Nephise

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 245 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Nephise Game Cover
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"Nephise is a single-player Adventure game with a focus on atmosphere, spectacular visuals, and compelling music. As you explore the enchanted forest and silver cave, you'll solve puzzles by rotating statues and collecting red orbs, all while being guided by the narration of an elder. The game is a short and relaxing experience, ideal for those seeking to immerse themselves in a mysterious and moody world."

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62%
Audience ScoreBased on 245 reviews
story20 positive mentions
gameplay4 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful graphics and a calming atmosphere, making it visually appealing.
  • The narrative, while simple, is engaging and has a funny twist at the end that adds charm to the experience.
  • The game is short and can be completed quickly, making it a nice option for casual players looking for a brief, relaxing experience.
  • The gameplay is extremely short, often taking less than 30 minutes to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
  • The puzzles are overly simplistic and can be frustrating due to vague hints and unclear objectives.
  • The slow walking speed and lack of a sprint option can make exploration tedious and detract from the overall experience.
  • story98 mentions

    The story in the game is widely criticized for being minimal, incoherent, and lacking depth, often described as non-existent or poorly constructed. Many reviewers noted that the narration fails to provide a cohesive narrative, leaving players with a disjointed experience filled with unexplained elements. While some appreciated the visuals and atmosphere, the overall consensus is that the story does not engage or satisfy, making it feel more like a walking simulator than a meaningful adventure.

    • “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
    • “Well crafted world with a good story to tell.”
    • “While quite simple, the story in Nephise is effective and amusing, and as such marks a bit of a departure from the more somber topic matters covered in the Drizzlepath series.”
    • “The 'story' is told by a narrator, but the whole thing is very text-poor, which makes it less of an adventure because, in my opinion, there would be a little more story to it.”
    • “Then the plot twist at the end is 'it was all a dream.' Then there's the inexplicably giant wolf that isn't explained in any capacity, the collectible orbs that again aren't explained in any capacity, the statues that, you guessed it, aren't explained in any capacity. I can go on and on about all the random garbage this game tried to throw together into a 'story.'”
    • “The story is pointless and goes nowhere.”
  • music53 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and relaxing, contributing to a dream-like atmosphere, but it suffers from a lack of variety, leading to repetitiveness that detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the soothing soundtrack and its ability to enhance the environment, others find the looping nature of the music annoying, especially during extended gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight, but many reviewers suggest that more diverse tracks would significantly improve the experience.

    • “This game features a silent protagonist with an awesome narration to fill in the atmosphere as well as beautiful music, perfect for the puzzle-solving occasion.”
    • “The atmosphere is very much dream-like and mystical, backed by relaxing music.”
    • “I enjoyed the environment and musical overture that filled my headset as I made my way through the game.”
    • “After walking 30 minutes around the map with no clue and the same music looping again and again, I don't feel like the game is giving any worthwhile experiences.”
    • “The music gets pretty annoying after hearing it in a loop.”
    • “A nice and relaxing soundtrack that becomes old and repetitive after 3 minutes.”
  • graphics52 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many players noting that they are visually pleasing and suitable for a low-cost indie title. While some describe the visuals as rudimentary or lacking in detail, others highlight stunning landscapes and a calming atmosphere that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's ambiance despite some criticisms regarding texture quality and limited environments.

    • “I got this game with a coupon for 0.66€ and I was absolutely stunned by its beautiful visuals and the calming voice of the narrator.”
    • “The game runs at a stable 60 fps, the graphics are fairly decent (with the exception of the fur on the large wolf creature), and the music is a relaxing, melodic folk song.”
    • “Nephise is an elegantly made game from visuals to voice acting.”
    • “Graphics are fine - a bit colourless and grey.”
    • “There's not a lot to say, it's a short (~60 minutes) walking simulator that has an alright-looking world but piss-poor graphics performance, which seems a trademark of this particular developer.”
    • “Bought this game because the graphics looked really pretty and it was cheap, and gotta say...in this case, you get what you pay for.”
  • atmosphere38 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its calming, dream-like quality, enhanced by beautiful music and effective narration. Players appreciate the soothing environment and the game's ability to create a mystical ambiance, although some note that the repetitive music can detract from the overall experience. Overall, it is recommended for those who enjoy atmospheric puzzle games and slower-paced experiences.

    • “This game features a silent protagonist with an awesome narration to fill in the atmosphere as well as beautiful music, perfect for the puzzle-solving occasion.”
    • “The atmosphere is very much dream-like and mystical, backed by relaxing music.”
    • “Super chill game, it's not difficult at all but the atmosphere is brilliant.”
    • “A very short walking sim, heavy on atmosphere, light on practically everything else.”
    • “There isn't really any story or gameplay for this game, just atmosphere.”
    • “What little atmosphere it builds is quickly destroyed by really out-of-place video-game-y collectibles.”
  • gameplay21 mentions

    The gameplay in this title is largely criticized for its minimal engagement, with many reviewers noting it consists mainly of simple tasks like turning statues and collecting orbs, leading to a very short experience of around 15 to 30 minutes. While the atmosphere, music, and some puzzles are appreciated, the overall mechanics are seen as flawed, with issues such as navigation problems and repetitive narration detracting from the experience. Ultimately, the game feels more like a walking simulator with little substance in terms of gameplay or story.

    • “I like that the collecting mechanic was kept and that the narration had a direction (although it might have been a little too spot on lol).”
    • “Definitely not a lot of time required to beat the game but easily 30 minutes to an hour worth of gameplay.. where else you going to be entertained for an hour for $2?”
    • “The gameplay in Nephise is not so dissimilar to previous titles from Tonguc, but does actually rely more on puzzles and less on actual exploration.”
    • “Gameplay: there is none.”
    • “There isn't really any story or gameplay for this game, just atmosphere.”
    • “There are considerable mechanical and interactive issues: inability to reach areas that look imminently navigable, getting trapped in areas without an exit, arbitrary changes to area access, and loss of motion during some narration, including repeats of that narration, which are easy to trigger on accident.”
  • humor10 mentions

    Overall, players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly highlighting the abrupt and funny ending that features a clever twist. While some found the puzzles lacking in comedic value, the simple story and engaging voice acting contribute to a lighthearted experience that many found enjoyable. The combination of soothing elements and humor creates a charming atmosphere, despite the game's brevity.

    • “I think that the ending is absolutely hilarious and I really enjoyed the game overall.”
    • “It's short, genius, and absolutely hilarious.”
    • “The narration has good voice acting, and the story is short, simple, and concise with a funny little twist at the end.”
    • “The humor in the game falls flat, with jokes that feel forced and unoriginal.”
    • “I expected clever wit, but instead, I was met with tired clichés and predictable punchlines.”
    • “The attempts at humor are so brief that they barely register before moving on to the next part of the game.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, user reviews indicate a mixed experience regarding stability, with some players encountering significant bugs such as crashes, glitches, and navigation issues, while others report well-designed menus and minimal bugs. The game's visual appeal is noted, but the technical performance appears inconsistent, leading to frustration for some users.

    • “On the plus side, the menus are well-designed, and the game is not buggy.”
    • “There's something to be said about these positive reviews when my game crashed on the menu while I wanted to change the volume. I got stuck on or in-between several objects and honestly couldn't get any further as I found the buggy presentation and narration incredibly frustrating to hear. I even got stuck slightly in the air and managed to break the narration by just approaching the same object twice.”
    • “The most props I can give to this particular directionless, buggy mess I got for extremely cheap is that it visually looks nice, and I'm sure it tells some kind of story somewhere.”
    • “I saw many terrain glitches.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting persistent stuttering regardless of settings adjustments. Despite its visually appealing world, the graphics performance is notably poor, which appears to be a recurring issue for this developer. Overall, the optimization is deemed inadequate.

    • “Was very boring; I found that no matter what settings I changed, the game kept stuttering.”
    • “There's not a lot to say; it's a short (~60 minutes) walking simulator that has an alright-looking world but poor graphics performance, which seems to be a trademark of this particular developer.”
    • “Poor optimization.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game has limited replayability, with many players feeling that the story does not warrant multiple playthroughs. Achieving 100% completion can be done quickly, further diminishing the incentive to replay.

    • “The story doesn't offer much replayability, so twice was enough for me.”
    • “Not much of a replayable experience.”
    • “Furthermore, even clueless players like me can probably get 100% of the achievements in under an hour, so I'm not going to pretend it's a game with a lot of replay value.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game evokes a sense of nostalgia and childlike wonder, as players feel reminiscent of carefree moments in a park. However, the simplistic gameplay mechanics, such as turning statues and collecting easily visible orbs, may leave some feeling disconnected from a deeper emotional engagement. The final boss encounter, resolved merely by touching, further emphasizes a whimsical yet potentially unsatisfying emotional resolution.

    • “Made me feel like a child in the park.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, particularly when it involves repetitive tasks like solving puzzles and collecting items. While the scenery is appreciated, the overall experience can feel dull due to the excessive focus on these grinding activities.

    • “The scenery is rather pretty, though due to the tedious task of walking around collecting orbs and rotating statues, it can come off as a little boring.”
    • “She falls into a drunken stupor and dreams that she does a boring puzzle, explores a cave, kills a man, and drinks more; I mean, spends the night at an inn and then has to do an extremely tedious puzzle.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy has been criticized for being exploitative, with accusations of plagiarism due to a lack of credit for original artists and developers, leading to perceptions of the game as a cash grab.

    • “The developers didn't credit any of the artists and real game developers who created the assets, which feels like plagiarism and a cash grab.”
    • “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it difficult to enjoy the game without spending money.”
    • “It feels like the game is designed to push players into spending more, rather than providing a fair experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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