No Umbrellas Allowed

About

"No Umbrellas Allowed" is a second-hand shop simulation game set in the peculiar Ajik City, 2080. After being rescued and losing your memories, you're tasked with managing the 30-year-old shop, Darcy's, by its owner. Explore the city's obsession with 'Fixerain' and reveal the true value of strange items in your shop as you uncover the secrets of your past.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 720 reviews

gameplay130 positive mentions

stability14 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay loop that combines appraising, buying, and selling items in a pawn shop setting.
Rich story and world-building that immerses players in a dystopian environment with multiple endings.
Charming art style and humorous dialogue that adds personality to the characters.

Poor translation and localization issues that can lead to confusion and misunderstandings in gameplay.
Frustrating mechanics where players are penalized for mistakes without clear feedback on what went wrong.
Slow pacing due to lengthy dialogue and unnecessary walking segments that disrupt the flow of the game.

gameplay
418 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay of "No Umbrellas Allowed" is a mix of engaging mechanics reminiscent of "Papers, Please," focusing on appraising and selling items in a pawn shop setting. While the core gameplay loop is satisfying and introduces new mechanics at a reasonable pace, many players find the sheer number of systems overwhelming, with unclear tutorials and localization issues that detract from the experience. Overall, the game offers a unique premise and enjoyable mechanics, but suffers from repetitiveness and a convoluted story that can hinder the gameplay enjoyment.
- “The main gameplay loop always kept me coming back for more, as there were little additions and surprises along the way.”
- “Gameplay systems (where you inspect and purchase/sell) are beyond smart.”
- “I found the core gameplay loop very engaging in general, and there is enough variation to keep me engaged through multiple playthroughs.”
- “What I thought was a 'Papers, Please' inspired game turned out to be a game that gave me a headache with all the different mechanics that are impossible to even get through with the customers always rushing you.”
- “I cannot recommend this game because the mechanics and tutorials are broken and the devs clearly have no intention of ever fixing this game.”
- “The gameplay is too stressful for me.”
story
384 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
6%
The game's story features multiple branching paths influenced by player choices, set in a dystopian world that some find engaging while others deem convoluted and slow-paced. While many appreciate the unique premise and character depth, others criticize the narrative for being overly complicated, poorly translated, or dragging on without meaningful development. Overall, the story is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its depth and atmosphere, while others feel it detracts from the gameplay experience.
- “The story is engaging with multiple, branching endings, and is fed to the player bit by bit over time as they go through the core mechanic of buying and selling secondhand items while managing increasingly difficult conditions.”
- “With a captivating storyline and detailed yet easy-to-understand game mechanics, what's not to love?”
- “The story is interesting enough and it does a good job of adding new mechanics throughout the game to keep things interesting.”
- “I can't even recall what the storyline was because there was so much going on at once.”
- “The game seems to be focused on the story, but the story is dragged out longer than it needs to be, and the gameplay doesn't really carry it.”
- “However, both the story and the gameplay peter out around halfway through the game, becoming repetitive and dull, while the story loses its way and seems to tread water for hours on end.”
graphics
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
38%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their appealing art style, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful and atmospheric pixel art that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the passion evident in the visuals, which complement the compelling story and engaging gameplay. While some note minor translation issues, the retro aesthetic and charming design contribute positively to the game's charm and enjoyment.
- “The graphics in the game are very appealing as well, and you can tell that a lot of passion was put into everything.”
- “Not to mention, the art style is beautiful and pleasing!”
- “Very entertaining and captivating, great mechanics, choices matter, beautiful graphics and great music, amazing story.”
- “Pixel artwork may not be for everyone in this day and age.”
- “I love the idea of the game and its artwork, but the translating is so horrendously done it was really pulling me out of the game and I simply couldn't enjoy it.”
- “But if you are not turned off by its retro graphics, you will find rewarding and in-depth gameplay and a fascinating story behind it.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
34%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality, charm, and atmospheric qualities, with many players finding it captivating and enjoyable enough to listen to outside of gameplay. However, some reviews note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, and there is room for improvement in its integration with the game's mechanics and overall accessibility. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, complementing the game's art and story effectively.
- “The soundtrack is amazing, I'm obsessed with the tracks and I still listen to them when I need to chill out or during work time to cool off.”
- “The music is great, very comfy and atmospheric.”
- “The dialogue, music, and sounds are all so very charming as well as comforting; despite being such a simple game, the creators have managed to make a wonderful environment.”
- “The soundtrack gets a bit repetitive, even if it's nice.”
- “There is room for improvement for music, animation, and making the different rules more accessible.”
- “The art style and music are both simple, but effective.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits significant stability issues, particularly on PS5, where users report it as a "buggy mess," while performance on PC is generally better. Common problems include glitches, a broken bug reporting tool, and localization errors, leading many to question its value given the frequency of these issues. Overall, the game's stability detracts from the experience, making it feel unfinished.
- “Buggy mess”
- “I don't think it's worth $20 because of how buggy it is and how easy it is to find mistakes that are just not programmed correctly.”
- “It has a few glitches, most notably a broken bug reporting tool, and the occasional typo indicative of a non-native English speaker.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, especially when attempting to unlock all 16 endings. While the ability to skip tutorials and speed through dialogue helps alleviate some frustration, many still feel that the overall experience could be improved by reducing the amount of backtracking required. Despite these drawbacks, some players still enjoy the game as a fun alternative to similar titles.
- “The game has 16 endings, and if you're a perfectionist like me, playing through the whole game again just so you can see all endings might be a little tedious and/or repetitive.”
- “The game boasts a variety of endings but grinding them is not fun, despite being able to load any day; because there are so many different choices.”
- “It can be pretty tedious to go back and do-over everything you just did, but at least tutorials are skippable, and you can speed through dialogue pretty quick.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers multiple endings and a curated storytelling experience that encourages replay, some players find overlapping endings and forced outcomes detract from the experience. Many appreciate the absence of lengthy tutorials, making it easier to revisit, but opinions vary on whether the overlapping endings enhance or diminish replay value. Overall, it has significant replay potential, though individual experiences may differ.
- “Its gameplay simplicity reflects a very curated storytelling and multiple endings, guaranteeing a high replayability.”
- “Tons of replayability.”
- “There is no replayability in the gameplay that makes me want to change the ending.”
- “And it's not that the game isn't replayable, it is, but I think some of the endings overlap each other and you get forced into a better one even if you qualified for two or more.”
- “I've abandoned many a 'replayable' game after having to face the prospect of repeating lengthy tutorials and exposition, and 'No Umbrellas Allowed' is the first game in a long time that I'm actually replaying.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engagingly goofy and absurd dystopian elements, complemented by a charming cyberpunk pixel art aesthetic. Players appreciate the surprising narrative twists, humorous dialogue, and a cozy soundtrack that enhance the overall experience, making it feel more immersive and enjoyable. Many reviewers note that the atmosphere elevates the game beyond its individual components, creating a unique and memorable setting.
- “The atmosphere is great and makes the game more than the sum of its parts.”
- “The cyberpunk pixel art aesthetic is really cute and atmospheric, and there are so many different pop culture references to be found as well.”
- “The music is great, very comfy and atmospheric.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring continually surprising narrative twists and witty dialogue that enhance its engagingly goofy atmosphere. Players appreciate the sarcastic robot companion, which adds comedic value to interactions while providing guidance without being intrusive. Overall, the humor, along with clever references, contributes to a highly enjoyable experience that encourages extended playtime.
- “Continually surprising narrative twists and humorous dialogue make this an even better game of its type than 'Papers, Please', and the absurdity of the dystopian elements contributes to its engagingly goofy atmosphere.”
- “Funny, great references, can play for hours and hours.”
- “The sarcastic little robot companion makes all the interactions funny, and helps guide you without feeling like hand-holding.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find it complicated and engaging, others feel that the story starts strong but becomes slow and lacks significant emotional depth. Overall, the emotional impact varies, with some enjoying the journey despite its flaws.
- “It gets complicated and emotional but still enjoyable throughout, and I'm not even close to finishing.”
- “Fun beginning... slow, boring story.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's user interface is poorly optimized, leading to frequent misclicks and a frustrating experience for players.
- “The UI is not optimized, and it's easy to misclick.”
- “The UI is not optimized, and it's easy to misclick.”