Mirage of Dragon

About

Mirage of Dragon is a single player open world platformer game. It was developed by ArkHouse and was released on January 26, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Mirage of Dragon is a unique, 2D platformer, with an open world that gives you a freedom of exploration. Wander the maze, solve puzzles and discover all of the game endings in a mysterious, dreamy place.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 27 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game features exceptional and unique artwork that creates a captivating and surreal atmosphere.
The soundtrack and overall ambiance enhance the immersive and meditative experience.
Multiple secrets, endings, and rich story elements provide depth for players who enjoy exploration and narrative.

Gameplay and platforming are often described as frustrating, unintuitive, and overly difficult, with cryptic mechanics and poor tutorials.
The game suffers from technical issues including unbalanced speed tied to framerate and clunky controls, especially on certain platforms or input devices.
Text formatting, story delivery, and lack of clear guidance make understanding the game's goals and mechanics challenging for many players.

gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
68%
18%
The gameplay is largely described as unintuitive, obtuse, and occasionally tedious, with minimal guidance on mechanics, which can frustrate both casual and hardcore players. However, it features a unique, meditative puzzle and exploration style that complements its strong artistic and narrative focus, making it appealing mainly for its atmosphere rather than engaging gameplay.
- “The game is an incredibly meditative art experience, with lovely graphics and a very interesting story expressed through slightly obtuse mechanics (and meta mechanics) you are taught by having them be the only way to continue out of a story branch.”
- “The mechanic you are being taught has normally been shown before and will open up several more story paths immediately.”
- “Definite recommendation from me not just for the great art and atmosphere, but the unique take on simple but effective gameplay/level design!”
- “Game has very good artwork, but the gameplay is awful.”
- “I really would like to see more of what this game has to offer visually, but I just can't be bothered with any more of the clunky gameplay that is required to get there.”
- “The most frustrating thing about it is that it doesn't tell you what all the mechanics are.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique, artistic, and atmospheric style, drawing inspiration from Lovecraftian and Arabian themes that create a mysterious and immersive experience. While the art style is a major highlight that captivates players, some note it can feel inconsistent and is often the main reason for playing rather than the gameplay itself.
- “The graphics are breathtaking and feel almost like something out of the crazy twisted worlds of Lovecraft.”
- “The combination of the great visuals and OST with the way the maze/levels are designed gives a very satisfying, mysterious aura for an explorative adventure: every time a discovery is made, it feels earned and rewarding in itself.”
- “The game is an incredibly meditative art experience, with lovely graphics and a very interesting story expressed through slightly obtuse mechanics (and meta mechanics) you are taught by having them be the only way to continue out of a story branch.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game features a distinctive and immersive atmosphere, enhanced by excellent art, a rich soundtrack, and a mysterious, dreamlike world. The combination of story, music, and level design creates a compelling and unique experience that stands out among platformers. However, the challenging gameplay may divide players between those seeking atmosphere and those wanting difficulty.
- “Amazing art, really good OST, great atmosphere, mysterious and intriguing history.”
- “The music and atmosphere really help to feel like you're in some kind of trippy dream state while exploring the halls of this massive labyrinth-like world.”
- “Story, art direction, and level design mesh together to produce a great atmosphere.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The game's story is an intriguing, meditative experience conveyed through unique mechanics and atmospheric art, often requiring player exploration to uncover hidden narrative elements. Although somewhat cryptic and minimalist—similar to Yume Nikki—the story revolves around a protagonist seeking a dragon in a mysterious personal hell, with rich text and multiple endings adding depth and charm.
- “The game is an incredibly meditative art experience, with lovely graphics and a very interesting story expressed through slightly obtuse mechanics (and meta mechanics) you are taught by having them be the only way to continue out of a story branch.”
- “I've not found all of the endings yet but I love all of the story and writings I've come across.”
- “The story is fairly simple, told mostly through the musings of the protagonist, who finds himself without memory in some sort of personal hell, seeking to slay a dragon which he has been looking for all of his life.”
- “It's also like Yume Nikki in that it explains very little to the player (although there's a lot more text concerning the story with the library section and the monologues if you press x) and some of the objects needed to reach endgame (effect in Yume Nikki, dragons here) could be near impossible to find without a little guidance, although only maybe 1 or 2 are very easy to miss if you explore enough.”
- “The mechanic you are being taught has normally been shown before and will open up several more story paths immediately.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The music in the game is highly praised for its unique, atmospheric qualities, blending dark, bizarre tones with slight Arabian influences that enhance the immersive, dreamlike exploration experience. The soundtrack effectively complements the visuals and level design, creating a satisfying and mysterious ambiance. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's captivating and rewarding atmosphere.
- “The music and atmosphere really help to feel like you're in some kind of trippy dream state while exploring the halls of this massive labyrinth-like world.”
- “The combination of the great visuals and OST with the way the maze/levels are designed gives a very satisfying, mysterious aura for an explorative adventure: every time a discovery is made, it feels earned and rewarding in itself.”
- “The visuals and soundtrack are all quite unique, bizarre and dark, with a slight Arabian vibe and references to Arabic mythology.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is characterized by repetitive, cryptic puzzles and platforming that often reset progress, resulting in tedious and frustrating gameplay. Many players find these sections unnecessarily difficult and time-consuming, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Lots of cryptic trial and error puzzles/platforming that usually reset all or most progress, making for very tedious portions of the game.”
- “I paid around 50 cents for this game, and for that price, I would rather have an interactive art gallery where I could just click through the images and be done with it in ten minutes, rather than have to endure hours of tedious, badly designed platforming in order to see everything.”
- “However, the game is hard, doesn't tell you where to go, and the gameplay is tedious.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game runs at double speed on the Steam Deck by default, causing difficulties with precise platforming, but this issue can be mitigated by adjusting the device's performance mode settings. Overall, optimization on the Steam Deck is functional but requires manual tuning.