Mango
- November 23, 2021
- Sad Mask Party
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Mango" is a single-player adventure/puzzle game with striking visuals and a playtime of approximately 2 hours, although the game's description suggests it contains around 10 hours of gameplay. The game delves into surrealist and psychological themes, exploring the idea of a deteriorating grasp on reality. Expect fragmented storytelling, experimental horror elements, and a unique blend of dadaist and hyper-realist design, as well as a range of emotional tones from chill to frightening.
Reviews
- Mango offers a unique and immersive experience with stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the surreal atmosphere.
- The game effectively explores deep themes such as mental health and trauma, providing players with an emotional journey that can evoke a range of feelings.
- Players appreciate the clever puzzles and the engaging narrative that unfolds as they progress, making it a memorable and thought-provoking adventure.
- Some players find the puzzles to be overly challenging or confusing, which can disrupt the flow of the game and lead to frustration.
- The game can feel excessively long and repetitive, with some sections dragging on and losing the initial charm of its surrealism.
- Technical issues, such as bugs and awkward mechanics, can detract from the overall experience, making navigation and interaction frustrating at times.
- story18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story is initially confusing but becomes engaging as players piece together its dark and surreal themes, often exploring mental illness and familial drama. While some find the narrative compelling and interconnected, others feel it can be overshadowed by basic puzzles and slow pacing. Overall, the game is praised for its unique storytelling and atmospheric experience, making it a recommended choice for fans of psychological thrillers and artistic narratives.
“This game is absolutely incredible, a crazy surreal experience with deep and dark undertones, would 100% recommend this to anyone who loves weird story-based experiences.”
“I also loved that multiple themes made recurring appearances throughout the dreams, making each dream connected to the previous and weaving together a story.”
“Stunning visuals, clever puzzles, prominent atmospheric horror and a story about the journey of a man going through an episode of mania and madness.”
“The puzzles are basic and uninteresting; there's no story; and nothing challenging or interesting to do besides look at the environments.”
“Mango is yet another entry in the infamous pseudo-genre of 'arty' walking simulators, based around exploring a broadly linear sequence of bizarre and varied environments with some light puzzling thrown in for good measure, all in the service of a rather opaque plot dealing with themes of mental illness and familial drama.”
“I came in thinking this was going to be a chill walking sim with crazy visuals, a few spooks, and no real story.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and trippy art style, which effectively creates a dreamlike atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the vibrant, low-res visuals and intricate animations that immerse them in a surreal world, often evoking feelings of nostalgia and mental exploration. The combination of stunning aesthetics, smooth graphics, and a compelling soundtrack contributes to a captivating and immersive gameplay experience.
“The last 30-60 minutes were probably my favorite, and had some of the most interesting visuals I've seen.”
“In its weird low-res aesthetic of elusive intentness, the wandering exhibition also goes vaporwave when it feels like it, and excels at inducing a strong sense of semi-artificial nostalgia, successfully selling its players the author's dreamscapes.”
“The aesthetics are phenomenal, it captured the dreamlike experience very well!”
“As you can see from the screenshots, this game has some weird visuals.”
“Graphic arts and animations are scattered everywhere, often covering surfaces entirely like the walls, floors, and ceilings from top to bottom, thereby obscuring the perception of reality.”
“As it may be a very intense experience, it is not for every gamer who may not capture the aesthetic and the absolute nuisance.”
- music13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic and atmospheric qualities, with many reviewers highlighting it as a standout feature. The soundtrack is described as catchy and well-crafted, often evoking strong emotions and enhancing the overall experience. Overall, it is considered one of the game's most impressive aspects, with some calling it among the best in recent video games.
“The soundtrack is an absolute bop as well.”
“Soundtrack, however, has 5/5 hands down few of the best bangers in recent video games I've heard.”
“The only remarkable thing about the game is the soundtrack.”
“The music and ambient noise is crafted to elicit nostalgia and dread in equal measure.”
“Unique aesthetics, dreamy music, and a mysterious plot complete this journey of the mind.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration and puzzle-solving within surreal and confusing environments, offering a unique blend of storytelling and artistic expression. While the experience is enriched by its intriguing themes and visuals, players may encounter frustrating mechanics and a lack of clear guidance, leading to moments of confusion. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate abstract art and narrative-driven experiences, despite its technical shortcomings.
“That takes you through a bunch of strange places that make no sense but also somehow do make sense. Gameplay is just walking around and sometimes solving puzzles while you take in the weird landscapes, and I highly recommend it because of the absurdity of the areas you explore.”
“It explores several themes; perception, imagination, loneliness, self-esteem, personality development, mental health, art... and it does so through intriguing gameplay which has riddles, a witty - and at times humorous - script and interesting visual and audio content.”
“Overall, it feels a lot more like an art piece as the parts where you actually have to play can be pretty frustrating given there aren't any clear indicators on what to do, so you end up playing with the floaty movement mechanics.”
“It isn't without its technical and mechanical problems.”
“Overall feels a lot more like an art piece as the parts where you actually have to play can be pretty frustrating given there aren't any clear indicators on what to do, so you end up playing with the floaty movement mechanics.”
“Mango gameplay consists of walking through most weird and surreal areas.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is described as fun and witty, seamlessly blending with its exploration of deeper themes like mental health and self-esteem. Players appreciate the quirky and artsy presentation, which enhances the overall experience, making it a unique and engaging journey filled with both lighthearted and poignant moments.
“Mango is alternately a beautiful, funny, creepy, quirky, artsy, and sad game.”
“It explores several themes; perception, imagination, loneliness, self-esteem, personality development, mental health, art... and it does so through an intriguing gameplay which has riddles, a witty - and at times humorous - script and interesting visual and audio content.”
“I would genuinely recommend this game to anyone who is into long walking puzzle games, exploring games deeply to find a lot of hidden moments, games that handle mental health topics, games that can spit out numerous genres of games like humor/horror/sad topics into one big masterpiece, and is looking for a unique, trippy experience of game.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning visuals and clever puzzles, effectively immersing players in a prominent sense of horror. It captures the unsettling journey of a man experiencing mania and madness, creating a compelling feeling of disconnection from reality. Overall, the atmosphere is described as amazing and deeply engaging.
“Stunning visuals, clever puzzles, prominent atmospheric horror, and a story about the journey of a man going through an episode of mania and madness.”
“The atmosphere of the game is amazing and it totally gave me the feeling of someone losing his connection with reality.”
“I loved the atmosphere of this game.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game evokes intense emotional responses, often leading to feelings of confusion and dissatisfaction rather than fulfillment or joy.
“This game will give you emotional whiplash.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find certain platforming sections tedious, particularly one involving floating hearts that can lead to frustrating falls and the need to restart levels. This aspect of grinding detracts from the overall experience, as it can feel repetitive and punishing.
“Some platforming can be very tedious. One section involving floating hearts that spawn from the ground caused me to fall off the map and endlessly fall. I had to restart the level, sadly.”
“The grinding in this game feels excessive and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found the grinding mechanics to be frustratingly monotonous, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
