First Class Escape: The Train of Thought
- September 17, 2021
- 0 Deer Soft
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"First Class Escape: The Train of Thought" is a narrative-driven puzzle game where players embark on a mysterious train journey. They must explore the train cars, interact with objects and NPCs, and solve challenging puzzles to uncover the truth behind their strange predicament. With its rich storytelling and immersive atmosphere, this game offers a unique and engaging escape room experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Challenging and well-designed puzzles that encourage teamwork and problem-solving.
- Great graphics and atmosphere, creating an immersive escape room experience.
- Fun to play with friends, providing a good mix of cooperation and individual puzzle-solving.
- Chapter 4 features an overly complex puzzle that many players found frustrating and tedious.
- Some puzzles require excessive pixel hunting, making it difficult to find necessary items.
- The game lacks a proper inventory system, leading to cumbersome item management.
- graphics28 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many users praising the stunning, stylized low-poly art style that enhances the overall experience. While some noted that the visuals can become monotonous and lack distinctiveness, the majority found them to be visually appealing and well-suited to the game's genre. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's enjoyable atmosphere despite some criticisms regarding their repetitiveness.
“The game looks absolutely gorgeous, and it is a real feast for the eye: the graphics are made in a stylized, low-poly style, which works really well with this genre.”
“As far as graphics go, this game looks great; the train is beautiful and it truly feels like you are on a real luxury train.”
“Overall, the game was enjoyable... graphics are nicely done and the puzzles for the most part were not overly difficult.”
“The visuals are outdated and pretty monotonous, and nothing really stands out in this game.”
“This one, although graphically beautiful, was just a let down.”
“Graphics are nice but eventually get boring.”
- story23 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many players noting that it feels almost non-existent despite the presence of collectible notes and letters. While some appreciate the atmosphere and the way puzzles connect to the narrative, the overall consensus is that the story is weak and does not provide a coherent or engaging experience. Ultimately, the gameplay's focus on puzzles overshadows any narrative elements, leaving players wanting more in terms of storytelling.
“The objective of the game is to gather information to get further, while also having a kind of story that follows you through the game.”
“I felt the puzzles fit well with the story too.”
“I pay to be bewildered by the creations and quirks of a giant puzzle room that builds a pace and atmosphere which unravels into a story.”
“This game has no story.”
“The story is essentially non-existent; there are numerous notes and letters you can find to read, but the 'lore' never culminates in anything.”
“I've read every note, and what I've pieced together of the story is that there essentially is none.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a mix of familiar puzzle mechanics, including logic-based challenges and pattern recognition, but suffers from overused and frustrating elements, particularly with intricate mechanical puzzles that can feel tedious. While the game is best enjoyed in co-op mode, some puzzles are either too simplistic or overly complex, leading to a mixed experience. Overall, it offers around 3-5 hours of gameplay, but the enjoyment may vary significantly based on player preferences and the mechanics involved.
“The types of puzzles are similar to what other games in the genre offer: they include memorizing numbers, opening safes, pattern recognition, and logic-based mechanics.”
“When it comes to gameplay, I'll say that this game is great at combining puzzle solving and also having to look around quite a bit for items and such that are hidden.”
“Certainly, the room with the mechanical boxes was less logic and more fiddling, but it didn't ruin the entire experience for us.”
“However, this one in particular underscores one of the least fun aspects of 0 Deer Soft escape rooms, and that's the 'fiddly machine with 8 different things that have to be aligned perfectly with 8 different buttons that each control different random sets of those things' mechanic that is reused especially liberally in this one.”
“The mechanics are somewhat frustrating and unintuitive, and the puzzles are either quite on the nose or ridiculously intricate.”
“Even after figuring out all of the mechanics of each of the machine puzzles, you still have to actually solve them which is just a chore and not fun at all.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a significant divide in player experiences regarding grinding, with many describing the puzzles as tedious and overly complex, particularly in Chapter 4, which detracted from overall enjoyment. While some players found the game manageable and enjoyable, others felt that the excessive item searching and lengthy puzzle solutions created a frustrating grind that diminished their motivation to continue playing. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there are enjoyable elements, the grinding aspect often overshadows the fun.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You figure out what needs to happen to solve the puzzle, realize it's too much work and look up the solution. The solution to one puzzle is 5 paragraphs long and involves you walking up and down a train without a run button. This game is easily defined with one word: tedious.”
“Chapter 4 is just excessively difficult and tedious.”
“Many of the puzzles were good and fun, but other puzzles were just grinding your way through trying to open some kind of lockbox or just wandering around for an hour trying to find the item you need, only to find it tucked away behind something with about 4 pixels showing even from the best angle you can get on it.”
- music8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its quality and integration with the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience alongside impressive graphics. While some musical knowledge may be beneficial, the puzzles are designed to be accessible, allowing players to engage with the music creatively, such as playing songs on the piano.
“Ok, first of all, the music and graphics are absolutely wonderful (especially the graphics).”
“One might require a bit of musical knowledge; however, it is presented easily enough that everyone should be able to figure it out with some tinkering.”
“Personally, I last left off at the 'music' related car with the piano puzzle.”
“One might require a bit of musical knowledge; however, it is presented easy enough that everyone should be able to figure it out with some tinkering.”
“My fiancé was just playing songs on the piano as I was trying to solve puzzles.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its charm and effectiveness in enhancing the overall experience, with many players noting its lovely ambiance and strong narrative integration. However, some users suggest that the tight hallways could benefit from adjustments to player collision to improve navigation. Overall, the game's atmosphere is a standout feature that contributes significantly to its appeal.
“The puzzles were nicely varied, the atmosphere was lovely; I enjoyed it.”
“This game has an excellent atmosphere.”
“I pay to be bewildered by the creations and quirks of a giant puzzle room that builds a pace and atmosphere which unravels into a story.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world.”
“Despite the intriguing premise, the overall ambiance is dull and fails to evoke any real sense of tension or excitement.”
“The game’s atmosphere is inconsistent, swinging from moments of potential to stretches of boredom that detract from the experience.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has mixed reviews regarding replayability; while some users find it infinitely replayable, others criticize it for being very short with only five levels and lacking significant replay value. Overall, the consensus suggests that replayability is limited.
“The game is infinitely replayable, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
“Every run feels fresh and exciting, making it hard to put down.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes ensures that no two playthroughs are the same.”
“The game is also very short, with 5 levels to complete and almost no replayability.”
“Warning: there's no replayability to this game.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game suffers from significant optimization issues that require urgent attention, although some users note that it is well-optimized in certain aspects.
“Well optimized”
“I think it's safe to say that there are optimization issues that desperately need to be addressed.”
“The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, which is frustrating.”
“There are significant frame rate drops that make the experience less enjoyable.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game has received mixed feedback; while some players enjoyed the clever wordplay related to painters in the final chapter, others felt that the overall comedic elements diminished, particularly noting a shift from engaging puzzles to lengthy text reading.
“The best part about the game was the funny wordplay for the painters in the last chapter.”
“The humor in the game kept me entertained throughout, with clever jokes and witty dialogue.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the fair pricing and absence of aggressive microtransactions, while others criticize the presence of paywalls and the necessity to spend money for a competitive edge. Overall, the balance between free and paid content is a point of contention among users.
“The monetization system feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money just to enjoy basic features.”
“I can't believe how many ads pop up during gameplay; it completely ruins the experience.”
“The in-game purchases are ridiculously priced, making it hard to progress without shelling out real money.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers an enjoyable co-op experience at an affordable price, but it suffers from significant bugs that impact stability.
“Pretty fun co-op game for the price, but it's way too buggy.”
