Epigraph

About

Epigraph is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by Matthew Brown and was released on February 19, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Epigraph" is a rigorous language decipherment puzzle game that challenges players to analyze patterns, deduce the meanings of images and symbols, and cross-reference given information across 7 artifacts. The objective is to enter translations and uncover the secrets of the Nari. This short game tests players' problem-solving and linguistic skills, providing a unique and engaging experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 146 reviews

emotional1 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Epigraph offers a unique and challenging experience in deciphering an ancient language, providing a sense of accomplishment as players solve puzzles with minimal guidance.
The game is well-designed, encouraging players to take notes and think critically, which enhances the immersion and satisfaction of unraveling the language.
Players appreciate the game's artistic style and the rewarding 'aha!' moments that come from successfully piecing together the language.

The game is extremely difficult, with many players feeling lost at the beginning due to the lack of clear instructions and feedback on their progress.
Quality of life issues, such as small and hard-to-read text, a dark visual presentation, and the absence of a hint system, detract from the overall experience.
Some players found the reliance on external note-taking and the ambiguity of certain puzzles frustrating, leading to a sense of confusion rather than enjoyment.

gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The gameplay is characterized by a strong core of puzzle-solving and translation mechanics, but many players feel it lacks depth and balance, leading to frustration and a sense of isolation. While the linguistic and puzzle elements are well-executed, the user interface and design choices hinder the overall experience, making it difficult for players to gauge their progress. Overall, the game may appeal to those who enjoy language work, but it may not satisfy players seeking more traditional gameplay mechanics or a sense of achievement.
- “Absolutely lovely core translating gameplay, exactly what Chants of Sennaar and Heaven's Vault should have been like.”
- “It's extremely well-done: from a linguistic standpoint (everything is well-motivated and sensible), a puzzle standpoint (all of the steps you need are there, if you can find them and follow them), and a gameplay standpoint (easy to navigate; allowing annotations symbol-by-symbol and word-by-word is excellent).”
- “No fancy story or extra mechanics, it just gives you a bunch of text and you gotta see how much you can figure out.”
- “In its current state, I think the satisfying puzzle gameplay is hampered too much by some bad user interface choices and too-difficult/arbitrary puzzle design choices.”
- “Before buying, though, be warned that there's very little gameplay here.”
- “But insufficiently gamified for the average player, with assumption and guesswork being core mechanics in the mid- and end-game phases but no system to confirm your guesses, so there's a long period of blindness that I personally couldn't push through.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The story is perceived as ambiguous and lacking depth, leaving players feeling only partially satisfied with their understanding. Many found the narrative unengaging, with minimal worldbuilding and emotional impact, leading to a sense of stagnation as they progressed. Overall, the storytelling is criticized for its reliance on text without offering meaningful rewards or twists.
- “Maybe I need to forget about achievements and credits. If I reopen the game and take some more time, write some more notes, I'll understand even more about the story.”
- “The story described by the text does not stimulate any emotion or mystery, and there is no reward for finishing the game.”
- “At the end, I felt like I only understood about 80% of the content, and some of the ambiguous parts were pretty important to the overall story and ideas!”
- “Maybe I need to forget about achievements and credits. If I reopen the game and take some more time, write some more notes, I'll understand even more about the story, but the impression I have right now is that there isn't a ton of worldbuilding to bite into anyway.”
- “The 'story' described by the text does not stimulate (no emotion or mystery or twists), and there is no reward for finishing the game.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics feature a neat art style, but many users find the visuals excessively dim, which can lead to a frustrating experience, especially for those trying to navigate complex elements.
- “The art style was also neat.”
- “Sadly I've found it much too difficult, leaving me feeling like I'm floundering in the dark (both figuratively and literally - the visuals are excessively dim).”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the challenging nature of the game, especially in the early and mid-game phases; however, many find that the grinding becomes tedious and confusing as they progress towards the end.
- “I know the entire point of the game is to be difficult, but towards the end it became a lot more tedious than the first few hours I was playing.”
- “Has a really great start and continues well into mid-game, but does get a little tedious and confusing towards the end.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the game evokes a strong emotional connection by immersing them in the experience of being a linguist, enhancing their engagement and sense of identity within the gameplay.
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The background music is generally well-received, with users appreciating its quality, though some suggest that adding a few more tracks could enhance the experience.
- “The background music was nice as well, though perhaps a few additional tracks wouldn't hurt.”