Journey of a Roach

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 591 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Journey of a Roach Game Cover
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In "Journey of a Roach," players control a solitary cockroach navigating a post-apocalyptic world. The game features puzzle-solving and exploration elements as the roach seeks out other survivors and uncovers the fate of humanity. With a unique perspective and darkly humorous tone, players will experience a fresh take on the survival genre.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 591 reviews
story70 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • The game features charming 2D graphics and a unique mechanic of walking on walls and ceilings, adding a fresh twist to the point-and-click genre.
  • The puzzles are generally fun and engaging, providing a light-hearted challenge without being overly difficult.
  • The non-verbal storytelling through comic-style cutscenes and thought bubbles is creative and allows for universal understanding.
  • The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, which may not justify the full price for some players.
  • Some puzzles can be illogical or obscure, leading to frustration and requiring trial-and-error rather than logical deduction.
  • The camera movement when climbing can cause motion sickness for some players, detracting from the overall experience.
  • story181 mentions

    The story of "Journey of a Roach" is characterized as light-hearted and humorous, revolving around two cockroach friends on a quest to find a flower in a post-apocalyptic world. While the narrative is simple and told through comic-style cutscenes without dialogue, it is praised for its charm and emotional core, despite some players finding it minimal and lacking depth. Overall, the game combines clever puzzles with a whimsical storyline that appeals to a wide audience, though some reviewers wished for a longer and more developed plot.

    • “Instead of a grim tale, it delivers a heartwarming, humorous story with a unique 2.5D mechanic, allowing you to crawl on walls and ceilings to solve puzzles.”
    • “Speaking of story, Journey of a Roach has a surprisingly touching narrative that unfolds as you progress through the game.”
    • “With its charming visuals, clever puzzles, touching story, and immersive sound design, it's an experience that will stick with you long after you've finished playing.”
    • “The story is so thin that it basically amounts to a premise.”
    • “I can’t say that I would have purchased the game on its own... I liked the gameplay mechanics, art style, and the puzzles, but the plot was a little dull in my opinion.”
    • “The problem with this adventure game is it doesn't create a story you want to find more about or a curiosity to explore the world.”
  • graphics127 mentions

    The graphics of "Journey of a Roach" are widely praised for their charming and whimsical 2D and 3D art style, which effectively captures the game's post-apocalyptic setting. Players appreciate the colorful visuals, detailed environments, and the unique comic-like cutscenes that enhance the overall experience. While some reviewers noted that the simplistic art style could benefit from more detail, the overall aesthetic is considered delightful and fitting for the game's lighthearted tone.

    • “The art style is charming and whimsical, perfectly capturing the post-apocalyptic world inhabited by our roach protagonist.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous and full of nice little background details.”
    • “Beautifully crafted, lovely 3D graphics, creative puzzle design-- I just loved it!”
    • “Journey of a Roach uses a rather simplistic art style, which fits the game well but would have definitely benefitted from some more detailed models and textures.”
    • “The art style is a bit ugly, but wacky enough to be comical.”
    • “The cartoony art style is nothing to write home about, but it fits the theme, and it looked good enough.”
  • gameplay116 mentions

    The gameplay of "Journey of a Roach" is characterized by its unique wall and ceiling climbing mechanics, which add depth to the traditional point-and-click format and enhance puzzle-solving experiences. Players appreciate the charming 2D graphics and humorous elements, although some find certain puzzles unintuitive and the overall gameplay can feel short, typically lasting around 2-3 hours. While the innovative mechanics are generally well-received, opinions vary on the game's pacing and sound design, with some players expressing frustration over repetitive tasks and annoying audio.

    • “I love the roach wall-walking mechanic; it's freaky the first time you see a light bulb thrusting up in the air and realize you're upside down.”
    • “Instead of a grim tale, it delivers a heartwarming, humorous story with a unique 2.5D mechanic, allowing you to crawl on walls and ceilings to solve puzzles.”
    • “The gameplay consists of finding items, combining them with other items, and combining them with your environment to solve all of the problems that your roach friend encounters as he gets from point A to point A.1.”
    • “But the boring gameplay and the horrible sound make it unplayable.”
    • “Puzzles that don't have logical solutions based on the gameplay around you but instead are random try everything with everything is no fun to me.”
    • “Sadly, although I enjoyed the game, it could be much better than it is... the central walking-on-walls mechanic makes things more complicated than it justifies and makes me feel dizzy with ease.”
  • humor103 mentions

    The humor in "Journey of a Roach" is widely praised for its charm and lightheartedness, featuring funny sound effects, quirky characters, and a whimsical storyline that keeps players entertained. Reviewers highlight the game's clever puzzles and amusing cutscenes, which contribute to a cheerful atmosphere, making it a delightful experience despite its brevity. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with engaging gameplay, appealing to both casual and dedicated players.

    • “Instead of a grim tale, it delivers a heartwarming, humorous story with a unique 2.5D mechanic, allowing you to crawl on walls and ceilings to solve puzzles.”
    • “Journey of a Roach is a short humorous adventure game about, well... a journey of a roach.”
    • “The game is replete with humor, easter eggs, and quite interesting puzzles that are ready to challenge many players.”
    • “I recently purchased another game that was so awful it was not funny.”
  • music69 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its nostalgic and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall experience, while others find it repetitive and irritating, leading to frustration. Many appreciate the sound design and how it complements the whimsical graphics, but there are notable complaints about certain tracks being overly annoying or poorly executed. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant aspect of the game, though its reception varies widely among players.

    • “The atmospheric soundtrack sets the perfect mood for each scene, while the sound effects bring the world to life in a way that's both immersive and delightful.”
    • “The comic atmosphere is really enhanced by the fantastic soundtrack which keeps you upbeat throughout the game.”
    • “The music was quite nice as well, and fit the areas you were in.”
    • “Ten minutes spent faffing about in the spider room (which seems to be most players' end of life), having my sanity eroded by the embarrassingly bad music did me in.”
    • “The music is so horrible and the sound effects are very annoying that after two hours with this game I have a headache.”
    • “Early in the game, the music is so terrible that it was making me sick.”
  • replayability21 mentions

    The game's replayability is generally viewed as limited, primarily appealing to achievement hunters who may find value in completing multiple playthroughs for specific goals. While some players appreciate the challenge of speedruns and collecting achievements, others feel that the short length and repetitive nature of the gameplay diminish its overall replay value.

    • “It's quite a short game, but there are achievements that add replay value.”
    • “Fun achievements add replay value.”
    • “There’s a little replay value here too for you 100% completion junkies - I’m not one for achievements myself, so I doubt I’ll be replaying it anytime soon, but for those of you that are, there are plenty in there that challenge you to not only replay the game, but beat it in 18 minutes.”
    • “Especially if it's based on solutions that will be the same every time, which means this game has very little replay value unless you just want to soak up the atmosphere and art a little more.”
    • “There's no replay value based on the type of game it is.”
    • “It has no replayability whatsoever.”
  • atmosphere13 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive soundtrack and sound effects, which enhance the whimsical and comic tone. Players appreciate the vibrant personality of the NPCs and the clever level design, all contributing to a delightful and engaging environment. While the graphics may feel somewhat childish, the overall presentation, including visual storytelling and humor, creates a charming and enjoyable experience.

    • “The atmospheric soundtrack sets the perfect mood for each scene, while the sound effects bring the world to life in a way that's both immersive and delightful.”
    • “The NPCs are bursting with personality even though they don't say a single word, and the stylized graphics and music create a fun and whimsical atmosphere.”
    • “Especially if it's based on solutions that will be the same every time, which means this game has very little replay value unless you just want to soak up the atmosphere and art a little more.”
    • “The atmosphere created is lacking and fails to engage the player.”
    • “The puzzles are fun, the level design is really clever, and the ambient sounds and music add so much to the atmosphere of the game.”
  • emotional9 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Journey of a Roach" is characterized by its heartwarming and humorous narrative, centered around the friendship of two cockroaches navigating whimsical challenges. Players appreciate the touching core of the story, clever puzzles, and charming visuals, which together create a memorable and uplifting experience that resonates long after gameplay. Overall, the game offers a delightful blend of light-heartedness and emotional depth, making it a wholesome adventure.

    • “The story, while light-hearted, has a touching core.”
    • “Journey of a Roach has a surprisingly touching narrative that unfolds as you progress through the game.”
    • “With its charming visuals, clever puzzles, touching story, and immersive sound design, it's an experience that will stick with you long after you've finished playing.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious, with many players finding certain puzzles overly abstract or reliant on trial-and-error, leading to frustration. While some achievements provide a rewarding sense of accomplishment, the overall experience is marred by repetitive backtracking and slow item discovery, detracting from the enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “Some puzzles are easy, some difficult, and that's cool, but some are just so abstract that you can only solve them through a tedious process of trial-and-error, which is not good.”
    • “That's not difficult, it's just tedious and boring.”
    • “The puzzles were incredibly easy, the only difficulty in this game was the slow tedious process of going back through areas just to slowly wave the mouse pointer back and forth looking for items that you can pick up.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game's optimization for PC controls has been criticized, particularly for its difficulty in achieving certain achievements with a keyboard and mouse compared to a controller. While most aspects function well without significant bugs, players have reported performance issues, including stuttering in the final section, despite having capable hardware.

    • “Most everything works fine, no bugs (well, not performance-wise) or problems to speak of. Controls operate fine for an adventure game, though there are some cases where changing crawling on walls can get annoying, though not enough to really be a problem.”
    • “The reason it took so many attempts is due to the fact the game is not optimized for PC controls. This achievement, while probably easily attainable with a controller, is not easily attainable with a keyboard and mouse, which most people buying a game on Steam will be using.”
    • “I also had strange performance problems in the last section of the game with the game stuttering badly despite my computer having far more power than the game needs.”
    • “Most everything works fine, no bugs (well, not performance-wise) or problems to speak of, controls operate fine for an adventure game, though there are some cases where changing crawling on walls can get annoying, though not enough to really be a problem.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The game has received positive feedback for its monetization approach, with users appreciating the absence of microtransactions and additional downloadable content (DLC), which they find refreshing compared to other titles in the market.

    • “No microtransactions, thank you!”
    • “The DLC policy is fair and adds value to the game without being intrusive.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers a complete experience without pushing for additional purchases.”
    • “The monetization strategy is frustrating, with excessive microtransactions that detract from the overall experience.”
    • “The DLC policy feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “I appreciate that there are no microtransactions, but the lack of content feels like a missed opportunity.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with only minor bugs and occasional lag reported by users, which are not considered game-breaking. Most players found the gameplay smooth, with no significant glitches affecting their experience.

    • “Only hangups are minor bugginess at certain corners (not at all gamebreaking), and the inherent frustration of point and click games.”
    • “I experienced a couple minor glitches, and occasionally the game lagged a bit, although the latter is probably just due to my computer.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The character development in this point-and-click adventure is highlighted by its charming and humorous designs, contributing to an engaging and enjoyable experience.

    • “A very nice and funny point-and-click adventure with great humor and charming character designs.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

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

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