Interregnum Chronicles: Signal

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 54 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • grinding
Interregnum Chronicles: Signal Game Cover
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"Interregnum Chronicles: Signal" is an incremental, story-driven game set in a future where an unstable AI and its operator try to decode an impossible signal from space. Players oversee the AI's upgrades and exploration in a zero-gravity environment, uncovering truths about themselves and each other. This game is the first in a series based on the world created by Przemysław Karda in a Polish best-selling sci-fi novel.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews
story22 positive mentions
grinding16 negative mentions
  • The game features a compelling story with intriguing themes about AI and consciousness, enhanced by well-written dialogues.
  • Visually, the game is impressive, with detailed graphics and a well-designed zero-gravity environment that adds to the immersive experience.
  • The gameplay, while short, offers a unique blend of incremental mechanics and exploration that some players found enjoyable.
  • The game is criticized for being short and feeling unfinished, with many gameplay elements that seem to lead nowhere, leaving players unsatisfied.
  • There are significant issues with bugs and controls, including frustrating mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
  • Many players found the gameplay to be grindy and tedious, often feeling more like an idle game than an engaging interactive experience.
  • story50 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered intriguing and engaging, revolving around the dangers of alien interstellar signals, but it suffers from a lack of depth and linearity, primarily conveyed through emails and messages. While some players appreciate the narrative's potential and find it addictive, others criticize it for being bland and poorly executed, with limited endings and minimal player agency. Overall, the story serves as a motivating factor for some, but many feel it could have been enhanced with more interactive elements and richer storytelling.

    • “As for the plot - very interesting, not boring, and of course intriguing and addictive.”
    • “The story is interesting; it's about the danger of an alien interstellar signal, and the game asks the player what to do about them.”
    • “There is a dominating story plot that unravels through messages and intercepted transmissions from Earth, and it does a good job at giving the idler gameplay a narrative and meaning.”
    • “The game is maybe missing a sort of quest line to follow; the player is a little bit left alone, only the AI guides him.”
    • “Because there are no hidden secrets or detective work to be done for the story to unfold, the game feels very linear.”
    • “It has a story, sure, but the story is pretty bland and delivered in the laziest way possible - via e-mails.”
  • gameplay26 mentions

    The gameplay features visually impressive zero-gravity mechanics and an intriguing narrative that unfolds through messages, but it has received mixed reviews due to its limited engagement and reliance on idle mechanics. While some players appreciate the incremental gameplay and the sense of mystery, others criticize it as feeling half-finished, with repetitive tasks and a lack of depth. Overall, the game offers a brief experience of a few hours, which some find worthwhile despite its shortcomings.

    • “Visually looks great and the zero-gravity mechanics worked really well.”
    • “I also do like how it's an actual incremental game instead of an idler, as it does develop its mechanics in interesting ways and did add to the sense of mystery the game had to offer.”
    • “I enjoyed the gameplay and story.”
    • “I also understand the game's mixed reception, as a lot of the ideas don't go anywhere and many mechanics feel more like wastes of time than deliberate inclusions. It does feel like the game is just half-finished in some ways.”
    • “Now the gameplay is totally lacking. You are in a space station/satellite with three stations and a garden/power bank with four batteries. The whole game consists of upgrading stuff in each station to install updates on the AI. If you want to speed things up, you can use the batteries to overclock the stations, but the batteries deplete quickly, and you can only carry one at a time. The upgrades are just point-and-click on a station/terminal, leveling up some things until you reach the desired cap, and that's it.”
    • “Albeit, don't expect more than three hours of gameplay, six if you get stuck somewhere or really want to scour the whole station for every Easter egg and secret.”
  • grinding16 mentions

    Reviews highlight that the game heavily relies on grinding mechanics, making much of the gameplay feel tedious and unbalanced. Players express frustration with the repetitive tasks and "waiting time" elements, which detract from the overall experience and may alienate potential audiences. While the game's aesthetic is praised, the grindy nature overshadows its positive aspects, leading to a lackluster engagement with the content.

    • “This is a zero-g walking simulator escape room with 'waiting time' as a gameplay element in the grinding chores you need to do, packaged and presented as a beautiful space station.”
    • “It was good up until that point, but I don't want to go through the grindy parts again just to see if I can get past the bugged part.”
    • “Perhaps I'm missing something here, but this game is incredibly grindy and unbalanced.”
  • graphics14 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the well-designed details and high standards that create an immersive experience, while others criticize them as shoddy or merely decent. Overall, the visuals are noted for their attention to detail, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some players feeling let down by other aspects of the game.

    • “To begin with, I want to note the well-designed details in the graphics; I really encountered this for the first time, where the little things are worked out so well.”
    • “Graphics are of a high standard, great overall feel.”
    • “Shoddy graphics.”
    • “So I've mentioned the bad puzzles (if they can be called that), the maddening lack of a map, and the nice enough graphics and now I am really struggling to think of anything else that this game has going for it either positive or negative... honestly, there really isn't anything either way.”
    • “The graphics are decent enough and at first the station does feel almost 'real'.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere, with a well-designed station that complements the narrative and enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight a gradually building sense of doom that contributes to the game's engaging ambiance.

    • “The game has great atmosphere.”
    • “The station looks good and fits with the narrative and atmosphere.”
    • “Do not get me wrong here, I still enjoyed this game because of the atmosphere and gradually creeping sense of doom it has.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game is a buggy mess.”
    • “The game is a buggy mess.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

9hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
3-11hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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