Frozen Synapse

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,738 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Frozen Synapse Game Cover
An elegant game of pure tactics and psychology, won by wits instead of reflexes. Good against AI, great with friends.
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Frozen Synapse is a simultaneous turn-based strategy game that brings the genre to the modern age. It allows you to plan detailed orders for your squad and execute them simultaneously with your enemy's. The game features a single player campaign with dynamic dialogue, a skirmish generator, and multiple multiplayer modes. With Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube integration, you can connect with friends and share your progress.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,738 reviews
gameplay78 positive mentions
grinding20 negative mentions
  • Unique simultaneous turn-based gameplay that requires strategic planning and anticipation of the opponent's moves.
  • Engaging single-player campaign with an interesting story and a variety of mission types.
  • Excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience of the game.
  • Steep learning curve that may frustrate new players, with a complex interface and controls.
  • Some players report issues with AI predictability and unbalanced difficulty in single-player missions.
  • Long loading times between turns can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
  • gameplay244 mentions

    The gameplay of Frozen Synapse is characterized by its unique simultaneous turn-based mechanics, allowing for deep strategic planning and tactical execution, reminiscent of chess. While many players appreciate the high skill ceiling and the rewarding nature of anticipating enemy movements, some find the mechanics vague and the interface overwhelming. Overall, the game offers a compelling blend of strategy and action, though it can become repetitive and may require external resources to fully grasp its complexities.

    • “Excellent, strategic gameplay, an incredible amount of ways for each level to play out, a high skill ceiling, you can be as intricate, well thought out, and professional as you want to be here, as you're given every action and tool you need to lay out your best plans, check your corners, and take the shots.”
    • “Frozen Synapse takes the best of both worlds: you plan out the next five seconds of combat on a 'turn,' but you and your opponent take both turns simultaneously, making for very interesting tactical gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay has the perfect balance of depth and complexity, managing to be easy to learn, but with tons of possibilities.”
    • “The gameplay is too vague for me to understand.”
    • “It doesn't seem to matter at all if any of them have particular success, or if any of them die, as long as you don't fail a scenario - and if you fail a scenario, you just get no option besides stopping playing, or savescumming, pretending it didn't happen, because the game doesn't have any kind of gameplay or even statistics about your failures.”
    • “Gameplay gets repetitive and boring very quickly.”
  • story232 mentions

    The story in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it intriguing and well-written, particularly in its cyberpunk setting, while others criticize it as convoluted or lacking depth. The single-player campaign features a variety of missions and scenarios, but many feel that the narrative is not a major selling point and can be overshadowed by gameplay mechanics. Overall, while the story has its moments, it often takes a backseat to the tactical gameplay and multiplayer experience.

    • “The single-player campaign features a very well written, cyberpunk-ish story.”
    • “The missions you play are beautifully made and the story is intriguing and thought-provoking, keeping you guessing and wanting to play more and more.”
    • “Add all that goodness on top of one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard and a cyberpunk-inflected premise and story, and you've got a winner.”
    • “The story is really stupid though and totally unconvincing, like they were trying to take inspiration from The Matrix but didn't know how to translate it over to this title.”
    • “If only the story and dialogue weren't so bland and boring.”
    • “The singleplayer story is all kinds of whack though, don't even go there.”
  • music218 mentions

    The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users praising the soundtrack as "fantastic," "awesome," and "the best ever heard in a video game." Composed by nervous_testpilot, the electronic music enhances the game's atmosphere and gameplay experience, making it a significant highlight for players. However, some users noted minor issues, such as sound bugs and a desire for more tracks, but overall, the soundtrack is considered a major selling point.

    • “The soundtrack is fantastic and the graphical style adds to the atmospheric feel of the game.”
    • “Beyond its brilliant core gameplay, Frozen Synapse boasts an intriguing storyline and setting that's vague in all the right places along with an absolutely fantastic soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack alone is worth it!”
    • “I also faced a sound bug which skips to the next music track after every single explosion sound.”
    • “Seriously found soundtracks of the game better... but the game is also very nice.”
    • “The turn-based game revolves around three things: attack, cover, and music.”
  • graphics148 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as simplistic and rudimentary, often criticized for being untextured and low-poly, which some players find uninspired or lazy. However, many reviewers appreciate the minimalist aesthetic, arguing that it effectively supports the gameplay by keeping the focus on strategy rather than visual flair. Overall, while the visuals may not impress, they are deemed serviceable and fitting for the game's tactical nature, allowing for a clear and engaging player experience.

    • “The visuals are pretty neat, the game universe and storyline are cool, and the gameplay is nothing to scoff at (even with its flaws).”
    • “The graphics are simple, yet interesting, and the singleplayer campaign is quite detailed.”
    • “A fantastic concept, with haunting visuals and backing music, a must-buy for anyone who's after an original and well-executed strategy game.”
    • “On the technical merits, the graphics are awful and lazy; X-COM, meanwhile, rebooted their franchise and maintains better gameplay with AAA-tier visuals.”
    • “The graphics are ugly, uninspired, and boring, and the story is a bunch of cyberpunk technobabble which made my eyes immediately glaze over because it was so boring.”
    • “- while I dig the cyber-punky art style, it does look rather plain in-game, and the models are low poly, even for 2011 standards, not to mention the relatively flat textures.”
  • grinding20 mentions

    Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, with micromanagement tasks detracting from the overall enjoyment. The lack of options to revisit previous turns and the punishing difficulty spikes in the single-player campaign contribute to a sense of insufferable repetition. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a major drawback, overshadowing the potential for strategic gameplay.

    • “The micromanagement is pointless and tedious and removes fun from the game by making it inexplicably hard work just to plod through each round.”
    • “Tl;dr while I hoped that this game would be a fun new style of turn-based strategy, the tedious and unforgiving micromanagement and the massive difficulty spikes in the single-player campaign have greatly disappointed me.”
    • “- long, tedious and insufferable single player campaign”
  • replayability20 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, with features like randomly generated levels and various gameplay modes that keep the experience fresh and challenging. Players can enjoy endless replay value through multiplayer options and the ability to create custom skirmishes, ensuring that no two playthroughs are the same. Overall, it is highly regarded for its addicting and strategic gameplay that encourages repeated play.

    • “High replay value, even if you restart a mission you'll get a different map each time.”
    • “A variety of modes and the ability to freely create your own skirmishes gives the package great replay value.”
    • “The levels are randomly generated every time you start a new mission or fail the one you are on, adding to the difficulty and replayability, though you will probably take a serious amount of time to beat the huge campaign.”
    • “Strong replayability.”
    • “Strong replayability.”
  • humor16 mentions

    The game is praised for its humor, which contributes to both hilarious mistakes and engaging moments throughout the gameplay. While the single-player story is described as challenging and funny, some players felt that the sarcastic AI's attempts at humor fell flat. Overall, the combination of a great sense of humor and entertaining multiplayer experiences enhances the game's appeal.

    • “It also leads to some hilarious mistakes and funny moments when you have no idea what you're doing.”
    • “The single player story is engaging, challenging, and hilarious.”
    • “Simply the best turn-based tactical game you can play now, and it comes with incredibly hilarious multiplayer.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with a fantastic soundtrack and unique graphical style that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers note that the combination of music and visuals creates a captivating and tense environment, even surpassing expectations given the game's simple graphics. Overall, the atmosphere is described as well-rounded and integral to the game's appeal.

    • “The soundtrack is fantastic and the graphical style adds to the atmospheric feel of the game.”
    • “This, when coupled with the fantastic soundtrack by nervous_testpilot, supplies a wonderful atmosphere for the game.”
    • “Awesome, tense strategy game with more atmosphere than a game with such simple graphics ought to have.”
    • “I really don't like electro or whatever this is, but it just fits the atmosphere of the game better than anything else would have.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent crashes and freezing reported immediately after launch. Users have expressed frustration over the lack of adequate support for these problems, and caution against actions like alt-tabbing while playing, which can exacerbate the bugs.

    • “Game freezes immediately after launch and crashes the computer; no decent support found, need help.”
    • “Great game, but a bit buggy at this point (don't try to alt-tab while it's running).”
    • “Buggy as hell.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is generally well-received, with effective communication of information and competent characterizations, though some users feel that the dialogue could benefit from refinement to enhance its impact.

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

Critic Reviews

90% average critic score

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