In the Pause Between the Ringing

About

"In the Pause Between the Ringing" is a game that explores the history of telephone mining in British India, based on an unpublished story from 1958. The game features the telephone as a noticeable fixture in the Indian landscape, heralding significant changes in people's lives. Players will experience the telephone's sonorous ringing across different time periods, from Babur's army to Ashoka's inscriptions, in a country stitched with telephone wires. The game is a rumination on completion, territorial margins, and haunting bodies and memories translated across borders.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

In the Pause Between the Ringing screenshot

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 190 reviews

story48 positive mentions

gameplay6 negative mentions

The game features beautiful visuals and a haunting narrative that captures the essence of its themes, leaving a lasting emotional impact.
It offers a unique storytelling experience that blends interactive elements with rich, poetic writing, making it feel like an art piece.
Players appreciate the intriguing exploration of colonial themes and the immersive atmosphere created by the graphics and sound design.

The gameplay is minimal, often reduced to reading long texts or listening to narration, which may not appeal to those seeking more interactive experiences.
Many players found the story difficult to follow or overly complex, leading to confusion and a lack of engagement.
The game lacks a clear ending or meaningful choices, resulting in a repetitive experience that some players found frustrating.

story
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
59%
3%
The game's story is a beautifully crafted, interactive narrative that explores themes of colonialism and personal reflection, often delivered through text and narration rather than traditional gameplay. While some players found the storytelling engaging and emotionally impactful, others felt the lack of interactivity and depth in gameplay detracted from the experience. Overall, it is described as a visually stunning art piece that prioritizes narrative over gameplay, appealing to those who appreciate short, thought-provoking stories.
- “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 really fascinating ghost story with a nice plot twist.”
- “If you are looking for a beautiful story that happens to be told in a semi-interactive format, this is a great game.”
- “I'm fine with story/narrative walking simulator-type games and the trailer made me think it would be one of those games, but in reality, while the environments shown in the trailer do appear in the game, they barely mattered and the majority of the time will be reading text or hearing a text-to-speech voice, which isn't what I expected since the trailer never showed those parts.”
- “The story itself isn't that interesting, especially if you live in a country that hasn't gained independence before World War II.”
- “I'm not recommending it because it's bad, but because it's got a very hard story to follow.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
29%
7%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and vibrant colors, often described as stunning and artful, with some users noting an Escher-esque quality. While the visuals are generally well-received, there are mentions of minor glitches and a simplistic 3D design that may detract from the overall experience. Despite the game's short length and limited gameplay, the captivating visuals and narrative elements make it a worthwhile experience for those who appreciate artistic graphics.
- “It's a very short game, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for in gorgeous visuals and narrative intrigue.”
- “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.”
- “It's a nice short story with an interesting framing device and Escheresque visuals, essentially an interactive CYOA book punctured at points by surreal landscapes.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The gameplay is primarily characterized as lacking, with many users noting it feels more like a walking simulator focused on story progression rather than interactive mechanics. While the visuals and sound design are praised for their quality, the overall experience is described as boring and simplistic, with minimal gameplay elements and a heavy emphasis on dialogue.
- “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.”
- “Spoiler alert: the final text screen ends with an unanswered question. This may cause you to try to scroll down, but you can't. I had to use Task Manager to close the program. Not recommended based upon poor game mechanics.”
- “I enjoyed this game for the story, but the gameplay is pretty boring.”
- “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.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The music in the game is noted for its atmospheric quality, with a standout track featuring ringing phones that adds a unique touch to the experience. While the overall soundtrack is deemed appropriate for the interactive short story format, the game's focus on exploration and phone interactions enhances the auditory experience.
- “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.”
- “Lots of phones everywhere reminds me of the 'Banana Phone' song 🎵 so 🤔”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is richly enhanced by a narrated fantastical story, contributing to its unique oriental ambiance. Players describe it as an interactive short story rather than a traditional puzzle or walking simulator, featuring immersive scenery and music that create a deeply atmospheric experience.
- “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.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features appealing graphics, but players have reported encountering noticeable glitches that affect stability. Despite these issues, the overall experience remains enjoyable.
- “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.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its beautiful yet heartbreaking conclusion, leaving a lasting impact on players.
- “Beautiful and heartbreaking to see the way it ends.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as hilariously artsy, often parodying the conventions of indie art games. Players encounter absurd scenes, such as a picturesque town overrun by oversized phones and clothes pins, which adds a whimsical yet critical layer to the experience.
- “The scenes are hilariously artsy, to the point of feeling like a parody of what art indie games strive to do: a pretty town besieged with giant phones and clothes pins, with paper planes flying everywhere.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players express that grinding in the game is so demanding that it feels like it requires a second life to accomplish effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”

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