilities that you'll be spending hours just messing around, trying to exploit the game in creative ways.”
    • “The mechanic of being able to hack almost everything makes for some great emergent gameplay (if you're willing to dive deep enough to experience it) and the art and sound design sets the mood in a way few indie games have ever done.”
    • “I can't judge the plot or the game mechanics; I simply couldn't get past day 4.”
    • “The art style was hard on the eyes, the overworld was overly and unnecessarily confusing, and worst of all, the gameplay was exceedingly boring.”
    • “If you cannot get to the main mechanic of a game within the first hour, at least make the rest of the game strong to compensate.”
  • graphics
    104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are described as unique and visually striking, with a blend of retro and psychedelic art styles that evoke nostalgia. While many players appreciate the aesthetic and creativity behind the visuals, some criticize them for being unpolished or difficult to navigate. Overall, the art style is a standout feature that contributes to the game's charm, despite mixed opinions on its execution and clarity.

    • “The graphics and art style are very well done, but I'm not sure I'm going to play another hour and lose the ability to get a refund on this.”
    • “The psychedelic color scheme, blocky models, and pixel textures are both aesthetically pleasing and match the tone of the game well.”
    • “The art style is beautiful and the music is fun in places, but there is really nothing engaging here wanting me to continue playing.”
    • “The writing isn't good, the graphics aren't good, the music is non-existent.”
    • “However, I can't get myself to look past the atrocious graphics and controls.”
    • “The story is pure nonsense, graphics look like a PSP port, dialog is awkward as if straight from Google Translate.”
  • music
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as fantastic and well-composed by talented artists like el huervo and others, enhancing the game's atmosphere. However, some players note that music is sparse during gameplay, leading to a lack of engagement at times. Overall, while the soundtrack is often highlighted as a strong point, opinions vary on its impact on the overall experience.

    • “The music is composed by El Huervo, Ratvader, Sasac, Åke, and others; these people are just magicians.”
    • “The art and soundtrack are fantastic, and I discovered a whole new group of creators whose media sit firmly in my collections.”
    • “The soundtrack is a mixture of ambient electronica and trip-hop, but suits the various environments in this strange surreal computer-based world.”
    • “The writing isn't good, the graphics aren't good, the music is non-existent.”
    • “The characters don’t have voices and there is barely any music in the game.”
    • “The sound is decent, nothing to write home about but it does the job, same goes for the music.”
  • stability
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of glitches, softlocks, and buggy controls that hinder gameplay. Players frequently encounter game-breaking issues that require reloading previous saves, making progression frustrating. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and concept, the overall consensus is that the game's technical problems significantly detract from the experience.

    • “The amount of times I had to load a prior save because of some of the buggy behavior, softlocks, and various similar issues makes this a hard sell.”
    • “Extremely buggy, falling through floors, exiting buildings causing me to be stuck, etc.”
    • “The glitches and story critical bugs are plentiful here, so if you're trying to progress through a game, then this ain't it.”
  • atmosphere
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique style, vibrant color palette, and immersive worldbuilding, creating a memorable experience that resonates with players. Many reviewers highlight the chill and eclectic vibe, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack, which contributes to a sense of exploration and nostalgia. While some note that the gameplay and story may falter, the captivating atmosphere remains a standout feature that draws players in.

    • “The world and atmosphere is something that stuck with me for years; it has so much style and personality, especially with the color palette that the game generally follows and the cubic structures.”
    • “The great atmosphere thrills you from the very start, and the city seems to have a lot of mysteries waiting to be discovered.”
    • “From the atmosphere to the innovative gameplay to the intricate level design, I loved it all.”
    • “Game will try to feed you narrative locations, but they all feel pretty bland and pointless, and if anything ruin the atmosphere which was very good at the beginning of the game.”
    • “The atmosphere is quite cartoony, except everything seems to have a certain darkness lurking underneath.”
    • “So, I think all that describes the rarefied atmosphere for a potentially uselessly small subset of Steam review readers.”
  • grinding
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews consistently highlight the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, particularly during the initial hours, which are filled with excessive walking, confusing navigation, and unskippable dialogue. Players express disappointment with the pacing and lack of helpful features like quest logs, making the experience feel laborious and unenjoyable. Overall, while the game has a fun premise, the grinding elements detract significantly from the overall experience.

    • “Unfortunately, the game start is so tedious that I feel frustrated all the time when I try to play or get back into the game.”
    • “The first couple of hours of this game are really tedious, where it appears that it's just about a bunch of kids drinking booze and listening to techno.”
    • “As others have stated, the beginning to this game is enormously confusing, tedious, and poorly explained.”
  • humor
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is initially engaging, featuring funny characters and cheeky dialogue, but it tends to lose depth and variety as the player progresses. While some players appreciate the absurdity and randomness, finding joy in breaking the game and encountering humorous code snippets, others feel frustrated by the lack of meaningful content and the game's tendency to toy with players. Overall, the humor is described as quirky and entertaining, though it could benefit from more sophisticated writing and story development.

    • “The story isn't the best part, but it is cheeky and has good humor.”
    • “It's fun to just mess around with random stuff and change the colors of streetlights, or break the game in hilarious ways.”
    • “Such a weird, funny, and different game.”
  • replayability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it fun and engaging with potential for multiple playthroughs due to its sandbox nature and unique challenges, others feel that once the main story is completed, there is limited incentive to replay. Suggestions for improvement include more structured learning and episodic storytelling to enhance replay value. Additionally, the introduction of mods could further increase replayability by adding new content and challenges.

    • “It doesn't teach programming in the best way, but it is a cheery albeit dystopian and different-culture adventure which is replayable and fun.”
    • “The story was going great, up until you finish - but I can see a whole lot of replayability in here.”
    • “Replayability is pretty much required as it will take a lot of time just to get a sense of the city.”
    • “The only downside I can think of is that once completed, the game doesn't have too much replay value.”
    • “Please give your game more structure, make the learning more progressive than confusing, and build the story in an episodic way to add replay value and to allow easier access to the game.”
    • “This begs for some replay value in this game, but I also think endings should give a decent closure.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be mixed; while it effectively immerses them in the experience of being a hacker, the storytelling is criticized for being lackluster and not emotionally engaging. The game is noted for its simulation quality, but it falls short in delivering a compelling narrative that resonates on a deeper emotional level. Overall, it offers a unique experience but may leave players wanting more in terms of emotional depth.

    • “Else heart.break() is a heart-breaking game.”
    • “But if you're looking for a fun hacking game, none of the others I've tried (and I feel I've tried them all now) came close to recreating that feeling like this one; it made me feel like a real hacker in a virtual game rather than playing the predetermined story of a Hollywood hacker.”
    • “The story felt incredibly dull and uninspired, failing to evoke any real emotions.”
    • “I found myself completely detached from the characters; their struggles didn't resonate with me at all.”
    • “Despite the game's attempts at emotional depth, it ultimately fell flat and left me feeling indifferent.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, glitches, and game-breaking bugs that hinder progress. Inventory management, a crucial aspect of gameplay, is also deemed poorly designed, lacking the efficiency found in other titles. Overall, the experience is marred by technical shortcomings that detract from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “So, with the inventory being such a huge part of the game (important items include keys, disks, modifiers, extractors, drinks, screwdrivers, a credit card, and even a teleporter), you'd think inventory access would be as optimized as spells in an MMO or weapons in an arena FPS, or at least the inventory in Deus Ex or Minecraft.”
    • “I love a good automation/optimization game, but that's not what this is at all.”
    • “With the inventory being such a huge part of the game (important items include keys, disks, modifiers, extractors, drinks, screwdrivers, a credit card, and even a teleporter), you'd think inventory access would be as optimized as spells in an MMO or weapons in an arena FPS, or at least the inventory in Deus Ex or Minecraft.”
    • “The performance was often jumpy, and I have no idea why.”
    • “I played for two hours and was fired from the job before I could even begin it. I encountered multiple glitches and performance issues, including a game-breaking bug that forced me to restart. I think I have to find a cigarette for the shoe shop girl somehow, but I didn't manage to find one. The story isn't advancing, and I have no idea what I should do. I think the game is broken since I can't talk to Pixie anymore.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking depth, with users noting that while the art and music are well-executed, the story and character arcs offer minimal engagement. Additionally, some players expressed dissatisfaction with the character design, although they appreciated the overall concept and backgrounds. The game's ongoing bugs further detract from the experience.

    • “The character development is rich and engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters.”
    • “I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel meaningful and impactful.”
    • “The depth of character backstories adds layers to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
    • “Good art design, well made, and musically sound, lots to explore and investigate, but minimal return on story or in-depth character development.”
    • “Nice idea, nice backgrounds, didn't like the character design (but that's ok) - sadly still really buggy years after release.”
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86%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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20h Median play time
23h Average play time
4-24h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Else Heart.Break() is a role playing game with science fiction theme.

Else Heart.Break() is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 23 hours playing Else Heart.Break().

Else Heart.Break() was released on September 24, 2015.

Else Heart.Break() was developed by Erik Svedäng.

Else Heart.Break() has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Else Heart.Break() is a single player game.

Similar games include Cradle, Event[0], The Painscreek Killings, Hack n Slash, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and others.