Epigraph
- February 19, 2024
- Matthew Brown
Get on Steam"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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging and challenging puzzle game that provides a satisfying experience as players decipher an unknown language.
- The game encourages critical thinking and creativity, making players feel like real linguists or archaeologists as they work through the puzzles.
- Well-crafted with a focus on language deduction, offering a rewarding experience for those who enjoy deep, analytical gameplay.
- The game lacks feedback and confirmation on translations, which can lead to frustration and uncertainty about progress.
- User interface issues, such as small font sizes and lack of accessibility features, make it difficult for some players to engage fully with the game.
- The steep difficulty curve may be overwhelming for newcomers to language deciphering games, potentially requiring prior experience with similar titles.
- gameplay6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its clarity and effectiveness, focusing on linguistic and puzzle-solving elements without unnecessary distractions. Players engage directly with the text, utilizing intuitive navigation and detailed annotations to enhance their understanding, making it a rewarding experience for those who enjoy language-based challenges.
“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.”
“Keep in mind that there is no grand mystery or stealth gameplay attached — all those hours are spent directly working with the language.”
“The gameplay is very straightforward, lacking any engaging elements that could enhance the experience.”
- story3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being simplistic and lacking emotional depth, mystery, or engaging twists, primarily presenting players with a large amount of text to decipher without any rewarding conclusion. Overall, it fails to stimulate interest or investment in the narrative.
“The 'story' described by the text does not stimulate (no emotion or mystery or twists), and there is no reward for finishing the game.”
“No fancy story or extra mechanics, it just gives you a bunch of text and you have to see how much you can figure out.”
