Oxenfree

Developed by former Telltale developers, Oxenfree tells the story of five teenagers spending the night on an island where they plan to drink, party, and do as teenagers do until something goes very wrong.

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Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller adventure game where you play as Alex, a teenager who opens a ghostly rift during an overnight party on an old military island. Your choices affect how you deal with the supernatural events, peers, and creatures you've unleashed. The game features a huge content update with new storylines, scenes, endings, and a behind-the-scenes documentary .

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,456 reviews

story2,683 positive mentions

grinding107 negative mentions

Engaging and well-written story with multiple endings that encourage replayability.
Beautiful art style and atmospheric soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
Natural and fluid dialogue system that makes conversations feel realistic and immersive.

Lack of audio settings, particularly for music volume, which can drown out dialogue.
Slow character movement and occasional bugs that disrupt gameplay.
Dialogue options often disappear too quickly, making it difficult to respond thoughtfully.

story
5,319 mentions
50 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story of "Oxenfree" is widely praised for its engaging narrative and character development, often described as a compelling blend of supernatural elements and coming-of-age themes. Players appreciate the depth of the story, which unfolds through dialogue choices that significantly impact character relationships and the overall outcome, encouraging multiple playthroughs to explore different endings. While some find the pacing slow and the gameplay simplistic, the rich storytelling, atmospheric visuals, and strong voice acting create an immersive experience that resonates with many players.
- “I'm always a sucker for a good coming-of-age story, and Oxenfree delivers exactly that, maybe even more.”
- “A really well told story with interesting characters and an innovative gameplay structure.”
- “The story is rich and engaging, with enough nuance to keep you guessing.”
- “I couldn't connect with the story.”
- “The story is bland, disconnected, and generally just not particularly well thought out.”
- “The story is short and it is moving very fast.”
music
1,369 mentions
59 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in "Oxenfree" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and haunting qualities that enhance the game's eerie ambiance. However, a significant number of players have expressed frustration over the music being excessively loud, often drowning out dialogue, and the lack of volume control options. While the soundtrack is generally considered beautiful and fitting for the game's tone, the inability to adjust audio levels has detracted from the overall experience for some players.
- “The music is incredibly beautiful and a little scary, just right for the atmosphere.”
- “The art style is unique, and the soundtrack is atmospheric and beautiful.”
- “The soundtrack is stunning, definitely one of my favorites.”
- “Sometimes the music and dialog are at the same volume and you can't turn it down at all.”
- “The game doesn't have volume settings either, can't turn off the way too overbearing music, and the save system is subpar as well (only checkpoints whenever, save gone after the game ends).”
- “The music is so loud that I cannot concentrate on the story.”
gameplay
1,311 mentions
29 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Oxenfree* is primarily focused on exploration and dialogue, featuring simple mechanics such as walking, tuning a radio, and making choices during conversations. While the game excels in storytelling and character development, many players find the gameplay to be slow, repetitive, and lacking in depth, often describing it as a "walking simulator" with minimal interactive elements. The unique radio mechanic adds some intrigue, but overall, the gameplay is not the main draw, appealing more to those who prioritize narrative over traditional gaming challenges.
- “A really well told story with interesting characters and an innovative gameplay structure.”
- “There's a somewhat interesting mechanic of offering a time-limited choice of two or three dialog options for the protagonist, and much to my surprise the choices actually got reflected in the epilogue.”
- “The gameplay is simple, yet enjoyable.”
- “The gameplay was uneventful.”
- “This is not immersive, this is just boring busywork - and it is 90% of the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay just isn't fun, nor is it very player-friendly.”
graphics
1,213 mentions
65 % positive mentions
34 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Oxenfree" are characterized by a unique and charming art style that blends hand-painted backgrounds with 3D character models, creating a visually appealing experience that enhances the game's eerie atmosphere. While some players noted that the graphics are simple and reminiscent of indie titles, many praised the beautiful visuals and how they complement the engaging narrative and soundtrack. Overall, the game's aesthetic successfully captures a haunting yet captivating vibe, making it a standout in the genre.
- “The hand-painted visuals create an eerie and beautiful world, making it interesting and unique compared to other indie titles.”
- “Stunning visuals and atmospheric soundtrack: the hand-painted visuals create a hauntingly beautiful environment that perfectly complements the eerie storyline.”
- “The art style is gorgeous, and the graphics are beautiful, perfectly capturing the eerie yet mesmerizing atmosphere of the island.”
- “The graphics are indie quality, yet done very well for cutout style scenes.”
- “The graphics are just okay; sometimes it does look jarring, but for the most part it ranges from okay to great.”
- “If you're expecting Call of Duty graphics – don't.”
atmosphere
777 mentions
68 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Oxenfree" is widely praised for its captivating blend of eerie visuals, haunting music, and immersive storytelling, creating a rich and unsettling experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of mystery and tension, enhanced by strong voice acting and a unique dialogue system that feels natural and engaging. However, some players noted that excessive dialogue can occasionally detract from the overall atmosphere, though the game's art style and sound design consistently contribute to its haunting ambiance.
- “Painterly backgrounds mixed with low-poly character models and gorgeous 70's horror-inspired ambient music, the grim and tense atmosphere is thick and unrelenting.”
- “The art style mixes painterly beauty with a dash of unsettling, creating an atmosphere that's as mysterious as it is captivating.”
- “The atmosphere is consistently creepy and oppressive, even during the lighter, more comedic moments - and the soundtrack and visual aesthetic add to it.”
- “They're constantly talking about mostly pointless things and it ruins the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Atmosphere is really, really thin.”
- “The soundtrack design is horrible, most of the music in the background kills the creepy atmosphere, I just couldn't enjoy the moment.”
replayability
410 mentions
39 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, primarily due to its branching narrative, multiple endings, and the impact of player choices on the story. While the game is relatively short, taking around 4-6 hours to complete, many players express a strong desire to replay it to explore different outcomes and dialogue options. However, some reviews note that the pacing and repetitive elements may deter players from multiple playthroughs, suggesting that while replayability is significant, it may not appeal to everyone equally.
- “It also has multiple story branches and choices that encourage replayability, allowing players to uncover different outcomes.”
- “The sheer amount of various ways to interact with the characters lends to an insane degree of replayability.”
- “Oxenfree is not a particularly long game, taking around 4-6 hours to complete, but it does offer replayability through its branching narrative and multiple endings.”
- “The choice-based nature of the game gives it some replayability, and once you finish you'll have the urge to try out different choices, but unfortunately the main story is just not interesting enough and the gameplay being tedious at times that I couldn't get myself to do a replay.”
- “The game is made to be replayable, although each playthrough will follow a somehow similar story and I'm not sure who will actually go through the whole game time and time again.”
emotional
234 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its depth and impact, with many players expressing strong feelings of attachment to the characters and their journeys. The narrative effectively balances heartfelt moments with darker themes, often leaving players feeling guilty, nostalgic, or even heartbroken. Overall, the game is recognized as a powerful emotional experience, marked by well-written dialogue, compelling character development, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that enhances its emotional resonance.
- “The story has depth, heartfelt emotion, and meaning.”
- “The narrative isn't particularly complex thematically, but it does a fantastic job executing on its main emotional theme, and it got some tears out of me during the ending.”
- “Oxenfree is a haunting, emotionally charged mystery that spreads its shocks a little too thinly, but still manages to deliver an engaging, memorable experience.”
grinding
115 mentions
3 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
93 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by tedious and slow-paced walking mechanics, with a lack of fast travel options leading to repetitive backtracking. Many players found the gameplay to become monotonous, particularly when navigating the map and tuning the radio, which detracted from the overall experience despite the engaging narrative and character interactions. While some appreciated the immersive storytelling, the general consensus is that the game's pacing can feel excessively grindy, especially for completionists.
- “It fits every scenario while not being tedious, which made me enjoy walking over parts of the island really enjoyable.”
- “Voice acting: 10/10, not tedious, always entertaining.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The gameplay is good, but is a bit limited and tedious.”
- “It's a brutally tedious walking simulator, which grossly expands its gameplay time with repetitive backtracking, where the core decisions involve listening to a group of mostly unlikable characters whine and complain about each other, themselves, the situation, and their future.”
- “The only real downside other than a little pricey depending on the player is that the gameplay does get tedious between running around and messing with a radio.”
humor
105 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, blending clever dialogue and witty character interactions with the eerie atmosphere. Players appreciate the balance of funny and serious moments, often finding the humor to be both relatable and well-written, despite some dialogue feeling slightly out of touch with modern teen vernacular. Overall, the game's ability to intersperse humor within its spooky narrative enhances the experience, making it engaging and enjoyable.
- “A cute little 'teen horror' with really well-written dialogue and a sense of humor.”
- “The characters are likable and real, and the dialogue feels natural and is often very funny.”
- “The game, despite growing gradually creepier and more dire as things go, never fails to drop in something humorous or the option for it at occasional intervals, and I'm very thankful for this.”
- “I don't know if it was a mistake that the voice actor tried to sell Ren's lines too hard, or if it was brilliance because Ren's the kind of person who would try too hard to sell the lines they thought were supposed to be funny or interesting.”
stability
86 mentions
3 % positive mentions
-2 % neutral mentions
99 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and clunky controls that disrupt gameplay and immersion. While some minor issues are manageable, significant problems such as character freezing and navigation errors have led to frustration, particularly for those using controllers. Overall, the game's stability issues detract from an otherwise engaging experience, leaving many players hoping for future patches to address these concerns.
- “Smooth controls, looks beautiful, played perfectly - no glitches or crashes.”
- “The game runs flawlessly, providing a seamless experience without any interruptions.”
- “I haven't encountered any bugs or performance issues; everything feels stable and reliable.”
- “Sigh, I love this game a lot, but it's so buggy and I was uncomfortable playing it for the first time because of how fast the choices disappear.”
- “The game is lovely, but I wouldn't recommend it because it's a buggy mess.”
- “I occasionally run into a game-breaking bug where my character freezes climbing a ladder or cliff and I have to reboot the game, which often doesn't fix the problem.”
character development
81 mentions
47 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is widely praised for its depth and relatability, with players noting that characters feel real and their growth is influenced by player choices. The storytelling is intricately woven with character arcs, enhancing emotional engagement and replayability. While some critiques mention occasional predictability or forced elements, the overall consensus highlights exceptional voice acting and distinct character designs that contribute to a captivating experience.
- “The character development was great, the voice acting was exceptional and this is the first game in a long time where I felt my decisions had real consequences to what happened in the story.”
- “The character development throughout the game is blended seamlessly and comes naturally, strengthening the player's connection to them.”
- “The story's depth, character development, and the exploration of the story within the island makes it engaging and the lore behind it is very captivating.”
- “Even if it's meant to build cross-character development, the writing quality doesn't make it a highlight, rather it feels more like an obligation.”
- “With such a short story compared to other games of Oxenfree's nature, the character development felt too direct or forced when working with the dialogue options.”
- “Great potential and subject matter, but poor character development sunk the ship on this one.”
optimization
33 mentions
45 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant technical issues and poor performance, particularly on PC, despite the game's relatively simple design. While many praised the voice acting and sound design, they also highlighted sluggish controls and frame drops, even on high-end systems, indicating that the game is not well-optimized overall. Overall, the experience is marred by these performance problems, detracting from the otherwise strong narrative and character performances.
- “Oxenfree isn't going to tax many systems, so there were predictably no performance issues.”
- “Well optimized.”
- “The strong narrative and simple gameplay make it an enjoyable and smooth experience with absolutely great performances by the voice actors!”
- “Badly optimized for PC.”
- “The performance is ridiculously bad and the recommended specs aren't nearly enough to play the game in full HD.”
- “On top of this, the 'game' (considering there's no gameplay, it's more of a 2D walking simulator) is horribly unoptimized.”