Noir Syndrome
- June 4, 2014
- Entropy Phi
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"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.
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Reviews
- The game offers a unique and compelling concept of a procedurally generated detective experience, allowing for different scenarios each time you play.
- The short gameplay loop (5-10 minutes) makes it easy to pick up and play, providing a casual gaming experience that can fit into a busy schedule.
- The atmosphere and music effectively capture the noir theme, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- The gameplay can become extremely repetitive, with limited variation in how to approach investigations despite the randomized elements.
- The mechanics are overly simplistic, often reducing the detective work to mindless button mashing without meaningful engagement or deduction.
- The lack of a coherent story or character development makes it feel shallow, as players do not feel like they are truly solving a mystery.
- gameplay51 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Noir Syndrome" features a simple and repetitive loop centered around investigating clues and interacting with suspects, which can lead to a mindless experience. While the randomized elements and various difficulty levels add some variety, many players find the mechanics shallow and lacking depth, with a frustrating hunger system that detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite its charming atmosphere and stylish presentation, the gameplay ultimately fails to provide a compelling detective experience, leaving players wanting more substance and complexity.
“The twist in this case being a short, tight gameplay loop with randomized characters.”
“Awesome soundtrack, exciting gameplay, with an awesome noir feel about it.”
“Noir Syndrome is a great game boasting easy-to-get-into gameplay and a low level time commitment!”
“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.”
“The gameplay is free and you can go whenever you want mostly, but you have a time limit in days to catch the culprit... or you might just go on a murder spree.”
- story24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many reviewers noting that it feels more like a series of logic puzzles than a fully developed narrative. While players take on the role of a private investigator solving randomly generated murder cases, the absence of a meaningful plot or character development diminishes the overall experience. Despite its procedural nature, the game fails to deliver a compelling story, leading to repetitive gameplay that lacks engagement.
“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.”
“The story of Noir Syndrome is that you are a private investigator whose mission is to solve a murder. In order to do that, you'll have to travel to different locations across your city to gather clues and find suspects. You'll talk to NPCs that may tell you who might have committed the crime or where you could go to find clues. Those clues give you information about the murderer, which eventually helps you pinpoint the culprit, and they are hidden within different objects scattered among various locations. You could find some sunglasses on a seat at the diner, or maybe a jacket on a mattress at some rat-riddled apartment.”
“All in all, this is a repeatable noir detective story with a great soundtrack and a great feel to it.”
“There is no story and no actual investigation.”
“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.”
- music19 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric and genre-appropriate noir style, with many reviewers highlighting its jazzy and enjoyable qualities. However, some players feel that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, suggesting a need for more variety. Overall, while the music enhances the gameplay experience, 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.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it features randomly generated cases and in-game achievements that encourage multiple playthroughs, many players feel that the limited number of locations and lack of narrative depth diminish its overall replay value. Some appreciate the quick, engaging gameplay that allows for repeated attempts, but others find the experience becomes repetitive over time. Overall, it offers decent replayability, though not as high as some might expect.
“It has the basic logic features down, it has badges (in-game achievements), challenges (which aren't always in tandem with solving the mystery), plenty of choices in locations to explore, and most importantly - replayability.”
“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/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.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's graphics, described as retro and pixelated, receive mixed reviews; while some appreciate the noir aesthetic and find the simplicity fitting, others criticize the lack of personality and artistic quality in the visuals. Overall, the graphics may appeal to fans of old-school styles but may disappoint those seeking more polished or detailed designs.
“On the positive side, the pixel graphics fit the noir style nicely.”
“I bought it because of the noir and pixel graphics.”
“Its simple graphics and music don't harm the game in any way; in fact, it suits it just fine.”
“Because it’s procedurally generated, characters don’t have personalities, or even distinguished faces; the pixel graphics are far from slick.”
“On top of 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.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by enjoyable music and diverse 2D locations, each contributing to a unique ambiance. While the music may become repetitive, the overall atmosphere, particularly its film noir flavor, is praised and adds to the enjoyment of the gameplay experience.
“But the atmosphere and the gameplay are 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.”
“The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it feel disjointed and uninspired.”
“Despite the variety of locations, the overall atmosphere feels flat and uninviting.”
“The attempts at creating an immersive atmosphere fall short, leaving the world feeling lifeless.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players feel that the grinding in the game is not justified by its cost, as it requires significant effort to reach a point where the gameplay becomes 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.”
