Figment tackles a potentially emotional subject, but does so without depressing the player. Quite the opposite. Its gameplay and writing come together in such a charming and musical way, you’ll find yourself smiling throughout.
"Figment" is a musical action-adventure game set in the human mind, featuring surreal worlds filled with intriguing stories, humor, and multi-layered narratives. Players control Dusty, the mind's former voice of courage, teaming up with Piper to restore lost courage and confront nightmarish creatures. With good game mechanics, outstanding visuals, and a compelling soundtrack, players will enjoy puzzles and combat while experiencing a wide range of emotions, despite some heavy grinding.
Beautiful hand-drawn visuals that feel like a storybook.
Engaging puzzles that strike a good balance between challenge and accessibility.
A meaningful story about fear and coming to terms with the past.
Combat is simplistic and can feel repetitive.
Short playtime (around 5 hours) may leave some players wanting more.
Backtracking can be tedious, especially when searching for collectibles.
music
968 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
44%
2%
The music in "Figment" is widely praised for its exceptional quality and integration into gameplay, with many reviewers highlighting the catchy soundtracks and unique songs performed by bosses during encounters. The dynamic soundtrack enhances the whimsical atmosphere, with environmental elements contributing to the musical experience, making it a standout feature of the game. Overall, the combination of engaging melodies, clever lyrics, and a vibrant art style creates a memorable auditory experience that resonates with players.
“✅ Amazing soundtrack that dynamically changes with the gameplay.”
“The music is not only delightful but also ties into the gameplay and story, making it an integral part of the adventure.”
“The soundtrack is a core element of the game, and it’s great how the incidental music mixes with the diegetic depending on the elements near the character.”
“The music while you're just walking around and solving puzzles is annoying; I don't mean that music.”
“For a 'musical action-adventure', the music was just okay, with an occasional side of bad (auto-tuned singing of the main villain was just terrible).”
“Even the soundtrack, which is meant to enhance the experience, fails to make an impact, blending into the background and becoming forgettable.”
story
734 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
56%
3%
The story of "Figment" is a heartfelt exploration of trauma, fear, and self-discovery, set within the whimsical landscape of a person's mind. Players navigate through imaginative environments while uncovering deeper emotional themes, often conveyed through music and character interactions. While some find the narrative engaging and touching, others feel it lacks depth and can be predictable, with a mix of lightheartedness and darker undertones that may not resonate with all audiences.
“Beneath its whimsical presentation, Figment tells a meaningful story about overcoming fear, trauma, and self-doubt.”
“Figment is a beautifully crafted game with a unique world, music, and a story that has something to say.”
“The story is about finding courage in times of distress with a dash of music.”
“The story is predictable and simple; I wasn't exactly blown away. The game being called 'Figment' and taking place inside a person's mind in distress kind of spells out that there is an external turmoil to be revealed near the end of the game.”
“The treatment of the characters and the story is nothing you haven't seen a thousand times. The humor is all about puns, and its depth is surface level at best.”
“The story feels very slow and the controls don't feel very responsive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
graphics
487 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful hand-drawn art style, vibrant colors, and whimsical design, creating an immersive and visually captivating experience. Many reviewers highlight the unique aesthetic that blends surrealism with a storybook feel, effectively complementing the game's narrative and emotional tone. While the visuals are generally considered a standout feature, some players note that the gameplay does not always match the high quality of the graphics.
“With its stunning art style, engaging story, and inventive gameplay, it's a must-play for fans of indie games and players looking for a game with a lot of heart and creativity.”
“The graphics use 3D rendering and look very good while the art design creates a cute, surreal, and whimsical world which uses unorthodox symbology and metaphors to represent the inner workings of a mind — it is fantastic to look at and get lost in.”
“The artwork is truly a feast for the eyes and abounds in playful details, so in the technical part you trip over hundreds of flashing lights, levers and squeezes and rotating gears, and the musical levels consist of the most variously twisted musical instruments.”
“While the concept of the game and the art style have its charm, it fails both in telling its story and the gameplay.”
“Visually, Figment may have a unique art style, but it quickly becomes repetitive and uninspiring.”
“The only thing this game had going for it was the art style.”
gameplay
407 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The gameplay in Figment is characterized by its simplistic mechanics, primarily revolving around basic combat and puzzle-solving, which some players find repetitive and lacking depth. While the game features a charming art style and an engaging soundtrack, many reviews highlight that the combat feels tacked on and the puzzles can become tedious, leading to a mixed reception regarding overall enjoyment. Despite these criticisms, the game is appreciated for its narrative and aesthetic elements, making it a pleasant experience for those who prioritize story and atmosphere over challenging gameplay.
“From start to finish, it’s a beautifully crafted experience that blends music, storytelling, and gameplay into something truly special.”
“The gameplay seamlessly blends exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat sequences with ingenious design.”
“Figment is a charming and imaginative puzzle-adventure game that offers a unique and engaging gameplay experience.”
“The gameplay is shallow, repetitive, and boring.”
“The gameplay itself is mainly back-tracking and puzzle-solving, with extremely mediocre combat and an astounding lack of depth.”
“The gameplay is very basic (simplistic combat and simplistic puzzles) and the plot/characters are very generic, so there's really nothing to make you want to keep playing.”
humor
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
3%
The humor in the game is a mix of clever dialogue, catchy musical numbers, and quirky character interactions, often featuring puns and whimsical elements that resonate well with players. While many find the humor engaging and entertaining, some critiques point to its occasional corniness and lack of depth, suggesting that it may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the game's humorous aspects, including funny voice acting and amusing scenarios, contribute significantly to its charm and enjoyment.
“The boss fights also include a musical theme sung by none other than the bosses themselves, and it's quite funny at times.”
“What a wonderful game full of 'unsophisticated violence', deep thoughts, clever rhythmic gameplay and interactions, hilarious voice lines, and an overall hilarious and thoughtful script throughout the entire game!”
“The music score while you play is pretty average, but when the bosses are singing while they're trying their best to kill you, it's a funny and clever idea which I've not seen in games so far.”
“I found the main characters to be really annoying, talking far too much about inane things and cracking 'jokes' that were woefully, depressingly unfunny.”
“The humor fell flat for me; it felt forced and lacked any real wit or charm.”
“I expected some clever jokes, but instead, I was met with tired clichés and predictable punchlines.”
emotional
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Figment" is widely praised for its heartwarming and unexpectedly deep narrative, which explores themes of mental health and personal growth through a whimsical journey inside a person's mind. Players appreciate the game's clever writing, engaging puzzles, and the emotional resonance of its story, often finding themselves moved by its touching moments and positive messages. The combination of beautiful visuals, heartfelt music, and relatable characters enhances the overall emotional experience, making it a memorable adventure for many.
“An absolutely wonderful heartwarming story that goes on within a person's mind.”
“Figment tackles themes of fear and mental health in a sensitive and meaningful way, providing a narrative that is both emotional and compelling.”
“First I fell in love with the art, but when I started playing I just realized it's more than just a beautiful game; its philosophical story keeps your attention till the end, with an extremely surprising and emotional finale. It's incredible how such a cute and apparently innocent game has such a deep perception about minds, using metaphors to illustrate difficulties we face in daily life.”
grinding
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be largely tedious, with many puzzles and gameplay elements described as repetitive and time-consuming. While some enjoy the simplicity and charm, the lack of fast travel and the need for backtracking contribute to a sense of frustration and boredom for others. Despite the entertaining story and visuals, the tedious nature of certain tasks and puzzles detracts from the overall experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The game is... entertaining enough, the thing is that it's also tedious and boring at times.”
“I found the puzzles to be unsophisticated and somewhat tedious.”
“The gameplay is dull, consisting of zero-difficulty nominal battles and tedious, simplistic, repetitive 'bring this thing over there' puzzles.”
atmosphere
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
6%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its whimsical, dreamlike quality, enhanced by captivating music and charming visuals that create an immersive experience. Players appreciate the colorful, cartoonish graphics and the harmonious integration of sound and environment, which contribute to a nostalgic and engaging journey. While some note a contrasting drabness reflecting themes of anxiety and sadness, the overall consensus is that the game's atmosphere is a standout feature, making it a memorable and enjoyable adventure.
“The music perfectly complements the game's whimsical and dreamlike atmosphere, enhancing the emotional impact of the journey.”
“The atmosphere is incredible because of both the great environment design and soundtrack.”
“The world, the atmosphere, the creatures, the music, and everything in Figment has such a perfect harmony, leaving you with the essence of that world, even after you've finished the game.”
“Atmosphere - the game is about finding your way out of anxiety and sadness, but that means the entire game has a drab, sulky atmosphere about it.”
“The only one doing that is your tiny bird helper, and their voice is small in the heavy atmosphere around.”
“However, everything tries to make up for the atmosphere, storyline and audiovisual setting.”
stability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
93%
The game's stability is marked by a mix of minor glitches and more significant technical issues, including buggy achievements and AI problems. While some players report being able to work around these issues, others experience frequent bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as soft locks and problematic controls. Overall, the game is described as "buggy" but not entirely unplayable, with many players finding the experience enjoyable despite these flaws.
“Runs great on base M2 Mac Mini, despite Steam warning it might not run at all.”
“The game is remarkably stable, providing a smooth experience without any crashes.”
“I haven't encountered any bugs or glitches, which makes for a seamless gameplay experience.”
“Game is extremely buggy, the AI is broken and the voiceover is immensely annoying.”
“Tons of glitches, soft locks, inaccessible paths forward that require quit outs and luck.”
“Really buggy game :( I had to restart the scenario due to freezing at a certain point then I uninstalled it before finishing it.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
Overall, the game exhibits limited replayability, with many players expressing that once completed, there is little incentive to return. While some enjoyed their initial playthrough, they noted a lack of content and variety in puzzles that diminishes the game's depth and replay value. Suggestions for improvement include adding more content and variations to enhance the overall experience.
“Adding more content or variations in puzzles could enhance replay value.”
“Additional features and content would enhance the game's depth and replay value.”
“There is enough variation that the gameplay never gets stale; however, there’s not enough here for replay value.”
“I feel the replayability is somewhat limited.”
“However, the short length and limited replayability might leave players wanting more.”
“However, being mostly puzzle-driven gameplay means there is not much replay value because you learn most of the solutions the first time around with little variety in gameplay otherwise.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
36%
43%
The game's optimization is mixed, with most players reporting smooth performance at 60fps on modern hardware, though some experience stuttering, particularly on high refresh rates and specific devices like Apple Silicon M1. While the game is generally responsive, issues such as audio stuttering on Bluetooth headphones and occasional glitches detract from the overall experience. Overall, the optimization appears to be adequate for many, but not without notable exceptions.
“Performance: no issues from the tech side, I played flawlessly at 60fps.”
“Hardware requirements: the game runs smoothly on most modern platforms, allowing everyone to enjoy its beauty and pleasure.”
“The sword charge-up could be better, but other than that, I found the game to be responsive, and it runs smoothly.”
“I did notice some stuttering here and there while running 144 fps on a 3070ti.”
“Game has poor performance on Apple Silicon M1 with 16 GB RAM.”
“Horribly unoptimized, poor dialogue, annoying boss themes, all of which ruin the story and gameplay.”
monetization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The monetization strategy in this game has drawn significant criticism, particularly for its intrusive advertisements that appear when players attempt to exit the game, including loud jump scare ads that disrupt the experience. Many users feel that these aggressive marketing tactics, especially in a title aimed at younger audiences, detract from gameplay and create a frustrating user experience. Overall, the implementation of ads is seen as excessive and poorly executed, overshadowing the game's potential enjoyment.
“Including a jump scare advertisement on exit within a paid-for title in a genre aimed at the younger demographic is an unwise decision.”
“I don't want an advertisement for the next game in the series, I want to exit the game!”
“Glad I had that chance encounter as this could've easily been one of those games which I'd probably enjoyed but never play/know as it gets drowned by advertisements & publicity from other games.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the unique and charming hand-drawn designs and engaging dialogues, while others criticize the lack of creativity and depth in character design and personality. The overall impression is that while the world and mechanics are well-crafted, the characters themselves may not leave a lasting impact on players.
“The hand-drawn environments and character designs are a highlight, giving the game a unique and charming look.”
“The history behind it, and the arts, the play mechanics and the puzzles, the character designs, the music, the soundtracks, all is well done.”
“Episode designs, character designs, dialogues, and songs are all great.”
“The environments lack variety and feel monotonous, while the character designs lack creativity and fail to leave a lasting impression.”
“But I really don't dig the character design.”
“I don't care for his voice, I don't care for his character design, and I especially don't care for his personality.”