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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!

Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
Odyssey - The Story of Science screenshot
+1

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 502 reviews
story52 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions

  • The game offers an imaginative approach to teaching science and scientific history through a young girl's journal, making it engaging for players of all ages.
  • The graphics are visually appealing, creating a fun and immersive environment to explore.
  • The puzzles are well-designed and reinforce the concepts taught in the journal, providing a satisfying learning experience.
  • The game relies heavily on reading, with a significant amount of text that can feel tedious and overwhelming, especially for players who prefer more interactive gameplay.
  • The puzzles can be too simple, often providing answers directly in the journal, which diminishes the challenge and satisfaction of solving them.
  • The game ends abruptly without a proper conclusion, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and wanting more.
  • story
    216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 found the narrative engaging and educational, many expressed disappointment with its abrupt ending and lack of resolution, suggesting that the story feels incomplete and overly reliant on reading. Overall, the integration of story and puzzles received mixed reviews, with some appreciating the educational aspects while others criticized the pacing and coherence of the plot.

    • “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.”
    • “This was done as a bait-and-switch to get you invested in the story and to then trick you into buying the sequel to discover the ending, but they never made a sequel, so you can't even solve this problem with more money!”
  • graphics
    124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the beautiful aesthetics and overall decent quality, especially for an indie title. However, some critiques highlight issues such as texture errors, janky movement, and a lack of polish compared to AAA games. Overall, while the visuals are often described as charming and atmospheric, they are not without their flaws, suggesting room for improvement.

    • “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.”
    • “I don't know what engine the game runs on but some of the graphical structures, like bushes and trees, are a bit primitive, and there's some audio errors where you sound like you're walking on sand wherever you go.”
  • gameplay
    62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is often criticized for being overly reliant on reading extensive journal entries, which detracts from the interactive experience and makes it feel more like a textbook than a game. While the puzzles are generally accessible and the educational content is appreciated, many players find the overall gameplay lacking in depth and excitement, with some noting that it resembles a Myst-like experience but fails to deliver engaging mechanics. Overall, the game offers a unique educational twist but struggles to balance narrative and gameplay effectively.

    • “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.”
    • “If the mechanics of the game are nothing new to you, it’s still an interesting way of figuring out puzzles, and if these areas of science are something you’re new to, you’ll likely enjoy reading all about the real world history everything is based on, from Aristotle to Ptolemy.”
    • “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.”
    • “I appreciate the scientific and philosophical approach to games, but so far there's too little gameplay and too much reading.”
    • “The concept is neat, but the actual play mechanics are dreadful.”
  • music
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for being beautiful, relaxing, and fitting well with the visuals, enhancing the overall ambiance and exploration experience. However, some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive, lacking variety and depth, which detracts from the overall sound design. While the music complements the game's aesthetic, it is often described as mediocre or not memorable enough to warrant a standalone purchase.

    • “The game is beautiful in both presentation and ambience, the music is very relaxing and really helps keep a cool head.”
    • “The game is beautiful, the music is relaxing, and the puzzles are entertaining.”
    • “The graphics are great, the music really fits the place and the part you are at.”
    • “Unlike Myst, 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 lack of index or page selection for the expedition diary book and quite sleepy music in places for reading and absorbing the missed knowledge.”
  • atmosphere
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a visually pleasing tropical island setting that evokes a mystical and soothing experience, reminiscent of titles like Myst. While many players appreciate the beautiful scenery and atmospheric elements, some feel that the overall experience may be too simplistic or childish, particularly for those seeking a more challenging gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is well-received, though it may not satisfy everyone, especially those primarily drawn to atmospheric themes.

    • “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.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 engaging content, many feel that the lengthy text detracts from the overall experience, especially for non-native speakers.

    • “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.”
  • optimization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is criticized for frequent mouse sensitivity issues and persistent micro-stuttering, particularly due to a mismatch between the game's rendering frame rate and the monitor's refresh rate. While performance is generally deemed mediocre across various aspects, users report that the game 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.”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is mixed, with some players experiencing occasional bugs and game-breaking glitches, particularly related to inventory controls and getting stuck in certain areas. However, frequent checkpoints allow players to reload and often resolve these issues. Conversely, some users report a smooth experience with no noticeable bugs or crashes.

    • “A little bit buggy at times, but it has checkpoints that save relatively often, so quitting and re-entering will result in fixing most of the glitches.”
    • “And all of this is ignoring the occasional game-breaking glitches and clunky inventory controls that also plague this thing.”
    • “A little bit buggy at times, but it has checkpoints that save relatively often, so quitting and re-entering will result in fixing most of the glitches.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate a mixed emotional response, with some players finding the story boring and lacking depth, while others appreciate the emotional investment and personal challenges that enhance their understanding of the game's concepts. Overall, the emotional engagement varies significantly among players, with some feeling a strong connection through experimentation and learning, while others remain disengaged.

    • “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.”
    • “Boring story (if it can be called a story).”
    • “Boring story (if it can be called a story).”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews indicate a lack of character development, as players note that there are no other characters present on the island, limiting any potential for growth or interaction.

    • “As of now, there is no one on the island except yourself, so there is no character development yet.”
    • “As of now, there is no one on the island except yourself, so there is no character development yet.”
    • “No character development.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is generally considered to have no replayability, with multiple users expressing that once completed, there is little incentive to play again.

    • “There is no replayability.”
    • “The game lacks any replayability.”
    • “Replayability is virtually nonexistent.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game to be visually appealing and appreciate its humor, noting that it offers a fun experience despite its shorter length.

    • “Really a beautiful game, not so long but quite funny to play.”

Buy Odyssey - The Story of Science

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
4-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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