Inversed

A short, interactive visual novel set in the mid-19th Century, in which a poet fights against time as she's writing the most important work of her life. Poetry is the answer, but what is the question?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 20 reviews

graphics2 positive mentions

atmosphere2 negative mentions

The game features striking aesthetics and a gothic atmosphere that effectively builds tension.
Voice acting and music contribute to a captivating and unsettling experience, enhancing the overall narrative.
Despite its short length, the game weaves a coherent story with emotional depth and intriguing meta-narrative elements.

The writing is often criticized as poorly executed and lacking substance, resembling a high school fan-fiction.
Gameplay is minimal, primarily consisting of clicking through dialogue, which some players find tedious and unengaging.
The game feels underdeveloped and could benefit from more time to flesh out its ideas, leading some to view it as a demo rather than a complete product.

story
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The story is a short horror narrative that incorporates meta-narrative elements and religious intertextuality, providing a coherent yet somewhat ambiguous experience. While some reviewers appreciated its intriguing themes and emotional impact, others found the overall substance lacking, suggesting that the ending did not fully deliver on its potential. The presentation and voice acting received praise, indicating that the storytelling is enhanced by its artistic execution.
- “The ending achieves what it aims for, giving the whole story an extremely interesting substance.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Maybe the end product will have better content, but the story in this just has the intrigue, but the payoff is... meh.”
- “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
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is largely characterized as simple and straightforward, with some users finding it engaging despite its lack of depth. While some reviews criticize the writing quality and question its presence on the platform, others praise the well-designed mechanics that allow players to interact meaningfully with the content. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a mix of basic interaction and creative mechanics, though opinions on its execution vary significantly.
- “Simple, but involving gameplay.”
- “A perfectly straightforward gameplay.”
- “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?'”
- “It is the main gameplay component, but I also understand the game is not meant to be a literary showcase.”
- “With simple but very well-designed mechanics, choose words and receive poems; what could go wrong in the end, right?”
graphics
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The graphics are well-received, with visuals that effectively complement the game's content and a strong artistic quality that enhances the overall experience.
- “Apart from all that, the voice acting is quite nice and the visuals are fitting for the content described.”
- “The story is good, and the artwork is quite good.”
grinding
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books to be tedious, likening it to a frustratingly slow reading experience where progress is hindered by the need to click through text. While some acknowledge it can be a bit grindy at times, the overall sentiment leans towards a lack of fluidity in storytelling.
- “The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worthwhile.”
- “Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
- “While there are moments of grinding, they are balanced by the excitement of leveling up.”
- “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.”
- “It can be a bit grindy sometimes.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its effective use of piano and music, which creates tension and an unsettling feeling that complements the narrative. However, some players feel that the limited time and word count constraints hindered the development of a more immersive atmosphere.
- “The piano and music in general also 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 1,000-word count limitation.”
music
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The music in the game effectively enhances the unsettling atmosphere and tension, complementing the narrative without being distracting. Reviewers praise the well-crafted score, noting its contribution to the overall experience alongside strong voice acting.
- “The piano and music in general serve their purpose in creating tension and a generally unsettling atmosphere without distracting too much from the narrative.”
- “A very well-crafted short horror visual novel, featuring good music and voice acting.”
- “The music often feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “While the soundtrack has some good moments, it often feels out of place and doesn't match the game's tone.”
- “The background music is forgettable and fails to enhance the overall experience.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game effectively conveys deep emotional themes, particularly the heartbreak of Alzheimer's, resonating even with those who haven't experienced it personally. Its ability to deliver a powerful emotional impact in a brief playtime is widely praised.
- “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.”
humor
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
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 only a few copies would suffice for the entire world. This highlights a satirical take on the book's appeal and adds a layer of irony to the overall experience.
- “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
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy includes advertisements featured in the credits, which some users find intrusive or distracting.
- “The advertisement placed in the credits feels intrusive and disrupts the overall experience.”
- “I was disappointed to see ads in the credits; it takes away from the immersion of the game.”
- “Having advertisements in the credits is a cheap way to monetize the game and feels disrespectful to players.”