In the Pause Between the Ringing

About

In the Pause Between the Ringing is a single player action game. It was developed by Studio Oleomingus and was released on April 23, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

In the Pause between the Ringing is a rumination about completion, about territorial margins and about the haunting of bodies and memories that are translated across borders. It is an adaption of an unpublished story written by Mir Umar Hassan for the editor of the Malwa Chronicle in the July of 1958.

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Single-Player

In the Pause Between the Ringing screenshot

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 97 reviews

story23 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Beautiful visuals and atmospheric sound design create an immersive experience.
The narrative offers a unique and thought-provoking exploration of themes like loss and colonialism.
Short but impactful, leaving a lasting impression with its surreal storytelling.

Lacks meaningful gameplay and interactivity, feeling more like an art piece than a game.
The narrative can be confusing and difficult to follow, potentially alienating some players.
Repetitive structure with limited exploration and choices, leading to a sense of monotony.

story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and beautiful narrative, while others criticize it for being poorly written or overly reliant on text and narration. Many players appreciate the interactive elements and atmospheric visuals, but some find the gameplay lacking and the story difficult to follow. Overall, it is seen as a short, artistic experience that may appeal to those who enjoy narrative-driven content, despite its shortcomings.
- “Beautiful areas designed by the duo and the story presented is amazing; I cried close to the end and felt a deep burden once I realized the ending.”
- “It's a unique hybrid of a walking sim and visual novel that uses surreal exploration to recount a 1958 unpublished story written by Mir Umar Hussan and was developed as an art commission funded by the India Foundation for Arts.”
- “The story is intriguing and interesting, and the art is stunning.”
- “This godawful art experience is based on a story so badly written that it was unpublishable in 1958, and remains so today.”
- “I'm not recommending it because it's bad, but because it's got a very hard story to follow.”
- “The story itself isn't that interesting, especially if you live in a country that hasn't gained independence before WWII.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
26%
13%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beautiful, vibrant visuals and artistic style, often described as "gorgeous" and "stunning." While some users noted minor glitches and a simplistic 3D design, the overall aesthetic, including escheresque elements and intricate details, contributes significantly to the game's narrative experience. Despite the limited gameplay, the visuals are considered a highlight, making the game feel like an interactive art piece.
- “Lovely clean and bright graphics, simple game mechanics.”
- “The graphics are amazing and in my opinion the game is an art piece.”
- “The 3D graphics are not great, but they're pretty nonetheless, and do their job just fine; the soundtrack is appropriate; the gameplay is basically just a walking simulator and all you do is pick up a phone whenever you feel ready to progress with the story.”
- “The graphics have an unusual block-like appearance yet they're alive with beautiful, vivid colors complemented by intricate detail to the surroundings.”
- “Love the visuals, I managed to get caught in a weird loop though and after a while kind of just gave up on it.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay is largely criticized for its lack of meaningful interaction and repetitive mechanics, often described as a walking simulator with minimal engagement. While the visuals and sound design receive praise, many players find the experience more akin to reading a story than participating in a game, leading to a general consensus that the gameplay is boring and underdeveloped.
- “Lovely clean and bright graphics, simple game mechanics.”
- “Not much in terms of gameplay, but an interesting experience with nice sound and visuals to match the text.”
- “This game has more dialogues than gameplay, but it makes this game feel special; it's almost like reading a book in which the story is kind of obscure but very interesting.”
- “There are no gameplay loops in this rejected art school dropout exhibition, no 'gameplay', no meaningful game-like interaction.”
- “Spoiler alert: the final text screen ends with an unanswered question; this may cause you to try to scroll down, but you can't. Also, I had to use Task Manager to close the program. Not recommended based upon poor game mechanics.”
- “The gameplay aspect is also a bit lacking.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The music in the game is noted for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the interactive storytelling experience. A standout track features ringing phones, which adds a unique touch to the overall soundscape. While the graphics may not be top-tier, the soundtrack is deemed fitting for the game's walking simulator style.
- “I liked the music track made of ringing phones; that was neat.”
- “The soundtrack is appropriate; the gameplay is basically just a walking simulator and all you do is pick up a phone whenever you feel ready to progress with the story.”
- “Not a puzzle game and not really a walking sim either; it's more like an interactive short story with atmospheric scenery and music.”
- “The 3D graphics are not great, but they're pretty nonetheless, and do their job just fine; the soundtrack is appropriate.”
- “The gameplay is basically just a walking simulator, and all you do is pick up a phone whenever you feel ready to progress with the story.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its beautiful yet heartbreaking conclusion, leaving a lasting impact on players.
- “Beautiful and heartbreaking to see the way it ends.”
- “The story left me in tears; it was incredibly moving.”
- “I felt a deep connection to the characters, their struggles resonated with me.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a narrated fantastical story, contributing to its oriental ambiance. Players describe it as an interactive short story with immersive scenery and music, blending elements of atmospheric exploration and light walking simulation.
- “Unlike the other games from these developers, the fantastical fable/story in this game is voiced by a narrator which, on balance, I felt added to the oriental atmosphere.”
- “Not a puzzle game and not really a walking sim either; it's more like an interactive short story with atmospheric scenery and music.”
- “It is deeply atmospheric and a little bit of a walking simulator.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features appealing graphics but is marred by occasional glitches, which detract from the overall experience. While it is generally enjoyable, the stability issues may frustrate some players.
- “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
- “You don't need to make a full level on Unity for this, let alone a buggy Unity level.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as a self-aware parody of indie art games, featuring absurd and whimsical scenes like a picturesque town overrun by giant phones and clothes pins, which some players find amusing while others may feel it leans too heavily into the absurdity.
- “The scenes are hilariously artsy, to the point of feeling like a parody of what indie art games strive to do: a pretty town besieged by giant phones and clothes pins, with paper planes flying everywhere.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

In the Pause Between the Ringing is a action game.

In the Pause Between the Ringing is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

In the Pause Between the Ringing was released on April 23, 2019.

In the Pause Between the Ringing was developed by Studio Oleomingus.

In the Pause Between the Ringing has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

In the Pause Between the Ringing is a single player game.

Similar games include Metamorphosis, Marie's Room, Dear Esther, a Museum of Dubious Splendors, Cloud Climber and others.

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