FixFox

About

FixFox is a single player open world simulation game with mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by jarnik and was released on March 31, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Fixfox is a single-player, open-world mystery adventure game set in a sci-fi world where tools are forbidden. Play as Vix, an unlucky space mechanic, who crash lands on the planet Karamel and must repair friendly appliances and discover hidden stashes left by pirates. Traverse the planet on a scooter, clear pathways with a power loader, and enjoy the stunning visuals, sensational gameplay, and outstanding soundtrack as you embark on this wholesome, emotional journey with your trusty toolbox Tin.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 346 reviews

story114 positive mentions

grinding19 negative mentions

Charming and emotional story that resonates with players, especially towards the end.
Unique gameplay mechanics involving fixing items with unconventional tools, providing a fun and engaging experience.
Beautiful pixel art and a relaxing soundtrack that enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.

Gameplay can become repetitive, with similar tasks and puzzles being reused throughout the game.
The ending may feel unsatisfying or clichéd to some players, particularly with the 'it was all a dream' twist.
Frequent bugs and technical issues, such as camera problems and game-breaking glitches, can detract from the experience.

story
324 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its emotional depth, engaging characters, and charming world-building, particularly towards the end. However, some found the narrative pacing slow and repetitive, often bogged down by fetch quests and tedious gameplay mechanics that detracted from the overall experience. While the story is described as heartwarming and thought-provoking, particularly in its exploration of themes like AI ethics and personal growth, the execution, especially in the ending, left some players feeling unsatisfied.
- “Amazing story with beautiful graphics.”
- “The story is extremely well-written and even hours after finishing it, I can't stop thinking about it.”
- “The story and characters are also really cute and compelling, rounding out a lovely chill vibe that's suitable for everyone.”
- “The story felt like a drag and the ending made me really disappointed.”
- “The game isn't just afraid of the audience not getting to continue the story, it's also afraid of the audience not understanding the story, so instead of letting you think about what it's showing you and why, the game just tells you what to think.”
- “The loop is supposed to go [spoiler]loot 'stashes' on the map for large amounts of random low-tier consumables, use them to fix procedurally generated 'wild missions' to get higher tier consumables, use those for main story fixes, move on to next area[/spoiler], but these steps in practice only add pointless busywork to advancing the story in much the same way random battles in JRPGs do.”
gameplay
218 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
62%
10%
The gameplay of *Fixfox* is characterized by a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and item management, with a central mechanic focused on repairing machines. While many players appreciate the charming art style and unique mechanics, the gameplay often becomes repetitive and tedious, with some mechanics feeling underutilized or poorly executed. Overall, the game offers a relaxing experience with engaging elements, but suffers from pacing issues and a lack of depth in its core gameplay loop.
- “Packed full of unique, engaging mechanics that kept changing up and making me go 'oooo interesting!' Achievements were easy to get, even the grindy ones as they didn't even require much of a grind.”
- “The core mechanics are good, and the gameplay loop is satisfying.”
- “The fixing gameplay was the reason this game caught my eye and while I do think it could have been expanded a bit more, it is thankfully not a game that relies on its 'primary' feature as the sole feature, it has some variety among its mechanics making the majority of the game feel constantly fresh.”
- “You'll be completing the same two or three gameplay loops over and over and over again.”
- “Most of the gameplay loop gets really repetitive and you can sort of predict where everything is going to go up until you get to the very last few chapters of the game.”
- “The gameplay becomes a little repetitive after a while, but the characters and story are nice enough to weigh it out.”
music
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
42%
4%
The music in Fixfox is widely praised for its emotional depth and relaxing qualities, with many players noting its ability to enhance the game's cozy atmosphere and storytelling. While the soundtrack is described as beautifully composed and fitting for various scenes, some users expressed a desire for more variety, as certain tracks can become repetitive over time. Overall, the chiptune and acoustic elements contribute significantly to the game's charm, making it a memorable part of the experience.
- “The music was beautifully composed, fit each area/scene perfectly, and they still play in my mind as I remember them fondly; especially this one extra-cozy, relaxing acoustic tune.”
- “The chiptune soundtrack complements the game's lighthearted tone, making the experience even more enjoyable.”
- “The music, the pixel art, the animations, Vix, Tin, and all the memorable characters make me think that the developer put a lot of love and thought into the game.”
- “Now the soundtrack wasn't something I was necessarily fond of, and its monotony sometimes grew tiresome, but it was a very calming and relaxed tone for a majority of it.”
- “Of course, there was different music for the driving points of the story, but the traveling music was similar enough to each other I did eventually grow old of listening to it.”
- “The music alone is fantastic and would love to have a soundtrack, it is very calming and relaxing.”
emotional
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of *fixfox* is highlighted by its heartwarming and well-crafted narrative, which evokes a range of feelings from joy to sadness, often leaving players in tears. The game features memorable characters and a wholesome story that explores themes of friendship, acceptance, and personal growth, making it a delightful experience that resonates deeply with players. Its charming art style and engaging music further enhance the emotional journey, creating a lasting impression that encourages repeated playthroughs.
- “Both endings made me cry, and I highly recommend reloading your last save to do them both.”
- “I'm surprised how it ended, I laughed, I cried, but it has left a warm glow in my heart which will keep me warm this winter.”
- “A cute and touching if not sometimes frustrating story about family, illness, change, and coming to terms with one's past traumas, combined with some fun puzzles.”
graphics
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
35%
6%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that many players find cozy and aesthetically pleasing, with vibrant colors and detailed sprites that enhance the overall experience. While some reviews note that the graphics are simple or serviceable, the unique art direction and retro feel contribute positively to the game's atmosphere and storytelling. Overall, the visuals are well-received, though a few players mention minor graphical bugs and execution issues.
- “For audiovisuals: I love the aesthetic of Fixfox, it is very cozy and a lot of care clearly went into making the sprites and music.”
- “The pixel art style is vibrant and detailed, bringing the whimsical world of Karamel to life.”
- “The graphics are just gorgeous - neat visual solutions with color palettes that are just delicious to look at.”
- “The graphics are extremely simple and nothing special.”
- “Graphics are serviceable, but nothing special.”
- “The graphics are alright, but flawed in ways that are definitely way more noticeable when you're slogging through the third or fourth long run between plot points.”
humor
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for being charming, well-written, and integral to the overall experience, blending funny dialogue with a cozy atmosphere. Players appreciate the quirky characters and unexpected comedic elements, although some found certain attempts at humor to be less effective. Overall, the game is described as a delightful adventure that balances lightheartedness with deeper themes, making it a memorable and enjoyable experience.
- “A very cute and relaxed game, funny with a great story and dialogue.”
- “The story and the characters are funny, wholesome, and memorable.”
- “Funny and charming writing and characters mixed in with a few more serious life lessons and stories.”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some mechanics and achievements are engaging and easy to obtain, many users report that the gameplay can become tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the pattern of quests and the need for back-and-forth travel. Despite these frustrations, the storyline and unique mechanics help maintain interest for some players.
- “The puzzles were challenging but not overly tedious, making the grinding feel rewarding.”
- “Overall, the grinding isn't too tedious and is well-paced within the story.”
- “The drone pickup menus are annoying as well, making it tedious rather than fun to use the huge mechs.”
- “Though it does get a bit tedious at times; there's a pattern of quests that happens in groups of 4, and it starts to drag on after a while.”
- “Traversing the maps becomes boring and tedious, sometimes finding a job that gives you that one tool you require to progress becomes tedious.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game's atmosphere is described as cozy and relaxing, effectively balancing heavy themes with a wholesome narrative. Enhanced by beautiful landscapes and a catchy soundtrack, it creates an immersive experience that captivates players and encourages them to engage deeply with the story. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, making it a worthwhile play.
- “The story is very good and has such a nice, cozy atmosphere but deals with heavy topics without dragging itself too much; the ending just goes hard. I draw connections with Gundam and its transhumanism themes and Sonic Colors. Let go of your hate; it's only baggage.”
- “The game’s music was composed by Aleix Ramon, and the key art was created by Jana Kilianová, adding to the game's wholesome and creative atmosphere.”
- “I sat myself in front of the TV with a controller (which I don't usually do) and let the beautiful landscapes, polite and peaceful story, catchy soundtrack, and the overall cozy atmosphere of the game completely engulf me.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's stability is mixed; while it runs well on platforms like the Steam Deck, users report various bugs, including camera glitches and freezes, indicating that it requires further polish. Despite these issues, many still find it enjoyable and consider it a hidden gem.
- “It's a cute bit of fun, runs great on my Steam Deck.”
- “This is a buggy mess that doesn't know what it wants to be.”
- “Some camera glitches and freezes could use buffing out, but this is a gem.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game features high replayability due to its charming side activities that encourage players to revisit, despite the main story being linear. However, some users note that certain elements offer little to no replay value, as they primarily serve as memory recordings within the game world.
- “Replayability: While the main story is linear, the game’s charm and numerous side activities offer plenty of reasons to revisit.”
- “High replay value with various side activities.”
- “Turns out, they're used for recording memories in Fixfox-world and they're playable.”
- “Little to no replay value.”
- “While the main story is linear, the game’s charm and numerous side activities offer plenty of reasons to revisit.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in the game has been criticized for its lack of depth, with players noting that character design is poor and NPCs feel superficial, failing to create meaningful interactions. Overall, the development of characters and their significance within the game world appears to be lacking.
- “I can't say I agree with the reviews; the character design is poor, and NPCs rarely mean anything to the player beyond surface level.”
- “The character development and denizens you have to interact with are unfortunately all a little bit one-dimensional.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players noting performance issues that hinder gameplay, particularly for those playing as Vix, a character facing challenges in a high-stakes environment. Overall, the game's optimization may require further refinement to enhance the user experience.
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
- “The loading times are excessively long, and the game often crashes during intense moments.”