Night in the Woods

About

"Night in the Woods" is a narrative-driven adventure game where college dropout Mae Borowski returns to her crumbling hometown, Possum Springs, to reconnect with old friends. However, the town and its residents have changed, and strange occurrences hint at something sinister lurking in the woods. The game features point-and-click exploration, dialogue choices, and mini-games, with a focus on story and character development.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 11,716 reviews

story2.7k positive mentions

grinding85 negative mentions

story
6,370 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
56%
3%
The story of "Night in the Woods" is widely praised for its depth and relatability, exploring themes of mental health, friendship, and the struggles of adulthood in a small town. Players appreciate the well-developed characters and the emotional weight of the narrative, which resonates particularly with those in their late teens and early twenties. However, some critiques highlight pacing issues, particularly in the early game, and a perceived lack of resolution in the overarching plot, especially towards the end. Overall, it is considered a compelling and immersive experience that combines humor with poignant storytelling.
- “Night in the Woods tackles these themes, and replaying it once more in my college years gave me a deeper, more personal understanding of the characters and the story of Possum Springs.”
- “The story is incredible, the vibes are immaculate, and the art style is so fun to look at.”
- “The story is excellent, though I personally found the final impact was weakened by some late-story decisions.”
- “The story was my main interest, but I sat through many mind-numbing hours of pointless minigames and walking simulator scenes only to realize there is no story.”
- “The story itself is a bit slow-paced, but that's not a bad thing.”
- “The story is mostly about growing up and moving on, realizing regrets and taking the opportunity to explain or to fix them.”
music
2,394 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
35%
1%
The music in "Night in the Woods" has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to capture the mood of various scenes, with many describing it as beautiful, catchy, and memorable. The combination of the game's charming art style and its well-composed music creates a unique and immersive experience that resonates with players long after they finish the game.
- “The soundtrack is equally impressive, perfectly capturing the mood of each scene and enhancing the emotional impact of the story.”
- “The music was also great: simple tunes, but they really captured the feelings of the game.”
- “The soundtrack is gorgeous and the coloring is breathtaking.”
- “The music minigame is just awful, but Demon Tower actually had me invested, and I definitely recommend that you play it.”
- “I would actually skip those parts, like playing the bass; I personally hate music games like Guitar Hero and this game makes you play and you can't skip.”
- “The music is very atmospheric and diverse.”
graphics
1,728 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
38%
1%
The graphics of "Night in the Woods" are widely praised for their unique, charming art style that combines a paper-craft aesthetic with vibrant colors and expressive character designs. Reviewers highlight the visuals as not only beautiful but also effective in conveying the game's emotional depth and themes, creating a cozy yet haunting atmosphere. The art style, along with a captivating soundtrack, enhances the storytelling, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “The art style is stunning, with vibrant colors and charming character designs that bring the world to life.”
- “The visuals are absolutely stunning: the character models are simple 2D shapes, but the vibrant use of color made every single scene truly look like digital artwork.”
- “The art style is beautiful and engaging - perfect for any console (originally played on Switch - felt amazing there).”
- “You are sent into the game and right away you can see how little work and polish was done with the art/graphics, as the shading is very one-dimensional and just makes the game look like it was made with only the line tool on MS Paint.”
- “I wouldn't normally complain about the graphics, but when your game is basically a novel, you should have visuals that help complement the story, although in a way this very two-dimensional art style helps support the very two-dimensional story.”
- “While it has cute graphics, it simply just wasn't actually a game.”
gameplay
1,187 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
67%
8%
The gameplay in "Night in the Woods" is primarily focused on exploration and dialogue, resembling a visual novel more than a traditional game. Players navigate a small town, interact with characters, and engage in simple platforming and mini-games, which some find repetitive and lacking depth. While the mechanics are straightforward and not particularly challenging, they serve to enhance the rich narrative and character development, making the game appealing for those who prioritize story over gameplay.
- “Gameplay-wise, the game combines exploration, platforming, and mini-games, keeping things fresh and engaging.”
- “The simplicity of the gameplay works in the game's favor, allowing the story and characters to take center stage.”
- “The gameplay consists of fairly simple exploration/platforming, with some 'novelty' mechanics here and there - but these things are all in service to the story being told.”
- “The gameplay itself is very simple: you essentially just walk left/right and talk to people, sometimes choosing what to say or do; the gameplay is really just a vessel for the story.”
- “The gameplay can be very repetitive.”
- “The gameplay is practically non-existent (and even when there is gameplay, it's downright flaccid), the characters are about as deep as the shallow end of the pool, and the plot doesn't kick in until the very end of chapter 2.”
emotional
944 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Night in the Woods" is widely praised for its profound storytelling and relatable characters, often evoking strong feelings of nostalgia, sadness, and connection. Players report experiencing a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, as the game tackles heavy themes such as mental health, friendship, and the struggles of adulthood in a small town. The combination of heartfelt writing, a captivating soundtrack, and a unique art style enhances the emotional impact, making it a memorable and moving experience for many.
- “Overall, Night in the Woods is a masterpiece that resonates on a deeply emotional level.”
- “This game has some very emotional moments that are well executed, make you re-evaluate some things, and hit really hard.”
- “It's the most human and touching stories I've ever experienced and deals with some very potent and important issues we all deal with in different amounts.”
- “Tl;dr: good music and art, bland one-sided characters, boring story with these characters that go for hours, overall boring.”
- “Loved the backgrounds, loved the music, liked some characters, slept during boring story, disliked the gameplay, hated rhythm minigame, hated Mae.”
- “Mostly boring story.”
humor
700 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Night in the Woods" is widely praised for its cleverness and relatability, blending sharp wit with moments of existential reflection. Players appreciate the balance between lighthearted, quirky dialogue and deeper, more serious themes, often finding themselves laughing out loud while also experiencing poignant emotional moments. The characters' interactions are described as both funny and genuine, contributing to a rich narrative that resonates with many players, particularly those navigating the complexities of young adulthood.
- “The dialogue is witty, charming, and hilarious, and when I woke up the next day thinking about it, I was upset it ended.”
- “The humor is exactly what I love.”
- “The game expertly balances its disturbing and sombre moments with plenty of humour, wit and downright hilarious moments, mostly brought to us through Mae and her friends.”
- “However, the older I get, the more obnoxious I find these Tumblr-lite characters and their unfunny, sarcastic, and witty attitudes.”
- “The gameplay is non-existent, the writing is bad, the jokes are unfunny, the social commentary is shallow, unnuanced, and uninsightful left-wing nonsense, and the story is pointless.”
atmosphere
486 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The atmosphere of "Night in the Woods" is widely praised for its immersive and nostalgic qualities, effectively capturing the essence of a small town filled with charm and melancholy. Reviewers highlight the game's beautiful art style and exceptional soundtrack, which together create a cozy yet haunting ambiance that resonates deeply with players. The combination of relatable characters, engaging storytelling, and a rich, atmospheric setting makes it a standout experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “The atmosphere is beautifully crafted and I can almost smell the autumn air while playing.”
- “The game creates an amazing atmosphere of living in a small town and just overall makes you feel like you actually care about these fictional characters in this fictional town.”
- “Night in the Woods is all about atmosphere, charm, story, and friendship.”
- “The game does an amazing job in creating a really specific atmosphere and vibe that cannot really be described.”
- “The story has this comforting atmosphere of nostalgia, a sense of mystery thriving in the town you walk in and it's great!”
- “The entire atmosphere puts me in mind of the Okkervil River album, Black Sheep Boy.”
replayability
221 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
4%
The game offers significant replayability, with many players noting the need for multiple playthroughs to fully explore different story paths, character interactions, and hidden content. While some find the experience engaging enough to revisit, others feel that the linear nature of the narrative can lead to diminishing returns after several runs. Overall, the combination of branching choices and character-driven storytelling contributes to a strong replay value, appealing particularly to completionists and those who enjoy uncovering all aspects of the game.
- “This game is brilliant and very replayable.”
- “The game does offer quite a bit of replayability, like mentioned earlier, you take decisions at several points in the game, which affect how the story plays out, so you can do multiple runs to learn all the choices and learn about all the characters.”
- “With relatable characters, so many things to interact with and progress with that you may even miss on your first playthrough, giving it replay value, and two sides to the story depending on the character you choose to interact with the most, it makes this game worth the sale value.”
- “My one gripe for the game itself is that it is not very replayable; I had to push myself to play through a second time.”
- “Walking around a world that doesn't change for 5, 6, 7 hours doesn't feel great, and really hurts what should be decent replayability.”
- “100%'ing this game requires about 3 playthroughs and is boring as hell as there's pretty much 0 replay value after a while.”
character development
161 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
Character development in the game is a prominent focus, with many players praising the depth and relatability of the characters, particularly in their emotional growth and interactions. While some reviews highlight the unevenness and superficiality in certain character arcs, the overall consensus is that the game excels in creating memorable characters and engaging narratives that resonate with players, especially those familiar with themes of mental health and coming-of-age experiences. The charming character designs and vibrant art style further enhance the immersive storytelling experience.
- “The character development is astounding; the sprinkled-in mini-games, while minimalistic, are fun and tight, and the story, world, characters, and music are all top-notch.”
- “Character development is huge in this game, maybe even more than the plot, and I enjoyed learning about the characters and exploring their worlds, seeing the growth in the main character from an immature kid to a young adult as she becomes more aware.”
- “Night in the Woods is possibly one of the best games I've ever played in terms of character development and dialogue.”
- “Mae's troubling behaviors raise concerns about her future, and I expected the story to delve deeper into her character development and her overcoming her mental health struggles.”
- “In the end, the story feels like a whimsical horror game that fails to deliver meaningful character development or resolution.”
- “I've experienced about 5 minutes of actual character development, and it has been uncomfortable and uninteresting.”
grinding
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
12%
87%
The reviews consistently highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is tedious and often feels like a chore, requiring significant time investment to progress. Players express frustration with repetitive tasks, slow movement, and unskippable sequences, particularly during dream segments, which detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the character interactions and story, many find the gameplay loop overly monotonous and lacking in engaging mechanics.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “There is a lot of useless fluff between the interesting bits that become tedious for me.”
- “Sadly, I found the game tedious to play, and the story just didn't hook me in.”
- “The gameplay itself can also become incredibly tedious.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it runs smoothly on current machines and performs well even on lower-end hardware, some players report issues like micro-stuttering and frequent loading screens. The unconventional controls may also contribute to a perception of suboptimal performance, despite the game's beautiful animation and engaging gameplay. Players on Linux have noted particularly good optimization, highlighting the game's ability to run well across various systems.
- “Profound, beautifully animated, great characters, great music, runs smoothly, everything you could want and more.”
- “Performance and gameplay was great on Linux!”
- “+ very well optimized for PC”
- “Micro-stuttering and frequent loading screens (played on an SSD).”
- “Seems quite unoptimized.”
- “My hand-me-down laptop could barely run the game as a stuttering mess then.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
71%
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with many players reporting no significant glitches or bugs during gameplay. However, some users experienced occasional control issues, minor graphical glitches, and problems with achievements, particularly in terms of responsiveness and support for mouse controls. While the game runs well on various systems, including lower-end hardware, there are concerns about freezing during streaming and the need for a chapter select feature.
- “The game's graphics are amazing, the flow is absolutely flawless, and it runs great on my laptop.”
- “There are no glitches I've found, and the images look great even at full resolution.”
- “Runs great on my laptop with full controller support.”
- “Had some bugginess with controls not working.”
- “Just not stream friendly in my opinion since it freezes on the viewer's perspective.”
- “Also, I got annoyed by really short but annoyingly well-timed game freezes.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
89%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for its reliance on microtransactions and pervasive advertising, which some players feel detracts from the overall experience. While the game is free to play, the presence of ads and the perception of deceptive marketing have left users feeling disappointed, as they expected a more engaging gameplay experience rather than a focus on selling products. Overall, the monetization approach has been viewed as a significant weakness, overshadowing the game's artistic qualities.
- “The game is free to play, but it does include microtransactions.”
- “I appreciate that the game is free, although there are optional microtransactions available.”
- “While the game is free, the microtransactions are not intrusive and offer fair value.”
- “To figure out what products they can push on us in advertisements.”
- “I think either the game is advertising itself deceptively, or I was too unwitting to realize what it actually was... otherwise I would have no problems with it (because I would never have purchased it).”
- “I'm giving it a thumbs down because the advertising didn't deliver what I expected, which was jumping puzzles and detective type story solving/discovery.”