Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love

A young, naïve writer named Evan, makes his affinity for Communism and the leader of Matryoshka known in a very public assembly. This is only the start of a series of whirlwind events and a very big learning curve for Evan or Ivan as his comrades call him.

89%Game Brain Score

humor, story

grinding, stability

87% User Score Based on 252 reviews

Critic Score 100%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Artifex Mundi and was released on May 16, 2019. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Take a look behind Irony Curtain in this satirical point-and-click inspired by the best works of LucasArts and Daedalic Entertainment! Experience the totalitarian Matryoshka through the eyes of Evan – a low-ranking, goofy journalist involuntarily pulled right into the middle of an espionage stand-off between two powers. Jump into the wacky spy adventure, uncover secrets of the bizarre communist co…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love screenshot

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 252 reviews

humor125 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features charming visuals and well-done voice acting, enhancing the overall experience.
Puzzles are generally logical and well-integrated into the story, with a clever hint system that helps players when they get stuck.
The humor is witty and satirical, providing a fun take on the themes of communism and dictatorship.

The protagonist, Evan, is often seen as overly naïve and unrelatable, which can detract from player engagement.
Some puzzles can be frustratingly obscure or require trial and error, leading to potential player frustration.
The game has been criticized for its repetitive humor and reliance on clichés, which may not resonate with all players.

humor
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The humor in "Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny and charming, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures like Deponia, while others feel it falls flat or relies too heavily on clichés and repetitive jokes. Many appreciate the clever satire of communist regimes and the naive protagonist's misadventures, though some criticize the humor as cringeworthy or lacking depth. Overall, the game's comedic elements resonate well with fans of the genre, but may not appeal to everyone due to its specific cultural references and style.
- “It's wildly entertaining, ridiculously hilarious, unpredictable, and worth every minute I've spent playing it so far (74% done).”
- “The game manages to show you the revolting living conditions of the people living under communism and dictatorship while still keeping a humorous tone, and I applaud them for that.”
- “Irony Curtain is a genuinely funny and charming point-and-click adventure that fans of the genre, especially those who appreciate the humor of games like Deponia, should definitely check out.”
- “The endless dialogues are supposed to be funny, but I didn't laugh; it's all very cliché and extremely repetitive.”
- “It’s the embarrassingly cringey kind of humor one can expect from a bad Daedalic game.”
- “He is dull, tedious, and not funny in the slightest.”
story
127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
47%
2%
The story of the game is a satirical and humorous exploration of communism, centered around the protagonist, Evan Kovolsky, who embarks on a journey to the fictional country of Matryoshka. While many players appreciate the clever writing, engaging characters, and witty dialogue, some criticize the linearity and simplicity of the plot, with fetch quests that can feel tedious. Overall, the narrative is seen as entertaining and relevant, though opinions vary on its depth and originality.
- “The dialogues and witty comments are absolutely amusing, and the plot is carefully designed.”
- “The story is clever and the humor will get a laugh out of you.”
- “Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love is a surprisingly good point-and-click adventure game, probably one of the better ones released in recent years, filled with everything you can expect from the genre: an interesting story, great voice acting, humor, and some medium to hard puzzle difficulty.”
- “Finally, there isn't much of a story here.”
- “The story is mostly forgettable and nonsensical.”
- “The story is mediocre at best and misses every opportunity for character development.”
graphics
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their charming, colorful, and cartoonish art style, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures from the 90s and 2000s. Many reviewers highlighted the beautiful hand-drawn backgrounds, attention to detail, and vibrant visuals that enhance the humorous and engaging narrative. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and immersive experience.
- “Great game featuring astounding artwork, great plot, very inspired writing, high class voice acting and good knowledge of subject cultural background.”
- “The graphics are very pretty and clean, I love the details and the animations.”
- “The game oozes quality with its superb voice acting and colorful hand drawn artwork.”
- “Also if I alt+tab, graphics usually get messed up, and the game freezes soon afterwards... probably even buggier when in windowed mode... (maybe just some error with the latest AMD graphics drivers? don't know..)”
- “The humor seemed nonexistent, the art style reminds me of bad anime CGI, the puzzles solve mundane tasks, the story hook was arbitrary and meh.”
- “I was first drawn to this game by its art style that was reminiscent of the Deponia trilogy, my favorite adventure games, and I was initially disappointed--the opening of the game is heavy-handed to the point of preachy, while the main character, Evan Kovalsky, is a bit of a dolt.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
53%
12%
The gameplay is characterized as a classic point-and-click adventure with a mix of enjoyable puzzles and some frustrating mechanics, particularly in mini-games. While many players appreciate the intuitive design and engaging story, some criticize the overall polish and challenge level, noting that certain sections can feel clunky or overly simplistic. Overall, the game offers a decent experience for fans of the genre, though it may not meet the expectations of those seeking more complexity.
- “All in all, a great and easily enjoyable game with nice mechanics.”
- “Entertaining gameplay led by a strong story.”
- “The gameplay is exactly what you expect, a classic point and click adventure game where you solve puzzles by combining items in your inventory with world objects or between them and a few mini-puzzles.”
- “Unfortunately, after having just finished the game after over 10+ hours of gameplay, I'm left disappointed.”
- “My last words and advice to developers: I have been enjoying this game until a frustrating and broken QTE minigame, which is impossible to pass because of clunky mechanics.”
- “So really the game does really well on the artistic polish side, it’s the gameplay and especially the writing that really suffers.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with standout elements including a fantastic theme song and well-integrated ambient sounds. While some players noted a repetitive nature in certain tracks, the voice acting and audio design were generally considered excellent, contributing positively to the game's experience. Overall, the soundtrack is described as fitting well with the game's themes, though opinions vary on its originality and memorability.
- “Polished game with excellent music, voice acting, and writing.”
- “Sound, voice acting, and music are also great and complement the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “Irony Curtain has a fantastic overall audio design, from the well-made soundtrack that fits perfectly with the theme of the game to great voice acting, which is honestly very important for an adventure game.”
- “The song text is completely different from the possible answers you can choose.”
- “It feels like pop music; everything is there, nothing is particularly good.”
- “The music from the record player looped and wouldn't stop until I closed and reopened the game.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, with many expressing frustration over repetitive tasks and overly complex puzzles that require excessive backtracking. This leads to a sense of monotony, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.
- “It's tedious and it just isn't funny.”
- “So many tedious, outlandish steps to accomplish something simple.”
- “A lot of puzzles involve running back and forth multiple times from one side of the play area to the other, which can get a bit tedious.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its strong art design, detailed backgrounds, and effective use of sound, voice acting, and music, which together create an engaging and immersive experience. While some players noted the music could be repetitive, the overall ambiance successfully balances an oppressive feel with a humorous theme, enhancing the game's appeal.
- “Sound, voice acting, and music are also great and complement the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “One of the strong suits about the game is that the art design and atmosphere are really nice.”
- “The backgrounds are well drawn, the atmosphere feels oppressive while maintaining the exaggerated and humorous theme of the game, and overall the art style is detailed and colorful.”
- “Nice graphics, nice sound (though a bit monotone, it felt like one song playing constantly), nice plot, decent puzzles, the theme is strong and the atmosphere was clearly there.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report a smooth experience with no significant bugs or glitches, some users experience issues such as graphical problems when alt-tabbing and freezing, particularly in windowed mode. Despite its charming execution and engaging content, these stability concerns detract from the overall enjoyment for some players.
- “Also, if I alt+tab, graphics usually get messed up, and the game freezes soon afterwards... probably even buggier when in windowed mode... (maybe just some error with the latest AMD graphics drivers? I don't know.)”
- “It was made with love... just in a very buggy, unstable, and somewhat unusable way.”
- “Just think how buggy the game is.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with many reviewers noting a lack of meaningful progression or coherence. While one character, Rufus, is highlighted for having a tragic backstory and some development, the overall narrative is deemed mediocre and fails to capitalize on opportunities for deeper character exploration.
- “Don't expect any meaningful or even coherent form of character development, and the puzzles are mediocre.”
- “Rufus was an a-hole, but had a tragic backstory and character development.”
- “While it looks quite good (I'm not a fan of character design, but the scenes do look nice), and it definitely sounds very good, I just don't get the point.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game is well-optimized, with users reporting no bugs or performance issues, leading to a positive overall experience. It received a solid score of 8/10 for graphics and technical performance.
- “I personally did not encounter any bugs or performance-related issues with the game, so all was good from that point of view.”
- “Graphics, performance, and tech analysis score: 8/10”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the impressive graphics, the performance is hampered by poor optimization, making it difficult to enjoy the experience.”
- “I found the game to be unplayable at times due to the lack of optimization, which resulted in long loading times and crashes.”

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100%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with love Review
A young, naïve writer named Evan, makes his affinity for Communism and the leader of Matryoshka known in a very public assembly. This is only the start of a series of whirlwind events and a very big learning curve for Evan or Ivan as his comrades call him.
Impulsegamer.com
100%

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6h Median play time

7h Average play time

5-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love is a action adventure game.

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, Linux and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love.

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love was released on May 16, 2019.

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love was developed by Artifex Mundi.

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players and overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its grinding.

Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love is a single player game.

Similar games include Kelvin and the Infamous Machine, Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure, The Next BIG Thing, The Whispered World, Unforeseen Incidents and others.

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