Odyssey - The Story of Science

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 251 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Odyssey - The Story of Science Game Cover
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Odyssey is an enchanting and innovative science adventure game. Help Kai and her family escape their captors on the Wretched Islands - and learn the history of astronomy, mechanics, and scientific reasoning as you read Kai's journal and solve puzzles along the way!

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 251 reviews
story26 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • The game offers an imaginative approach to teaching science and science history, making it engaging for players of all ages.
  • The graphics are visually appealing, creating a fun environment to explore.
  • The puzzles are well-designed and reinforce the scientific concepts presented in the journal.
  • The game requires excessive reading, which can detract from the gameplay experience and may not appeal to all players.
  • The puzzles can be too simplistic, often providing answers directly in the journal, reducing the challenge.
  • The game ends abruptly without a satisfying conclusion, leaving players wanting more.
  • story108 mentions

    The story in "Odyssey - The Story of Science" is primarily conveyed through a lengthy diary, which details a young girl's scientific explorations and family experiences on a tropical island. While some players find the narrative engaging and educational, many express disappointment with its abrupt ending and lack of resolution, suggesting that it feels incomplete and may require a sequel to fully satisfy the storyline. Overall, the integration of story and puzzles is appreciated, but the heavy reliance on reading and the pacing issues detract from the overall experience.

    • “The story is told through a diary, which has over 270 pages.”
    • “The story is well laid out, and I like the way the puzzles connect to the story; it gives it a lot of the Myst feeling.”
    • “Awesome story that integrates seamlessly with the puzzles.”
    • “Another major issue is that the story is not complete.”
    • “The story is boring, and seems to have been an afterthought.”
    • “I wanted to love this game, the graphics are lovely and remind me of Myst, however, the story feels like it's designed for a pre-teen and the puzzles are not challenging at all.”
  • graphics62 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising their beauty and charm, particularly in the context of an indie title. However, some critiques highlight technical issues, such as texture errors and a lack of polish compared to AAA games, suggesting that while the visuals are appealing, they may not meet higher expectations. Overall, the graphics are generally considered good for an independent game, contributing positively to the exploration experience.

    • “The graphics are beautiful (especially for such a small development team), and I really liked that the story was written from a child's perspective.”
    • “It's extremely atmospheric and soothing, and the graphics are outstanding.”
    • “The graphics are very pretty indeed, and the sound is done well.”
    • “The graphics are not good, and the movement/looking is janky.”
    • “Also, the graphics would be nice in 1996, but these days it's not too impressive, and honestly a bit glitchy.”
    • “Another minor thing is that the game looks and feels like an unfinished demo and sometimes it reminds me of a game called Raft or something of that sort where you survive on a raft, collect materials and try not to get eaten by sharks. This game feels like a dulled down version of that if you look at it visually, and I only played the game on its highest graphical settings. While it's pretty from afar, it is not so up close.”
  • gameplay31 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by simple mechanics that are easy to master, but it heavily leans on reading extensive journal entries, which detracts from the interactive experience. While the puzzles are reminiscent of classic titles like Myst and incorporate educational elements related to science, many players find the gameplay lacking in depth and engagement, often resorting to brute-forcing solutions. Overall, the game offers a unique educational twist but struggles to balance narrative and gameplay effectively, leading to mixed reviews on its overall enjoyment.

    • “The game mechanics are easily mastered.”
    • “The gameplay is reminiscent of Myst, though it is aimed at conceptualizing scientific ideas in an interactive way, rather than being a series of puzzles to be solved in a fictitious world.”
    • “To solve pretty much every puzzle, you’ll be using geography, mathematics, mechanics, physics, and primarily astronomy.”
    • “So you'll spend a huge amount of time not playing the game, but clicking through some pretty mediocre science textbook stuff because the developers couldn't work out how to relate their narrative through the game mechanics, and decided instead it would be better to compete with reading a book for your time.”
    • “A Myst-like game with an educational twist is an interesting premise on the surface, but the educational aspect is too heavy-handed, with a journal that basically gives you the answer to each puzzle outright, resulting in gameplay that may as well not even be called 'gameplay'.”
    • “I was reluctant but still willing to look past the fact that 90% of the 'gameplay' is reading journal entries.”
  • music24 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for being beautiful, relaxing, and fitting well with the game's ambiance, enhancing the overall experience. However, some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive, lacking variety, and that sound design could be improved, with certain audio elements feeling mediocre or intrusive. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, there are suggestions for more dynamic and varied audio to elevate the experience further.

    • “The game is beautiful in both presentation and ambience, the music is very relaxing and really helps keep a cool head.”
    • “The game looks fantastic, the music is beautiful, controls are simple to learn, the puzzles are well made, and the story is captivating and immersive.”
    • “Beautiful soundtrack wonderfully accompanies exploration and puzzle solving.”
    • “Unlike Myst, however, the music and sound design of Odyssey can only be described as mediocre at best.”
    • “Be prepared for a ton of reading and the same music track played for the entire game with no other audio or voice acting.”
    • “What's bad is the quite sleepy music in places for reading and absorbing the missed knowledge.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a visually pleasing tropical island setting that evokes a mystical and soothing experience, reminiscent of titles like Myst. While many reviewers appreciate the beautiful scenery and the atmospheric elements, some caution that the game may not appeal to those seeking a more challenging experience, as its overall tone is described as somewhat childish and lacking in depth.

    • “It's extremely atmospheric and soothing, and the graphics are outstanding.”
    • “I think Far Cry went a lot further than it could have by trading the traditional, gritty, dingy atmosphere of rival games like Unreal and Quake for a very pleasing to the eye tropical island theme, and that helps Odyssey, too.”
    • “Many reviewers find the gameplay of reading journals and finding clues among the abandoned man-made structures on the uninhabited tropical island that serves as the setting of Odyssey resembling the atmosphere in the game Myst, which I agree.”
    • “Still, the overall visual and audio experience does manage to give the game its slightly mystical atmosphere.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the extensive reading required, which can slow down gameplay significantly. While some appreciate the educational value and depth of the content, the lengthy text can be overwhelming, especially for non-native speakers. Overall, the experience is mixed, with some players feeling it detracts from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “Not necessarily bad, but for me very tedious since the gameplay is about 1 minute per 20 pages of book read.”
    • “The book is very tedious to read.”
    • “I was extremely impressed by the game--but I did sometimes find it difficult to follow and a bit tedious.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for inconsistent mouse sensitivity and frequent micro-stuttering, particularly due to a mismatch between the game's rendering frame rate and the monitor's refresh rate. While performance is generally mediocre across various aspects, users have noted that it runs smoothly on Linux using Steam Play tools.

    • “Oh, by the way, if you play on Linux, this game runs smoothly using the Steam Play tools.”
    • “There are constant odd inconsistencies with mouse sensitivity and micro-stuttering.”
    • “Constant stuttering because the game is being rendered at 50 fps, which is not the same as my monitor.”
    • “Mediocre in performance, graphics, user interface, and storyline.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game's stability is mixed; while some players report a generally smooth experience with no crashes or glitches, others encounter bugs, including game-breaking issues and stuck characters, necessitating reloads. Frequent checkpoints help mitigate these problems, allowing players to resolve minor glitches by restarting.

    • “A little bit buggy at times, but it has checkpoints that save relatively often, so quitting and re-entering will fix most of the glitches.”
    • “And all of this is ignoring the occasional game-breaking glitches and clunky inventory controls that also plague this game.”
    • “No bugs, no crashes, no glitches I observed; everything is running smoothly.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Reviews indicate a mixed emotional response, with some players finding the story lacking and unengaging, while others appreciate the deep emotional investment and personal challenge that comes from the gameplay and experimentation, leading to a lasting understanding of the concepts involved.

    • “The emotional investment in the story, personal challenge to find an answer, and time investment spent on experimentation all leave you with such a thorough understanding of the concepts that they will be permanently ingrained in your brain.”
    • “The story is incredibly dull, if it can even be called a story at all.”
    • “I felt no emotional connection to the characters or their struggles.”
    • “The attempts at emotional depth fell flat and felt forced.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The reviews indicate a lack of character development, as players note that there are currently no other characters on the island to interact with, resulting in a stagnant narrative experience.

    • “There is no character development.”
    • “As of now, there is no one on the island except yourself, so there is no character development yet.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game is noted for having little to no replayability, suggesting that once completed, players may not find sufficient incentive to revisit it.

    • “There is no replayability in this game.”
    • “The game lacks any incentive to play again.”
    • “Once you finish it, there's really no reason to go back.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The game is praised for its humor, providing an enjoyable and amusing experience despite its shorter length.

    • “Really a beautiful game, not so long but quite funny to play.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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