Lenin - The Lion | Game Brain — video game discovery

About

"Lenin - The Lion" is a game following an albino lion named Lenin, who faces bullying and discrimination due to his unique appearance. Feeling hopeless, Lenin discovers a strange ability and encounters other animal species that help him understand himself. As he travels between normality and this strange place, Lenin must confront both inner and outer fears to survive.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 72 reviews

story14 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a beautiful art style and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience.
It effectively tackles serious themes such as depression and anxiety, providing a heartfelt narrative that resonates with players.
The gameplay offers a surprising amount of variety with engaging puzzles and character interactions, encouraging exploration and replayability.

The lack of multiple save files can be frustrating, forcing players to restart the entire game if they miss important actions.
Some dialogue is considered poorly written or cliché, which detracts from character depth and overall immersion.
There are technical issues, including minor bugs and stiff character movement, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.

story
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
52%
17%
The game's story is highly praised for its creativity and emotional depth, particularly in addressing themes of depression and anxiety through the character of Lenin. While many players find the narrative engaging and heartfelt, some express frustration over the lack of multiple save files, which complicates exploration and discovery of hidden meanings. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a strong focal point, with well-developed characters and a compelling plot that encourages players to immerse themselves in the game's world.
- “The story is really fun and sweet, dealing with lots of themes regarding depression and anxiety, and tackles the subjects really well in a way that's fun, cute, and very heartfelt.”
- “The story and message is great; Lenin's story makes me want to give him a hug the entire time, and the music and puzzles are nice too.”
- “The story and narratives are written very well and are highly enjoyable.”
- “I do feel like there are more hidden meanings inside the main storyline (which my lack of unlocked achievements also suggests), but for me this game makes it too complicated to discover/unlock them, and it doesn’t really allow you to retry stuff without having to redo the entire game itself.”
- “I feel that a big part of this is because the story lacks enough depth to make these characters unique personas.”
- “The story is confusing.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
18%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, perfectly complementing the gameplay and narrative. Reviewers highlight its ability to resonate with players, often leading them to simply listen and enjoy the soundtrack. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that enhances the overall experience, making it a key element for fans of the genre.
- “Beautiful art, amazing music that may surpass that of your well-known games, that reaches to the soul and makes you feel your character, how he feels and everything around him, especially if you are able to relate to that said character, like me.”
- “The music is really great, I did enjoy a lot of the tracks in the game; some of them I even hummed along.”
- “The music I can't mention enough how beautiful it is and I don't care if I'm sitting around just letting it loop because it's just fantastic!”
- “The music, on the other hand, fits the scenario pretty fine.”
- “It's just cute and it fits the game entirely from top to bottom, just like the music in the game.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
69%
19%
The gameplay is characterized by meaningful choices that impact the story and ending, encouraging exploration and interaction with unique NPCs. While it features typical JRPG movement and some glitches, the inclusion of engaging mini-games and puzzles adds variety and enjoyment to the overall experience. However, some players feel the mechanics could be better thought out.
- “One of the most important things about the game is that almost every choice matters and it can affect your gameplay and the ending.”
- “Really creative plot and quite enjoyable gameplay; it makes you want to explore every little bit of the map and talk to all NPCs, they're all unique.”
- “The mechanics of the game are not thought out.”
- “The gameplay is typical JRPG movement; there's nothing bad or special about it. The mini-games are fun and interesting to have in it to break up the typical gameplay.”
- “Like most games of this type, there's no turn-based combat, but it mixes up its gameplay with some puzzles and different mini-games like matching cards and timing button presses.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The graphics are generally praised for their charming and cute art style, reminiscent of classic RPGs, and reflect a significant amount of effort in their design. While there are minor visual bugs with character sprites, the overall aesthetic complements the gameplay well, enhancing the experience with a delightful soundtrack. Players appreciate the freedom of exploration and interaction that the graphics support.
- “The graphics are charming and the soundtrack is really good.”
- “I liked the 'old RPG' feel of it in graphics, while also offering a lot of freedom of where to go, who to talk to, and what plot points to unlock.”
- “There can be some minor visual bugs with character sprites, but the graphics work well for this type of game and obviously had a lot of work put into them.”
- “Graphically, sprites look alright.”
- “I hate to admit it, but when I saw a screenshot of this game on Twitter, I was just interested in the art style, but this game is much more than that (although it is pretty cute, too).”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised as a deeply emotional and artistic experience, with many players noting it as the first to evoke strong tears. It effectively addresses themes of depression and anxiety through a fun and heartfelt narrative, though some feel it lacks sufficient emotional peaks and clarity in decision-making. Overall, it resonates strongly with players, blending sweetness with poignant moments.
- “A piece of art, the most emotional and sympathetic game I've ever seen.”
- “This is the first game that made me cry like a baby, amazingly done.”
- “The story is really fun and sweet, dealing with lots of themes regarding depression and anxiety, and tackles the subjects really well in a way that's fun, cute, and very heartfelt.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
Players highlight the game's impressive replayability, driven by its rich content, beautiful music, and a unique world filled with secrets. While the narrative unfolds over a single day, allowing for quick playthroughs, some find the dialogue pacing to be slower, which may affect the overall experience.
- “From the surprising amount of replayability, content, beautiful music, and worlds.”
- “Such a unique yet familiar world that the developers built, with so many secrets and replayability; no words, only emotions.”
- “[spoiler] It all happens during one day of Lenin's life; therefore, replayability is fast, but the dialogue is a bit slow.”
- “It all happens during one day of Lenin's life; therefore, replayability is fast, but the dialogue is a bit slow.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by likable characters and a dialogue that oscillates between amusing and unsettling, particularly when players make negative choices. This duality adds depth to the comedic elements, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The characters are likable, and the dialogue can range from funny to rather unsettling, especially if you're going down a bad path.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players emphasize that the game is not focused on grinding or quickly reaching end goals, encouraging a more leisurely and immersive experience instead.
- “Don't rush through it; this is not a game about grinding and reaching end goals as fast as possible.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its cute and charming art style, which contributes to a uniquely engaging environment.
- “The art is cute, atmospheric, and has a unique charm about it.”