Missing Translation
- September 24, 2015
- AlPixel Games
Get on Steam"Missing Translation" is a puzzle-based game set in a strange, desert city filled with peculiar creatures. With no text or tutorials, players must discover how to progress and solve over 75 puzzles using three distinct mechanics. The game features beautiful black-and-white pixel art, a drawn language to learn, and a choice of two characters. The experience is enhanced by a mixture of ambient sounds and music.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful pixilated black & white art and a fantastic soundtrack, creating a charming atmosphere.
- It's a free game that offers a unique puzzle experience with a variety of puzzles that can be enjoyable for puzzle enthusiasts.
- The game has a simple yet deep design, making it a fun and relaxing experience without any pressure.
- The game is quite short, with only three main types of puzzles, which can lead to a feeling of monotony.
- Some puzzles are considered dull or trivial, lacking challenge and depth, which may disappoint players looking for more complexity.
- There are issues with the game's presentation, such as the lack of options to adjust the music volume and unclear controls.
- music11 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mix of praise and criticism; many players find the soundtrack to be fantastic and uplifting, enhancing the overall experience, while some note that it can be overly loud and irritating without an option to adjust the volume. Overall, the music is often described as a highlight, complementing the game's unique art style and engaging puzzles.
“The soundtrack is pure gold; the game is pretty simple but also really deep. I'd love to play it again and again.”
“I loved the art style of it, and the music was fantastic!”
“Presentation-wise, I adored the greyscale art - fairly pixel-heavy in 'cutscenes', really clear and detailed whilst actually playing - and the music never stopped putting a smile on my face the entire time.”
“I found the music rather loud and a little irritating after a while, but there's no option to turn it down or off, which is a shame.”
“The soundtrack is pure gold, but the game is pretty simple and lacks depth.”
“The music never stopped putting a smile on my face the entire time, but it was a bit repetitive.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some praising the fun art style and effective use of symbols, while others criticized the overall quality, describing it as visually painful. The soundtrack was consistently highlighted as a strong point, complementing the artwork.
“I loved the art style, and the music was fantastic!”
“The art style is fun, and the no-text theme helps to convey objectives through symbols.”
“The artwork is nice, and the soundtrack is good too.”
“The graphics are really bad, to the point where I sometimes wonder if they tried their hardest to induce pain in your eyes.”
“The visuals look outdated and lack any real detail, making the game feel unpolished.”
“The art style is inconsistent and often clashes, resulting in a confusing visual experience.”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's story features a primary narrative complemented by an intricate, optional puzzle involving a unique language, which players can choose to engage with or ignore without affecting the main storyline.
“As well as the main story puzzles, there's a whole other larger puzzle hidden away in the form of the game's own language.”
“It's completely non-essential to the story puzzles, and you can complete the game without ever even knowing it's there.”
“The main story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent flow, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evoke any real emotional connection.”
“The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players found the grinding aspect of the game to be unengaging, with puzzles often described as either overly simplistic or monotonously tedious, leading to a lack of enjoyment in the gameplay experience.
“The puzzles were dull; either trivial or tedious.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
“The repetitive tasks make it hard to stay motivated and enjoy the overall experience.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a repetitive structure that requires players to engage in three specific mechanics multiple times, which can lead to a tedious experience.
“The gameplay consists of three types of mechanics that you must painstakingly repeat 25 times!”
“The controls feel clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to execute even the simplest actions.”
“The pacing is incredibly slow, leading to a tedious experience that drags on longer than it should.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized as fun and relaxing, complemented by a charming aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
“This is a great little puzzle game with a fun aesthetic and relaxing atmosphere.”
