No Umbrellas Allowed

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 360 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
No Umbrellas Allowed Game Cover
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"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.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 360 reviews
gameplay65 positive mentions
stability7 negative mentions
  • Unique and engaging gameplay that combines elements of appraising items and managing a pawn shop in a dystopian setting.
  • Rich story with multiple endings that keeps players invested in the characters and their choices.
  • Visually appealing pixel art style and a charming soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • Poor translation and localization issues that can lead to confusion and misunderstandings of game mechanics.
  • Some gameplay mechanics feel overly punishing, making it difficult to progress without making mistakes.
  • The pacing can be slow, with repetitive dialogue and lengthy travel times that detract from the overall experience.
  • gameplay209 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating complexities, often compared to "Papers, Please" but set in a pawn shop environment. While many players appreciate the core loop of appraising and selling items, they also note that the introduction of numerous mechanics can be overwhelming and poorly explained, leading to confusion and a steep learning curve. Overall, the gameplay is described as addictive and satisfying, but marred by issues such as localization problems, repetitive elements, and a story that sometimes detracts from the experience.

    • “The main gameplay loop always kept me coming back for more, as there were little additions and surprises along the way.”
    • “The gameplay loop is very fun -- challenging, yet rewarding, with the best ending requiring you to play reasonably well throughout the whole game.”
    • “The combination of the mechanics of games like 'Papers, Please' and the simulation of pawn shops, with items and mechanics that influence that, along with the dystopian setting and many intricate endings make this game a must-have for anyone who enjoys dystopian simulators or document-checking games.”
    • “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 turned out to be more shallow than I expected, but still held my interest for the first half of the game by slowly introducing new mechanics.”
    • “The main issue I have with the game is how much the story impedes gameplay.”
  • story192 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring multiple branching paths influenced by player choices, which adds depth and replayability. While some players find the narrative engaging and well-integrated with the gameplay, others criticize it for being convoluted, slow, or overly text-heavy, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the story's quality varies significantly among players, with some appreciating its unique dystopian themes and others feeling it hampers gameplay.

    • “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.”
    • “The story is interesting enough and it does a good job of adding new mechanics throughout the game to keep things interesting.”
    • “The story makes it more engrossing toward the lore of the game, and you can find yourself well-immersed in the histories behind items and people you encountered.”
    • “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.”
    • “The story is built to be frustrating.”
  • graphics33 mentions

    Overall, the graphics of the game are widely praised for their appealing art style, which many find charming and atmospheric, particularly in its retro pixel art aesthetic. Players appreciate the passion evident in the visuals, noting that the graphics complement the compelling story and engaging gameplay. However, some reviews mention minor issues with translation that can detract from the overall experience, though this does not significantly overshadow the positive reception of the game's artistic elements.

    • “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.”
    • “The graphics and music suit the game.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality, charm, and ability to create a comforting atmosphere, with many players expressing a desire for the soundtrack to be released separately. While some note that the soundtrack can become repetitive, it is generally considered a standout aspect that enhances the overall experience alongside the game's art and story. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a memorable part of the gameplay.

    • “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 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 music is great, very comfy and atmospheric.”
    • “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.”
  • stability7 mentions

    The game exhibits significant stability issues, particularly on PS5, where users report it as a "buggy mess," while the PC version performs 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”
    • “A bit of note though, the game is still fairly buggy.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly 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 more enjoyable without the excessive backtracking and grinding. Despite these drawbacks, some players still recommend 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.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the multiple endings and engaging storytelling that encourage replaying, others find overlapping endings and repetitive elements detract from the experience. Despite these criticisms, many users still enjoy the game enough to replay it, indicating a significant level of replay value.

    • “Its gameplay simplicity reflects a very curated storytelling and multiple endings, guaranteeing a high replayability.”
    • “I've abandoned many 'replayable' games 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.”
    • “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.”
    • “Some people probably would find this annoying after a while, but others would say that it makes the game have more replay value.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by its engagingly goofy tone, enhanced by surprising narrative twists and humorous dialogue, reminiscent of "Papers, Please." Players appreciate the unique cyberpunk pixel art style and the comfortable music, which together create a rich and immersive setting filled with pop culture references. Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a standout feature that elevates the game beyond its individual components.

    • “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.”
    • “They've done a lot of little things right; the atmosphere is great and makes the game more than the sum of its parts.”
    • “The music is great, very comfy and atmospheric.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The game is praised for its continually surprising narrative twists and humorous dialogue, creating an engagingly goofy atmosphere enhanced by its absurd dystopian elements. Players appreciate the witty references and the comedic interactions with a sarcastic robot companion, which adds to the overall humor without being overly guiding.

    • “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.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find the story starts off fun but becomes slow and less impactful, others appreciate the complexity and emotional depth, noting it remains enjoyable despite its pacing. Overall, the emotional engagement varies significantly among players.

    • “It gets complicated and emotional but still enjoyable throughout, and I'm not even close to finishing.”
    • “The emotional impact is profound, leaving a lasting impression long after the game is over.”
    • “The story weaves a tapestry of emotions that resonate deeply with the player.”
    • “The game starts off fun, but the story quickly becomes slow and boring.”
    • “I expected an emotional journey, but it felt flat and uninspired.”
    • “The characters lacked depth, making it hard to connect with their struggles.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's user interface is poorly optimized, leading to frequent misclicks and a frustrating experience for players.

    • “The UI is not optimized, making it easy to misclick.”
    • “Performance issues are rampant, leading to frustrating lag during gameplay.”
    • “The game frequently crashes, indicating poor optimization across various systems.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

7hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
3-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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