FRAMED Collection

A great little pair of puzzle games here. Nothing new for owners of the iOS and Android versions, but if you don’t already have them, this is definitely worth a play.

85%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

replayability, grinding

89% User Score Based on 927 reviews

Critic Score 79%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

FRAMED Collection is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Fellow Traveller and was released on May 17, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"The Framed Collection is the compilation of the the critically acclaimed, multi-award winning, noir-puzzle games Framed and Framed 2, where you re-arrange panels of a comic book to change the outcome of the story. Change the Order, Change the Outcome. The games have been completely overhauled and redesigned for the platform and given extra love and care for our PC players to enjoy the high qual…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 927 reviews

story108 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

The game features a unique and innovative mechanic of rearranging comic panels to solve puzzles, providing a fresh take on the puzzle genre.
The art style and music are excellent, creating a captivating noir atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
The storytelling is engaging despite being wordless, allowing players to interpret the narrative through visuals and animations.

The game is quite short, with both titles combined taking only a few hours to complete, which may not justify the full price for some players.
Some puzzles rely heavily on trial and error rather than logical deduction, leading to potential frustration.
The sequel, Framed 2, does not introduce enough new mechanics, making it feel repetitive compared to the first game.

story
400 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
5%
The "Framed" collection offers a unique storytelling experience through its innovative gameplay, where players rearrange comic book panels to influence the narrative of a noir-themed spy adventure. While the story is primarily visual and lacks dialogue, it effectively conveys themes of deception and fate, though some players find it simplistic or confusing at times. Overall, the minimalist design and engaging mechanics create a compelling, albeit brief, interactive art piece that emphasizes player agency in storytelling.
- “Released on Steam in 2018, the collection delivers a unique blend of interactive storytelling and visual artistry, inviting players to manipulate comic book panels to reshape the flow of its narrative.”
- “The story's tone shifts from playful to introspective, exploring ideas of deception, fate, and inevitability within its wordless narrative structure.”
- “Loveshack Entertainment succeeded in crafting not just a game, but a work of interactive art—a concise yet mesmerizing experience where every frame tells a story, and every story can be rewritten with a single thoughtful rearrangement.”
- “The story isn’t explained enough for me to care about any of the characters, and while I do kind of understand the endings, especially after you beat the second game, I’m unsure of the overall story.”
- “Don't expect a very deep or moving story; it is mostly an excuse to play some entertaining puzzles.”
- “The story is pretty short (can be finished in one sitting) and simple; you run away from law enforcement.”
gameplay
328 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The gameplay in the "Framed" collection is centered around a unique mechanic of rearranging comic panels to influence the narrative, providing a fresh and engaging puzzle experience. While the intuitive design allows for easy understanding, some players find the gameplay can become repetitive as the mechanics are not fully expanded upon in later levels. Overall, the combination of clever puzzles, stylish visuals, and a jazzy soundtrack creates a memorable, albeit brief, gaming experience that appeals to both casual and seasoned puzzle enthusiasts.
- “The gameplay revolves around reordering panels to determine the sequence of actions within a scene.”
- “The intuitive design ensures that even those new to puzzle games can grasp the mechanics quickly, while the growing complexity maintains interest for more seasoned players.”
- “The core gameplay — this rearrangement mechanic — is clever and allows for an intuitive, organic loop based on observation, experimentation, and failure.”
- “Neat art style and charming animations, but the gameplay struggled to find balance between too easy and frustrating.”
- “The gameplay can get very monotonous after going through the entirety of the first game, but it has a lovely unsaid tale.”
- “The core gameplay doesn’t change between entries, which can make repeat playthroughs feel repetitive if the concept doesn’t grab you.”
music
257 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
43%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its jazzy soundtrack, which effectively enhances the noir atmosphere and complements the visual style. While many players find the music enjoyable and fitting, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that adds to the immersive experience of the game.
- “Complementing this visual design is the game’s jazzy soundtrack, which fuses swing, blues, and ambient rhythms to reinforce the mood of a slick heist film.”
- “The interplay of music and motion heightens the cinematic quality, making each solved sequence feel like a scene perfectly edited together in rhythm with the score.”
- “The noir-inspired visuals, smooth animations, and jazzy soundtrack give it the feel of an interactive graphic novel.”
- “The music gets tiresome too.”
- “Soundtrack was ok but had to turn it off because it got very repetitive.”
- “I only tried to play framed 1, and the soundtrack is just the same in loop, without ambient sound like gunshot or collision or anything, just the same track.”
graphics
187 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
48%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their striking noir-inspired aesthetic, reminiscent of classic comic books and detective films, featuring bold silhouettes and expressive color schemes. The minimalistic art style, combined with smooth animations and a jazzy soundtrack, creates an immersive atmosphere that enhances the storytelling, which relies solely on visuals without dialogue. While some users noted occasional performance issues, the overall presentation is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The game's perfect comic-book visuals are a standout feature.”
- “There's a distinctive art style that clearly draws inspiration from classic comic books and film noir, resulting in a visually striking and cohesive aesthetic.”
- “The art style and animation are simply fantastic, and the music goes so well with the game.”
- “The blend of modest graphics and innovative concepts gives it an indie charm, but it's not a standout title.”
- “I could also tell how the game uses real-time cheap 3D graphics; it looks like a sore thumb in many places.”
- “It had a few problems such as FPS slowdown on a RX 480 for such simple graphics, and sometimes with the panels that were long, it made the sequence of what panel the character would go to nonsensical.”
atmosphere
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
37%
7%
The game's atmosphere is heavily praised for its immersive noir aesthetic, enhanced by a smooth jazz soundtrack and stylish art direction. Reviewers highlight how the combination of sound design, animation, and minimalist storytelling creates a captivating experience that evokes the feel of classic noir films. Overall, the atmosphere is described as memorable and distinct, making it a standout in the puzzle genre.
- “The noir-detective-spy atmosphere is perfectly enhanced by subtle sound design and jazzy noir music.”
- “This game oozes atmosphere, really nailing the feel of old-time noir serials and heist films.”
- “The art style with the black silhouette figures in a colorful comic world and the accompanying jazz music set a wonderful atmosphere, where one wants to see the spy escape the detective successfully.”
- “Art style and puzzles => the noir atmosphere with hideous music while you play with silhouette characters.”
- “If they would have pushed the noir atmosphere to Sin City graphic novel's sophistication, then I would have been over the moon.”
- “Can't really go wrong with it because it has a lot of trial and error, however, compensates in atmosphere and its noir, Cold War era spy concept.”
humor
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its clever integration of humor within its puzzle mechanics, featuring charming hidden scenes and amusing fail moments that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone, with many finding the animations and character interactions to be genuinely funny, contributing to an engaging and entertaining narrative. While some humor may wear off after repeated play, the game remains a delightful puzzler with a unique comedic flair.
- “This game offers an innovative way to tell a small but engaging story in a cinematic style – complete with charming hidden scenes and funny moments that add to its charm.”
- “The game also has some humorous moments within all the action and thrill, so that is a bonus :)”
- “It has great humor mixed in with the puzzles.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability, with some users noting a lack of replay value once the puzzles are solved, while others appreciate the game's branching paths and multiple solutions that encourage revisiting. Overall, many find the game enjoyable for a limited time but feel it lacks significant replayability after the initial experience, especially for those who complete all achievements.
- “It's the Schrödinger's cat of replayability – you won't know until you open the game again.”
- “There is also a high level of replayability thanks to its branching paths and multiple solutions.”
- “Figuring out how to get some of the achievements is super fun and it definitely has replayability due to the multi-solution nature of the puzzles.”
- “Zero replay value.”
- “Good for about 6-8 hours of gameplay, though like most puzzles, it doesn't have much replay value once you know all the solutions.”
- “There is not much replay value for this game.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
15%
75%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, with many players noting that while the puzzles start off enjoyable, they quickly become annoying due to the need for repeated actions and timed challenges. Some reviews mention that the experience can feel like a long grind, especially in later chapters, though a few players found satisfaction in grinding for achievements despite occasional frustration. Overall, the novelty wears off, leading to a mixed reception regarding the grinding experience.
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The puzzles are fun at first, but quickly become tedious.”
- “I finished and enjoyed the first game, but doing the second felt tedious after the novelty wore off.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization on PC is praised for its quick load times, smooth performance, and impressive visuals, with most users experiencing no bugs or stuttering. However, some players reported issues related to hardware or software incompatibilities that affected their experience.
- “✔ [b]smooth experience[/b]—no bugs, no performance issues.”
- “[h1]graphics/performance: (with a 970, 4790k, 16gb of ram, ssd)[/h1]”
- “My system's software or hardware incompatibilities with a good puzzle game resulted in stuttering and the inability to window the game; otherwise, the game would crash.”
- “The graphics are slick, the movement is either done by performance capture or rotoscoping.”
- “Performance on PC is lacking, with frequent stuttering and crashes.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by moments of revelation that enhance the experience, though some players feel a lack of deep emotional attachment. While the mechanics and music are praised, the absence of dialogue may hinder emotional connection for some, leading to mixed feelings about the overall emotional impact.
- “It’s an approach that rewards observation and experimentation, offering small moments of revelation that add emotional weight to each chase and encounter.”
- “Really fun and neat mechanics, smooth music, and emotional storytelling without a single written or spoken word.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The character development in the game is effectively conveyed through its minimalist silhouette design, allowing players to connect with each character visually while focusing on gameplay. The noir aesthetic, complemented by a compelling narrative and jazzy soundtrack, enhances the overall experience, making the storytelling engaging and thought-provoking. Despite some challenging levels, the creative and artistic presentation contributes to a memorable character-driven journey.
- “The character design being only a silhouette is genius and fits the themes so well. The way you can know each character just by looking at their silhouette is what I call great game design.”
- “The [b]framed[/b] collection is [b][i]noir[/i] done right[/b]: a [b]slick black-and-white character design[/b] with [b]softly colored backgrounds[/b], [b]amazing jazzy music[/b], and [b]affective, well-knit storytelling[/b] that diverges from questionable tropes of the genre.”
- “It has a beautiful art style, unique character design, and a story that will absolutely play with your brain. If you manage to beat all the levels in both parts of the game to get to the ending, you'll find that all the levels feel creative and challenging in a beautiful way.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on a personal level.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving me disappointed with their growth throughout the game.”
- “Despite the interesting premise, the characters remain one-dimensional and fail to evolve, which detracts from the overall experience.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game generally runs well on systems like the iMac with Big Sur, showcasing vibrant graphics; however, users have reported occasional glitches and bugs that affect overall stability.
- “Runs great on my iMac with Big Sur.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
- “I've experienced no crashes or bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “Also, buggy.”
- “The game offers some pleasant graphics and really vibrant colors, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”

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79%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

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3h Median play time

4h Average play time

3-4h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

FRAMED Collection is a casual puzzle game.

FRAMED Collection is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing FRAMED Collection.

FRAMED Collection was released on May 17, 2018.

FRAMED Collection was developed by Fellow Traveller.

FRAMED Collection has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

FRAMED Collection is a single player game.

Similar games include Zenge, Timelie, Storyteller, The Pedestrian, Gorogoa and others.

FRAMED Collection

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