LISA: The First

About

"LISA: The First" is a surreal exploration game, where you navigate Lisa Armstrong's mind to cope with her father's burden. Traverse a shifting reality, unlock hidden doors, and interact with strange characters. Collect memories as VHS tapes and uncover the sinister forces that lurk within. The game is reminiscent of retro-RPGs and features a unique cast of characters.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 306 reviews

story12 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

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

The gameplay is marred by frustrating puzzles, particularly the spider sections, which many players found tedious and annoying.
The graphics and overall presentation are criticized for being blurry and poorly designed, detracting from the experience.
Progression can be confusing due to a lack of clear guidance, leading to frustration for players trying to navigate the game.

story
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
73%
5%
The story of "Lisa: The First" revolves around the tragic and grim experiences of a young girl named Lisa and her abusive father, Marty, presented through a dreamlike, absurdist RPG Maker style reminiscent of "Yume Nikki." While some players appreciate the symbolic depth and emotional weight of the narrative, others criticize its execution, noting that the storytelling can feel disjointed and reliant on shock value. Overall, the game offers a compelling yet flawed exploration of themes like neglect and abuse, appealing to those who enjoy visual storytelling and atmospheric experiences.
- “Lisa: the first is the tragic story of a young girl named Lisa and her father Marty, told in a similar way Yume Nikki told its story - absurdist dreamlike RPG Maker levels with symbolism everywhere.”
- “It tells you the story through bits and pieces instead of holding your hand.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “If you're a fan of the painful and the joyful, there's nothing to be found here that will give you similar enjoyment or enrich your experience or understanding of the overall story.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
77%
15%
The gameplay is criticized for being tedious and lacking depth, primarily revolving around simple item collection and trading mechanics, with frustrating precision movement puzzles involving spiders that detract from the overall experience. Many players feel it resembles a poorly executed version of a challenging game, leading to annoyance rather than enjoyment. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a weak aspect that fails to engage players meaningfully.
- “They're a section of precision movement/timing puzzles, randomly put into a game obviously not about mechanical skill and more about artful presentation.”
- “Thematically they're cool but the gameplay around them is tedious and puts the real game on hold.”
- “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 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.”
- “It doesn't accomplish any of this in any particularly deep or insightful way, nor does it manage to provide a gameplay experience that warrants most players' time.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
32%
14%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, featuring a raw and eclectic soundtrack that complements the game's themes. Reviewers noted its haunting sound design and emotional depth, with some describing it as dark and unsettling, making it a fitting accompaniment to the game's intense moments. Overall, the original soundtrack (OST) is considered a standout element, effectively immersing players in the experience.
- “I was immediately charmed by its interesting sound design, raw and eclectic soundtrack, and conceptually compelling story, if nothing else, as I didn't really find a statement about its subject within the game.”
- “The music can be stressful and uncomfortable at certain places, and the graphic turns into madness and violence; definitely not a relaxing game for a Sunday night.”
- “I also really appreciate that the main music theme was persistent throughout, tying directly back to the first.”
- “The music can be stressful and uncomfortable at certain places and the graphic turns into madness and violence, definitely not a relaxing game for 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, play at night in the dark to get that chilling creepy feeling.”
- “The music can be stressful and uncomfortable at certain places and the graphic turns into madness and violence, definitely not a relaxing game for Sunday night.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
57%
21%
The graphics feature retro-styled pixel art with a macabre aesthetic, drawing some inspiration from Earthbound, which has received mixed reviews. While some players appreciate the potent visual style, others criticize it as lacking originality and quality. Overall, the graphics contribute to a chaotic and unsettling atmosphere, aligning with the game's intense sound design.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Some of the art style is obviously ripped (or inspired, really) from Earthbound.”
- “The music can be stressful and uncomfortable at certain places and the graphics turn into madness and violence, definitely not a relaxing game for Sunday night.”
- “Graphics bad too!”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of gallows humor and lighthearted moments, which some players find amusing despite the bleak setting. However, this juxtaposition may not resonate with everyone, particularly those who are sensitive to the darker themes presented. Overall, while the humor adds a unique flavor, it may not appeal to all players.
- “Some heavy stuff and 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
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players find the grinding elements thematically interesting but often tedious, leading to frustration as it interrupts the main gameplay. Specific sections, like the spider segment, are particularly criticized for their repetitive nature and the potential for significant setbacks if mistakes are made. Overall, many feel that extensive grinding detracts from the overall experience.
- “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
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by a well-crafted original soundtrack that complements the narrative. Players are encouraged to appreciate the ambiance and background story rather than focus solely on gameplay mechanics, as this approach enriches the overall experience. While some enjoy theorizing connections to other games in the series, the game is noted for its distinctiveness and should be approached with tempered expectations.
- “I enjoyed the atmosphere, the music, and I like theorizing how it relates to the other games of the series (although it probably doesn't have much to do outside of Lisa and Marty existing).”
- “You don't have to take it too seriously about escaping; just feel the basic atmosphere and the background story of Lisa.”
- “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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as intense and potentially overwhelming, with some players reporting feelings of discomfort and migraines due to its heavy symbolism and themes. Overall, it appears to evoke strong, often negative emotional responses rather than wholesome feelings.
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been criticized for persistent glitches and control issues that remain unresolved, particularly after closing and reopening the game. Users express frustration over the lack of fixes for these problems.
- “Oh cool, they did nothing to fix the glitches or the issue where no controls work after closing and opening the game.”