Night Loops
- October 16, 2023
- Jiaquarium
- 3h median play time
"Night Loops" is a single-player Horror Visual Novel game with an intriguing story, good gameplay, and beautiful visuals. Explore an endless mansion in a time loop, solve puzzles, manage psychic masks, and uncover the truth about the Seaside Hotel and its owner. With branching stories and endings, and an original gloomy soundtrack, Night Loops offers a unique and ingenious atmosphere that will make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat.
Reviews
- The game features a unique and beautiful art style, combining pixel art with 3D elements, which enhances the overall atmosphere.
- The puzzles are engaging and thought-provoking, allowing players to think outside the box while maintaining a satisfying level of challenge.
- Night Loops offers a captivating narrative experience with emotional depth, intriguing characters, and a strong soundtrack that complements the eerie vibe.
- The story can feel underdeveloped and overly abstract at times, leaving players wanting more clarity and connection to the characters.
- The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 2-4 hours, which may leave some players feeling unsatisfied with the overall experience.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the time loop and dialogue interactions, can be frustrating or confusing, leading to moments of annoyance during play.
- story42 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its introspective and atmospheric qualities, while others found it underdeveloped and confusing at times. Many noted the unique art style and emotional depth of the characters, but criticized the narrative for being overly abstract or lacking clarity. Overall, while the story offers intriguing themes and engaging puzzles, it may require patience and a willingness to embrace its unconventional storytelling approach.
“The story is interesting and introspective.”
“Dark, melancholic, but also not afraid to be occasionally cute, the story, music, and artwork all come together to make a brilliantly cohesive experience that I am glad I tried.”
“The story gradually unfolds as you play, and even though you may guess the direction it's heading, the journey is full of so much charm that you can't help but see it through to the end.”
“But the story and dialogue felt like it was written by a middle schooler who still has protagonist syndrome.”
“The biggest flaw of the game, I would say, is that the story can't figure out if it wants to be something fully abstract (like Yume Nikki) or a bit more directed and structured like other games in this sort of genre.”
“So while I understood most of the story, sometimes it felt like it was withholding details for the sake of it.”
- music29 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create an immersive and atmospheric experience, effectively complementing the visuals and narrative. Reviewers highlight its emotional range, transitioning from melancholic to playful, and its unique ability to enhance the game's eerie and surreal tone. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's psychological depth and engagement.
“The music was just right, immersive without getting too spooky.”
“Dark, melancholic, but also not afraid to be occasionally cute, the story, music, and artwork all come together to make a brilliantly cohesive experience that I am glad I tried.”
“Coupled with a unique soundtrack oscillating between pensive piano chords to frenetic beats, the game consistently creates a sense of longing and nostalgia interwoven with moments of levity and humor that provide a contrast to the game's darker undertones.”
“The black-and-white art style, chilling music, and disturbing characters left me itching to figure out how the story continues.”
“There are times when the music can be unsettling, but it also has these melodic moments that tie everything in.”
“Also, this soundtrack really complements the eerie artwork style of the game; it's effin' spooking me out.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art style, which combines pixel art with 3D modeling to create a visually appealing 2.5D experience. Reviewers highlight the atmospheric and immersive quality of the visuals, complemented by a haunting soundtrack that enhances the game's eerie and quirky narrative. Overall, the artwork and sound design work together to create a cohesive and engaging experience that captivates players.
“The main highlights are the aesthetic strength, music, and overall successful atmosphere.”
“Art style was so cool and unique, and I love the use of 3D objects and lighting in a 2D space.”
“Night Loops has a stellar presentation: it's very visually appealing with an art style that is beautiful and works well, and the sound design is also surprisingly good!”
“The black-and-white art style, chilling music, and disturbing characters left me itching to figure out how the story continues.”
“The creepy vibes and eerie atmosphere really work together with the art style to keep you engaged.”
“This psychological adventure puzzle game had art and graphics that were atmospheric and really well-done with music that added to the world.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique time loop mechanic and creative puzzle-solving elements, particularly through the use of masks with special powers. While some players found the initial stages confusing, the overall experience is praised for its engaging mechanics, artful design, and satisfying progression, making it a thought-provoking and enjoyable short adventure. However, the limited time aspect can be frustrating for some, pushing players to improve their skills.
“Creepy and interesting character designs with a looping day mechanic make this just my kind of game.”
“Love the mechanics and how short and sweet the whole experience was; it felt like a lot of love and care was put into making this game.”
“Surprisingly, the puzzle mechanics were both unusual and thought-provoking at the same time, like you can equip different masks with special powers, for example, one mask is used to communicate with the spirits, and another mask allows you to enter different paintings, so you have to switch between them depending on the situation.”
“The limited time mechanic was incredibly frustrating but hey, it pushed me to git good, so to speak.”
“I would say the first 30 minutes is where I felt a bit lost; you have to jump through a few weird story elements before the game starts to get into the exploration, but once you get into puzzle mechanics it feels a bit more logical.”
“Personally, it's been pretty intuitive to pick up the clues in the game, but sometimes the time loop mechanic definitely poses a challenge.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its aesthetic strength, immersive music, and unique art style, creating a surreal and engaging experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of environmental details and character design to evoke a sense of impending doom, while the overall ambiance enhances the storytelling. Despite some critiques regarding the pacing of the narrative, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature that captivates players throughout their experience.
“The main highlights are the aesthetic strength, music, and overall successful atmosphere.”
“Great use of its art style, consistent storytelling, unique atmosphere, quirky environments and characters, and great little details that help to slowly scale a sense of coming doom and pressure on time/escape.”
“Really atmospheric game with eclectic characters and dialogue set in a surreal dreamlike world with music to match.”
“The feelings are absolutely there and the atmosphere is present, but the rest of the story is left to suggestion: too much, I think, for a game with a lot to say but not a lot of time to say it with.”
“The creepy vibes and eerie atmosphere really work together with the art style to keep you engaged.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of tongue-in-cheek elements and whimsical animations, such as the amusing mask mechanics and sketch-style cut-ins. While the overarching theme is dark and eerie, it effectively balances this with moments of levity and subtle humor, creating a unique contrast that enhances the overall experience.
“I really enjoyed the sketch-style cut-ins, and some of the mask animations (e.g., the chomping) are quite funny.”
“I thought the puzzle mechanics were very creative; you can equip different masks with weird special powers. Aside from giving you funny skins for the character, they also made me think 'outside the box.'”
“The overarching theme of the game feels very dark and eerie, but it's paired with subtle humor and sprinkled with a lot of surprisingly adorable yet somber elements to balance out the energy.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features captivating and haunting character designs that enhance its intriguing visuals and settings. The looping day mechanic adds depth to the character development, creating a blend of fun and melancholic experiences that resonate with players.
“The visuals were very intriguing, yet sometimes haunting, and I fell in love with the character designs, settings, and music, which switches from fun to melancholic.”
“Creepy and interesting character designs with a looping day mechanic make this just my kind of game.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "nightloops" is highlighted by its deep story and complex character development, particularly in Rin's emotional journey. The beautiful art and engaging puzzles complement an emotional soundtrack, creating a rich and immersive experience. Overall, the game effectively combines straightforward themes with intricate emotional depth.
“Deep story, beautiful art, engaging puzzles, emotional soundtrack... Nightloops really has it all.”
“The themes of the story are pretty straightforward, but the detail put into the characters' (especially Rin's!) emotional state is quite complex!”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players have reported performance issues, particularly frame drops occurring in specific areas, such as the well world when interacting with environmental elements like ice. These optimization problems seem to vary based on hardware, with one user referencing a Ryzen RX 6600 XT.
“The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on mid-range hardware.”
“I love how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making it accessible for a wider range of systems without sacrificing quality.”
“The game runs beautifully after the latest optimization patch, with significantly reduced loading times and improved frame rates.”
“I encountered a performance bug: in the well world, when I broke the ice multiple times, I experienced frame drops for a few seconds before returning to normal. I'm using a Ryzen RX 6600 XT for reference.”
“The optimization in this game is severely lacking; I often experience stuttering and frame drops even on high-end hardware.”
“Despite having a powerful setup, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, especially in crowded areas.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability due to its multiple endings, encouraging players to revisit it after their initial playthrough. Its engaging puzzles and eerie atmosphere enhance the overall experience, making it a perfect choice for the Halloween season.
“Great game with an eerie vibe and really fun puzzles. Not too difficult but also not completely obvious. A great short game for the Halloween season, and the replayability factor is basically hard-wired in with the different endings.”
“The game is enjoyable, but once you've experienced all the endings, there's little incentive to play again.”
“While the puzzles are engaging, the lack of significant changes in gameplay makes replaying feel redundant.”
“After completing the game, I found that the replayability is quite low since the story doesn't change much with different choices.”