Outcore: Desktop Adventure

About

All you wanted was a nice game. But now you find yourself opening Windows apps like Paint & Notepad to solve puzzles, and searching for files on your computers that you didn't put there... Who is she? Why did she appear on your desktop? Let's dive into her memories and find out.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,895 reviews

story414 positive mentions

grinding20 negative mentions

story
676 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
38%
1%
The game's story has been widely praised for its creativity, humor, and emotional depth, often drawing comparisons to beloved titles like *Undertale* and *OneShot*. Players appreciate the engaging narrative that unfolds through unique gameplay mechanics, including interactions with their desktop, and the character development of Lumi, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. While some found the story to be simple or short, many felt it was impactful and well-crafted, leaving a lasting impression with its blend of comedy and heartfelt moments.
- “The story is phenomenal, the humor is good, and the gameplay is amazing.”
- “The story is beautifully crafted, with engaging characters and a plot that keeps you invested throughout.”
- “This game is a masterpiece of storytelling, combining humor and emotional depth in a way that resonates with players.”
- “The game clearly doesn't take itself seriously, not much backstory is told, endless clicking through the same cutscene (coin picking and her lying in her bed) and I just wanted it to end and to let me play.”
- “Seems like the dev had an idea for a story first (based heavily on 2-3 of their favorite RPGs / virtual novels), and then later thought of adding in some action-y sections (inspired heavily by other favorites in completely different genres), and just kinda mashed everything together.”
- “The meta elements don't add anything to the barebones story and the gameplay portions are a slog of chorish minigames existing only to pad out the absolute nothing this game contains.”
humor
559 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in this game is widely praised for its cleverness, creativity, and ability to evoke laughter throughout the experience. Players appreciate the frequent references, witty dialogue, and meta elements that blend seamlessly with the engaging story, often comparing its comedic style to beloved titles like *Undertale* and *Doki Doki Literature Club*. While some found the humor occasionally hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it significantly enhances the gameplay, making it a memorable and enjoyable experience.
- “It's clever, creative, and hilarious the entire way through.”
- “There's a reference every 5 minutes, funny jabs at every corner, and despite playing like OneShot's goofy cousin, it gets surprisingly deep in some places.”
- “An absolute joy to play, with funny dialogue and references, some cool meta elements, and some insane boss fights.”
- “I got the joke the first time; this was so dragged out, and the main character noticing the dragged out joke didn't lessen its unfunniness (is that a word?).”
- “Crappy controls, unfunny jokes & obnoxious characters.”
- “I thought this game would be like I'm Scared or Irisu Syndrome, but this is just bad, not at all scary, just some unfunny cartoon meta nonsense.”
gameplay
341 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The gameplay of this game is widely praised for its creativity and unique mechanics, particularly its integration of desktop interactions and 4th wall-breaking elements. Players enjoy the mix of platforming, puzzles, and humor, although some find the platforming controls to be imprecise or floaty. Overall, the game offers a fun and engaging experience, despite its relatively short playtime of around 3-5 hours.
- “This game is unlike anything with its 4th wall breaking mechanics and visual effects, simply amazing.”
- “The gameplay is varied and always fun.”
- “The gameplay, comedy, and characters are so well intertwined, and I think the whole thing made me a bit emotional by the end...”
- “The desktop interactivity was super cool, but the platforming aspect was less appealing for me with what I felt were imprecise dash mechanics and awkward shooting.”
- “This is true of the gameplay sections, which just feel like minigames copied haphazardly from whatever the dev was playing at the time, as well as the story, which is sometimes effective but tonally all over the place.”
- “The platforming sections, which make up the majority of the gameplay, are unfortunately pretty weak.”
music
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its catchy and well-composed tracks that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers frequently mention the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as "amazing," "bangers," and "unique," often expressing a desire to purchase it to support the developers. While some noted that certain tracks could be repetitive, the majority found the music to be a delightful complement to the game's humor, story, and gameplay.
- “The music is well-made, mixing with the scene's vibe.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and so is the writing!”
- “The characters are so endearing, the music is so well composed, and the entire experience is wrapped up in a story that was quite enjoyable to go through.”
- “A section can go on for 10 minutes and you're forced to listen to the same 1 minute song on a constant loop over and over and over.”
- “Not to mention that there's annoying music playing the entire game.”
- “When I had to look up why my oval shape was not correct, I told the character to leave me alone because the music was droning on and being very annoying (I ended up turning it off).”
emotional
117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players expressing that it elicited strong feelings, including laughter and tears. Reviewers highlight the heartfelt narrative, endearing characters, and unexpected depth, often comparing it to beloved titles like "Undertale" and "OneShot." Overall, the game is described as a unique blend of humor and emotional resonance, making it a memorable experience that resonates deeply with players.
- “This game made me realize that I'm living in an existential crisis, but at the same time had a story that made me want to cry.”
- “The emotional attachment I got to a not real in-game character is unbelievable; I felt actual pain saying goodbye to Lumi. I wish I could keep her on my PC as a little person just like that one duck PC extension so I never have to forget this experience.”
- “The story was so touching that I can say for sure it rivals even the emotions I felt in Undertale and Deltarune.”
graphics
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the charming pixel art style and inventive integration with the desktop interface, which adds a unique layer to the gameplay. While some players found the visuals simplistic or rough, others appreciated the humor and character design, noting that the graphics effectively complement the game's quirky story and engaging mechanics. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point, contributing to the game's personality and charm, despite some technical issues and inconsistencies.
- “The graphics are excellent with a lot of good looking visual effects and some pretty music.”
- “The game hits its aesthetics just right, and is a feast for the eyes.”
- “The artwork, OST, jokes, awesome boss fights, and backstory are all so well done!”
- “[*][b]art[/b]: the promotional banner gives the impression of a polished anime-style aesthetic, but the in-game art is simplistic, rough, and lacks visual appeal.”
- “Please make more shity references and unfunny jokes it till make the game better the art style is disgusting and whole game is boring, its not even close to titles like omori/undertale/oneshot just waste of time.”
- “Despite encountering heavy graphical bugs when the game was using the desktop interface.”
grinding
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
30%
61%
The reviews highlight a significant amount of grinding in the game, often described as tedious and time-consuming, with some players feeling it detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the challenge and the opportunity for completionism, many find the repetitive tasks stress-inducing and boring, particularly in sections like the coin picking and pinball. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the unique experience while others feel it hampers the game's potential.
- “If you play normally (not grinding for achievements or speedrunning), it goes for about 2-3 hours.”
- “Grindy (60-100 hours)”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I know the coin picking scene was repeated to emphasize how tedious it was for her, but no need to make it tedious for me.”
- “To me it's tedious and stress-inducing.”
- “This game got tedious and boring.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players enjoying the variety of content available even after completing it once. However, some users feel that it lacks depth in certain areas, wishing for more routes and content to enhance the replay experience. While many find it entertaining and engaging, a few express that it may not hold their interest for multiple playthroughs.
- “In all seriousness, this game has so much replayability and things to do even after beating it the first time.”
- “Arguably infinite replayability!”
- “A wonderful game, with a good bit of replayable content!”
- “An amazing game, only 4~ish hours long (if you don't spend 30 in the idle game) and I wish it had more replayability. I wish it had more routes; I don't count the 'hate' and 'love' routes with Laifu as actual routes, to be honest.”
- “The game doesn't have a lot of replay value. I tried playing it again and I just wasn't interested.”
- “Has replay value.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
88%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs that can lead to unfair gameplay experiences, such as enemies spawning unexpectedly and game freezes that require a hard reset of their PCs. While some users still enjoyed the game despite these issues, the overall consensus indicates that stability problems detract from the experience, with persistent bugs affecting controls and performance.
- “The game runs smoothly without any bugs.”
- “I haven't encountered any stability issues during my gameplay.”
- “The performance is consistent, making for a seamless experience.”
- “The game's quite buggy and unfair at times, not just with the desktop elements but with obstacles or enemies unfairly spawning on top of you, or you respawning on top of them.”
- “Very fun, but it gets a little buggy when it starts hacking your computer, particularly if you close it for any reason and try to reopen it during the process.”
- “When I run the game, I get a grey background, the black blob does its movement across the screen and then says 'where is my file' after it starts another message starting with 'p', which then freezes my PC (no response on screen, keyboard lights like num lock, or ctrl alt del), requiring me to manually turn off my PC.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
50%
Character development in the game is highly praised, with players appreciating the gradual revelation of the protagonist's past and the depth it adds to the narrative. The unique character design and humor further enhance the experience, making the characters memorable and engaging. Overall, the combination of strong storytelling and quirky design elements contributes to a rich character development experience.
- “Her character development, remembering her past, slowly revealing the truth, I really enjoyed it.”
- “Very neat and unusual features, amazing humor and character design, I really liked all the references.”
- “The quirky character design and the interactive elements were only a taste of what this game had to offer, but still continued to intrigue me.”
- “The character development felt shallow and predictable, lacking the depth needed to make me care about the characters' journeys.”
- “I found the character arcs to be underwhelming, with little growth or change throughout the game.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character development made the experience feel linear and unengaging.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its charming and immersive qualities, contributing to a delightful gaming experience. While some players felt that missing dialogue detracted from the tension, the overall blend of well-written characters and engaging storytelling creates a captivating environment that resonates with many.
- “Even though there might be people who don't get the jokes and the atmosphere, this is still easily the best couple of hours of gaming ever.”
- “Not just because the character is so well written, but because the story, side characters, the atmosphere... all of it was a fiction full of daily life.”
- “With its delightful blend of unique gameplay and charming atmosphere, this free game surprises players with an unforgettable experience.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to immerse myself in the game world.”
- “Despite the potential for a rich setting, the atmosphere falls flat and lacks any real sense of tension or excitement.”
- “The game’s atmosphere is dull and forgettable, failing to evoke any emotional response or connection.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
While the game is praised for its engaging elements, it suffers from significant optimization issues that can hinder performance and overall experience.
- “This is a great game but has some major optimization issues.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is free to play on mobile with ads, while a $2 ad-free version is available on Steam. It features a large mapping community and utilizes a unique engine, with no microtransactions or deceptive monetization practices.
- “It is free to play without microtransactions or other shady schemes.”
- “Go play Cats are Liquid, it's free with ads on mobile and $2 with no ads for both games on Steam. There is a very large mapping scene that I'm in with a bunch of high-quality maps. The Polymap engine is basically a programming language. Also, cross-promo!”