Manafinder

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 58 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Manafinder Game Cover
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"Manafinder is a single-player, Japanese-style RPG with a fantastical world, original pixel art, and turn-based combat focused on weapon selection and elemental affinities. Embark on a dramatic journey with Lambda, a Manafinder seeking powerful manastones to protect a community of survivors. Explore diverse biomes, fight 120+ beasts, and make morality-based decisions in this 8-12 hour RPG adventure."

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 58 reviews
story20 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Manafinder features a charming pixel art style and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic JRPGs, with engaging world-building and a well-executed story.
  • The combat system is innovative, allowing players to choose from various weapons with unique strengths against different enemies, adding depth to battles.
  • The game offers meaningful choices that affect the narrative, with multiple endings and a variety of side quests and mini-games that enhance the overall experience.
  • Some players found the combat to be overly simplistic and lacking in strategic depth, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness as the game progresses.
  • The game has been criticized for its pacing, with certain sections feeling tedious and drawn out, particularly in the early stages and during specific quests.
  • There are technical issues reported, such as sound design inconsistencies and minor bugs, which detract from the overall polished experience.
  • story42 mentions

    The story of Manafinder is praised for its engaging world-building, nuanced character motivations, and a cozy yet dark tone that emphasizes the relationships between characters rather than just epic quests. Players appreciate the depth of the narrative, which includes thought-provoking themes about societal dependency on resources and the implications of divine selection, alongside well-executed side quests that enhance the overall experience. While the main plot is mostly linear, key decisions can lead to significantly different endings, making the story feel dynamic and rewarding.

    • “Besides just the nostalgia factor, Manafinder has excellent world building and a fairly engaging plot with some actual nuance to character motivations.”
    • “The most impressive part of Manafinder for me is that depending on the player's choices, the story's final chapter can be one of two wildly different, but equally phenomenal climaxes.”
    • “The story captivates you from the start; the gameplay is simple but at the same time fun and makes you think of the best tactic, inviting you to explore all the areas and wanting to finish all the mini games to discover all the secrets.”
    • “The combat could just be personal preference, but the story hasn't impressed me too much either.”
    • “There's other characters who temporarily help you out every other turn in some parts of the story, but other than that, it's just you and your dog companion against the world.”
    • “The story is mostly linear, but some key story decisions affect the plot - and it's a pretty lengthy plot!”
  • music24 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the chiptune soundtrack and specific tracks as standout highlights that enhance the overall atmosphere. However, some players found certain pieces discordant and less appealing, suggesting that while the majority of the music is enjoyable, there are notable exceptions. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's charm, evoking nostalgia and complementing the pixel art style.

    • “I'm definitely going to play it again, but right now I want to leave the review after 6 hours and say that the music and the world itself are what grabbed me the most.”
    • “I am happy to say that there are some absolute bangers in the music department.”
    • “The music and sound effects do a great job of setting the tone of scenes too!”
    • “I was not a fan of the game's soundtrack.”
    • “I am not a musical expert, but some of the tracks sounded discordant to my ear, as though some core principles of musical arrangement are being violated.”
    • “I'm also looking at Stoneway as having a particularly cacophonous music track.”
  • gameplay20 mentions

    The gameplay in Manafinder is praised for its mechanical depth and engaging systems, particularly the imbue mechanic, which adds strategic layers to combat. While some players found certain characters' gameplay to be simplistic or repetitive, the overall experience is described as fun, well-balanced, and rewarding, with a charming story and enjoyable mini-games that encourage exploration. The combination of simple yet deep mechanics, alongside appealing aesthetics, makes for an addictive gameplay experience.

    • “The imbue mechanic is so well thought out and is rewarding to use, the lore is so well pieced together, and the level-up mechanic with the gods was handled perfectly!”
    • “The gameplay is simple but at the same time fun and makes you think of the best tactic, it invites you to explore all the areas & wanting to finish all the mini games to discover all the secrets.”
    • “Don't let the aesthetics fool you - the gameplay is well designed and executed!”
    • “Personally, I wasn't too engaged with Scar's gameplay, since he's literally just normal attack spam with one very generic unleash skill.”
    • “An ore imbuing mechanic is added later, but it does mean those early fights feel like a chore.”
    • “Imagine Final Fantasy Mystic Quest if it had actual combat and gameplay beyond 'mash A for 10 battles in a row on the world map.' 2-person party with the other party member being a good dog.”
  • graphics11 mentions

    The game's graphics feature charming pixel art reminiscent of 1990s JRPGs, with unique character designs and a variety of environments that enhance the overall experience. The non-uniform lineart adds a distinctive touch, contributing to the game's nostalgic aesthetic while complementing its well-executed gameplay and engaging story. Overall, the visuals are praised for their artistic quality and nostalgic appeal, justifying the game's value.

    • “The art style is also quite charming too - I love the interesting and nonstandard character designs.”
    • “Just starting this game takes me to the past playing some good classic JRPGs with those pixel graphics, with great art and very catchy music that accompanies you through this new unexplored challenging world.”
    • “Graphically, the game consists of pixel graphics reminiscent of 1990's JRPGs.”
    • “Like, a lot of character and enemy sprite art has non-uniform/non-parallel line art and it gives the art style such a charming and unique look to it!”
    • “The graphics, the music, the enemies, the gods, and the amount of work put into this game justifies the price tag easily.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players note that while grinding is largely optional, the level navigation can feel tedious, and battles may become dull as characters grow stronger. However, the calming music, engaging characters, and intriguing world help mitigate these frustrations, even if the overall experience can be tedious at times.

    • “Level navigation is a little tedious; it would help if there was a smaller map where you could see specific areas you've entered. Battle gets dull once you get strong enough, but the calming music, cool characters, and interesting world outweigh the cons.”
    • “Unfortunately, it's just tedious to play.”
    • “Grinding is basically non-existent unless you want it to be.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers multiple endings, enhancing its replayability and providing players with a solid incentive to revisit the experience. Overall, it is regarded as having decent replay value.

    • “There are multiple endings, so it has great replay value.”
    • “A solid game with decent replayability.”
    • “There are multiple endings, so it has replay value.”
    • “A solid game with some decent replayability.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    Manafinder is praised for its strong and unique atmosphere, which becomes apparent shortly after starting the game. Despite its seemingly basic initial presentation, the combination of distinctive music and world design, along with unexpectedly deep combat mechanics, contributes to an engaging experience.

    • “Manafinder is a unique little game with a very strong atmosphere.”
    • “It seems very basic for the first 5 minutes or so, but the overall atmosphere, music, and world are surprisingly unique, and the combat has surprising depth very early on.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game demonstrates excellent stability on the Steam Deck, with users reporting smooth performance and no significant issues.

    • “Runs great on the Steam Deck!”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the unique and charming art style, highlighting the interesting and nonstandard character designs as a notable aspect of character development.

    • “The art style is also quite charming too - I love the interesting and nonstandard character designs.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is well-received, with players finding it genuinely funny and particularly enjoying the charming penguin characters.

    • “Personally, it made me laugh, and I love those penguins with all my mana heart.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Overall, players report a positive experience with optimization, noting the absence of major bugs or performance issues early in their gameplay. This suggests that the game runs smoothly and provides good value for the price.

    • “Although I'm only a few hours in so far, what I've seen up to this point has been well worth the price, especially as I haven't found any major bugs or performance issues yet.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users find "manafinder" to be a wholesome game that evokes positive emotions, contributing to an uplifting and heartwarming experience.

    • “Overall, Manafinder is a wholesome game.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters really drew me in.”
    • “I felt a strong connection to the story, it resonated with my own experiences.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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