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Old Man's Journey

A short but bittersweet journey left open for some soul searching.
Old Man's Journey Game Cover
78%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
replayability, grinding
87% User Score Based on 823 reviews
Critic Score 66%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

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Old Man's Journey Game Cover

About

Old Man's Journey is a single player and multiplayer casual action adventure game with drama, kids and violence themes. It was developed by Broken Rules and was released on May 17, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Old Man's Journey" is a soul-searching puzzle adventure game that tells the story of an old man's life through beautiful visuals and heartfelt vignettes. By solving lighthearted puzzles, you shape the landscape and guide the old man through a handcrafted, sunkissed world, uncovering memories of his past and exploring themes of loss, reconciliation, and hope. This meditative and reflective game provides a compact, immersive experience, delighting in quiet puzzles and introspection.

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Old Man's Journey screenshot
Old Man's Journey screenshot
Old Man's Journey screenshot
Old Man's Journey screenshot
Old Man's Journey screenshot
Old Man's Journey screenshot
Old Man's Journey screenshot
Old Man's Journey screenshot
Old Man's Journey screenshot
Skip User Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 823 reviews
story242 positive mentions
replayability5 negative mentions
  • Beautiful art style and lovely music that enhance the emotional experience.
  • Impeccable storytelling that resonates with themes of love, loss, and reflection.
  • Simple yet engaging puzzles that complement the narrative without being overly challenging.
  • Very short gameplay, typically completed in about 1.5 to 2 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
  • Repetitive puzzle mechanics that can become tedious over time.
  • The protagonist's backstory may leave some players feeling unsympathetic towards him.
  • story
    604 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Old Man's Journey" is a poignant and bittersweet narrative that unfolds through beautiful visuals and music, primarily conveyed without dialogue. While some players found the plot predictable and clichéd, many appreciated its emotional depth and relatability, reflecting on themes of love, regret, and the choices we make in life. The game is generally described as a short, relaxing experience, with simple puzzles that serve to enhance the storytelling rather than challenge the player.

    • “The story is touching and memorable.”
    • “A beautiful game, which inspires you with quiet and lovely atmosphere of one man's story, it's tells you a tale but without any text, messages and signs, only with your imagination and tiny amount of symbols, which gives you an unforgettable feeling of its own, imaginary, but wonderful world.”
    • “The story is a cliché, yes, but a well done cliché is worth a lot, and as things stand I just ended up crying during the ending (without giving away the details, it's bittersweet in the way that stories about life often are, but also hopeful).”
    • “The story is very male-centric, favoring a man who abandons his family.”
    • “The plot doesn't do anything to criticize the old man's awful behavior aside from him regretting it.”
    • “The story is basic and predictable from the start.”
  • gameplay
    282 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Old Man's Journey" is characterized by its simplicity and minimalism, primarily revolving around a single mechanic of manipulating the landscape to guide the protagonist. While the unique puzzle mechanics and beautiful visuals are praised, many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, leading to a sense of boredom over time. Overall, the game is more about the emotional journey and artistic presentation than challenging gameplay, making it suitable for those seeking a relaxing experience rather than a complex puzzle challenge.

    • “The gameplay is imaginative, blending with the artwork in a unique way.”
    • “The main gameplay mechanic, while favoring simple puzzle elements, remained engaging and extremely satisfying throughout.”
    • “Beautiful art, a touching story, simple puzzles with an interesting mechanic.”
    • “The gameplay itself is very boring, though.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive and somewhat boring, but I still recommend this game because of the amazing artwork.”
    • “The gameplay is very simple.”
  • graphics
    256 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning, hand-drawn art style that evokes a sense of tranquility and emotional depth, often likened to a watercolor painting or a children's book. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, which enhance the storytelling experience, despite some criticism regarding the gameplay's simplicity and lack of challenge. Overall, the game's aesthetic appeal is a significant highlight, making it a recommended choice for those who value artistic presentation in gaming.

    • “The art style is gorgeous; it feels like you are exploring a colorful children's picture book.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the music suits each scene well, and the story—while sentimental and familiar—is still touching.”
    • “The artwork is amazing, and the soundtrack is fitting.”
    • “Promising aesthetic, but simply put - boring.”
    • “Visuals are beautiful, but the mechanics are boring and you just kind of force yourself to get through it to see more of the levels and unfolding story.”
    • “Frequent graphical glitches, a lack of puzzle variety or challenge, and a lame tearjerker ending turn this from a weak recommendation into a begrudging no.”
  • music
    243 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional resonance, enhancing the overall experience with soothing and calming soundtracks that complement the stunning visuals. Many players found the soundtrack to be a standout feature, effectively conveying the game's themes and atmosphere, even if some felt it occasionally lacked relevance to the narrative. Overall, the combination of enchanting music and gorgeous art creates a captivating and immersive journey for players.

    • “The music fits the mood perfectly and the little changes in the tune play well together with the feeling of the story.”
    • “The art is beautiful, the music ebbs and flows with the journey, the puzzles are simple and enjoyable and it's a general delight to experience.”
    • “The art and soundtrack do a perfect job of telling a beautiful story.”
    • “Unfortunately, it is a rather dull 2-hour stroll through a landscape straight out of a children's storybook, but with a decent soundtrack.”
    • “I did not feel the emotions because of the music in the game, and I believe that this is the worst thing in the game.”
    • “It felt like a canned attempt to play to my emotions - play some sad, childlike music and show some nostalgic scenes and hope that some of them would strike a sentimental theme.”
  • emotional
    177 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its touching narrative, beautiful art style, and evocative soundtrack, which together create a heartfelt experience that resonates with players. Many reviewers noted that the game, despite its short length, effectively conveys a range of emotions, often leading to tears and deep reflection on themes of love, loss, and nostalgia. However, some players felt that the emotional impact was diminished by predictability or a lack of character depth, suggesting that while the game is visually stunning and charming, it may not fully satisfy those seeking a more profound emotional journey.

    • “This game made me feel happy and yet managed to bring me to tears, which is everything but easy.”
    • “A beautiful, heartfelt tale about love, loss, the choices we make and how those choices intersect with others.”
    • “The story is very touching and exceptionally well done for a game with no dialogue at all.”
  • atmosphere
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its gorgeous art, soothing music, and nostalgic warmth, creating a peaceful and immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight the effective combination of visuals and sound that enhances the emotional depth of the story, despite some criticism regarding the relevance of the music to the overall atmosphere. Overall, the game is recommended for those seeking a short, atmospheric experience with simple mechanics and a touching narrative.

    • “Beautiful game with gorgeous art and a really peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere created by the music, colors, animation, and mechanics leads to powerful depth, revisiting the everlasting motif of 'the journey'.”
    • “The pastel, hand-painted style was even more impressive than expected, and the pleasing soundtrack helped flesh out a very lovely atmosphere.”
    • “The worst thing that I criticize is that the music is not relevant to the atmosphere.”
    • “I wish this game's visuals, music, and atmosphere had been paired with a different story.”
    • “However, the puzzle mechanics don't go well with the atmosphere and it feels like a separate game.”
  • replayability
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers minimal replayability, with most players completing it in about 80-120 minutes and expressing that it is best enjoyed as a one-time experience. While some appreciate its unique artistic elements, many reviewers suggest that the lack of collectibles or challenges significantly diminishes its replay value, making it more suitable for a discounted purchase rather than a full-price buy.

    • “It has replay value in the sense that it's like a sweet film you'll put on again, some quiet afternoon or evening months or years later, when the right mood strikes.”
    • “You'll get 2 hours of gameplay for your first playthrough with similar replayability akin to a game like Limbo.”
    • “I kind of wish there were some kind of collectible items or memorabilia to discover to make it feel a bit more like a game and to potentially add some replay value.”
    • “If you are looking for hardcore action, puzzles, depth of story, or replayability, this is not the game for you.”
    • “But there is only 80 minutes of play time in it, with no replay value.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game is over very quickly, and can easily be done in one sitting, and with little to no replayability value, you may end up regretting your choice in buying this game.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and repetitive, with some players finding the gameplay boring and overly complex at times. While there are moments of enjoyment, the overall experience can feel stretched and monotonous, leading to frustration. However, some players appreciate the opportunity to create beautiful backgrounds, suggesting a silver lining to the grind.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding, as it allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear.”
    • “The grind is satisfying, with each level-up feeling like a significant achievement.”
    • “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels tedious and always offers something new to strive for.”
    • “I'm typically very tolerant of dry, redundant, and 'grindy' games, but I just found the gameplay itself to be plain boring.”
    • “Gameplay is repetitive and tedious as hell.”
    • “I honestly hate the gameplay because at times it's really fun and easy (like the train ride), but at other times it's overly complex and tedious with a small margin of error.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is marred by frequent bugs and graphical glitches, including stuttering during gameplay and texture issues in specific scenes. These technical problems significantly detract from the overall experience, leading many reviewers to express frustration and ultimately recommend against the game.

    • “Although the graphics are superb and the idea was supposed to create a relaxing experience while following a story, the gameplay is extremely frustrating and buggy, spoiling everything.”
    • “I read a lot of reviews complaining about bugs and glitches.”
    • “Some stuttering during the train segment and texture glitches in the underwater scene leave room for improvement.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its innovative mechanics and overall fun experience, though some feel it can become repetitive quickly. The game's short length does not detract from its comedic elements, which are complemented by a great soundtrack and graphics.

    • “It was a short game, but it was funny and easy to play!”
    • “The mechanics are innovative and funny, but they get old rather fast.”
    • “The soundtrack and graphics are really great, and the gameplay is kind of funny in a way.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is noted to have issues, including stuttering during train segments and texture glitches in underwater scenes, indicating that there is potential for improvement in performance.

    • “Some stuttering during the train segment and texture glitches in the underwater scene leave room for improvement.”
    • “The game suffers from frequent frame drops, especially in crowded areas, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
    • “Loading times are excessively long, which disrupts the flow of gameplay and can be quite frustrating.”
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66%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews
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2h Median play time
3h Average play time
2h Main story
2h Completionist
2-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Old Man's Journey is a casual action adventure game with drama, kids and violence themes.

Old Man's Journey is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iPhone, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 2 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 2 hours to finish. On average players spend around 3 hours playing Old Man's Journey.

Old Man's Journey was released on May 17, 2017.

Old Man's Journey was developed by Broken Rules.

Old Man's Journey has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Old Man's Journey is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery, FAR: Lone Sails, Last Day of June, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, When The Past Was Around and others.