One Hour One Life
- November 8, 2018
- Jason Rohrer
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"One Hour One Life" is a unique online survival game where players age from newborn to elder in one hour, starting over again in a new life after death. Each life can contribute to the next, as players may be born into the world they helped create in previous lives. The game is updated weekly, offering a persistent, evolving world with new content and modifications. It currently provides a playable, stable experience with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- gameplay304 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "One Hour One Life" is characterized by its unique mechanics that emphasize cooperation, multi-generational learning, and crafting, creating a rich but complex experience. Players often find the learning curve steep, with many mechanics being unintuitive and requiring guidance from others, which can lead to frustration, especially for newcomers. While the game fosters a strong sense of community and emergent narratives, it is also plagued by issues such as griefing, clunky controls, and a lack of clear progression, making the overall experience feel inconsistent and sometimes tedious.
“You can learn mechanics from other players rather than the wiki, and overall the game mechanics feel like they were designed to be taught to you by other players rather than a tutorial or wiki.”
“The gameplay is challenging and extremely complex, with regular thoughtful updates you'll be glad to see.”
“The mechanic of only playing each 'world' for an hour is interesting and surprisingly rewarding, and I believe one can quickly immerse themselves into the simulation of a life well-lived.”
“The gameplay is clunky and very unintuitive.”
“The game's tutorial is pretty badly made, and also does not represent or explain any of the restrictions or gimmick mechanics the game has.”
“The mechanics take a while to get used to and you take about one life to learn one skill.”
- grinding141 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by repetitive and often tedious tasks such as farming, crafting, and resource management, which can be rewarding for dedicated players but may deter those seeking a more casual experience. While many players appreciate the depth and community interaction that comes from mastering these skills, the steep learning curve and cumbersome controls can make the gameplay feel overwhelming and frustrating at times. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy a survival and role-playing experience centered around persistent grinding, but it may not be suitable for everyone due to its demanding nature.
“As the civ climbs the tree, more and more people can work on things that aren't farming, and as your civ has more people able to do building, hunting, foresting, smithing, gathering, it snowballs (those are in the game too) until your civ is so large you have virtually no farmers and almost everyone is doing something else.”
“The game has a good concept but it's incredibly tedious.”
“It's making the experience worse for those who just want to play a quirky family farming sim.”
“An excellent concept of a game ultimately crippled by the developer's insistence that the gameplay be overwhelmingly hectic and tedious.”
- graphics131 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, hand-drawn art style that many players find appealing, despite its simplicity and occasional jankiness. While some appreciate the unique aesthetic and homemade feel, others criticize the visuals as subpar and not fitting for the game's concept. Overall, the graphics evoke a sense of nostalgia and creativity, but may not satisfy those seeking high-fidelity visuals.
“In all seriousness, this game is very in-depth, with a unique art style to it!”
“The graphics are charmingly cartoonish, surviving actually kinda simple once you get the hang of it, what matters is that you get one hour to live, to try to help your family line to continue.”
“The art style is beautiful, hand-drawn by Jason, and once again matches the theme of the game perfectly.”
“If you're looking for graphics, don't play it.”
“The graphics/sounds are janky, and the crafting/item interaction is clunky and confusing, but there's an experience that's really special here.”
“Great idea for a game, and the low-quality artwork and sounds could be forgiven if the game wasn't such a chore to play.”
- emotional121 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to create deeply personal and touching experiences, often leading players to feel a strong connection to their in-game families and communities. Many reviews emphasize the game's wholesome nature, with heartfelt moments that evoke sorrow, joy, and reflection on life and legacy, making it a unique emotional journey unlike typical gaming experiences. However, the presence of griefers can detract from this wholesome atmosphere, occasionally introducing toxicity into the otherwise supportive community.
“In the end, I died close to the people I loved; there were emotional goodbyes and promises they'd keep taking care of the farms.”
“I feel emotionally moved by this game in ways that AAA games have never touched me - from complete strangers who have played my children for thirty minutes telling me 'I love you mom, I'll bury you next to grandma', to the accomplishment of being the sole survivor of a famine as a young girl and building my village alone for my eventual five children.”
“It was emotional beyond what you would expect from a game.”
- story115 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is characterized by its emergent narrative, allowing players to create unique and personal stories through their interactions and experiences. Each life played offers a new opportunity for storytelling, with players often sharing heartfelt and dramatic tales shaped by their choices and relationships within the game. While some players find the lack of a scripted storyline limiting, many appreciate the depth and variety of narratives that arise from the game's mechanics and community interactions.
“I love telling my friends my life story that I had in this game, and there's a lot of opportunities for fun and cool player interactions to happen each of your lives.”
“Every single life is a whole new story and it's exciting.”
“This game is a story-making machine!”
“I wish the developers of this game would take their responsibility as 'storytellers' and 'worldshapers' more seriously.”
“This game does not have a pre-written story that is made by the developer.”
“However, once you start figuring out a specific role and accomplish a life's worth of work, the story starts to take its toll on you and instantly becomes more meaningful.”
- humor93 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its wholesome and chaotic nature, with players sharing numerous funny interactions and unexpected moments that arise during gameplay. The unique sound design, often featuring humorous voice effects, adds to the comedic experience, while the game's premise allows for both lighthearted and absurd situations. Overall, players find the game to be a delightful mix of humor and existential reflection, making it a memorable and entertaining experience.
“You start as an infant with limited speech, which is fun and hilarious.”
“The interactions between players are funny, and the fact that all in-game sounds are basically someone's voice makes sound effects like the horse and squeaky handcart wheels crack me up.”
“I don't think a video game has ever made me laugh this hard before from all of the ridiculously funny situations that are possible when playing with other people.”
- music31 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as gentle and melancholic, effectively enhancing the emotional experience of life and death within the gameplay. While some reviewers note that the soundtrack is not particularly captivating, it grows on players over time and complements the game's themes of family and mortality. Overall, the original piano compositions, created by a single developer, are appreciated for their fitting atmosphere, though some players wish for more variety and the option to purchase the soundtrack separately.
“The music is not overpowering; it's a gentle, peaceful sort of vibe that I think fits in well with the game.”
“I also love how the music plays right before your death, while you are surrounded by the family that you love.”
“The art style and music of the game are basic, but that's all it needs to be pretty.”
“There is limited music at this time, and no ambient environmental sounds (unlike the video).”
“The music fits well into the melancholic mood of the game.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many users highlighting the engaging team-building mechanics, multiplayer features, and continuous updates that enhance the experience. While some express a desire for quality-of-life improvements, the consensus is that the game offers a unique and enjoyable experience that justifies its replay value. However, a few users note that it may not be suitable for long play sessions, particularly when compared to other titles.
“The replay value, team building, and the joy of watching a tribe grow.”
“It's really a unique experience with high replayability, a multiplayer system that lies at the center of the game's core mechanics, and otherwise challenging survival mechanics.”
“Potentially endless replayability.”
“I wish somebody would take a quality of life pass at this game and make it more playable generally.”
“In conclusion, just like every other mobile game ported to Steam, this one is not suited for replayability or long play hours, mega bases, etc.”
“$20 seems steep to many, but you won't find anything else like this on Steam, and the game has endless replayability (as well as a 'party' system to play with friends, although that puts a lot of strain on your mother - be kind to her!).”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous glitches, bugs, and server issues that disrupt gameplay. While some players experience fewer problems, many find the overall performance flawed and frustrating, particularly with UI and interaction glitches. Regular updates are noted, but there is skepticism about their effectiveness in addressing the underlying stability issues.
“Only problem is there are too many glitches.”
“The game is buggy, servers lag and disconnect you sometimes.”
“Interesting premise, but too many simple UI/graphics glitches to be worth trying to slog through.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues and describing it as poorly optimized, while others report that the game runs well without any problems. Frequent updates have been noted, but there are concerns that they may not adequately address existing bugs and performance shortcomings. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be inconsistent, leading to frustration among users.
“Overall the game ran well and I had no issues with performance.”
“Which would have made me stay, but a majority of others are running around trying to overcome one another's performance.”
“Performance: a toaster made of potatoes could probably run it.”
“Game is poorly optimized.”
“They really messed the game up bad; nothing feels satisfying in the game, and the performance is really bad since the last time I played.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for misleading advertising, with claims that it does not deliver on the promised features and quality. Players feel deceived by false representations of the game's development and content, leading to a perception of the game as lacking depth and substance. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to prioritize profit over player satisfaction, contributing to a sense of disillusionment among users.
“Just like in that famous advertisement line: you never actually own it.”
“So even the advertising part is a lie.”
“First, the game's initial advertisements quoted false numbers regarding development, and misleading animations alluding to a level of development nowhere near the initial release.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a blend of imaginative design and technical flaws that enhance the feeling of being a vulnerable caveman reliant on community support. Players find themselves immersed in a compelling environment that effectively conveys themes of survival and dependence.
“The technical flaws add to the atmosphere of being a stupid and helpless caveman who has a low percentage of survival and has to rely on his community to take care of him and explain things.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development has been criticized for lacking new content, with few new character designs and items introduced, leading to a sense of stagnation and restrictions in gameplay.
