Only If
- July 25, 2014
- Creability
- 4h median play time
Fans of “art house” games shouldn’t miss this, and for everyone else, it’s at least worth checking out as a free game.
Get on Steam"Only If" is a first-person adventure-puzzle game for audiences 18+, where you play as Anthony Clyde, who wakes up with no memory of the previous night. The game features experimental and unpredictable mechanics, challenging you to distinguish reality from imagination. Expect to fail, die, and be confused as you navigate through opulent surroundings with a menacing radio-bound antagonist blocking your path. Join the discord for more information
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Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a unique art style.
- The voice acting is engaging and adds humor to the experience.
- The puzzles are creative and require out-of-the-box thinking.
- The game lacks clear instructions and can be frustratingly confusing.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay.
- The story is disjointed and the ending is unsatisfying.
- story1,088 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it confusing, shallow, or nonsensical, often describing it as a chaotic blend of surreal elements and crude humor. While some appreciate its unique twists and engaging narrative style, others criticize the lack of coherence and depth, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, the story's execution seems to polarize players, with some enjoying its absurdity while others feel it detracts from the overall experience.
“The story is interesting and the execution is well made.”
“The storyline is captivating, the twists were insane, and the puzzles and challenges struck the right balance between not-too-easy-yet-not-too-difficult, and best of all, it was actually hilarious!”
“The story is a mindf*ck but at least it's somewhat refreshing.”
“The dialogue is terrible, the story is nothing, the gameplay is aggravating!”
“Apart from gameplay, the story falls short, and after reading the developer's own Steam guide to the story, it proves to be a case of 'it's just not that deep.' It is shallow and borders on nonsense, not in a cool trippy way.”
“The story is a confused mess with a very unsatisfying conclusion.”
- graphics547 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive a mixed but generally positive reception, with many users praising their beauty and artistic design, particularly in specific levels like the park. However, some players report issues with graphical glitches, inconsistent quality, and performance problems, especially on higher settings. Overall, while the visuals are often highlighted as a strong point, they are sometimes overshadowed by gameplay and technical issues.
“The graphics are stunning, the story is completely unpredictable, the voice acting is great, and the perspective is incredibly realistic.”
“The graphics are amazing and the story line was understandable.”
“The graphics are gorgeous, the audio is fantastically done, and the visuals are beautiful.”
“From the graphics, the setup, the voice acting, the story... there was legitimately nothing in this that's remotely enjoyable, even in a so-bad-it's-redeemable way.”
“The graphics are mediocre by any modern standard.”
“The graphics are dated, the story is nonsensical, the delivery is sloppy, and the biggest failure is that this is a game, yet it entirely avoids being fun.”
- gameplay529 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is characterized by a mix of unique mechanics and frustrating execution, with many players noting the lack of clear instructions and intuitive controls. While some appreciate the experimental nature and surreal elements, others find the mechanics convoluted and buggy, leading to a trial-and-error experience that detracts from enjoyment. Overall, the game presents intriguing ideas but suffers from poor implementation, leaving players divided on its effectiveness and playability.
“The gameplay itself was actually quite good for a game designed to not be standard: the devs really thought through what they were doing with this game.”
“I loved the game mechanic ideas the devs were experimenting with but unfortunately they weren't implemented correctly.”
“The gameplay is responsive, except for a few problems I had in a platforming segment, but everything else controls fluently and responsively.”
“This game has one unique mechanic, typing words to 'speak' and 'solve puzzles', but the game somehow completely forgets to use this unique idea except once at the very beginning and once in the middle.”
“The puzzles, while present, are generally straightforward and lack complexity, leaving room for improvement in terms of gameplay depth.”
“You keep dying but you don't know why; the game mechanics are not explained, so you basically stumble onto stuff until it works.”
- humor372 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it both hilarious and absurd, often characterized by dark, crude, and surreal elements. While some appreciate the witty dialogue and comedic twists, others criticize the reliance on profanity and juvenile humor, leading to a divisive reception. Overall, the game's humor is seen as a key aspect that can either enhance the experience or detract from it, depending on individual taste.
“The constant exchanges between the two are both humorous and engaging, adding a unique dynamic to the game.”
“The dialogue is funny, quirky, and well delivered, especially by the antagonist Vincent.”
“This game is a beautifully made combination of humor, visuals, and music that allows the player to immerse themselves in the rather minimalistic environments they encounter and truly feel awestruck at the concepts of the areas you encounter.”
“After playing this game and seeing Jim Sterling's review, I am thoroughly convinced this game should never have been released on Steam in its current state. It's not funny like 'The Stanley Parable,' too random compared to the Portal 2 mod 'A Minute to Millions,' and certainly is a joke. The single fact that it's free or experimental should ring warning bells for this shovelware, with the only redeeming factor being the graphics.”
“Cringe-worthy dialogue that's pretentious and unfunny.”
“These back and forth conversations are played off for laughs, but are mostly nonsensical, juvenile, unfunny, and seem to have been recorded without any real script or intended purpose.”
- music166 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and immersive atmosphere, while others criticize the audio balance, noting that the music often drowns out dialogue, making it difficult to follow the story. Players appreciate the soundtrack's emotional impact and composition, but the lack of volume control options has led to frustration, as they struggle to hear important voice lines amidst the overpowering music. Overall, while the music is generally well-regarded, its implementation detracts from the overall experience due to poor audio mixing.
“The music always hits the right beats and creates an immersive experience in what is a completely detached from reality situation.”
“Great atmosphere, narrative, and music, really immersive.”
“The music is excellent, and the main antagonist is a colorful and oddly charming personality.”
“I had to crank up the volume on my headset to try to hear and understand their words, and then quickly turn it down as it was way too loud when the music came back in.”
“The music, in an attempt to be suspenseful and dramatic, completely drowns out any of the potentially interesting dialogue you may want to hear, thereby ruining any suspense or drama which might have developed.”
“The audio is a mess: voice is too quiet and music/sound effects are too loud.”
- stability136 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly hinder gameplay and enjoyment. Many players report issues with achievements not unlocking, game crashes, and frustrating mechanics that often lead to confusion and repeated restarts. While some appreciate the visual aesthetics and unique concepts, the overall consensus is that the game's stability is severely lacking, making it difficult to recommend without significant improvements.
“Little to no glitches.”
“I encountered no glitches and very much enjoyed the gameplay.”
“The game is buggy, the achievements are buggy, and the controls are buggy.”
“It's boring, clunky, and buggy.”
“A beyond buggy mess, but it's somehow still weird and charming for what it is.”
- atmosphere95 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its surreal, immersive qualities that effectively blend tension, humor, and a sense of mystery. Players appreciate the unique aesthetic and sound design, which contribute to an engaging experience, although some note that abrupt changes in setting can disrupt the overall mood. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, drawing players into a captivating and often unsettling world.
“The game's ability to blur the line between reality and hallucination is commendable, creating an intriguing and surreal atmosphere that keeps you on your toes.”
“Great atmosphere, narrative and music, really immersive.”
“The surreal feeling and atmosphere you get when you start off in this mystical world is unmatched and stupefying.”
“All I know is that the game really captures the atmosphere of being in a strange house after a weird party, blacked out and with no idea where you are or where everyone else is.”
“I totally understand the need for atmosphere in a cellar or basement or dungeon, but seriously, there was no brightness option or gamma correction, so where is the point of absolutely seeing nothing?”
“The overall atmosphere is intense and surreal, but ultimately feels confused as to what it's trying to accomplish at all.”
- grinding41 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overwhelmingly tedious and frustrating, with many describing the gameplay as repetitious and lacking clarity. The puzzles and mechanics often lead to confusion and require excessive backtracking, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the narrative. Many reviewers suggest that the tediousness significantly hampers the experience, making it difficult to recommend the game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“This game can be incredibly tedious, and I do not blame you in the slightest if you have to look up solutions to some of the puzzles.”
“It's tedious, repetitious, and incredibly annoying.”
“The voice actors were terrible, the levels were boring and tedious, especially the last level.”
- optimization29 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 34 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as visual stuttering, frame drops, and bugs, particularly on lower-end systems. While some users experienced smooth gameplay on decent hardware, others found the game unplayable on Linux and criticized its lack of optimization for basic features like subtitles. Overall, the game's performance appears inconsistent, with a notable divide between those who find it playable and those who struggle with its technical shortcomings.
“Graphics are great, the game runs smoothly on a low-end PC and there were no bugs in my experience of it.”
“Very optimized, well made and thought out story, gameplay, and graphics.”
“This game optimization is also good.”
“The game has some visual stuttering but is stable - unless you are going for achievements... then be prepared to quit, revalidate the files, and redo levels after every achievement you unlock.”
“It has a couple of bugs and isn't optimized that well, so you may have some frame drops even on a decent PC.”
“Its terribly optimized, and in certain parts, it plays like a slideshow, but I'm getting ahead of myself.”
- replayability29 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many players noting that while it offers two distinct paths and multiple endings, the differences between playthroughs are minimal and do not significantly enhance the experience. Some players appreciated the engaging elements and achievements, but many felt that the short length and lack of substantial content made it unlikely they would return after completing the game once or twice.
“++ replayability based on a crucial choice you make halfway through the game.”
“A few times frustrating but the flow was good, the music excellent and the replay value (with the multiple endings) was cool.”
“That's right, this game has multiple endings, adding to the replay value of this game, on top of 10 achievements (currently) for any achievement hunters out there.”
“No, it doesn't really have any replay value.”
“Unfortunately, this game doesn't really have much replay value, and is very short.”
“While the game tempts the player with replayability, as it utilizes player choice in proceeding, a quick replay reveals the choice changes essentially nothing, and exists solely to entrap the player once more.”
- emotional25 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of reactions, from genuine fear and discomfort to deep attachment and satisfaction. Players report feeling emotionally scarred and confused, often due to the game's unsettling atmosphere and narrative twists, while others appreciate the clever storytelling and character development that provoke laughter and reflection. Overall, the game is described as an emotional rollercoaster, leaving players with lasting impressions, both positive and negative.
“Sure, it may be free, it may even make for a good story, but no right-minded human being can walk away from that without at least some amount of emotional scarring.”
“Not only that, but I also got kind of attached and really into the game, which made me super emotional, mainly because of the narrator's constant mocking and demeaning behavior; I took it kind of hard, but I absolutely loved it.”
“The experience was also an emotional rollercoaster: confusion, agitation, satisfaction, thoughtfulness, suspicion, hopelessness, and finally relief with some humor.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is praised for being a good free option with no microtransactions, which sets expectations for its quality. However, some users express frustration with its performance on Linux and the presence of blatant advertisements, suggesting that the monetization strategy may detract from the overall experience.
“It's a good free game with no microtransactions.”
“First of all, it's a free game with no microtransactions whatsoever.”
“When you think it can't possibly get any worse, it does, and by a certain point which will remain undefined (blatant advertisement), you can't help but laugh at it.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its engaging script and effective use of voice acting, which enhances the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the depth of character growth, noting that it contributes significantly to the overall plot and adds humor to the ending.
“The engaging character script had me floored; I enjoyed the plot, and the character development was done entirely through voices alone.”
“The puzzles are simple, but challenging; there's some really interesting character development, and the ending is pretty funny!”
“The character development felt shallow and unconvincing, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
“I was disappointed with the lack of depth in the characters; they seemed one-dimensional and predictable.”
“Despite the engaging plot, the character arcs were poorly executed and failed to evoke any real emotional response.”
