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Good Bones

85%Game Brain Score
story, music
gameplay
85% User Score Based on 52 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindowsLinuxLinuxMac OSMac OS
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About

"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.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Good Bones screenshot
Good Bones screenshot
Good Bones screenshot
Good Bones screenshot
Good Bones screenshot
Good Bones screenshot
Good Bones screenshot

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews
story10 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • 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.
  • The point-and-click mechanics are accessible, making it enjoyable for both gamers and non-gamers alike.
  • The story and character development are shallow, with many players finding the dialogue cheesy and unengaging.
  • Gameplay can be frustrating due to a lack of direction, excessive clicking, and vague hints that lead to confusion.
  • The game is short and lacks replay value, with many players feeling that choices do not significantly impact the outcome.
  • story
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and heartwarming moments, particularly in exploring themes of grief and family dynamics, while others found it inconsistent, with jarring shifts between serious and lighthearted tones. Players appreciated the interactive elements and multiple endings, though some felt the narrative could be tighter and more cohesive. Overall, it is recognized as a touching and well-written story, particularly for fans of indie games and those seeking inclusive narratives.

    • “Great work, thank you for creating such a heartwrenching and lovely story.”
    • “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.”
  • music
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is characterized by its chill lo-fi beats, which effectively complement the emotional and sometimes dark narrative. While the soundtrack enhances the overall atmosphere, some players feel that additional tracks could better convey the game's more serious themes. Overall, the music is praised for its ability to create a cozy yet haunting ambiance, adding significant life to the game's experience.

    • “The artwork and music bring so much life to this game!”
    • “A cozy point and click game with chill lo-fi music and spooky vibes!”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its heartwrenching and emotionally engaging narrative, featuring well-written characters and moments that evoke strong feelings. While many players found themselves moved by the story's depth and inclusivity, some expressed frustration over punitive mechanics that penalize players for making relatable mistakes in dialogue. Overall, the emotional impact is significant, complemented by a great soundtrack.

    • “Great work, thank you for creating such a heartwrenching and lovely story.”
    • “It is incredibly well written and such a heartbreaking story.”
    • “A very emotional story with a great soundtrack.”
  • graphics
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in "Good Bones" feature a cute art style complemented by vibrant visuals and a chill soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience. While the game utilizes static images typical of Ren'Py games, the character emotions are effectively conveyed, and the artwork is praised for its charm and liveliness. Overall, the combination of visuals and music creates an engaging atmosphere, despite the lack of animation.

    • “The artwork and music bring so much life to this game!”
    • “It swaddles you with vibrant visuals, chill lofi beats, and quirky characters.”
    • “The game's artwork and scanlines are a match made in heaven.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by engaging point-and-click mechanics and a strong narrative focus, making it a cozy visual novel experience. While it features a blend of storytelling, seek-and-find elements, and puzzles, some players noted minor logical errors that briefly interrupted the flow but were not significant enough to detract from overall enjoyment. However, there are contrasting opinions, with some describing the gameplay as 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.”
    • “The gameplay should be studied as a method of torture.”
    • “There are a couple of minor logical errors with flags that occurred about 1/3 of the way through the game, but they didn't stop my gameplay, were only relevant for about a minute, and seem easily fixable.”
    • “Has a mix of visual novel storytelling, seek-and-find gameplay, and some puzzles.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers some replayability through multiple save options, allowing players to explore different choices. However, many users feel that the overall replay value is limited, primarily revolving around a good and bad ending, with little incentive to replay beyond achieving these outcomes.

    • “Having multiple saves really encourages the replayability.”
    • “Having multiple saves really encourages replayability.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game received mixed reviews; while some players appreciated the sense of humor, others felt that the attempt at a reddit-style wit was unsuccessful and fell flat. Overall, the comedic elements seem to resonate with some, but not all players find it effective.

    • “Loved the sense of humor.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been praised for its stability, with no crashes or significant performance issues reported. Minor bugs are present but are so subtle that they are easily overlooked, highlighting the developer's impressive achievement for a first-time release.

    • “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.”

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