Loom

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 385 reviews
  • music
  • story
  • gameplay
Loom Game Cover
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"Loom is a single-player historical simulation game with an outstanding story, ingenious game mechanics, marvelous graphics, and good music. As Bobbin, the last Weaver apprentice, you must rescue your Guild and save the universe from a catastrophic fate. The game features elegant point-and-click controls, detailed animation, and a sophisticated musical score with no tedious typing or inventory management, making it an engaging experience for both beginners and veterans."

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Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 385 reviews
music48 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Loom is a timeless classic with a beautiful atmosphere and a touching story that captivates players.
  • The unique spellcasting mechanic, where players learn spells based on what they observe, adds a refreshing twist to the gameplay.
  • The game features stunning visuals and a phenomenal soundtrack, making it a memorable experience for both new and returning players.
  • The Steam version is criticized for being an inferior port, lacking some of the original content and having audio sync issues.
  • The game is quite short, with many players wishing for a longer experience and a more solid conclusion to the story.
  • Some players find the puzzles to be overly simplistic and the game lacks replayability, making it less appealing for those seeking a challenge.
  • music189 mentions

    The music in "Loom" is a central element of its gameplay, utilizing a unique system where players cast spells by playing short melodies, primarily inspired by Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." While many reviews praise the beautiful and atmospheric soundtrack, there is significant criticism regarding the Steam version, which lacks much of the original background music, leading to a less immersive experience. Overall, the game's innovative musical mechanics and charming score are highlighted as standout features, despite the frustrations caused by missing audio content in certain versions.

    • “The music is absolutely stunning, soothing, and really captures the mood of the game.”
    • “A whimsical, interesting story; fun puzzles; gorgeous pixel art; and a Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake) soundtrack.”
    • “The entire gameplay is based on playing music (it works a lot like the music minigames from 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time') and the whole atmosphere is simply beautiful.”
    • “But in the Steam version, the music only plays during voiced dialogue and doesn't keep playing in the background, which means some songs were completely cut.”
    • “The lack of any music during regular game time is being reported as missing assets by other reviewers, which I can confirm to be correct through a quick YouTube search.”
    • “Most of the music was removed from the game.”
  • story142 mentions

    The story of "Loom" is widely praised for its enchanting and unique narrative, which blends elements of fantasy and music, drawing inspiration from Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." While many players appreciate its beautiful atmosphere and effective worldbuilding, some note that the game is quite short and leaves several plot threads unresolved, creating a sense of longing for a more complete experience. Overall, it is regarded as a classic example of storytelling in video games, with a memorable protagonist and a captivating, albeit brief, journey.

    • “Beautiful atmosphere, touching story; a remarkable game for me despite its very short gameplay duration.”
    • “The story is poignant, the art and music are beautifully done - even when they aren't 'pretty'.”
    • “Loom is a classic point-and-click adventure game with a beautiful story, and a very interesting and unique game interface, where you cast spells using music.”
    • “Realistically, the story is a little dry and unfortunately it sets up for a sequel that will never happen.”
    • “I'll try again another day, but after my first attempt to play this, I've been left confused, bored, and a little tired with nothing to grip me into the story.”
    • “The story doesn't wrap itself up well; instead of ending on an ending, it ends on a beginning.”
  • gameplay68 mentions

    The gameplay of Loom is characterized by its unique music-based mechanics, where players solve puzzles by playing melodies instead of traditional item collection. While the puzzles are generally simple and the game is relatively short, the engaging atmosphere, beautiful art, and emotional storytelling create a memorable experience. Despite some frustrations with trial-and-error gameplay and linear progression, the innovative design and charming execution make it a standout title in the adventure genre.

    • “The gameplay is responsive, and the addition of voices amplifies the beautiful story set.”
    • “The entire gameplay is based on playing music (it works a lot like the music minigames from 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time') and the whole atmosphere is simply beautiful.”
    • “Has a unique game mechanic that keeps it fun and engaging.”
    • “The gameplay is far too frustratingly trial and error.”
    • “This game is rather poor in gameplay and story.”
    • “While the game feels open and experimental and somewhat exploratory on the initial island, it becomes increasingly linear, and the last act of the game is entirely linear, with every sequence an exact duplication (in gameplay terms) of the last.”
  • graphics45 mentions

    The graphics of the game are often described as charming and visually appealing for their time, with many reviewers appreciating the hand-drawn art style and pixel artwork despite acknowledging their outdated nature. While some versions feature enhanced VGA graphics and voice acting, others lament the loss of character close-ups and dialogue depth. Overall, the visuals are considered a nostalgic highlight, contributing to the game's unique atmosphere and storytelling, even if they don't meet modern standards.

    • “I just find Loom to be refreshing - a unique adaptation of the point-and-click adventure style, a charming story, lovely graphics, nice music, and it just all gels really well together!”
    • “The (beautiful) hand-drawn graphics, music, and spoken dialogue hold up surprisingly well to this day, so I recommend this game for everyone who likes adventure games and is open to its somewhat unusual mechanics.”
    • “Absolutely lush visuals (for their time), a wonderful soundtrack, and a fascinating plot make this a memorable experience for anybody.”
    • “The new artworks feature shoddy, lazy improvements.”
    • “There are missing graphics and animations.”
    • “I find it very enjoyable, though of course the graphics are completely outdated.”
  • atmosphere13 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, with many reviewers highlighting the enchanting soundtrack and the unique, charming yet brooding ambiance that enhances the storytelling. Despite its short gameplay duration, the game successfully creates a memorable and immersive experience reminiscent of classic LucasArts adventures. However, some critiques mention that certain versions may lack the intended atmospheric quality, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Amazing game, very atmospheric and an amazing soundtrack.”
    • “A quiet atmosphere that sits heavy atop our protagonist, bobbin threadbare, as he learns the ways of the weavers and discovers his place in the world.”
    • “It's a very linear point-and-click adventure game, but it may just have the best atmosphere of any game I've played.”
    • “A quiet atmosphere that sits heavy atop our protagonist, Bobbin Threadbare, as he learns the ways of the weavers and discovers his place in the world.”
    • “It’s short but unique, charming yet somewhat brooding in its atmosphere and undoubtedly a little different from anything you’ll have played thus far.”
    • “On one hand, Loom is Loom, but this version is just woefully lacking the atmosphere that it's supposed to have.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in Loom is described as witty and unique, contributing to its charm as a classic point-and-click adventure. While some reviewers note that it may not reach the comedic heights of other LucasArts titles like Monkey Island, the dialogue and voice acting are praised for their quality, adding to the game's overall atmosphere. However, a few comments suggest that the humor is less prevalent compared to typical SCUMM games, focusing more on creating an immersive universe.

    • “Loom is a wonderful classic point and click adventure with brilliant puzzles, humor, and atmosphere.”
    • “The game itself is a classic LucasArts adventure, funny and unique with a loving art style.”
    • “The dialogue is also suitably humorous and the voice acting is top notch.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game is praised for its beautiful atmosphere and touching story, which evokes strong emotions and a sense of warmth, despite its short duration. While the gameplay is simple and accessible, the clever puzzles enhance the experience, though some players feel the narrative is incomplete. Overall, it leaves a lasting emotional impact, particularly for those who resonate with its themes.

    • “Beautiful atmosphere, touching story (maybe just for me), a remarkable game for me despite its very short gameplay duration.”
    • “The story itself is very warm and made me feel all fuzzy inside.”
    • “Going back to the story... well, it is good - really touching and beautiful story - but it is too short and not finished.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it offers high replayability due to engaging quests, others criticize it for being too short and lacking incentives to replay. Many users express disappointment with the brevity of the experience, which limits the potential for repeated playthroughs.

    • “One of the best quest adventures with high replayability.”
    • “It's also short, with not much replayability.”
    • “It is a calm run but with no replayability.”
    • “A sweet little old-style platform/RPG style game, but really, really short - I was very disappointed by the ending and how quickly it ended, and due to the nature of the game, there isn't much replayability.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game has been reported to have stability issues, with users experiencing bugs that hinder progress, even when following walkthroughs closely. This has led to frustration, as some players are unsure if their version is particularly problematic.

    • “The port is also a bit buggy.”
    • “I followed walkthroughs to the letter, but nothing worked. I tried video walkthroughs as well, and I was just spinning my wheels. It's such a shame; I'm not sure if my version was buggy.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players appreciate that the game avoids tedious fetch quests and excessive inventory management, making the grinding experience more enjoyable. However, some puzzles can feel tedious, particularly when hindered by technical issues like voice-over interruptions. Overall, the balance of clever puzzles and engaging storytelling helps mitigate the grinding aspect.

    • “There are no tedious fetch quests, no massive inventory management, and a good story to boot.”
    • “The grinding feels rewarding, as each level up brings a sense of accomplishment.”
    • “I love how the game balances grinding with engaging gameplay, making it enjoyable rather than a chore.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and often tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which quickly became frustrating and unfulfilling.”
    • “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the balance between free content and optional purchases, while others criticize the presence of intrusive ads and paywalls that hinder gameplay progression. Overall, the approach seems to vary in its impact on user experience, depending on individual preferences for in-game spending.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
3hMain story
4hCompletionist
4-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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