Noir Syndrome

About

Noir Syndrome is a single player role playing game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Entropy Phi and was released on June 4, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Noir Syndrome" is a procedurally generated detective murder-mystery game with a new story each time, featuring pixel art animations and a jazzy soundtrack. Players must visit locations, interrogate suspects, search for clues, and solve the case before the killer escapes or they meet their own demise. With permanent choices, a notebook for collecting clues, and a ticking countdown, every action counts in this unique investigation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 256 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

story8 negative mentions

The gameplay loop is compelling and offers a unique take on detective work with randomized characters and scenarios.
The game provides a fun and casual experience, perfect for short play sessions, with a charming atmosphere and enjoyable music.
There is a good level of freedom in how players can approach investigations, allowing for various play styles and strategies.

The game becomes repetitive quickly, with limited variation in gameplay despite the randomized elements.
The mechanics are overly simplistic, relying heavily on luck rather than skill or deduction, which can lead to frustration.
There is a lack of depth in the story and character development, making it feel more like a puzzle game than a true detective experience.

gameplay
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
8%
The gameplay in "Noir Syndrome" is characterized by a simple and repetitive loop focused on clue gathering and suspect interrogation, which can become monotonous despite the potential for randomized elements. While the game offers a charming atmosphere and a few engaging mechanics, such as a hunger system and varying difficulty levels, many players find the overall experience shallow and lacking in depth, leading to a sense of frustration rather than sustained enjoyment. The tutorial is minimal, leaving players to navigate the mechanics largely on their own, which may detract from the overall experience.
- “But the atmosphere and the gameplay is just nice, and I thoroughly enjoyed the few hours I spent playing this game.”
- “Noir syndrome is a great game boasting easy to get into gameplay and a low level time commitment!”
- “Awesome soundtrack, exciting gameplay, with an awesome noir feel about it.”
- “Even though the game boasts theoretically thousands of combinations, really the gameplay only provides few ways of dealing with the situations.”
- “The result is something more likely to annoy you than provide entertainment as the added game mechanics either get in your way or allow you to do really basic actions like robbery for a small reward.”
- “This game is playable, but the shallow gameplay will ultimately lead you to let the game sit in your library untouched for a long time.”
story
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
70%
17%
The story in "Noir Syndrome" is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many reviewers noting that it feels more like a series of random logic puzzles than a cohesive narrative. While players take on the role of a private investigator solving procedurally generated murder mysteries, the absence of meaningful character development or plot progression leads to a repetitive experience that lacks engagement. Overall, the game is seen as a fun gameplay experience, but it fails to deliver a compelling story or a true sense of investigation.
- “I can't honestly say there are any other games I know of that can distill a whole organically woven detective story into a few spare minutes, and that's something this game manages to achieve in a way that's also replayable.”
- “All in all, this is a repeatable noir detective story with a great soundtrack and a great feel to it.”
- “Procedurally generated events are satisfying and suggest a greater story.”
- “Noir Syndrome does not have a story at all, let alone any of these things.”
- “The clues, suspects, and locations where something can be found are random; this also means that the story -- such as it is -- makes no sense at all.”
- “You go through the same motions of searching a location and hammering the 'Z' button to investigate, and because the murders and evidence are randomly generated, there isn't really any depth to the story.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
34%
8%
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric and jazzy noir style, effectively enhancing the gameplay experience. However, some players feel that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, suggesting a need for more variety. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, its limited range may detract from long-term enjoyment.
- “The ambient music is fantastic, 100% noir, so I'd say that is a point in the game's favor as well.”
- “The soundtrack is perfect for the genre and evokes memories of gumshoes, mobsters, and private dicks.”
- “Awesome soundtrack, exciting gameplay, with an awesome noir feel about it.”
- “More music; just a few more noir-themed tunes could really breathe some life into the game.”
- “The music, however basic it is, also helps set the tone.”
- “Its simple graphics and music don't harm the game in any way; in fact, it suits it just fine, but the excessive simplicity of its core mechanics prevents it from being a better game.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it features randomly generated cases that can be played in short sessions of 30-45 minutes, many players feel that the limited number of locations and lack of depth in the narrative diminish its overall replay value. Although there are in-game achievements and challenges to encourage repeated play, some reviewers note that the experience can become repetitive and doesn't fully deliver on its advertised potential for replayability. Overall, it offers a fun experience but may not satisfy those seeking high replay value.
- “I can't honestly say there are any other games I know of that can distill a whole organically woven detective story into a few spare minutes, and that's something this game manages to achieve in a way that's also replayable.”
- “Each case is randomly generated and lasts just a few days, so the replayability factor is huge.”
- “Games themselves are fairly short, ranging from 30-45 minutes, and have infinite replayability, with the suspects and clues completely changing each time.”
- “Unfortunately, despite 'procedural generation' (I don't think the developer used this term correctly), it doesn't offer the kind of replayability you would expect.”
- “Even worse is the fact that, despite this game's advertised replayability, you'll just be visiting the same 12 or so locations trying to find clues that won't really narrow down your search since none of them seem to narrow down anything past 'civilian/mobster/police'.”
- “It doesn't offer enough replay value and, in any way, it compensates for the lack of narrative depth.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
The game's graphics, described as retro pixel art, receive mixed reviews; while some appreciate the noir aesthetic it conveys, others criticize the lack of personality and detail in character designs, labeling them as simplistic and lacking artistic quality. Overall, the graphics may appeal to fans of old-school styles, but those seeking polished visuals may be disappointed.
- “On the positive side, the pixel graphics fit the noir style nicely.”
- “I bought it because of the noir and pixel graphics.”
- “For all the fans of murder mysteries, old school graphics, and point-and-click adventure games, Noir Syndrome is here for all your needs.”
- “Because it’s procedurally generated, characters don’t have personalities, or even distinguished faces (the pixel graphics are far from slick).”
- “Onto all of this is the horrible coating of generic indie-dev laziness known as 'retro graphics'.”
- “I don't have any problem with pixel art graphics (I can even say that I'm biased in favor of them) but the ones in the game just don't have that 'art' quality.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its enjoyable music and diverse 2D locations, each contributing to a unique ambiance. However, some players find the music repetitive over time. Overall, the game successfully captures a compelling film noir vibe that enhances the gameplay experience.
- “But the atmosphere and the gameplay is just nice, and I thoroughly enjoyed the few hours I spent playing this game.”
- “There are a number of locations to visit in the city, each with a different 2D atmosphere of its own.”
- “The game really has the incredible atmosphere and flavor of film noir.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players feel that the grinding required in the game can be tedious and may not justify the full price, as it often relies on their patience to make the game manageable across different difficulty levels.
- “It simply isn't worth the full cost, and it hinges on your willingness to continue grinding away until the game becomes 'easy enough' at each of the difficulties you'll be playing in.”