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Inversed

82%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
atmosphere, grinding
97% User Score Based on 35 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Inversed" is a brief, fully voiced visual novel set in the mid-19th century, following a poet struggling to complete her magnum opus. The game features a minigame-style poetry creation system and a haunting atmosphere, with animated artwork and a single Steam achievement. It was created for the O2A2 VN Jam 2024 and adheres to its strict asset limitations and word count.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Inversed screenshot
Inversed screenshot

97%
Audience ScoreBased on 35 reviews
story5 positive mentions
atmosphere2 negative mentions
  • The game features gorgeous visuals and stellar voice acting that enhance the overall experience.
  • It successfully creates a dark and intriguing atmosphere, weaving a coherent story within a short playtime.
  • The gameplay mechanics are simple yet engaging, allowing players to interact with the narrative through word choices.
  • The writing can be cryptic and lacks depth, making it feel more like a demo than a fully developed game.
  • Some players found the narrative to be underwhelming, with a payoff that didn't meet their expectations.
  • The game is very short, which may leave some players wanting more substance and content.
  • story
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is characterized by a meta-narrative and religious intertextuality, which some players found intriguing, though the overall substance was perceived as lacking. While the presentation and voice acting received high praise, the payoff of the narrative left some players feeling underwhelmed. Despite its shortcomings, the story manages to weave a coherent plot that resonates emotionally with certain audiences.

    • “I always enjoy a nice meta-narrative; thus, the inclusion of such elements elevated the story to a higher level.”
    • “Gorgeous presentation, stellar voice acting, and a story that punched me right in the feels.”
    • “The ending achieves what it aims for, giving the whole story an extremely interesting substance.”
    • “Maybe the end product will have better content, but the story in this just has the intrigue, and the payoff is... meh.”
    • “This is an extremely short e-book/short story with a horror theme written apparently for a competition, but inexcusably published on Steam as if it was a game, when it obviously is not.”
    • “There isn't that much substance to it, but it manages to weave a coherent story. If you're considering another game by Tymedust Games, I would suggest playing this or another one of their free games first to see if this is your type of style.”
  • gameplay
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by simple yet well-designed mechanics that engage players, allowing them to choose words and create poems. While some reviews praise the mechanical mastery and involvement, others criticize the lack of depth and poorly written dialogue, questioning the game's literary quality. Overall, it offers a straightforward experience that may appeal to those seeking a casual interactive novel.

    • “Other reviews say the mechanics are amazing.”
    • “A game of this mechanical mastery deserveth legendary status!”
    • “With simple but very well-designed mechanics, choose words and receive poems, what could go wrong in the end, right?”
    • “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
    • “With simple but very well-designed mechanics, choose words and receive poems; what could go wrong in the end, right?”
    • “It is the main gameplay component, but I also understand the game is not meant to be a literary showcase.”
  • graphics
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are generally well-received, with users noting that the visuals are fitting for the game's content and that the artwork is of high quality. Additionally, the overall aesthetic complements the engaging story and enhances the gaming experience.

    • “The visuals are fitting for the content described.”
    • “The artwork is quite good.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is primarily enhanced by its piano music, which effectively creates tension and an unsettling feeling without overshadowing the narrative. However, some players feel that the limited time and word count constraints of the game jam hindered the development of a more immersive atmosphere, leaving them less unsettled than intended.

    • “The piano and music in general serve their purpose in creating tension and a generally unsettling atmosphere without distracting too much from the narrative.”
    • “I wasn't quite unsettled by the game, possibly because of the difficulty related to building atmosphere and tension in such a short amount of time, although this is unavoidable considering it was made for a game jam with a 1k word count limitation.”
    • “The piano and music in general also serves its purpose in creating tension and a generally unsettling atmosphere without distracting too much from the narrative.”
  • music
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music, particularly the piano, effectively enhances the tension and unsettling atmosphere of the game without overshadowing the narrative. Reviewers praise the well-crafted soundtrack and voice acting, contributing to the overall quality of this short horror visual novel.

    • “The piano and music in general serve their purpose in creating tension and a generally unsettling atmosphere without distracting too much from the narrative.”
    • “Very well crafted short horror visual novel, with good music and voice acting.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its emotional depth, effectively conveying the grief associated with Alzheimer's in a poignant and impactful manner, even for those without personal experience. Its ability to deliver a significant emotional experience in a brief timeframe has resonated strongly with players.

    • “Emotional and eerie, this game captured the grief of Alzheimer's heartbreakingly well—even for someone who hasn’t experienced it firsthand.”
    • “This game packed a huge emotional punch in such a short time.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, likening it to the slow progression of visual novels where each sentence requires a click to advance, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey or Twilight (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the reviews is characterized by a sharp wit, exemplified by a clever remark about the minimal demand for the book, suggesting that it is so unappealing that only a few copies would suffice for the entire world.

    • “The funny thing is, if you wanted to print this book, you'd only need to print 4 copies to satisfy the entire world's demand for it.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy includes advertisements featured in the game's credits, which some users find intrusive or distracting.

    • “The advertisement placed in the credits feels intrusive and disrupts the overall experience.”
    • “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “I was disappointed to see so many paywalls that hindered my progress and enjoyment of the game.”

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