Good Bones
- October 21, 2023
- RETCON Games
Get on Steam"Good Bones" is a point-and-click mystery game by RETCON Games, where you move into a haunted house to escape grief after your spouse's death. As you explore the house with your daughter, you encounter a ghost and must uncover her identity and cause of death, making choices that could either help or harm your family. The game emphasizes the importance of careful decision-making to avoid further tragedy.
Reviews
- The art style is cute and the music is nice and chill, creating a cozy atmosphere.
- The game explores complex themes of grief and domestic violence with emotional character writing.
- Puzzles are straightforward and the hint system is accessible, making it easy for players to progress.
- The story and character development are shallow, with many players finding the dialogue cheesy and unengaging.
- Gameplay involves excessive clicking on objects with little to no new information, leading to frustration.
- The game is short and lacks replay value, with many players feeling it doesn't justify its price.
- story24 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story is a poignant exploration of grief, featuring a mother and daughter helping a ghost confront an abusive past, which resonates emotionally with players. While the narrative shifts from serious moments to lighter, humorous dialogue, it is well-crafted and engaging, with multiple endings that encourage replayability. Despite some critiques regarding tonal inconsistencies and the potential for player punishment through dialogue choices, the overall reception highlights its heartfelt writing and inclusive themes.
“I knew going into it it was a story about grief, but I didn't expect to get chills at times and feel so much about these characters I meet so briefly.”
“A heartstring-pulling story about a mother and daughter dealing with their grief as they help a ghost deal with an abusive past.”
“The style and the story don't seem to fit together.”
“A major emotional moment would happen between them as a story beat, and then you'd click on an object that prompted goofy joke dialogue.”
“The nature of the story gets incredibly serious incredibly fast, and then takes a pretty dark turn, but you've still got the chill lo-fi music playing even in the middle of a horrifying crisis.”
- music7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by its chill lo-fi beats, which effectively create a cozy yet melancholic atmosphere, complementing the emotional depth of the story. While the soundtrack is generally praised, some reviewers feel that additional tracks could enhance the game's ability to convey its darker themes. Overall, the music is considered a highlight, adding to the game's unique blend of cozy and spooky vibes.
“The music is also a highlight -- it's filled with a variety of lo-fi beats that perfectly capture the feeling of melancholy and chill.”
“The nature of the story gets incredibly serious incredibly fast, and then takes a pretty dark turn, but you've still got the chill lo-fi music playing even in the middle of a horrifying crisis.”
“Two or three more tracks in the soundtrack so you could actually communicate the tone that goes along with 'you're investigating a mysterious death' would have added a lot to the game.”
“A cozy point and click game with chill lo-fi music and spooky vibes!”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its well-written, heartwarming narrative that can evoke genuine feelings, though some players felt frustrated by punitive mechanics for character dialogue choices. The story is described as touching and inclusive, complemented by a great soundtrack, making for a deeply moving experience overall.
“And I did find myself emotionally moved at times.”
“It is incredibly well written and such a heartbreaking story.”
“A very emotional story with a great soundtrack.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Good Bones" feature a cute art style complemented by vibrant visuals and a nostalgic aesthetic, enhanced by chill lofi music. While the game utilizes static images typical of Ren'Py games, the overall presentation is appealing, with a strong emphasis on character emotion and quirky designs.
“It swaddles you with vibrant visuals, chill lofi beats, and quirky characters.”
“The game's artwork and scanlines are a match made in heaven.”
“Well, the art style is cute and the music is nice and chill.”
“Good Bones is a fairly short visual novel with some puzzles along the lines of 'find what you need to get past the next gate.' The graphics are pretty okay, but as it is a Ren'Py game, that means 'static images that change with character emotion,' no actual animation.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by engaging point-and-click mechanics and a story-driven approach, blending visual novel elements with seek-and-find tasks and puzzles. While some minor logical errors were noted, they did not significantly detract from the overall experience. However, one user expressed strong dissatisfaction, suggesting that the gameplay could be frustrating.
“I love the point-and-click mechanics and the story-driven aspect.”
“It's a great little cozy visual novel with point-and-click gameplay.”
“Has a mix of visual novel storytelling, seek-and-find gameplay, and some puzzles.”
“The gameplay should be studied as a method of torture.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability through multiple save options, allowing players to explore different outcomes. However, many users feel that the overall replay value is limited, primarily revolving around achieving a good or bad ending, with little incentive to replay beyond that.
“Having multiple saves really encourages replayability.”
“The game offers various choices that significantly impact the story, making each playthrough feel unique.”
“With different character builds and strategies, I find myself coming back for more to explore all the possibilities.”
“The lack of meaningful choices makes replayability feel pointless.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
“The game offers no new content or variations in subsequent playthroughs.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game received mixed reviews; while some players appreciated its comedic elements, others felt that the attempts at a Reddit-style humor missed the mark.
“Loved the sense of humor.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been praised, particularly for a first-time developer, as it runs smoothly without crashes or significant performance issues, and any bugs present are minor and easily overlooked.
“Additional kudos to a first-time developer releasing a finished title that doesn't crash, doesn't have crazy performance issues, and the bugs are so minor you'd miss them if you weren't looking.”
“The optimization in this game is impressive; it runs smoothly on a variety of hardware without sacrificing visual quality.”
“I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the gameplay experience, ensuring that loading times are minimal and frame rates are consistently high.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite its potential, the game is plagued by poor optimization, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
“I was disappointed to find that even on high-end hardware, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
