Influent Language Learning Game

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,110 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • story
Influent Language Learning Game Game Cover
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"Influent is a single-player strategy game with plenty of humor, featuring pretty visuals and a good soundtrack. It is a language-learning game that includes 23 languages, allowing players to learn word names for objects by clicking on them in a 3D environment, with additional information available via double-clicks."

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,110 reviews
gameplay10 positive mentions
story5 negative mentions
  • Fun and interactive way to learn vocabulary in a new language.
  • Helps build associations between words and objects, making memorization easier.
  • Good for visual learners and provides clear pronunciation of words.
  • Limited to vocabulary; does not teach grammar or sentence structure.
  • Only one small environment (an apartment) to explore, which can feel claustrophobic.
  • Controls can be clunky and frustrating, making it difficult to interact with some objects.
  • gameplay60 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it simplistic and repetitive, primarily revolving around clicking on objects to learn their names in a different language. While some appreciate the scavenger hunt style and the potential for interactive learning, others criticize the limited environment, sluggish character movement, and lack of engaging mechanics, suggesting that it falls short compared to free alternatives. Overall, the game may serve as a basic supplemental tool for language learning, but it lacks depth and variety to keep players fully engaged.

    • “The gameplay can be a bit confusing at first, but it gradually will make more sense.”
    • “This style of gameplay is very replayable as practicing is important and you get the effects of visual, audible, and interactive learning which can be very effective for memorization.”
    • “They changed to third person and there are first person elements but they are buggy, the gameplay is all over the place, interface is glitchy and not operating well.”
    • “Core mechanics of the game are sort of broken - just trying to get through the tutorial was a slog - moving around was the left analog stick, but moving the camera was click & hold RT, & move right analog stick.”
    • “The gameplay is really simple and easy to get an understanding of.”
  • music51 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its relaxing and pleasant qualities, particularly praising the soundtrack by Lifeformed. However, numerous users have expressed frustration over the lack of volume control options, finding the music intrusive and repetitive, which detracts from the learning experience. Overall, while the music is well-composed, its implementation and limited variety have led to a consensus that it could benefit from more options and tracks.

    • “The music is pleasant and the objects in the apartment are nice to look at.”
    • “Good for memorizing vocabulary, very relaxing music.”
    • “The music was relaxing and enjoyable while searching for objects.”
    • “Most annoyingly, there's no way to turn off the music.”
    • “The music in the game is awful to hear and it could annoy you while trying to search for words.”
    • “Would highly recommend, other than the fact that the music (while very well done) is extremely loud and can only be turned on/off, not lowered in volume.”
  • story50 mentions

    The game's story is generally perceived as simplistic and underdeveloped, with many players expressing disappointment over its lack of depth and progression. While some appreciate the attempt at a narrative, they feel it often interrupts gameplay and fails to enhance the learning experience. Overall, the consensus is that the story could benefit from more interaction and meaningful content to better support the game's educational goals.

    • “The story makes no sense, hence it gets a low rating; however, the fact that they even thought as far as to give it a bit of a backstory besides 'randomly get words in another language' deserves cookie points in my book.”
    • “It has very humorous parts to it, as well as its storyline.”
    • “While I really like the 'intro-story', the game doesn't build up on the story at all.”
    • “Want an insipid story with 'cute' characters that you're forced to play through?”
    • “There is no plot progression and you're just stuck inside your own house.”
    • “Unfortunately, there is no real gameplay or storyline.”
  • graphics40 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the cute art style and immersive visuals that complement the learning experience, while others criticize the simplicity and lack of detail, such as shadows and texture quality. Many users note that the graphics are not demanding, allowing the game to run on lower-end systems, but some express frustration with object clarity and layering issues. Overall, while the aesthetic is generally liked, there is a consensus that the game could benefit from more graphical options and content.

    • “Good graphics, nice art style, really well done and fun.”
    • “The graphics aren’t out of this world, but I think they’re sufficiently good in their cartoonish way, and fit the quirky story of the game.”
    • “Wonderful graphics & an interesting interactive setting.”
    • “The graphics are simple, but that's okay.”
    • “The graphics are utter garbage.”
    • “Visuals are not that good, and it's hard to define one object from another from time to time; even more, some objects are not even pickable, which is very strange.”
  • humor13 mentions

    The game is praised for its clever and humorous approach to vocabulary enrichment, with players finding the word associations and transcriptions amusing, despite some confusion in pronunciation. Users appreciate the developers' sense of humor, noting funny moments and Easter eggs throughout the gameplay, although they also express a desire for further development to enhance the comedic experience. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the educational content, making it both entertaining and engaging.

    • “Some of the associations the game offers are funny; all of them make sense, in their own way.”
    • “Hilarious and educational.”
    • “This game has also made me laugh quite a few times; the developers have a great sense of humor!”
  • grinding11 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and unhelpful, often feeling more like a chore than an engaging learning experience. Players express frustration over the repetitive nature of vocabulary acquisition, which can lead to minimal retention and a lack of practical communication skills. While some appreciate the gamified approach to learning, many find it ultimately burdensome and reminiscent of traditional flashcard methods, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “More tedious than fun or helpful and largely broken.”
    • “This makes it an extremely tedious and painful rather than fun learning experience, especially when you're literally confined to a single apartment.”
    • “There are hundreds of them, so if you want to get the full (pitiful) 450-word vocabulary, you're going to be grinding out item locations in the same little virtual corner for quite a while.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and poor controls that disrupt gameplay. Many players experienced frustrating issues, including memory leaks and a glitchy interface, although some found workarounds for certain problems. Overall, the game's stability is seen as a significant drawback, impacting the overall experience.

    • “They changed to third person and there are first person elements but they are buggy, the gameplay is all over the place, interface is glitchy and not operating well.”
    • “Super buggy, weird controls, and poor explanations of game functions.”
    • “Additionally, there are still some serious glitches and bugs littered across the game, including some serious memory leaks, slowdowns and poor design decisions.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews; while it offers free language options, suggesting a commitment to user service rather than purely profit, the presence of ads and the lack of substantial content at launch have raised concerns about its overall value and intentions.

    • “They also put ads in the game, which is cheeky.”
    • “The game raised enough money to be profitable before it was available, so it was released without content and doesn't do anything but look good on an advertisement.”
    • “However, the trailer and some of the advertising for language packs clearly indicates outdoor environments.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game's replayability is notably high due to its emphasis on practice and interactive learning, which enhances memorization through visual and auditory stimuli. However, it can feel limited for players who have already mastered the target language, leading to a mixed experience based on individual proficiency levels.

    • “This style of gameplay is very replayable as practicing is important, and you get the effects of visual, audible, and interactive learning, which can be very effective for memorization.”
    • “The replayability is both high and non-existent depending on your level with the target language.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices, making subsequent playthroughs feel repetitive and dull.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a surprising emotional connection to the game, noting that even after a break, they retained significant knowledge and feelings associated with it. However, frustrations with the game's controls and mechanics, such as sluggishness and punishing collisions, can detract from the overall emotional experience.

    • “I am positively surprised at how much I retained, even after several weeks of not playing the game or using the new words in my Anki lists.”
    • “The emotional depth of the story really resonated with me, making me reflect on my own experiences and feelings.”
    • “The characters' struggles and triumphs felt so real, it was hard not to get emotionally invested in their journeys.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance, with users noting the pleasant music and environment, leaving little room for criticism in this aspect.

    • “The music is nice, the environment is nice, the game runs smoothly; there isn't much to criticize about this.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game has been criticized for lacking depth, with players expressing disappointment that it feels more like a simple point-and-click experience rather than an immersive gaming environment.

    • “I was hoping there would be more of a game-like atmosphere to this, but it was just point and click at objects.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Influent Language Learning Game

Play time

6hMedian play time
14hAverage play time
3-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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