Nephise Begins

About

"Nephise Begins" is a short, atmospheric puzzle game set in a sunny and foggy forest. Gather animal skulls to use on tall amphoras and toggle the HUD for details. The game features relaxing music and a narrating elder voice, with a focus on creating a relaxing mood for players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

56%

Audience ScoreBased on 524 reviews

music63 positive mentions

story38 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that create a relaxing experience.
Soothing music and pleasant narration enhance the overall ambiance.
Easy to achieve 100% completion in a short playtime.

Very short gameplay, typically completed in under an hour.
Lacks a compelling story or meaningful gameplay elements.
No save feature, which can lead to frustration if players get lost or stuck.

story
190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
63%
20%
The story of "Nephise Begins" is often described as minimalistic and confusing, with many reviewers noting its lack of depth and coherence. While the game features a soothing atmosphere and beautiful visuals, the narrative is criticized for being disjointed and lacking meaningful engagement, often reduced to a simple fetch quest with little context or emotional impact. Overall, players seeking a compelling story may find disappointment, as the game primarily serves as a short walking simulator with sparse storytelling elements.
- “Nephise Begins is a delightful, atmospheric game that tells the story of Nephise before she became an orb collector.”
- “The atmosphere is the game’s standout feature, enhanced by soothing music and an elder narrator who guides the story.”
- “It's basically a short story with a beautiful landscape and really nice sound design.”
- “The story is pretty much nonexistent and it is a very short game.”
- “The whole story didn't make sense at all and frankly as one of walking simulators, I don't think this stands out at all.”
- “There is no gameplay, hardly a story and the ending is the most anticlimactic thing I have ever seen.”
music
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
44%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and soothing qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience of the forest walking simulator. However, many users noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, detracting from the immersion. Despite its shortcomings, the music is often described as beautiful and fitting for the game's serene environment, making it a highlight for many players.
- “The atmosphere is the game’s standout feature, enhanced by soothing music and an elder narrator who guides the story.”
- “The music and voice acting fit perfectly and create an enjoyable, relaxing experience.”
- “This game left me feeling relaxed and satisfied, the puzzles are fun and the environment is really something to look at, the voice acting is on point and the music leaves you feeling so relaxed.”
- “The music also added to the environmental, and the storyteller was a great addition to guiding the character and giving clues as to where to go / what to do.”
- “The same music track looping in that short time even became annoying.”
- “Also the music is worse than in the original and extremely repetitive, apart from the ending where it gets slightly better, although the entire ending sequence is probably the most appalling and embarrassing I have ever seen in a video game.”
graphics
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
38%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and atmospheric quality, often described as stunning and comparable to AAA titles despite the game's low price. However, some reviews note issues such as graphical glitches, muddy textures, and inconsistent quality in certain areas, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals create an enchanting environment, many players feel that the lack of a compelling story undermines the game's potential.
- “I really enjoyed this game mostly because of its stunning visuals and calm ambience which, in my case, is really calming since I come from FPS and other action-driven games.”
- “The game is almost up there with AAA graphics, despite costing just about a dollar.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, as is the music.”
- “Even though there are a few places in the game that are definitely worth seeing and worth a screenshot, if you look closer, you will notice that there are a lot of graphical errors, muddy textures, and a lot of reloading.”
- “What bothers me is that the environment is very monotonous, the places that the light touches look weird, the texturing looks rough, and the graphics feel rushed.”
- “Even though the setting is completely different, the graphics are quite bad this time, with very unnatural lighting and frequently glitched textures.”
gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
79%
9%
The gameplay of 'Nephise Begins' is primarily a short and simplistic experience, often described as a walking simulator with minimal interaction, focusing on exploration rather than challenge or narrative depth. Players can expect around 30-60 minutes of gameplay, which involves collecting items in visually appealing environments, but many reviewers find it lacking in substance and engagement. Overall, while the ambiance is appreciated, the gameplay is criticized for being too light and unfulfilling.
- “The gameplay is centered around exploration, with players taking on the role of a young girl who wanders through a variety of environments, including forests, caves, and mountains.”
- “Relatively short, but I certainly enjoyed the music, atmosphere, and gameplay.”
- “It certainly won’t bother fans of the genre and perhaps even new players might find the brief gameplay to be an excellent introduction to more complex, future forays into this particular type of video games which have no expectations from their player base other than to relax while taking a hike across a peaceful environment.”
- “For those seeking more complex gameplay or longer playtime, 'Nephise Begins' might feel a bit light, as it is primarily designed for players who appreciate mood and ambiance over challenge.”
- “There is little to no gameplay to be found in this game.”
- “While beautiful, the game provides near nonexistent gameplay or story.”
atmosphere
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
33%
6%
The atmosphere in "Nephise Begins" is widely praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful visuals, soothing music, and a fairy-tale-like narrative. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a relaxing environment, making it ideal for those who enjoy atmospheric walking simulators, despite its short length and limited gameplay. However, some critiques mention that the constant narration can detract from the overall immersion.
- “The atmosphere is the game’s standout feature, enhanced by soothing music and an elder narrator who guides the story.”
- “The atmosphere in this game is great; the colors and the design of the forest match the mood, and the soundtrack is beautiful too.”
- “The game's sound design is also excellent, with a calming soundtrack that complements the game's visuals and helps to create a relaxing atmosphere.”
- “Basically, the atmosphere conveyed in the forest is well implemented and, as in every Tonguç Bodur game, there are always 'eye-catchers' that convey a great atmosphere, but I think that is simply not enough.”
- “The atmosphere is calming but not a whole lot to do.”
- “When I started the game, the atmosphere was full of life and I felt like I was roaming around my own little tale. It fades real quick though. The problem is surprisingly with the narration and design of the game; it's just too much. The constant narration telling you exactly how to do every puzzle without trying ruins the immersion all the other aspects create.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
23%
69%
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and time-consuming, often requiring excessive effort to complete repetitive tasks like fetch quests. Many reviewers express frustration with the lack of a save feature, which exacerbates the monotony and makes the grinding feel even more burdensome. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It was pretty boring and tedious; I'm terribly glad I didn't pay anything for it.”
- “That is because if there was a save feature, you might actually be able to handle the long, tedious fetch quest over several sessions.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
18%
55%
The reviews indicate a stark divide in replayability, with some users noting that the game is infinitely replayable, particularly in multiplayer modes, while others criticize it for being very short and lacking any replay value, as achievements can be easily obtained in a single playthrough. Overall, the consensus leans towards limited replayability, with many players finding little incentive to revisit the game after completion.
- “Infinitely replayable in multiplayer mode.”
- “The game offers almost infinite replayability.”
- “New item pickup locations enhance the replay value.”
- “Very short game with no replayability value.”
- “The game can be completed in less than an hour and offers very little replayability.”
- “Replay value - very bad - none at all as all the achievements can be easily gained in the first playthrough.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and absurd elements, reminiscent of "The Stanley Parable," but with a more casual and less interactive approach. Players appreciate the comedic scenarios, such as a guardian fox's amusing ascent and the playful execution of various game mechanics, which contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience. Overall, the humor is described as whimsical and often absurd, enhancing the game's charm.
- “Another very short casual walking simulator that is a prequel to the game called 'Nephise', featuring a colorful autumn valley, collecting skulls for a puzzle to solve, mushroom picking, and yet another funny parody at a boss fight.”
- “Walking in the forest, eating magic mushrooms, looking for bones to let the gigantic fox fly away; funny concept...”
- “The guardian fox just casually ascending had me laughing for some time.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while the voice acting creates a cozy atmosphere and evokes a fairy tale feeling, the poorly optimized and unengaging story detracts from the overall emotional experience.
- “The voice actor was good and made me feel cozy.”
- “The game made me feel like I was part of a fairy tale.”
- “The story is poorly optimized and quite boring.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters feels lacking and unengaging.”
- “I found it hard to connect with the narrative, which made the emotional moments fall flat.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game exhibits stable performance with good graphics, averaging 60 fps on default settings; however, it is criticized for poor optimization and an unengaging story, leading to an overall lack of enjoyment.
- “The graphics are really good and the performance is stable; using the default settings, I got an average of 60 fps.”
- “Concluding, it's a program with good performance and development.”
- “The game runs smoothly and efficiently, making for a pleasant gaming experience.”
- “The game is horribly optimized.”
- “But poorly optimized and pretty boring story.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is marred by frequent graphical glitches, including shadow issues and texture flickering, even on capable hardware. While the visuals are appealing at first, performance inconsistencies and occasional freezing suggest potential coding problems.
- “And even with low graphics, it still freezes a little on a PC that can handle ultra graphics in other games; it might be due to bad coding or something.”
- “The graphics are good but still have many glitches; the stones on the sides flicker often and look like the texture on the side is missing - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.”
- “The graphics are nice at first glance but have strange shadow glitches on rocks, and the overall ambiance slowly falls flat.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users express skepticism about the monetization strategy, noting that they only discovered the product through a discount coupon, which raises questions about Steam's advertising priorities and the visibility of lower-priced items compared to more profitable ones.
- “I would never have heard about it before receiving a discount coupon; is Steam feeling guilty for not advertising this kind of product as much as they do for the more expensive ones (with their lucrative 30% cut)?”
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “I find the constant ads intrusive and frustrating, making it hard to enjoy the game.”