PANELKI

About PANELKI

PANELKI is a single player and multiplayer open world simulation game. It was developed by Alexander Gromyko and was released on March 4, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A utility worker earns for a ticket to leave the endless Siberian city of panel houses. Permafrost, day/night cycle, dynamic weather and open world. Feel the atmosphere of the northern city, having been in the role of a handyman.

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Reviews

76%Audience ScoreBased on 217 reviews

atmosphere22 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and immersive atmosphere capturing the bleak, cold, and monotonous life in a post-Soviet Siberian city, which many players found emotionally impactful and nostalgic.
Gameplay is simple and relaxing, suitable for casual sessions; the snow shoveling mechanic and repetitive tasks have a calming, almost meditative effect for some players.
The game includes multiplayer co-op, dynamic weather, day-night cycles, and a large open world with procedurally generated buildings, adding depth and replayability.

Gameplay is repetitive and can become boring quickly, with limited variety in tasks and little progression beyond grinding for money to escape or stay.
The game suffers from technical issues including frequent bugs, crashes, optimization problems, and confusing or incomplete translation that diminish the experience.
The DLC is seen as poorly executed, buggy, overpriced, and necessary for 100% achievements, causing frustration among players.

atmosphere
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 9% negative mentions
The game Panelki is widely praised for its distinctive, melancholic, and immersive atmosphere, effectively capturing the mood of a post-Soviet, snowy northern city. Its minimalist design, dynamic weather, and ambient soundscape create a cozy yet haunting experience that resonates deeply with players. This unique, nostalgic ambiance stands out as a key strength, often described as comforting, evocative, and richly immersive.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly comforting, especially in its deeply melancholic and lonely nature.”
- “The atmospheric sound design further complements the setting, with the howling wind and distant echoes adding to the immersion.”
- “Amazing atmospheric representation of a post-Soviet deprived city.”
- “Though after my first hour I realized I'd do well to have an auto-clicker, it's still a fantastic liminal experience that doesn't tell you much, very light cold-survival mechanics, and otherwise a very potent atmosphere.”
- “There is a photo mode, and there sure is a very neat atmosphere that is somewhat close to home, being in a post-Soviet influenced nation.”
- “+ The shoveling mechanics are quite funny, and can really add a light comedic element to the otherwise depressing atmosphere.”
gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34% positive mentions, 56% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions
The gameplay is simple, slow-paced, and repetitive, focusing on basic mechanics like shoveling snow and equipment maintenance that contribute to a calming yet aimless experience. While some find it tedious and lacking depth or variety, others appreciate its satisfying progression, unique atmosphere, and subtle challenge, viewing it more as an artistic, thematic experience than a traditional gameplay-driven title. Bugs and limited multiplayer support slightly detract from the enjoyment, but the understated mechanics and immersive setting keep many players engaged.
- “You can jump in immediately without needing to learn complicated mechanics, yet there's still enough challenge to keep you improving.”
- “The soundtrack just won't let me go, the gameplay loop is as simple and depressing as it is motivating and realistic, every gameplay or design choice made sense, and the awesome, unexpectedly polished snow shovel feature allows for the construction of eerie, mystical snow creatures, miles high, that entwine around the abandoned, shabby old tenement housing estates, from which only a cough or a soft conversation can be heard at night.”
- “Gameplay consists of shoveling snow, fixing and maintaining equipment and dealing with unusual encounters.”
- “It doesn't explain mechanics at all, features bad translation, and feels extremely aimless.”
- “The gameplay is entirely tedious and repetitive, offering very little substance or actual variety to hold your attention.”
- “Buggy gameplay, says for 4 players, but only for 2 players.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36% positive mentions, 37% neutral mentions, 27% negative mentions
The music in the game is minimalist, atmospheric, and deeply evocative, effectively capturing feelings of nostalgia, loneliness, and eeriness. It complements the calm, quiet gameplay with a mix of forlorn and hopeful tones, enhancing the overall immersive and relaxing experience. Many players praise the soundtrack as a central, emotionally impactful element that significantly enriches the game's mood.
- “The atmosphere is on point, 10/10. The scale of everything feels very realistic. The music is insanely good and the feeling when you're inside the block at night and the wind is howling outside is just .”
- “Main point of the game is soundtrack that brings feeling of nostalgia and loneliness.”
- “Very relaxing game and good music that plays at the right times during a play-through.”
- “The soundtrack just won't let me go; the gameplay loop is as simple and depressing as it is motivating and realistic. Every gameplay or design choice made sense, and the awesome, unexpectedly polished snow shovel feature allows for the construction of eerie, mystical snow creatures that entwine around the abandoned, shabby old tenement housing estates, from which only a cough or a soft conversation can be heard at night.”
- “Sometimes, without a lie, I felt like I was playing a horror game. A few seconds later, I feel like I'm on the same waves as the music that was climatic and definitely niche.”
- “Main point of the game is the soundtrack that brings feelings of nostalgia and loneliness.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70% positive mentions, 10% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their unique, atmospheric, and beautiful aesthetic, creating a pleasant and immersive vibe. However, some users note a lack of polish, limited graphical settings, and occasional design issues like cramped areas. Overall, the visuals are impressive and contribute positively to the experience despite minor flaws.
- “In addition, the beautiful graphics are impressive.”
- “The game loop is solid and the visuals are stunning.”
- “Pleasant vibe, low price, beautiful graphics.”
- “It lacks tons of polish, bug fixes, graphical options, or common sense in some design aspects.”
- “There's an aesthetic to it, but it's so sad and hopeless.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally poor, with users experiencing frequent frame rate drops, stuttering, and performance issues even on high-end PCs. These problems, combined with unskippable visual effects, negatively impact the overall gameplay experience.
- “There are bugs, yeah, and optimization isn’t great, but you can still play it and zone out for a bit.”
- “Aside from some performance issues and not detecting that I cleared snow correctly (could be my fault, but I did the same thing to some places and I got money for it), it works.”
- “Visually it's mostly ugly as sin, thanks to all of the effects you can't turn off, and terrible performance, due to complete abandonment of optimization.”
- “I have a great PC and can't even get 60 frames on 1080p without stuttering every time the game loads an asset.”
- “Some players have reported issues with the game's optimization, citing occasional frame rate drops and minor bugs.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43% positive mentions, 14% neutral mentions, 43% negative mentions
The story centers on two brothers, Viktor and Vadim, offering a slow-paced and thought-provoking experience that resonates emotionally with players. While some appreciate its impactful themes and underlying mindset, others find the plot minimal or ambiguous, with limited branching based on a key choice near the end. Overall, the narrative is subtle and introspective, eliciting mixed reactions regarding its depth and clarity.
- “First of all, I want to thank the developer for such a story that really made me think.”
- “I'm not sure what it is about this game but it has been one of the greatest slow-paced (kind of story) games that I have played in a long time. 10/10 would shovel again.”
- “Story-wise, the game features an interesting mindset: while the main character is just a janitor, every day he remembers his goal: to leave the city.”
- “Story exists, surprisingly, but the plotline itself is just a choice (upon hitting 50k) of whether you stay in the city or board the plane, with the ending slides differing slightly based on that choice.”
- “No story, I don't know if there is an ending or how.”
- “I've just ended the story (if you can call it that) and damn, it hits hard.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, crashes, and limitations on player count that hinder gameplay. While its concept is praised, the persistent technical problems make it difficult to recommend in its current state.
- “Too buggy, can't play the game without it crashing multiple times.”
- “It's buggy and I often got stuck.”
- “Buggy gameplay, says for 4 players, but only for 2 players.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
Grinding in the game is generally seen as tedious and repetitive, lacking variety and failing to engage players. While some find it mildly relaxing, most reviews highlight it as an unrewarding and frustrating aspect that detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “The gameplay is entirely tedious and repetitive, offering very little substance or actual variety to hold your attention.”
- “However, the approach of grinding achievements, having to unlock multiple endings, or spending 30 in-game days really disappointed me.”
- “This is not fun or enjoyable, it's tedious and unrewarding.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The humor in the game is light and amusing, particularly highlighted by the shoveling mechanics and the quirky premise of a street cleaner simulator with procedurally generated environments. This comedic element provides a playful contrast to the otherwise somber setting.
- “Funny street cleaner simulator with procedurally generated panel houses.”
- “The shoveling mechanics are quite funny and add a light comedic element to the otherwise depressing atmosphere.”
- “Funny thing is, right after I bought this game another one came on my radar called: шхд: зима / it's winter.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 33% negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed, with some users finding it limited, while others appreciate features like achievements that encourage continued play and community engagement, especially in the open-world setting.
- “This feature enhances the game's replayability and fosters a sense of community among players.”
- “Achievements enable some form of replayability to the game, which is always good for open-world games like this.”
- “A good game with bad replayability.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
Users highlight the game's emotionally impactful soundtrack and praise its heartwarming, meaningful ending that leaves a lasting impression.
- “I can say that the songs in this game will drive you crazy and the game ends with a heartwarming and meaningful ending.”