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Mainlining

Its fantastic art and concept cannot help Mainlining on Switch from being an absolute chore to play.
Mainlining Game Cover
73%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
78% User Score Based on 450 reviews
Critic Score 64%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPCWindows
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Mainlining Game Cover

About

Mainlining is a single player casual simulation game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Rebelephant and was released on January 26, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Mainlining is a single-player Mystery Simulation game with an interesting plot, good gameplay, outstanding visuals, and a stunning soundtrack. As a hacking adventure, it explores techno-ethics and privacy concerns through its gripping narrative, following the government's implementation of the BLU Pill Act, which grants access to all online personal data. The Deluxe Edition includes the full game, digital soundtrack, and art book.

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78%
Audience ScoreBased on 450 reviews
story102 positive mentions
stability38 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with interesting characters and a unique premise that keeps players invested.
  • Fun and challenging puzzles that require players to think critically and piece together clues.
  • Charming pixel art and a nostalgic interface that enhances the overall experience.
  • Frequent bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, including issues with the UI and input recognition.
  • Lack of clarity in the evidence submission process, leading to frustration when the game does not accept logical evidence.
  • Short playtime with limited replay value, making it feel less worthwhile at full price.
  • story
    324 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally considered engaging and enjoyable, with themes related to government surveillance and real-life events, though it often follows predictable tropes and lacks depth in character development. Many players noted significant bugs and a clunky user interface that detracted from the experience, making it difficult to fully immerse in the narrative. While the story has its merits, including clever writing and humor, it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of meaningful choices, leading to a mixed reception overall.

    • “The story is heavily inspired by real-life events and is very easy to navigate through.”
    • “Things I did like: the story was engaging, and the writers did a good job in making their points about government surveillance.”
    • “The story was also mostly interesting to me... seems like all the makings of a great game!”
    • “The storyline also didn't really have me hooked.”
    • “Nothing noteworthy is said or implied, the story beats are somewhat predictable, and the aesthetics would better suit a game set in the '90s.”
    • “The storyline doesn't even branch, you can't make different decisions, or even follow red herrings.”
  • gameplay
    119 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and repetitiveness, particularly in the hacking mechanics, which often involve typing the same commands repeatedly. While some appreciate the user-friendly interface and the engaging story, others criticize the lack of depth and polish, leading to a frustrating experience at times. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable for casual players, especially those interested in puzzle-solving, but it may not satisfy those looking for a more complex hacking simulation.

    • “The gameplay has you using a faux desktop complete with web browser, downloading files, and using the police instant messenger to coordinate with the other agents (all scripted, of course).”
    • “Mainlining is very conducive to breakthrough-after-breakthrough gameplay where you get stuck for just a minute and then spot or try something that moves you along in the game, and it's very satisfying, especially when you find just the right evidence and arrest the suspect successfully.”
    • “Overall, the game is challenging, unique, and very entertaining (it’s got a good self-aware/internet-aware sense of humor) while still retaining the hallmarks of good adventure games: good story, good gameplay mechanics, and good pacing.”
    • “Meh out of 10, a hacking game that's lacking in mechanics and is oversimplified.”
    • “The gameplay is pretty repetitive once you've been introduced on how to hack once.”
    • “It's also unclear when you progress what you actually need to do to complete a case, and the mechanics of the game itself are only sometimes explained fully.”
  • graphics
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist retro style with crisp pixel art that evokes a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the '90s. While some users noted graphical issues such as clipping and a lack of tuning options, many appreciated the charming aesthetics and colorful design, which complement the engaging gameplay and story. Overall, the visuals are seen as serviceable and fitting for the game's theme, appealing particularly to fans of similar retro-inspired titles.

    • “The pixel graphics mixed with a cool concept and atmospheric music drew me in instantly.”
    • “The graphics are nice, with a particular colorful and pixelated style that's easy on the eyes.”
    • “It's a quaint game, aesthetically pleasing to play, and really makes you feel like you're working on a computer.”
    • “Mostly some graphical issues with clipping.”
    • “There are no actual graphics options for tuning the look of the game.”
    • “Not counting the graphical bugs which there are plenty of, the game just wasn't that fun.”
  • stability
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely reported to be plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues, including crashes, glitches, and unresponsive elements, which significantly detract from the overall experience. While some players found enjoyment despite these problems, many expressed frustration with the lack of optimization and the need to frequently restart due to these glitches. Overall, the stability of the game is considered a major drawback, leading to mixed or negative recommendations from users.

    • “Unfortunately, the countless technical issues and glitches I've encountered (issues with things not taking input/dropping keys/having to reload the level) are annoying, and it seems like there may be some slight hiccups in some in-game text grammatically/some placeholders that slightly ruin the immersion.”
    • “Firstly, the game is a little buggy and sometimes crashes. I think it crashed 4 times during my playthrough, so I had to start a case from scratch while almost at the point of moving to the next one, because the game autosaves only at the start of a new case.”
    • “I encountered some minor glitches such as particular scrollbars that don't work with the mouse wheel, folders that were mutually exclusive to being shown, scrollbars for unrelated windows that worked in unison, window bleed-through with the map, close buttons that were off-centered from the correct position on a window, etc. It almost felt like they ran out of time to do some technical polishing toward the end since a lot of the issues seemed obvious.”
  • music
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and relaxing qualities, effectively complementing the gameplay and art style. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack, while not groundbreaking, enhances the overall experience with chill and spy-like undertones, making it a standout feature. Many found the combination of music and graphics to be captivating, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The pixel graphics mixed with a cool concept and atmospheric music drew me in instantly.”
    • “Perfectly fitting soundtrack by Jared Emerson (Wolf Among Us) makes the experience complete.”
    • “It feels so much like a bootleg version of Hacknet, except without the badass soundtracks and cool hacking features.”
    • “It's nothing to shake a stick at, but was mostly just chill music to give a spy-ish undertone to the game.”
    • “Even discounted, the soundtrack feels more captivating than the game itself.”
  • humor
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as funny and engaging, often providing comic relief through clever parodies of real life and amusing text files found during gameplay. While some players find the humor hit or miss, many appreciate the hilarious situations that arise from the game's unique premise, such as absurd choices related to crime and the entertaining content of random files. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's charm, enhancing the experience without overshadowing the plot and gameplay.

    • “But the plot is interesting enough, there's a few cool twists and the fluff text files found in random people's PCs are hilarious.”
    • “This leads to hilarious situations, when you can choose to get a drug dealer for a few years, or hand 25 to someone for the most heinous crime in the game's dystopia: unlicensed software development.”
    • “Amongst other things, the other great positives to this game, in my opinion, is the humor centered around parodying real life, which is not only present in the main storyline, but also in areas 'around' it (by which I mean in the file systems of people unrelated to your mission, etc).”
  • replayability
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with many players noting that it is fun but too short, leading to little incentive to play again. While some mention a slight potential for replay value, the consensus leans towards recommending it only on sale due to its limited longevity.

    • “The replayability value is somewhat there, but I put the game aside about two or three times before finally finishing it.”
    • “The one downside for this game is replay value where it sits with little to none, but for me that is not too bad.”
    • “Not much replay value, but it is fun while it lasts.”
    • “The one downside for this game is the replay value, which sits at little to none, but for me, that is not too bad.”
    • “I would recommend buying it on sale because there is little to no replay value.”
    • “However, the replay value isn't there, and the pixelated text is hard to read.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging pixel graphics, immersive music, and compelling storyline, which together create a captivating experience. Reviewers note that it effectively captures the essence of being a government agent, providing a realistic yet entertaining portrayal of the associated challenges and consequences. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the gameplay, drawing players into its unique world.

    • “The pixel graphics mixed with a cool concept and atmospheric music drew me in instantly.”
    • “Nice game with great storyline and atmosphere :)”
    • “While obviously not even remotely close to resembling reality (and it shouldn't be, being a game), Mainlining perfectly captures the atmosphere of working as a government agent without appearing too cheesy or unrealistic, making you truly feel like a real-life NSA-like worker sitting in your HQ, along with all of the advantages, disadvantages, and consequences of your actions.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game emotionally engaging, as it immerses them in the role of a hacker, creating a sense of excitement and accomplishment. Despite some challenging puzzles that can lead to feelings of frustration, the compelling story motivates players to persevere, enhancing their overall experience.

    • “Kudos to the developers for making a fun enough game that made me feel quite at home sometimes.”
    • “Some of the cases took some time to figure out, and made me feel stuck - but the story was overall really interesting and luckily motivated me to get to the last cases, which was really exciting!”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is criticized for being buggy and poorly optimized, offering limited opportunities for exploration, customization, and control optimization.

    • “The game is buggy and not optimized.”
    • “There are few opportunities for things like exploration, customization, and control optimization.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect tedious due to the lack of essential keyboard features like copy/paste and highlighting, which complicates tasks such as typing out IP addresses and increases the likelihood of errors.

  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is largely minimal, with only a few characters, such as Agent Sharp and Osvalt, showing any significant depth. Most characters are defined by one-dimensional traits or stereotypes, limiting their growth and complexity throughout the narrative. Overall, the lack of substantial character arcs detracts from the overall engagement with the cast.

    • “As for the characters, you don't have much character development from them, except for the 'smart girl of the team' Agent Sharp, the 'bossy boss who takes his job way too seriously' Osvalt, the 'I prefer old TTS software' agent on the field Cooper, the 'flirty secretary who puts winky emojis all over her emails' Ashley, and the 'hahaha, I'm evil' hacker group leader Mr. Blue.”
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64%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews
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6h Median play time
5h Average play time
5h Main story
6h Completionist
4-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Mainlining is a casual simulation game with mystery theme.

Mainlining is available on Nintendo Switch, PC and Windows.

The main story can be completed in around 5 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 6 hours to finish. On average players spend around 5 hours playing Mainlining.

Mainlining was released on January 26, 2017.

Mainlining was developed by Rebelephant.

Mainlining has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Mainlining is a single player game.

Similar games include Greyhat: A Digital Detective Adventure, Cyber Manhunt, Song of Farca, Hacknet, Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders and others.