Encodya

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 136 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Encodya Game Cover
Encodya, is a charming point and click adventure, that harkens back to the glory days of the Genre. While Grim Fandango this is not, people who love the genre, will love Encodya.
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It’s 2062. Tina – a 9 years old orphan – lives with SAM-53 – her big clumsy robot guardian – on a rooftop makeshift shelter in Neo-Berlin, a dark megalopolis controlled by corporations.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 136 reviews
story38 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • The artwork and world design are stunning, creating an immersive cyberpunk atmosphere.
  • The characters, especially Tina and SAM, are charming and well-developed, contributing to an engaging story.
  • The game features a good variety of puzzles, with some being challenging and rewarding to solve.
  • Many puzzles suffer from pixel hunting and illogical solutions, leading to frustration.
  • The pacing is slow, with tedious backtracking and long character movement times that disrupt gameplay.
  • The story is often overshadowed by heavy-handed political commentary and pop culture references that can break immersion.
  • story88 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging and heartwarming narrative set in a cyberpunk world, while others criticize it for being simplistic, clichéd, and riddled with plot holes. Characters like Tina and Sam are often highlighted as lovable, but the pacing and execution of the story can detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of disconnection for some players. Overall, while the game offers a unique atmosphere and artistic style, its storytelling may not resonate with all audiences, particularly younger players.

    • “The story is about an orphan street child and her robot friend trying to find her inventor father, who created an artificial utopian world called Encodya.”
    • “Driven by a naively lighthearted plot filled with good intentions, Encodya has an honest, kind heart at its base, a generally pleasant art style, and an enjoyable soundtrack.”
    • “It's a great story; maybe not the most challenging game, but the main characters are impossible not to love, and I also love the design style.”
    • “The story isn't great, the puzzles aren't great, the voice acting is ordinary, and the contemporary political/pop culture references are really on the nose and drag you out of the game quite a bit.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story lacks something to make it really interesting.”
    • “The story is a bit weak and cliched (typical post-apocalyptic world), but it's executed well enough; characters are alright (none too remarkable, but also none too awful); gameplay-wise, it's the typical puzzle point & clicker, most puzzles are fine, some are obtuse.”
  • graphics42 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning artwork, impressive 3D backgrounds, and charming character designs, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere and immersion. Many reviewers highlight the distinct art style and smooth animations, although some note that the graphics can complicate item discovery in gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, enhancing the emotional and narrative experience of the game.

    • “The graphics are incredible, especially the environments!”
    • “The visuals are simply stunning and I felt immersed in the world all the time.”
    • “The art style feels distinct and consistent, and the music and effects do a great job of building atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics and gameplay are what's advertised, which is a mid-2000's cereal box tier free game.”
    • “I bought it for the cyberpunk story and aesthetic, the former of which is poorly written and the latter all over the place that it feels like all the futuristic dystopian ideas were an afterthought they kept not finishing after brainstorming them.”
    • “The artwork is also hostile to finding items.”
  • music21 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its beautiful and fitting soundtrack that complements the art style and storyline. Players express a desire for the soundtrack to be available as a standalone purchase, indicating its high quality and appeal. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The art style feels distinct and consistent, and the music and effects do a great job of building atmosphere.”
    • “A good soundtrack perfectly fits the game's cyberpunk style and atmosphere.”
    • “Beautiful soundtrack and world building.”
    • “If you don't, you can't progress - or a keypad code based on a song - how is anyone supposed to work that out?”
    • “The graphics are good, the constant rain and relaxing background music are atmospheric - and that's about all I can recommend.”
    • “Visuals and soundtrack were top-notch; however, I wish they sold the soundtrack as a separate item since I'd buy that immediately (though it can be found on Spotify as well, but I'd prefer to support the artist).”
  • gameplay17 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a slow pace and a reliance on traditional point-and-click mechanics, with interactions primarily involving item usage and NPC conversations rather than complex puzzles. While some players appreciate the relaxed nature and humor, many criticize the gameplay for being tedious, with illogical puzzles and a lack of engaging mechanics, leading to a feeling of boredom despite the game's potential. Overall, the execution of the gameplay does not compensate for its weak story and pacing issues.

    • “The subtle humor isn't too enforced and feels like a nice touch to make the gameplay less like a hard work puzzle chain without reward - though the real world inspirations to some ideas become obvious during gameplay you don't get the feeling they're being taken too seriously.”
    • “The gameplay is a bit slow sometimes but it's worth it anyway.”
    • “I really enjoyed this game, very relaxed gameplay, great artwork and story.”
    • “Slow-paced gameplay and story progress.”
    • “The real Encodya itself isn't particularly spectacular, where fresh bread is obtained via mechanical dispensers, and the world is nothing but haphazard vegetation and broken machines.”
    • “It sadly just gets very boring, and the story is not interesting whatsoever, and the gameplay doesn't really make up for it.”
  • atmosphere15 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its distinct art style, immersive cyberpunk vibes, and effective soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the beautifully executed visuals and well-developed locations, which contribute to a unique and engaging mood. However, some note that while the atmosphere is strong, the plot and gameplay may not fully leverage this setting, leaving a sense of missed potential.

    • “The art style feels distinct and consistent, and the music and effects do a great job of building atmosphere.”
    • “The world was very unique and worked well to establish the mood and atmosphere in line with the story.”
    • “Beautifully executed art and atmospherics.”
    • “So overall it's an 'ok' game, and I'll still give them a thumbs up for the atmosphere and the graphics, but if you are not a particular fan of point-and-click games, maybe this is not the best suitable game for you.”
    • “Not a huge fan of point-and-click games, but the atmosphere and story of this game is what drew me in.”
    • “The game atmosphere is a massive benefit for me - a few locations, but they were well-developed and looked realistic for the characters' universe.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of clever and heartwarming elements, with some players appreciating its lightheartedness and smart writing. However, others find the humor inconsistent, with criticisms of it breaking immersion and relying too heavily on fourth wall breaks that quickly lose their charm. Overall, opinions on the humor are divided, with some enjoying it while others feel it detracts from the experience.

    • “Good game, with smart humor and great graphics!”
    • “The story writing was clever, funny, and heartwarming.”
    • “An amazingly rendered immersive adventure in a dystopic future, with plenty of humor and interesting puzzles.”
    • “Not funny.”
    • “It's cheap and it's not funny, so what is it for if it's only breaking immersion.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a compelling storyline that balances heartwarming moments with heartbreak, particularly noted in its impactful ending. While the graphics and voice acting enhance the experience, some players found the narrative marred by significant plot holes and unlikable characters. Overall, it offers a mix of clever writing, humor, and emotional engagement, despite some gameplay challenges.

    • “A cute little adventure with beautiful graphics and a heartbreaking, exciting story, along with a good bunch of old weird puzzles to solve.”
    • “- happy at times, heartbreaking at others, it's a game full of emotion.”
    • “This is point and click at its best, great artwork, good voice acting, a dash of humor, and a truly heartfelt story.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is marred by poor UI decisions and tedious tasks, such as pixel hunting and fetch quests, which detract from the overall experience. While some elements are engaging, many players find the repetitive nature of these tasks frustrating and feel they overshadow the more enjoyable aspects of exploration and lore discovery.

    • “They have made some pretty bad UI decisions which make things more tedious than they need to be.”
    • “I'd rather put my own effort into discovering the lore than on tunnel-visioning the cursor before grinding the sloppy inventory.”
    • “Too many tedious pixel hunts to look for a list of things irrelevant to the game to find something that someone needs to get the game moving again.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the character design, particularly of the robots, is a standout feature, showcasing a successful blend of fantasy and cyberpunk aesthetics. The unique visual elements and functional inventory system contribute to a rich character development experience, although the human characters may not be as memorable as their robotic counterparts.

    • “Whoever designed Sam did a great job; I think the robots stand out more than any of the people in terms of character design.”
    • “I adored two aspects of the demo: the mixture of fantasy and cyberpunk that utilized whispered world-like character designs and Primordia-like environmental elements. Of course, we also had the must-have Blade Runner aspects that every cyberpunk project needs.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
    • “I found the character arcs to be predictable and lacking depth, which diminished my overall engagement with the story.”
    • “The NPCs are forgettable and their interactions feel forced, leaving little room for meaningful character growth.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for its heavy-handed narrative and cluttered gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, awkward voice performances further contribute to a lack of polish, impacting immersion.

    • “The optimization is severely lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
    • “Performance issues make it difficult to enjoy the game, as it often lags and stutters.”
    • “The game feels unpolished, with numerous bugs that hinder the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

66% average critic score

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Play time

9hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
9-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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