Pattern

Pattern's blossoming world and ethereal music, forever trapped in a constant state of flux, are pathways to understanding the ambiguous complexion of the creative process. It suggests that ideas can be transitory as it explores the rivalry between indecision and confidence. The limitations are clear, by Pattern's own admission it's a fleeing experience, but with it comes the power to articulate one of the more abstruse processes of the imagination.

61%Game Brain Score

music, emotional

story, graphics

73% User Score Based on 30 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Pattern is a single player open world simulation game. It was developed by Galen Drew and was released on April 7, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Wander an endless dreamscape of thick forests and sublime vistas. Dive deeper and the dream morphs, revealing ever stranger and more abstract worlds.

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

music5 positive mentions

Beautiful, immersive, and procedurally generated worlds with rich, vibrant colors and dynamic day/night cycles that create a surreal dreamscape.
Relaxing, calming, and evocative experience with excellent ambient and procedural music that complements the exploration nicely.
Innovative climbing mechanic in the walking simulator genre that enhances exploration and gives a sense of truly infinite worlds.

Lack of engaging gameplay and interactivity; exploration can feel repetitive with limited objects to interact with and an unclear or underdeveloped narrative.
Technical issues including object clipping, pop-in, inconsistent movement feel, no sound effects besides music, occasional lag, and absence of keybind or graphics settings customization.
High price point relative to content and gameplay length; perceived as more an art demo or tech showcase than a fully fleshed-out game, leading to low replay value.

music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
55%
17%
The music is widely praised for its relaxing, evocative, and procedurally-generated qualities that enhance immersion and complement the environment beautifully. However, some find it repetitive or lacking surprising moments, making it feel somewhat one-note despite its emotional impact. Overall, the soundtrack is a highlight for ambiance but may not fully captivate all players.
- “That being said, I think the constraints used to prevent anything from sounding 'wrong' ultimately led to music which is very one-note.”
- “There was never that moment that we all search for when making procedural music where we say 'oh man I didn't know it could do that!', which ultimately leaves the whole thing feeling a bit wanting.”
- “And I think the music sometimes becomes very anxious, in very unexpected moments.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The story is centered on the artistic process and the challenges of creating art, presented through a brief walking simulator experience. While some appreciate its introspective and artistic narrative, others find the personal storytelling disrupts immersion and feels underdeveloped for its price and format. Overall, reactions to the story are mixed, with criticisms focusing on its brevity and delivery.
- “There's a lot more to this game than meets the eye (both in terms of story and imagery).”
- “The story is about the artistic process of making a game, and the difficulties one experiences when engaging in crafting... well, really any art.”
- “A nice and short walking simulator with an interesting story about the creative process of making art.”
- “The story: 1/10 - in the 'About this Game' section they say 'a journal-like story about the process of creating art discovered through play.' What story?”
- “I would very much like to know what story they mean.”
- “For $15, you get a walking simulator with a core story that can be completed in 30 minutes, no achievements, trading cards, or points items, and no menu to adjust graphics settings or controls.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, with some users criticizing the limited color palettes, low frame rates, and lack of visual settings, resulting in an unimpressive experience. However, others appreciate the cohesive art style, thoughtful model choices, and particularly praise the atmospheric color changes and nighttime visuals as stunning.
- “I'm enthralled by the visuals and the Michael Bell audio (a favorite of mine, and whose entire Bandcamp repertoire I own—even games I've not yet played).”
- “The graphics, the color changing throughout the game, the night time is truly breathtaking!”
- “The art style and model choices were well founded and all make sense together.”
- “Graphics/visual design: 2/10 - a lot of 3D objects with limited colour palettes.”
- “For $15, you get a walking simulator with a core story that can be completed in 30 minutes, no achievements, trading cards, or points items, and no menu to adjust graphics settings or controls.”
- “The graphics suffer from poor color variety and lack of detailed textures, making the environment feel dull and uninspired.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Gameplay features some interesting climbing and jumping mechanics, but the overly smooth movement and lack of sound diminish immersion. The core gameplay mainly involves moving between campfires with minimal interaction, resulting in a short, unengaging experience with poor performance issues and limited replay value.
- “There is a small stamina mechanic, but you are mostly just able to explore the environment.”
- “$15 will seem rather pricey for those looking for hours upon hours of immersive gameplay.”
- “I've gotten about 15 minutes of gameplay out of it and there's nothing to bring back for more.”
- “The mechanics: 3/10 - you go from campfire to campfire sleeping.”
- “I've gotten about 15 minutes of 'gameplay' out of it and there's nothing to bring back for more.”
- “The walking sim: 4/10 - there are some neat mechanics where you can climb anything and jump pretty far, but the movement is too smooth and there is no sound for any of it.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect is enhanced by a highly evocative and emotionally charged soundscape, notably impressive given its procedural generation. While the music effectively impacts players emotionally, it does not offer any unexpected or surprising elements.
- “The soundscape is very evocative and emotionally charged, which is quite impressive for procedural generation.”
- “I was emotionally affected by the music, although there was nothing particularly surprising about it.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game's humor genuinely funny, especially noting that its full price feels surprisingly high given the comedic experience. Overall, the humor is appreciated and adds to the game's appeal.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization shows issues with noticeable object pop-in and abrupt lighting transitions between day and night, indicating a lack of refined rendering and visual smoothing that detracts from the overall experience.