It's Winter
- March 7, 2019
- sad3d
Get on Steam"It's Winter" is a first-person exploration game set in a desolate, snow-covered landscape. The player must navigate through the harsh winter environment, uncovering secrets and learning about the fate of the abandoned town they find themselves in. With a focus on atmosphere and immersion, "It's Winter" is a game that explores the beauty and isolation of the season.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The atmosphere is incredibly immersive and captures the somber essence of a post-Soviet winter, making it feel like a poignant art piece.
- The aesthetic and art style are beautifully crafted, providing a nostalgic experience for those familiar with Eastern European settings.
- It's a relaxing experience that allows players to wander and exist in a quiet, contemplative environment, making it enjoyable for those seeking a break from more action-oriented games.
- The game lacks substantial content, with minimal interactions and no real plot or objectives, leading to a feeling of emptiness.
- Many players feel the price is too high for the limited experience offered, suggesting it should be free or significantly cheaper.
- The gameplay is often described as a walking simulator with little to no meaningful engagement, leaving some players disappointed.
- atmosphere58 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its somber, immersive quality, effectively capturing the essence of a cold, post-soviet environment. Reviewers highlight the art style and sound design as key elements that enhance the mood, creating a contemplative and sometimes eerie experience. While some express disappointment in the lack of gameplay and narrative depth, the overall consensus is that the atmospheric exploration is compelling and worth experiencing.
“It's just a masterpiece in atmosphere.”
“Absolutely exceptional atmospheric game, the quiet night-walk mood and the absurd level of interactable detail made me feel right there, contemplative and peaceful.”
“The atmosphere is very somber.”
“A great mood experience/exploration of a winter night in a typical post-soviet apartment... it's slim on gameplay, but full on atmosphere.”
“Through only environmental storytelling and a few apartment rooms of interesting interactivity, the game captures its intended atmosphere in a bottle, even if the bottle is rather small.”
- story24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely absent, with many reviewers noting a lack of plot, gameplay, and character interaction, describing it as a walking simulator focused solely on atmosphere. While the environmental storytelling offers some interesting moments, the overall experience feels aimless and unsatisfying, leaving players wishing for more depth and direction. Ultimately, it serves more as a mood piece than a narrative-driven game.
“Through only environmental storytelling and a few apartment rooms of interesting interactivity, the game captures its intended atmosphere in a bottle, even if the bottle is rather small.”
“The atmosphere is interesting, and I wish the story had more to it, or went somewhere, but it's translated confusingly and the story just... ends.”
“Don't go into this expecting a lot of gameplay or story; it's pretty much a walking simulator in its rawest form.”
“It does not tell a story, has no game mechanics other than walking and clicking on things, and in general makes me feel that I am wasting time.”
“You walk around a snow Russian apartment complex, no goals given, no story, just a small experience and enough freedom to simply exist.”
“There's no 'story' or challenge, it's just a mood.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their unique aesthetic and atmospheric qualities, evoking a sense of nostalgia and loneliness. While the low fidelity may be seen as a drawback, it contributes to the game's art piece-like experience, creating a warm yet melancholic environment. Overall, the art style and atmosphere are highlighted as the standout features, making it more of an aesthetic journey than a traditional game.
“Love the atmosphere and art style.”
“As many other reviewers have said, it's less a game than an art piece, which should be kept in mind -- this is an aesthetic experience; the quiet musings of a walk in the snow between crumbling apartments made writ in simulation.”
“The art style is simple, but lovely, and lends itself well to an atmosphere that is often shockingly warm, despite the surroundings.”
“It's depressingly accurate, despite -- or because of -- the low fidelity graphics.”
“Art style and atmosphere are probably the only nice thing.”
“I do like the art style and the sound; the scene is atmospheric, it feels very lonely and depressing.”
- music14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as moody and atmospheric, enhancing the sense of tragic isolation and melancholy within the environment. Players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to complement the gameplay experience, often returning to the game while listening to music and enjoying the visuals. However, some users suggest that the addition of more interactive musical elements, such as NPCs singing or playing music, could further enrich the experience.
“But its tragic isolation and melancholy environment is gorgeously composed in a few brisk notes of a greater song - long forgotten, having faded away into background noise.”
“Pretty neat vignette of panelki, I'd say much more interesting when combined with his soundtrack, which is interesting and moody.”
“I've found myself returning to this game, putting on some music, and just wandering aimlessly and enjoying the views.”
“Right, as empty as it is, this piece, notagame, isn't meant to be a standalone project; it's a part of a collection of art-ish pieces surrounding a musical album (see dev pages for info), and it works well as such.”
“Oh, the only thing lacking from the game are drunk people in ushanka hats walking aimlessly on the street, like zombies, singing drunken songs and screaming for no reason.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is minimal, primarily consisting of walking and clicking, with no story or interactive mechanics, making it feel more like a walking simulator than a traditional game. While it effectively creates a moody atmosphere reflective of a post-Soviet winter, many players feel that the lack of substantial gameplay and the short duration do not justify the price. Overall, it is best approached as an atmospheric experience rather than a game with engaging mechanics.
“A great mood experience/exploration of a winter night in a typical post-Soviet apartment... it's slim on gameplay, but full on atmosphere.”
“It does not tell a story, has no game mechanics other than walking and clicking on things, and in general makes me feel that I am wasting time.”
“Don't go into this expecting a lot of gameplay or story, it's pretty much a walking simulator in its rawest form.”
“I understand the game is supposed to convey how depressing the Russian winter can be in a small town, but I don't think it's worth £6 for about 10 minutes of gameplay.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players describe the game as an exceptional atmospheric experience that evokes strong emotions, particularly through its contemplative and peaceful night-walk mood. While some view it more as a visual art piece than a traditional game, the intricate details contribute to a profound emotional engagement.
“Absolutely exceptional atmospheric game, the quiet night-walk mood and the absurd level of interactable detail made me feel right there, contemplative and peaceful.”
“It's more of a visual art piece than a game, but I bought it on sale and had an emotional experience.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over quality and player experience.
“This is not a game, this is a lazy cash grab.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game's concept to be exceptionally funny, highlighting its comedic potential as a standout feature.
“The game is a hilarious idea.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is heavily criticized, with multiple users reporting significant bugs that prevent any meaningful gameplay. Overall, the experience is marred by technical issues that hinder progress.
“The game is extremely buggy, and nothing seems to work properly.”
“The game is plagued with bugs, making it unplayable at times.”
“Frequent crashes and glitches ruin the overall experience.”
