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Nocturnals

Nocturnals Game Cover
90%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
stability, grinding
90% User Score Based on 802 reviews

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Nocturnals Game Cover

About

Nocturnals is a single player action game. It was developed by Cowboy Toad Games and was released on September 13, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

A short, choose your own adventure game about two boys surviving the apocalypse.

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Nocturnals screenshot
Nocturnals screenshot
Nocturnals screenshot
Nocturnals screenshot
Nocturnals screenshot
Nocturnals screenshot
Nocturnals screenshot
Nocturnals screenshot
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Nocturnals screenshot
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 802 reviews
story156 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating story with relatable characters and impactful choices that affect the outcome.
  • The art style is unique and visually appealing, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
  • The game includes multiple endings, encouraging replayability and exploration of different narrative paths.
  • The game is very short, with a typical playtime of around an hour, which may leave players wanting more content.
  • There are issues with voice acting and some dialogue that can feel flat or unconvincing in tense situations.
  • Players cannot skip cutscenes or dialogue, making it tedious to replay for different endings.
  • story
    350 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally praised for its engaging and relatable narrative, featuring a simple yet believable plot that resonates with players, particularly in its exploration of a gay love story set in a post-apocalyptic world. However, many reviews note that the story is quite short, typically lasting around an hour, which leaves players wanting more content and depth. Despite its brevity, the storytelling is complemented by strong character development and multiple endings influenced by player choices, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “The storytelling is great accompanied with an amazing soundtrack that puts you into the game.”
    • “The relatively short story was rich with fragments of lore that completely hook you into wanting to learn more about the world, or what is left of it.”
    • “First off all I love the soundtrack of this game along with the artwork, really sets the atmosphere of a lonely, ominous post-apocalyptic world, the characters and their relationship as it progresses or regresses gives the game deep meaning as you venture into an empty world, the story, albeit short was one of the best I have seen and brings out emotions for these characters, what has been achieved in this short game is really impactful, would definitely recommend.”
    • “The story and scale of this game is very small though so there isn't much that is explored.”
    • “The story is half decent with each story being relatively short which wouldn't be a problem if you could skip the same replaying of cut scenes.”
    • “Overall kind of disappointed with it, it's a lot shorter than I thought it would be and the story just reads like a bad fanfic written by a teenager.”
  • graphics
    100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics have received mixed feedback, with many praising its unique art style that blends 2D and 3D elements, creating a visually appealing experience. However, some players noted graphical glitches and inconsistencies, such as disappearing objects and empty voids, which detracted from the overall immersion. Despite these issues, the art style is often highlighted as a standout feature, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and narrative.

    • “The art style is unique, pretty, and never took me out of the story.”
    • “Graphics: the best part of the game, very beautiful, and really original as well.”
    • “The animation is amazing with surprisingly graphic kills that genuinely shocked me every time.”
    • “Game is great but sadly I have a crappy old computer so I have to put it on the lowest graphics settings to run.”
    • “There are a lot of graphical mishaps though and places where you can see something strange, such as looking out the train cart window to see an empty void with a wall, or having half of a bridge/tunnel disappear when you walk too far away.”
    • “I've seen many very negative comments; 'too short, too gay, too simple in terms of graphics' and that your decisions don't matter.”
  • gameplay
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is reminiscent of Telltale's style, featuring straightforward mechanics that emphasize storytelling and player choices, which many found immersive and engaging. However, several users criticized the game for its short runtime, suggesting that it lacks depth and could benefit from additional interactive elements or puzzles. Overall, while the narrative is praised, the gameplay experience is seen as basic and potentially unsatisfying due to its brevity.

    • “I love this game; it's very storytelling, and I love the mechanics. It mostly reminds me of Until Dawn and The Quarry.”
    • “10/10 storytelling, 10/10 gameplay.”
    • “The story is amazing, and the gameplay makes it so much more immersive.”
    • “$8 for less than 2 hours of gameplay isn't good.”
    • “Gameplay-wise it was okay, but it felt like the game would force you to progress before you could actually do stuff.”
    • “Gameplay: it's really basic; I'm talking an 8-year-old could figure these things out and would find it boring as well.”
  • emotional
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a heartfelt narrative that resonates with players, often leading to tears during key moments. Its strong representation of LGBTQ+ relationships adds to its wholesomeness, while the blend of horror elements enhances the overall experience. Players recommend it for those seeking a touching story with genuine character connections, despite its short playtime.

    • “I cried at least twice, and I think I could say I'm this game's biggest fan.”
    • “It's such a touching game, where choices will lead to some really nasty outcomes.”
    • “Nocturnals is a truly beautiful and heartfelt game.”
  • music
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its ability to enhance the storytelling and atmosphere, with many describing the soundtrack as divine and chill, effectively setting a post-apocalyptic tone. While some users noted a lack of audio adjustment options, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's emotional impact and immersive experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, complementing the game's art and design.

    • “The storytelling is great accompanied with an amazing soundtrack that puts you into the game.”
    • “First off, I love the soundtrack of this game along with the artwork; it really sets the atmosphere of a lonely, ominous post-apocalyptic world.”
    • “Awesome style and graphics, take into account it was made by a very small team; great game overall with awesome music.”
    • “Short less than an hour game bad voice acting feels like a browser game has no character depth, no lore, walking dead game action scene music stolen and placed here.”
    • “That being said, the only complaint I have for this game is the fact there is no setting to adjust audio in the game, only turn off the music, and an option for this in the future for other possible games would be great.”
    • “Diego also plays music very loudly during the middle of the night, possibly luring both the nocturnal monster and one of the girls to you.”
  • replayability
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability with multiple endings—reportedly six to eight—encouraging players to experience different outcomes through multiple playthroughs. However, many players noted that the endings are quite similar, and the inability to skip cutscenes can make repeated runs feel tedious. Overall, while the game is short and engaging, its replay value is somewhat hampered by these factors.

    • “The six endings also make the game very replayable.”
    • “This game has multiple endings which expect you to go through multiple playthroughs for its replay value.”
    • “This game is one of the best things I've ever bought and I would say you should spend your money 100%. This game is replayable and makes you wish you could continue the story once it ends!”
    • “It gives the game replayability with it having several endings, but the endings are very similar to each other and you can't skip the cutscenes or do much to speedrun through the game.”
    • “A short narrative game that's about an hour (tops) for a playthrough and has six endings to find to encourage replayability (there's no options to skip stuff you've seen so it can get a bit stale seeing the similar scenes again and again).”
    • “Replayability: there are supposedly 8 different endings to the game but I only really bothered to get one, so I don't know how varied these endings are. However, from what the game shows, it does seem like all the choices you make have a pretty big impact on exactly which ending you get, which suggests the replayability is pretty significant.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant bugs, such as freezing shortly after starting, while others noted minor issues like camera warping. Despite these problems, many users expressed optimism for future fixes and highlighted that the game runs well on the Steam Deck. Overall, while there are stability concerns, they do not seem to overshadow the enjoyment of the game for many players.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “The game got stuck less than 10 minutes in. I tried reloading multiple times; I can only assume the rest of the game is a buggy mess as well.”
    • “It was good, but a bit buggy.”
    • “Just a little buggy with the camera warping a little while moving around, but thankfully not a big deal and I'm sure it'll be fixed soon.”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by its engaging and intentionally unprofessional voice acting, which adds to the comedic experience rather than detracts from it. Players appreciate the blend of dark humor and gore, with memorable lines and absurd situations that enhance the overall enjoyment. The unique art style and quirky character interactions further contribute to the game's comedic charm, making it a standout feature.

    • “Anytime the voice acting wasn't 'realistic' it was simply funny and more engaging.”
    • “The art style is also so cool (and really funny at times, stand directly under Diego when he's on the ladder, it's hilarious).”
    • “And the voice actors are spot-on...the dry British humor while we're running for our lives is everything.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the inability to skip cutscenes or dialogue, which makes replaying sections feel repetitive and time-consuming. Many express that extensive grinding may require a significant time investment, likening it to needing a "second life" to fully engage with the game.

    • “There doesn't seem to be a way to skip cutscenes or dialogue, so playing through multiple times can get tedious.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is praised for its charm and cuteness, complementing the game's appealing art style and character designs. Players find themselves deeply engaged with the characters, indicating a strong emotional connection fostered through their development.

    • “The graphics were great and the character development was so cute.”
    • “I'm in love with the art style and character designs, so they're going to be my hyperfixation for a while.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is profoundly enhanced by its evocative soundtrack and striking artwork, effectively immersing players in a lonely, ominous post-apocalyptic world. The emotional depth of the characters and their evolving relationships adds significant meaning to the experience, making the short yet impactful story resonate deeply with players. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that contributes to the game's emotional weight and storytelling.

    • “I love the soundtrack of this game along with the artwork; it really sets the atmosphere of a lonely, ominous post-apocalyptic world. The characters and their relationships, as they progress or regress, give the game deep meaning as you venture into an empty world. The story, albeit short, is one of the best I have seen and evokes strong emotions for these characters. What has been achieved in this short game is truly impactful; I would definitely recommend it.”
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3h Median play time
3h Average play time
1-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Nocturnals is a action game.

Nocturnals is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Nocturnals.

Nocturnals was released on September 13, 2024.

Nocturnals was developed by Cowboy Toad Games.

Nocturnals has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Nocturnals is a single player game.

Similar games include SCP: Secret Files, Dispatch, The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, Heartbound and others.