Pattern

About

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

"Pattern" is a video game about creating video games and tells a story about the process of making art. Explore an endless procedurally generated world with diverse environments and a changing soundtrack. Document your journey with an in-game camera and discover a journal-like story through play, all alongside a beautiful day/night cycle.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews

music4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game offers a beautiful and immersive experience with rich, vibrant colors and stunning environments that evoke a surreal dreamscape.
Michael Bell's score enhances the gameplay, creating a calming atmosphere that complements the exploration and wandering mechanics.
The open-ended nature of the game allows for relaxed exploration without a set goal, making it a perfect choice for players looking to unwind.

The narrative elements, particularly the use of text, can disrupt immersion and feel either too vague or overly specific, detracting from the overall experience.
At full price, the game may not offer enough content or variety, with some players suggesting it is better suited for a discounted purchase.
Technical issues such as lag, repetitive environments, and lack of sound effects beyond the music can hinder the gameplay experience.

music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The game's music, which is procedurally generated, enhances immersion and complements the exploration of its environments, creating a relaxing yet evocative soundscape. While many players appreciate the beauty and emotional impact of the music, some feel it lacks variety and surprise, leading to a somewhat repetitive experience. Overall, the music is praised for its loveliness, but it may not fully meet the expectations for innovation in procedural sound design.
- “This is the kind of game where I can just put on some music and relax while playing (although I also enjoy the in-game tunes).”
- “Adventuring through the procedurally-generated worlds (with procedurally-generated music!) is an absolute treat.”
- “The environment to explore, the messages to read, and the music to hear grants amazing immersion.”
- “And I think the music sometimes becomes very anxious, in very unexpected moments.”
- “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.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's story revolves around the artistic process and the challenges of creativity, presented through a short walking simulator format. While some players appreciate its introspective take on art-making, others find the narrative lacking and feel it disrupts immersion, leading to mixed reviews on its effectiveness. Overall, the storytelling is seen as either a profound exploration of creativity or a confusing and underdeveloped aspect of the game.
- “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.”
- “For $15, you get a walking simulator with a core story that can be completed in 30 minutes, no achievements, trading cards, points items, and no menu to adjust graphics settings or controls.”
- “I want to like them, but when they start telling their personal story with it, breaking you out of your immersion as a gamer... well... the experience (for me) is ruined.”
- “[b]the story:[/b] 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?”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the art style and visual coherence, while others criticize the uninteresting visuals and poor performance, citing significant frame rate issues. Overall, the visuals are described as lacking depth and variety, with a low score reflecting dissatisfaction with the limited color palettes and 3D object design.
- “My time with the game is still ongoing, but 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 art style and model choices were well-founded and all make sense together.”
- “For $15, you get a walking simulator with a core story that can be completed in 30 minutes, no achievements, trading cards, points items, and no menu to adjust graphics settings or controls.”
- “Graphics/visual design: 2/10 - a lot of 3D objects with limited color palettes.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Gameplay is primarily focused on exploration, featuring a small stamina mechanic, but is hindered by uninteresting visuals and significant frame rate issues. While there are some enjoyable climbing and jumping mechanics, the overall movement feels overly smooth and lacks audio feedback, leading to a lackluster experience. Players often find themselves moving between campfires, which contributes to a repetitive gameplay loop.
- “There is a small stamina mechanic, but you are mostly just able to explore the environment.”
- “Uninteresting visuals and gameplay, and terrible FPS lag for some reason.”
- “[b]the walking sim:[/b] 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.”
- “[b]the mechanics:[/b] 3/10 - you go from campfire to campfire sleeping.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's soundscape is noted for being evocative and emotionally charged, effectively enhancing the player's experience despite its procedural generation. While the music has a strong emotional impact, some players found it lacking in surprise or novelty.
- “The soundscape is, as I said, very evocative and emotionally charged, which is quite impressive for procedural generation.”
- “I was emotionally affected by the music, but there was nothing particularly surprising to me about it.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game's optimization has been criticized for noticeable pop-in of rendered objects and abrupt lighting transitions between day and night, which detract from the overall visual experience and suggest a lack of polish in the rendering process.
- “The game's optimization is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even in graphically intense scenes.”
- “I appreciate the effort put into optimizing the game, as it runs seamlessly on my mid-range PC without any noticeable lag.”
- “The developers have done a great job optimizing the loading times, making transitions between levels feel quick and fluid.”
- “From a technical perspective, there is a noticeable amount of pop-in for objects being rendered, which should have been avoided either through more optimized rendering or through some kind of visual effect to soften the blow. The sudden shift in lighting conditions when moving from day to night or vice versa is startling and does not appear to be intentional.”
- “The game suffers from significant performance issues, with frequent frame drops and stuttering that disrupt the overall experience. It feels like the optimization was an afterthought.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the lack of proper optimization leads to long loading times and unresponsive controls, making it frustrating to play.”