Eternal Threads

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 254 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Eternal Threads Game Cover
Imagine waking up to find your bedroom filling up with smoke. Your house is on fire, and your partner, laid at the side of you, won’t rouse.
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Eternal Threads is a first-person puzzle game centered around time manipulation and choice. As an operative, you're tasked with preventing a fatal house fire in 2015 by altering the choices made by the housemates in the week leading up to it. With the ability to explore and change events in any order, your decisions will shape the course of events and outcomes.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 254 reviews
story91 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions
  • Engaging narrative with well-developed characters that players can connect with emotionally.
  • Unique time manipulation mechanics that allow players to explore different outcomes based on their choices.
  • Strong voice acting and writing that enhance the overall storytelling experience.
  • The game can feel slow-paced and tedious at times, especially with the need to watch lengthy cutscenes.
  • Some players may find the character models and animations lacking in quality compared to the detailed environments.
  • The ending leaves many questions unanswered and feels like a cliffhanger, which may frustrate players looking for closure.
  • story228 mentions

    The story of "Eternal Threads" is a complex, character-driven narrative that revolves around six individuals and their intertwined lives, influenced by player choices and time manipulation mechanics. While many players appreciate the depth and branching paths of the storyline, some find the pacing slow and the characters' arcs somewhat mundane, leading to mixed feelings about the overall engagement and impact of the narrative. The game excels in its innovative storytelling approach, but the ending leaves some players wanting more resolution and depth.

    • “This game was so fun, it really creates a brilliant story with so many outcomes.”
    • “I really enjoyed the non-linear storytelling and the ability to mostly jump around and watch whatever I wanted when certain areas got a bit dry or repetitive, and I thought that their attention to detail about scenes changing around based on my decisions was spot on.”
    • “Great storytelling, fantastic characters, and an engaging story.”
    • “The big issue I have with this title is that for a game that starts with someone stating something as grandiose as 'we broke the world', the actual story you're going to be dealing with is pretty mundane.”
    • “The story and how it unfolds is something more akin to watching a bunch of episodes of any soap opera, with all the predictable drama that entails.”
    • “Shallow storylines: shallow scenes, dialogues that are pure filler, no underlying mystery or sideline story besides 'save everyone', which is pretty simple in terms of storytelling.”
  • gameplay81 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a narrative-driven experience, focusing on time manipulation mechanics that allow players to influence character decisions and witness the resulting changes in the timeline. While the unique mechanics and character drama are praised, many reviewers note that the gameplay can feel limited and repetitive, often reducing to watching scenes rather than engaging in complex interactions or puzzles. Overall, it appeals to fans of walking simulators and story-rich games, but may leave those seeking more traditional gameplay elements feeling unsatisfied.

    • “The game mechanics are very unique and it fits well with the sci-fi theming of the whole experience.”
    • “The main mechanic of fiddling with a timeline to witness the butterfly effect is quite fun and it's something that is rife with potential.”
    • “As far as 'walking sims' are concerned, Eternal Threads stands out with its time-manipulating narrative Rubik's cube mechanic that adds a welcome layer of challenge and delivers an interesting approach to plot progression.”
    • “The gameplay is largely just walking around and watching scenes and tweaking the decisions people make; there's a couple mild puzzles to figure out how to get places and the main puzzle of just resolving the scenario optimally in the first place.”
    • “There is practically no gameplay or interaction, with the majority of playtime being walking from one room to another and watching minute-long clips.”
    • “Gameplay is both limited and repetitive, which means that the universe needs to carry all the weight of engagement.”
  • graphics21 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as decent to good, particularly for an indie title, with some reviewers noting a lack of visual polish and dated aesthetics. While the visuals may not be the most impressive, they effectively support the storytelling and atmosphere, though some players experienced issues with optimization and visibility. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose but lack standout moments that could enhance the gaming experience.

    • “The graphics are solid without being sumptuous.”
    • “The graphics are really good, the sound design and voice acting are solid.”
    • “It's not the most graphically impressive game, but it does the job; the house is full of little details and the environment, considering the house was on fire, was very accurate to my mind.”
    • “To sum up, here we have extremely poor looking graphics, three and a half polygon objects, disgusting game optimization, false game description, and a common gameplay concept borrowed from 'point and click visual novels.'”
    • “Also, the game's optimized poorly; it actually crashed on me once when trying to lower the graphics settings, and the title screen/intro sequence definitely has it the worst, though it's not a particularly appealing game to look at even after that.”
    • “Graphics are a bit dated, but it's the story that really captures you.”
  • atmosphere16 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is a complex blend of eerie and engaging elements, often described as a mix of supernatural horror and soap opera drama. While some players appreciate the tension and emotional depth created within a single indoor location, others find the overall tone inconsistent and overly dark. Despite its low-stakes narrative, the game successfully maintains an intriguing atmosphere that enhances the storytelling and character development.

    • “The supernatural horror atmosphere makes the game unnecessarily tense, and I didn't realize it would be like this before I bought it.”
    • “On top of all this, the atmosphere they manage to pull out of a single indoor location - how it manages to be alternately eerie, horrifying, beautiful, tragic, joyful - all with tiny little changes.”
    • “I'm not sure if it was the atmosphere, the web of wants and needs that everyone in the house was woven together with, or just the act of finding out and developing care for these people with their lives in your hand - it was a blast.”
    • “There's no clear reason for this atmosphere, except that it was originally intended to have horror-like elements that were cut.”
    • “It does feel very low stakes throughout; the character's problems are at a low-grade soap opera level. Anything that's done can be undone, and your POV character isn't taking things very seriously, all of which contribute to an atmosphere in which things don't matter much.”
    • “So, the first issue is the atmosphere of the game.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with reports of crashes and poor performance, particularly during the title screen and when adjusting graphics settings. While vocal performances vary from acceptable to cringe-worthy, the lack of facial performance capture results in flat character expressions. Despite these issues, the writing and character development have received praise, keeping players engaged.

    • “I also was really impressed with the vocal performance, particularly of Neil; specifically when he trashes his room and when he's calling for his sister near the end.”
    • “Really great performances and writing in this fantastic game!”
    • “The performances are decent, the writing is solid, the characters are compelling.”
    • “Unfortunately, the developers didn't do any performance capture for faces, so characters always have flat expressions and usually no mouth movements.”
    • “Terrible game optimization, nothing more.”
    • “Also, the game's optimized like crap, it actually crashed on me once when trying to lower the graphics settings and the title screen/intro sequence definitely has it the worst, though it's not a particularly appealing game to look at even after that.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching narrative and the heartfelt scenes that resonate with players, particularly in the context of helping characters overcome their emotional struggles. While some players found the experience enjoyable and engaging, others felt disconnected from the characters, which dampened the emotional impact. Overall, the game successfully evokes empathy and encourages players to invest in the characters' journeys, though individual experiences may vary.

    • “The story is very touching, and you really feel for the characters and want to help them get the best outcome.”
    • “In Eternal Threads, you'll care about bringing closure to characters' stressful circumstances because of emotional scenes and get sucked into the mysterious secrets they all hide from each other.”
    • “For the most part, I found the experience relatively enjoyable, and the story was wholesome at the end with Ben being the best guy ever.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, citing repetitive movement between scenes and a lack of engaging choices as major drawbacks. Many express frustration with the slow pace of uncovering narrative branches and the cumbersome controls, which detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the intentionality behind the game's pacing, the consensus leans towards a desire for more streamlined mechanics and less monotonous gameplay.

    • “The walking around is so tedious; I'd have much preferred if the story was presented in a different way, or if there was an option to teleport to where the scenes take place (please not the stairs).”
    • “It feels tedious when most of what you do is walk from room to room, push a button, wait and see if there's a decision to make, say A or B, and then repeat the process.”
    • “I've seen complaints that the characters and stories are tedious and humdrum, but to be honest, I think that's the point.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Replayability in the game is generally viewed as limited, particularly due to its puzzle-based nature and story-driven content, which can be completed in a relatively short time (10-15 hours). While some players see potential for future replay after forgetting key plot details, many recommend caution for those on a budget, as the playtime-to-cost ratio is considered low. Overall, the game may offer strong replayability for those interested in exploring different scenes and combinations, but it lacks substantial value for repeated playthroughs shortly after completion.

    • “So replayability is definitely strong if you want to see all the different scenes and combinations.”
    • “Like 'Return of the Obra Dinn', I think there's eventual replay value here, but I'd have to wait at least a year so that I can forget enough of the plot for it to pose a challenge again.”
    • “Eternal Threads is a great game with a great concept, but it has the incidental caveat of having no replay value because it's a puzzle game (like most puzzle games).”
    • “I finished the game in two days, so I can't recommend it at full price, since there's not much replay value.”
    • “However, I would not recommend the game for someone on a budget, since there isn't much replayability once you 100% the game (in about 10-15 hours), so the playtime-to-bucks ratio is pretty low.”
  • music4 mentions

    The game's music is minimal, with a focus on ambient sound design that effectively creates tension throughout the experience. While the soundtrack is described as merely "okay," the combination of suspenseful music, environmental sounds, and immersive storytelling contributes significantly to the overall atmosphere.

    • “However, your character spends the whole time wandering a darkened house, you mostly see by torchlight, there's a storm the whole time, suspenseful music, and there are some minor scares, like a picture falling off the wall or a dog barking loudly on the other side of a fence.”
    • “The voices, music, setting, storyline are all amazing and help you become immersed.”
    • “There's not much music to speak of and the game is mostly quiet but the ambient sound design works wonders in keeping you fairly tense.”
    • “There's not much music to speak of and the game is mostly quiet, but the ambient sound design works wonders in keeping you fairly tense.”
    • “However, your character spends the whole time wandering a darkened house, mostly seeing by torchlight, with a constant storm and suspenseful music, but the experience is marred by only minor scares, like a picture falling off the wall or a dog barking loudly on the other side of a fence.”
    • “The soundtrack is okay.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is hit-or-miss; while some character interactions and scene titles elicit laughs, overall, the characters are perceived as dull. There are occasional funny moments intertwined with deeper relationships and timeline manipulation, but they don't consistently elevate the comedic aspect.

    • “When they view a scene or choice, they type in a title for those scenes or choices, and some of those titles are funny.”
    • “There are some funny moments that add a lighthearted touch to the deep relationships and timeline manipulation.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is enhanced by exploration and experimentation with different choices, allowing players to experience varied storylines and character arcs. However, some users feel that the character designs could be improved. Overall, the game encourages players to engage with its narrative depth rather than relying on walkthroughs.

    • “I would suggest not to use a walkthrough for this game, as it rewards exploration and trying out sub-optimal branches will give you a different take on the story and character developments (you can always change back to the optimal choices later).”
    • “Character designs could be better.”
    • “I would suggest not to use a walkthrough for this game, as it rewards exploration and trying out sub-optimal branches, which will give you a different take on the story and character development (you can always change back to the optimal choices later).”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game is praised for its stability, with users noting a smooth and clean navigation experience, free from bugs or glitches.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

74% average critic score

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Play time

9hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
8-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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