Epiphany City: Prologue

About

Epiphany City: Prologue is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by David Elliot and was released on August 26, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

Epiphany City's developers donate 10% of their profits at minimum to disadvantaged people in need, as that is what they've been doing for the past 8 years. This game is a demo preview for Epiphany City. To get notified when the FULL game releases, check out the full game here, or even better sign up for our newsletter. EPIPHANY CITY is a cute & clever puzzle-adventure where you turn paintings i…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 69 reviews

story8 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Epiphany City: Prologue features charming hand-drawn visuals and creative puzzle mechanics that encourage imaginative thinking.
The narrative is engaging and provides a meaningful introduction to a larger story, with fun character interactions and humor.
The game is free and offers a polished experience with quick completion, making it ideal for casual players and puzzle enthusiasts.

The prologue is short, primarily focusing on narrative and puzzles without deep mechanics, leaving players wanting more.
Some players found the controls to be clunky and the puzzles too easy, which may not satisfy experienced puzzle solvers.
As a prologue, it serves mainly as a teaser rather than a full adventure, with limited content and only two achievements to unlock.

story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
56%
12%
The story is generally well-received, with many players finding it intriguing and engaging, particularly in its prologue, which sets the stage for a larger narrative. While some critiques mention tonal inconsistencies and a reliance on familiar character tropes, the lighthearted and humorous approach, combined with creative puzzles, keeps players invested and excited for future developments. Overall, the art style and music complement the narrative, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The narrative is intriguing for a prologue and gives you enough context and variety in puzzles to feel like you’re getting a meaningful taste of a larger story.”
- “The story is also funny and interesting, so I am excited for the full game.”
- “I'm very interested to see where this story goes as the parallels (dissonant and complimentary) of Lily and Superb Man already capture my intrigue.”
- “Lily, the protagonist, suffers from main-character syndrome, differing very little from the hundreds of other quirky-with-a-tragic-loss-backstory characters like her, both in her personality and her appearance as a cute girl with striking dyed hair among a sea of black, brown, and blonde.”
- “Epiphany City's story thus far, on the other hand, is characterized by tonal whiplash, leading to neither the comedic nor serious segments feeling at all humorous or poignant, respectively.”
- “Too much story that doesn't really add to the game if you don't have the full version.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
25%
19%
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players finding it enjoyable and fitting for the game's atmosphere. While some noted that it can be repetitive in longer play sessions, the soundtrack is generally described as chill, catchy, and well-integrated with the game's art and mechanics, contributing to a wholesome and immersive gameplay experience. Overall, the music is seen as a strong aspect of the game, adding depth to the storytelling and puzzle-solving elements.
- “The music is beautiful and a joy to listen to.”
- “Great demo, the music and art design is great and the puzzles are creative.”
- “Such a fun demo with incredible music, puzzles, and art!”
- “The music is fairly anodyne, but I can't say I dislike it.”
- “Music was pretty chill to relax to.”
- “The music (so far) has been a treat to listen to and work in each situation.”
humor
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
93%
7%
The humor in Undertale is praised for its effective blend of silliness and emotional depth, with a well-paced narrative that transitions smoothly between comedic and serious moments. In contrast, Epiphany City struggles with tonal inconsistency and overreliance on referential humor, leading to a lack of impactful comedy. However, some players find potential in its cute writing, engaging character interactions, and unique puzzles, suggesting that the game could develop a more cohesive and enjoyable humorous experience in its full release.
- “It's a cute little game with genuinely funny writing and cute art and some banger tracks already; there are a lot of cool ideas in the demo that I'm excited to see developed in a full game.”
- “The game also was able to make me laugh over three times with its funny humor.”
- “All of the details (the catchy theme music, the funny writing, the characters' emotions & facial expressions) draw you into the mystical world of an unlikely yet relatable hero.”
- “The closed beta version of the prologue had a genuinely baffling amount of truly infantile fart jokes, which were removed after beta testers indicated that they were not funny and they didn't laugh.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The gameplay in "Epiphany City: Prologue" is characterized by its short, narrative-driven experience focused on puzzles, featuring simple yet engaging mechanics and a charming art style. While some players find the puzzles too easy and certain mechanics unclear, the overall feedback highlights the potential for deeper complexity as the game progresses, complemented by a delightful soundtrack and witty writing. The demo effectively showcases a variety of puzzle applications, leaving players eager for more.
- “Epiphany City: Prologue is a short but polished puzzle-adventure experience with creative mechanics and a narrative hook that makes you want more.”
- “The gameplay is fun and solving the puzzles is already satisfying even though these apparently are not the most interesting puzzles.”
- “I enjoyed the puzzle mechanics; even in a short demo, we got to see a lot of variety in how the simple mechanics are applied to different puzzles.”
- “The experience is short and focused almost entirely on narrative and puzzles without deep mechanics beyond the core reframing system.”
- “Puzzles are too easy and some mechanics didn't make sense.”
- “Knowing what objects will complete rooms can lead to degenerate gameplay—just spamming options on the particular object until the path opens up.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The game's graphics feature charming hand-drawn visuals that effectively convey emotion and complement its imaginative gameplay, though some users criticize the UI as feeling like a rushed afterthought. While the art style is generally appealing and fits the game's narrative, there are instances of placeholder graphics that detract from the overall polish. Overall, the colorful and expressive character designs contribute positively to the game's laid-back atmosphere.
- “It combines charming hand-drawn visuals with thoughtful game design that encourages imaginative thinking as you help Lily on her journey.”
- “The art style is cute and fits the story that they are going for.”
- “The artwork and character design are so colorful & expressive.”
- “In-game, the UI appears to be a complete afterthought, much more like placeholder graphics whipped up in ten minutes using Inkscape than anything belonging in a polished final product.”
- “There are various other little bits and pieces of the game that are generally not good, such as its overreliance on referential humor, the usage of 'Lily and Superb Man witness a vision of a corrupted, desolate, and ruined world...' instead of showing the world in question, what appears to be a Microsoft Dash emoji placeholder graphic still used in the game, and so on.”
- “I was initially put off by the simplistic look of the game—how it played, the character designs/art style.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight that Undertale masterfully balances humor and emotional depth, creating a natural flow between the two that enhances the overall experience. In contrast, Epiphany City attempts a similar emotional narrative but fails to deliver, lacking the impactful storytelling and character development found in Undertale. Overall, players appreciate games that evoke genuine emotions and provide a wholesome, enjoyable experience.
- “Undertale's bimodal story works because of its pacing—it knows when it can be funny, when it can be emotional, and how to move between the two in a way that feels natural.”
- “As opposed to much of what I've played, this game didn't leave me feeling emotionally dead inside afterwards.”
- “The writing, characters, music, and puzzles all work together to create a really enjoyable and wholesome playthrough.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game features strong character development, enhanced by creative designs and engaging dialogue that contribute to its comedic elements. While some players were initially deterred by the simplistic art style, many found the colorful and expressive character designs to be a highlight, adding depth to the overall experience.
- “It has some comedy, and I laughed about it; great character development.”
- “It's a really creative take on the genre and has a bunch of cool character designs.”
- “The artwork and character design are so colorful and expressive.”
- “I was initially put off by the simplistic look of the game—how it played, the character designs/art style.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The atmosphere of "Epiphany City: Prologue" is characterized by its creative and immersive puzzle adventure elements, where players manipulate magical picture frames to interact with a vibrant world. While the art style is praised, some users suggest that enhanced lighting or particle effects could further enrich the overall ambiance.
- “Epiphany City: Prologue is a creative and atmospheric puzzle adventure where you use magical picture frames to reshape the world, bringing paintings to life, changing time, and solving inventive puzzles.”
- “The art is great; I think lighting or some kind of particle effects would further help build the atmosphere.”
- “The art is great, but I think lighting or some kind of particle effects would further help build the atmosphere.”
- “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it hard to immerse myself in the world.”
- “While the visuals are appealing, the overall atmosphere feels flat and uninspired.”