Over the Alps
- March 31, 2020
- Stave Studios
Get on SteamIn Over the Alps, players assume the role of a British spy in the 1930s, navigating through the Swiss Alps to complete missions and avoid detection. The game features a choose-your-own-adventure style narrative with multiple endings, and allows players to travel by train, boat, and on foot. With stunning hand-drawn art and a focus on stealth and strategy, Over the Alps offers a unique and engaging spy experience.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Windows
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork and a charming vintage postcard-inspired art direction that enhances the immersive experience.
- The writing is engaging and well-crafted, providing a compelling narrative that keeps players invested in the story.
- The gameplay offers meaningful choices that can lead to different outcomes, encouraging replayability and exploration of various story paths.
- The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content and depth in the narrative.
- The mechanics can be obscure and lack a tutorial, making it difficult for some players to fully understand how to navigate the choices effectively.
- Some players feel that the choices made do not significantly impact the story, leading to a sense of railroaded progression.
- story75 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a captivating choose-your-own-adventure experience set in a pre-WWII espionage backdrop, featuring compelling writing and a unique postcard-inspired presentation. Players appreciate the engaging narrative, which offers significant choices that influence outcomes, although some feel that the impact of decisions can be limited. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and a well-crafted plot keeps players invested, with many expressing excitement for future installments.
“I really enjoyed the vintage postcard inspired art direction and classic espionage played out through letters and intimate diary-like entries that really gave some cool suspense and room for the imagination to flourish throughout this short-but-sweet experience. With more content already announced, I'm excited to continue the story!”
“A well-written spy adventure with an interesting storytelling method and lots of choices to be made.”
“The presentation is gorgeous, but the real gem is the story.”
“When I played the first tale several times, I finally found that the choices I made were of no significance; whatever I choose and however the story goes, it always leads to the same ending.”
“I just played it once and seen one playthrough from someone else, but I already think that your decisions don't affect the story all too much, making more than maybe two playthroughs not very appealing.”
“The conflict actually has little to do with the storyline, other than giving the conflicting spy agencies a reason to exist in the first place.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their bold, unique, and charming art style, reminiscent of art deco postcards and travel posters, which effectively sets the tone for the narrative. While some reviewers note the graphics are simple, they are described as beautifully stylized and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience. The combination of captivating visuals and a well-crafted soundtrack contributes to a delightful and immersive ambiance.
“The aesthetics and visual presentation are top-notch, with everything taking the form of art deco postcards and travel posters.”
“The graphics give a wonderful charm to an enthralling story in which the player has an impressive amount of agency.”
“The graphics are simple yet elegantly gorgeous with an old style postcard look.”
“The cut-scene graphics are cute but add little to the experience.”
“Pretty but graphically a bit simplistic, atmospheric choose-your-own-adventure.”
“The graphics and the soundtrack create a truly unique and immersive ambiance.”
- music17 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its beautiful and immersive qualities. While some noted that the music is sparse, they emphasized that when it does appear, it is excellently crafted and complements the stunning visuals and engaging narrative. Overall, the soundtrack effectively sets the tone and mood, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“The art style and music are perfect at setting the tone of the situations and stories.”
“The music and art are stunning!”
“The graphics and the soundtrack create a truly unique and immersive ambiance.”
“Now, about that soundtrack...”
“The soundtrack: mostly ambient noise (inns, street, train...) and not much music.”
“The soundtrack: mostly ambient noise (inns, street, train...) and not much music.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its lovely narrative and simple mechanics, which encourage fun choices over optimization, despite some initial obscurity and a lack of tutorials. Players appreciate the beautiful graphics, stunning art, and engaging soundtrack, which enhance the overall experience, although the interface can be challenging to navigate at first. Overall, the game successfully evokes a charming, idealized adventure atmosphere.
“Lovely, quick to play narrative game with simple mechanics and a pitch-perfect tone.”
“Great style and stories, original gameplay.”
“The art is stunning and the gameplay and vibe has made it one of my favorites.”
“The absence of a tutorial or hover labels meant learning this game mechanic through trial and error.”
“The only annoying thing is that you might find it hard at first to figure out the interface, for example, how to advance things, since there's no gameplay UI or tutorial, but nothing too bad.”
“Mechanics are a little obscure, but in a way that discourages min-maxing and incentivizes you to pick the most fun options.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its evocative representation of the 1930s and the Alps, featuring charming visuals, immersive soundscapes, and a captivating art style. Reviewers highlight the combination of ambient sounds and thoughtful design that enhances the overall experience, creating a picturesque and emotionally resonant setting. While some note a simplistic graphical style, the atmosphere remains a standout element that effectively transports players to a nostalgic and atmospheric world.
“This game really gives you the taste of 1930s and the Alps atmosphere. I recommend it 100% - must check out this beauty.”
“The combination of sounds and ideas can feel very atmospheric; for example, maybe you're hopping off a train and in the background you can faintly hear the steam engine cooling down, or maybe you hear the bustle of a small alpine café in which you find yourself.”
“While it doesn't quite reach those heights, the presentation is lovely, the story simple but touching, and the atmosphere very evocative of Mittelleuropa on the eve of war.”
“The overall presentation, visuals, and atmosphere are charming and scenic.”
“The atmosphere, situations, and art are all done right.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a lovely presentation and a simple yet touching story, primarily conveyed through dialogue. While some dialogue previews may not fully capture the intended emotional depth, the overall atmosphere effectively evokes a poignant sense of pre-war Europe.
“The presentation is lovely, the story simple, but touching.”
“While it doesn't quite reach those heights, the presentation is lovely, the story simple but touching and the atmosphere very evocative of Mitteleuropa on the eve of war.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game offers good replay value, with multiple acts that encourage players to explore different story outcomes based on their choices. However, some users express uncertainty about the overall extent of its replayability.
“Each has between 3 to 5 acts, and I think the replayability is good, especially if you are interested in seeing how the story would unfold if you played a bit differently.”
“Good replay value.”
“I just don't know how replayable it is.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its charming and witty writing, reminiscent of classic adventure stories, effectively blending warmth and pathos with comedic elements. Players appreciate the clever integration of humor within the spy-themed narrative, enhancing the overall experience.
“Small bugs, but the style and the period of the story, along with all these spy elements, are filled with charm and humor!”
“Pitch perfect: the writing reads like the best old adventure classic you've never read and manages to pack punch, warmth, humor, and pathos in short paragraphs and postcard-length mini-episodes.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly when it forces them to restart to explore different paths, which feels outdated compared to the variety of other engaging games available today.
“It suffers from the same problems as those books, where you can end up choosing the 'wrong' path, suggesting you should restart the whole thing just to see how it could otherwise go. This is entirely tedious and not worth it in the 21st century when hundreds of other great games exist.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
“I found myself spending hours on mindless tasks just to level up, which took away from the enjoyment of the game.”
