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Elsinore

Elsinore Game Cover
96%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
replayability, grinding
96% User Score Based on 303 reviews

Platforms

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Elsinore Game Cover

About

Elsinore is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Golden Glitch Studios and was released on July 23, 2019. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Elsinore is a single-player simulation game that lets you explore an intriguing story in the world of Shakespeare's Hamlet, with a dynamic story engine that reacts to your decisions in real-time. As Ophelia, you're trapped in a time-loop, reliving the same four days again and again, caught in a point-and-click adventure to change the fate of Elsinore Castle's inhabitants. With wonderful game mechanics, amazing music, and highly emotional moments, Elsinore challenges you to prevent a tragic ending."

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Elsinore screenshot
Elsinore screenshot
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Elsinore screenshot
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Elsinore screenshot
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+6
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 303 reviews
story61 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • Elsinore offers a unique and captivating take on Hamlet, allowing players to explore the story from Ophelia's perspective while navigating a time loop mechanic that keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.
  • The writing is exceptional, with well-developed characters and a rich narrative that incorporates themes of agency, diversity, and tragedy, making it both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.
  • The game features a variety of endings and branching storylines, encouraging exploration and experimentation, which adds to its replayability and depth.
  • The game can become tedious due to the repetitive nature of the time loop, and some players may find the lack of a 'skip conversation' option frustrating when replaying sections.
  • Choosing an ending results in the deletion of save files, which can be disheartening for players who want to explore multiple outcomes without starting over from scratch.
  • While the character models and animations are charming, they may feel somewhat simplistic or rough around the edges compared to more polished titles.
  • story
    222 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Elsinore* is a captivating and complex reimagining of Shakespeare's *Hamlet*, allowing players to explore multiple narrative paths through a time-loop mechanic that grants Ophelia agency previously absent in the original play. Reviewers praise the depth of character development, intricate plot twists, and the emotional weight of the narrative, which challenges players to navigate ethical dilemmas and uncover hidden backstories. While some found the pacing and certain plot elements frustrating, the overall consensus highlights the game's rich storytelling and engaging gameplay, making it a standout experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “By the end, I was so captivated by the story I didn't really want to put it down.”
    • “Just when you think the story is wrapping up, a wild twist or other bombshell is dropped on you which opens up the world and expands the story beyond what you expected.”
    • “The game truly lives up to what it says - your choices really do impact the story and lead you to an ending that suits the consequences of your actions.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game also feels like a preachy comment on modern social and political issues, and that sharply pulls focus away from the story of Ophelia/Hamlet, the story we're all here to enjoy.”
    • “The mechanics of how the player interacts with the story reminds me a lot of the bomber's notebook aspect of Majora's Mask.”
    • “But for some plot branches, you literally have to keep talking to everyone with every topic.”
  • gameplay
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this game is characterized by its innovative time loop mechanics, which allow players to influence events through dialogue and information sharing, creating a unique and engaging experience. While the mechanics are generally well-executed and intuitive, some players noted issues with repetitiveness and a lack of quality-of-life features that could enhance the experience. Overall, the combination of narrative depth and gameplay complexity has garnered praise, making it a compelling choice for fans of interactive storytelling and puzzle-solving.

    • “The ability to affect their actions and events by choosing to share certain information, which can be gleaned from previous time loops, is an engaging and unique game mechanic that feels different from all the other games I've played.”
    • “This unique game mechanic really works, keeps you hooked, and leaves you yearning to explore more and more of the timeline, with a multitude of different ways events can play out.”
    • “The gameplay, focusing more on conversation and manipulation than the item-gathering and combining of similar adventure titles, was mostly entertaining.”
    • “However, once that initial intrigue faded, the gameplay became repetitive.”
    • “Kudos for developing a unique game, but I'm not sure linear gameplay in an open world works with such complicated stories.”
    • “The game is somewhat prone to trial-and-error gameplay, which can get time-consuming, and it would be a shame for it to dissuade people from experiencing everything the game has to offer.”
  • music
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the immersive atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its beauty and emotional depth. While some mention occasional repetitiveness, the soundtrack is generally praised for its fitting compositions that complement the narrative and visuals. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact and storytelling.

    • “The art and music add to the immersive atmosphere, and it’s clear that so much love went into designing this game.”
    • “Even the more stressful scores of the soundtrack were still so amazing and added a bigger depth to the scenarios at hand, placing so much more emphasis on the choices one needed to make.”
    • “Not only is it unique, it's effective: between equally amazing writing and soundtrack, you will get thoroughly invested in the lives of these characters and Ophelia's search for a better ending to her story.”
    • “This definitely feels like an indie title with a lack of voice acting, rough graphics/animations, and sporadic and buggy music.”
    • “The music feels appropriate to the mood and setting, but can at times sound repetitive, as the game’s main theme is often reused and replayed.”
    • “The only negatives I can even say about the game are that it’s unfortunate it’s not fully voice acted and it’s a shame the soundtrack isn’t bigger.”
  • graphics
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming yet rough hand-drawn art style, with some users noting that while the visuals are beautiful, the animations can feel amateurish and outdated. Many reviews highlight the simplicity and modesty of the graphics, which, despite lacking polish, effectively complement the game's strong narrative and mechanics. Overall, the visuals are described as pleasant and functional, contributing positively to the overall experience, even if they don't meet modern standards.

    • “The game’s art style is like a living painting, and while the graphics, such as the character models and animation, lack polish, they are serviceable.”
    • “It has rich story, pretty visuals, and outstanding music.”
    • “I love the watercolor artwork (especially the backgrounds).”
    • “Don't expect, you know, the smoothest of 2020s graphics or anything -- it's mostly text-based, characters occasionally teleport, and I once conversed with a character who forgot that Hamlet had already died in that loop.”
    • “But the graphics are really outdated otherwise and the simulation-like animation of the characters is kind of immersion-breaking sometimes; for instance, none of the characters actually sleep, they just stand in their room.”
    • “This definitely feels like an indie title with a lack of voice-over, rough graphics/animations, and sporadic and buggy music.”
  • emotional
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Elsinore is praised for its deep emotional engagement, combining intelligent writing with a heartfelt narrative that resonates with players. The game effectively balances tragedy and humor, drawing players into the complexities of its characters and their struggles, leading to moments of genuine emotional investment and reflection. Many reviewers noted that the experience was both touching and thought-provoking, making it a standout in conveying authentic emotional journeys.

    • “Elsinore is a beautifully crafted game that offers a deep, intelligent, and emotional experience.”
    • “I was emotionally invested from the prologue to the finale.”
    • “It struck me as deeply authentic and emotionally honest, and again, a kind of solidarity and love that isn't often represented in video games.”
  • replayability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly regarded for its replayability, offering 13 different endings and a looping design that encourages players to explore various storylines and character interactions. While it provides a rich experience with intriguing mysteries and well-written characters, some players may find limited motivation to replay once all endings are achieved. Overall, it promises a captivating experience for fans of narrative-driven games, particularly those who appreciate Shakespearean themes.

    • “A very interesting and eminently replayable game, especially for fans of 'Sleep No More.'”
    • “Seamless gameplay, intriguing mysteries, sky-high replay value, and delightful homages to many of Shakespeare's works even beyond Hamlet—'Elsinore' is absolutely a hidden gem of a game.”
    • “I can already tell this is a game with multiple options for replayability—so many storylines to follow, and all of them interesting.”
    • “Estimated duration/replayability: 4-12 hours depending on how many endings you get. There are 13 endings and some require more than one loop, but there is little reason to go back once you have seen them all.”
    • “This game has a lot of replayability, so it will keep you interested for a long amount of time!”
    • “It looked like a game with everything I loved; Shakespeare, time-loops, difficult decisions, intriguing characters, branching storylines with a lot of replayability, the option to be extremely gay, etc.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly as they progress and encounter repetitive dialogue and events. While the intuitive mechanics initially engage players, the experience can become monotonous over time, especially when waiting for specific outcomes or navigating extensive conversation lists. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the gradual revelations and completionist challenges that keep them invested for several hours.

    • “I think the game can be a bit tedious once you've seen most of the daily events and are waiting for stuff to happen on the last day, even with the fast forward.”
    • “Repeated dialogue can't be auto-skipped, which was sometimes a bit tedious (considering that this is a time loop game), but not terrible.”
    • “A couple of issues are minor mechanical gripes that only really started to wear on me at the end, namely that sometimes finding particular conversation topics in a large list is tedious and sometimes I wanted to be able to straight-up skip ahead in time rather than use the given fast-forward feature.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is generally stable, with users noting some bugs and rough graphics, but none of these issues are game-breaking. While it has a few sporadic glitches, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience.

    • “This definitely feels like an indie title with a lack of voiceover, rough graphics and animations, and sporadic and buggy music.”
    • “It is kind of buggy, which, given the amount of everything that's going on, I can understand.”
    • “It was a really cool, if slightly buggy, game that delivered on the promise of Hamlet meets Groundhog Day.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by beautiful art and a captivating soundtrack that evokes a Shakespearean feel. Reviewers note the meticulous design and writing, contributing to a rich and engaging experience that leaves players eager for more.

    • “The art and music add to the immersive atmosphere, and it’s clear that so much love went into designing this game.”
    • “In addition, the music is great and helps create a truly Shakespearean atmosphere.”
    • “It's gorgeously written and atmospheric, and I'm so excited to get answers to all the questions I have.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as clever and fresh, with witty nods to Shakespeare and a surprisingly lighthearted tone amidst its emotional depth. While the game features occasional humorous moments that enhance its artistic and dramatic elements, some players felt that the overall experience was marred by frustrations with the ending system, overshadowing the comedic aspects. Overall, the humor is appreciated but may not fully compensate for the game's emotional challenges.

    • “Addicting, fresh, filled with clever nods to the source material and other Shakespeare, surprisingly funny, and also, pretty gay?”
    • “Between the ugliness and the overall emotional difficulty of the story, there lies a lot of humor, lost loves, resolute wills, tenderness, humanity.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is praised for being both believable and surprising, showcasing a skillful balance that enhances the narrative. Additionally, the game's art features fresh and inclusive character designs that contribute positively to the overall experience.

    • “I thought the character development was believable yet managed to be surprising as well – a difficult combination to achieve.”
    • “The art is gorgeous, with fresh and inclusive character designs.”
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17h Median play time
14h Average play time
8-20h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Elsinore is a simulation game.

Elsinore is available on PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing Elsinore.

Elsinore was released on July 23, 2019.

Elsinore was developed by Golden Glitch Studios.

Elsinore has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Elsinore is a single player game.

Similar games include The Forgotten City, Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, Omensight, Will: A Wonderful World and others.