LISA: The First

Explore Lisa Armstrong’s mind as she tries to cope with the burden caused by her father Marty. Traverse a slipping reality as you attempt to leave home and recover your memories. Only, escape is not so easy. Features and Gameplay - LISA the First is a short and surreal exploration game reminiscent of retro-RPGs. - Navigate the twisting world of Lisa’s mind, finding hidden doors an…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 153 reviews

story6 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game effectively portrays themes of trauma and abuse, providing a haunting narrative that resonates with players.
The sound design and music are highly praised, enhancing the overall atmosphere and immersion of the game.
As a free game, it offers a unique experience reminiscent of Yume Nikki, making it worth a try for fans of the genre.

The gameplay is often criticized for its frustrating spider puzzles, which detract from the overall experience.
Many players found the graphics to be blurry and the text difficult to read, impacting their enjoyment of the game.
The progression can be confusing, with little guidance on what to do next, leading to potential frustration for players.

story
28 mentions
21 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The story of "Lisa: The First" revolves around the tragic and complex relationship between a young girl named Lisa and her abusive father, Marty, presented through a dreamlike, absurdist lens reminiscent of "Yume Nikki." While some players appreciate the grim atmosphere and the potential for deep exploration of its themes, others criticize the execution and coherence of the narrative, noting that it often relies on shock value and lacks substantial writing. Overall, the game offers a compelling yet flawed storytelling experience that may resonate with fans of dark, symbolic narratives.
- “The idea behind the story could be pretty intriguing.”
- “You can see the Yume Nikki + Earthbound inspired elements in this tragic, vile story.”
- “It tells you the story through bits and pieces instead of holding your hand.”
- “A nice concept was there when making the game clearly but it suffers from terrible design; the spiders can bug out (no pun intended) and block doors you need, and after getting through to the end, the story was just meh.”
- “This game aged quite horribly, with a plot that is purely done for shock value and is just a worse version of Yume Nikki.”
- “It doesn't skimp on the grittiness - they make it very clear that this is the story of a girl being abused in every way, shape, and form.”
gameplay
13 mentions
15 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being overly simplistic and tedious, primarily revolving around item collection and basic puzzles, which detracts from the overall experience. Players find the precision movement sections, particularly involving spiders, frustrating and out of place in a game that emphasizes narrative and artful presentation. Overall, the gameplay lacks depth and fails to engage players meaningfully, leading many to recommend other titles for a more rewarding experience.
- “They're a section of precision movement/timing puzzles, randomly put into a game obviously not about mechanical skill and more about artful presentation.”
- “The gameplay consists of a 2D top-down walking simulator, where you navigate your way through a strange, distorted, fragmented series of maps, which contains a chain of relatively simple puzzles and a few sections of maddening evil-spider-dodging hell.”
- “This is a nearly silent narrative more than a game, as the only mechanics are picking up key items and trading them for another key item or opening something with it.”
- “The gameplay felt like the world's hardest game from Cool Math Games but with worse controls, making it more annoying than rewarding.”
- “The gameplay consists of a 2D top-down walking simulator, where you navigate through a strange, distorted, fragmented series of maps, which contains a chain of relatively simple puzzles and a few sections of maddening evil-spider-dodging hell.”
music
11 mentions
55 % positive mentions
18 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with a raw and eclectic soundtrack that complements the game's themes effectively. Reviewers highlight the haunting sound design and emotional depth of the original score, noting its capacity to evoke stress and discomfort, particularly during intense moments. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.
- “And I think the OST was done pretty well since it harmonized well with the whole atmosphere the game was trying to present.”
- “The music perfectly accompanies what the game's doing.”
- “I was immediately charmed by its interesting sound design, raw and eclectic soundtrack, and conceptually compelling story.”
- “The music can be stressful and uncomfortable at certain places, and the graphics turn into madness and violence; definitely not a relaxing game for a Sunday night.”
- “Amazingly dark and sad prologue to Lisa, about half an hour long but gets the point across well, repulsing you with its subtle themes. The soundtrack is horrifying, being comprised mainly of soundscapes of distorted samples. Definitely play this with some good headphones cranked just loud enough, and play at night in the dark to get that chilling, creepy feeling.”
- “Using Delin's grunt for the throwing up sound is... weird; however, I find it adds just a tad bit of character to this game.”
graphics
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The graphics feature retro-styled pixel art with a macabre aesthetic, drawing inspiration from Earthbound, which some players find potent. However, opinions are mixed, with some users criticizing the graphics as poor and noting that the chaotic visuals contribute to an overall stressful experience.
- “The graphics are retro-styled pixel art with a macabre aesthetic, which I found quite potent.”
- “The graphics are retro-styled pixel art with a macabre aesthetic, which I found quite potent, but for me the best part was the sound design, which consists of abstract experimental-style sampler noise and some nicely arranged synthesizer parts.”
- “The graphic turns into madness and violence, definitely not a relaxing game for a Sunday night.”
- “Some of the art style is obviously ripped (or inspired, really) from EarthBound.”
- “The graphics are retro-styled pixel art with a macabre aesthetic which I found quite potent, but for me the best part was the sound design, which consists of abstract experimental-style sampler noise and some nicely arranged synthesizer parts.”
- “The music can be stressful and uncomfortable at certain places and the graphics turn into madness and violence, definitely not a relaxing game for a Sunday night.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark, gallows humor that contrasts with its bleak themes, which may not resonate with all players. While some find the comedic elements amusing, others may feel uncomfortable with the juxtaposition of humor and serious content. Overall, the humor adds a unique layer to the game's narrative, appealing to those who appreciate this style.
- “Some heavy stuff, plus a little bit of humor.”
- “You may not like the bleak world Lisa faces clashing with the gallows humor, or you may just be squeamish.”
- “I would write a funny review, but I genuinely have a lot of love and respect for this game.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game thematically appealing but often tedious, as it interrupts the main gameplay and can lead to frustrating setbacks, particularly in challenging sections like the spider segment. Overall, many feel that the grinding requires excessive time investment, making it a significant drawback.
- “Thematically they're cool, but the gameplay around them is tedious and puts the real game on hold.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The spider section is my only real gripe with this game; it can become tedious, and if you mess up the rock placements, then you basically have to start all over again.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is immersive and engaging, enhanced by a well-crafted soundtrack that complements the narrative. Players are encouraged to appreciate the ambiance and story without taking the escape mechanics too seriously, as the game offers a unique experience that may differ from expectations set by previous titles in the series.
- “I enjoyed the atmosphere, the music, and I like theorizing how it relates to the other games in the series. It's a very different game, and you shouldn't go into it expecting much.”
- “You don't have to take it too seriously about escaping; just feel the basic atmosphere and the background story of Lisa. Otherwise, you may get frustrated about it.”
- “I think the OST was done pretty well since it harmonized well with the whole atmosphere the game was trying to present.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as unsettling and intense, with some players experiencing physical discomfort and distress due to its heavy symbolism and themes.
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, highlighting persistent glitches and problems with controls becoming unresponsive after restarting the game, indicating a lack of effective fixes from the developers.
- “Oh cool, they did nothing to fix the glitches or the issue where no controls work after closing and opening the game.”