Pavilion

About

"Pavilion is a single-player Mystery Point and Click game with stunning visuals and masterful music, immersing you in a very atmospheric fourth-person puzzling adventure. Interact with the environment and guide the main character through 28 dream-like levels, with Chapter 2 releasing in 2018 as DLC. Experience innovative Eye-Tracker support for Tobii EyeX Eye-Tracker, allowing for gaze interaction within the game."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 132 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful atmosphere, creating an immersive experience.
Puzzles are interesting and provide a satisfying challenge, with many players enjoying the 'a-ha!' moments.
The music and sound design enhance the overall experience, contributing to the game's dreamlike quality.

The game is very short, with many players completing it in around 2-3 hours, and it ends on a cliffhanger with no release of Chapter 2.
Control issues, particularly with mouse support and character pathing, lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The marketing was misleading, as it was presented as a complete game while only being Chapter 1, leaving players feeling disappointed.

gameplay
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
81%
5%
The gameplay in Pavilion is characterized by its simplistic and repetitive puzzle mechanics, often relying on trial and error, which can lead to frustration for players seeking depth and challenge. While the game features beautiful visuals and a relaxing atmosphere, many reviewers noted that the puzzles lack variety and can be easily solved, making the overall experience feel linear and lacking in exploration. Additionally, some gameplay bugs and unclear mechanics detract from the enjoyment, suggesting that it may appeal more to those who prioritize aesthetics over intricate gameplay.
- “Pavillon is a very unique and stunning puzzle game both in the visual and the gameplay.”
- “A lot of the mechanics involved in solving the puzzles are very imaginative and well planned.”
- “The good is that Pavillon looks absolutely stunning and has some of the most relaxing gameplay I've encountered.”
- “It's a puzzler, but a lot of the mechanics aren't clear, so you have to use trial and error.”
- “Music is dreamy and tranquil, art is highly detailed and atmospheric, storytelling is intriguing, but the gameplay is lacking: repetitive and easy-to-solve puzzles.”
- “As a game whose goal was to tell a story using only visual cues and relying on puzzles as its only form of gameplay, Pavilion does not manage to perform exceedingly well with either aspect.”
music
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
28%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience with its dreamy and tranquil soundscapes. While many players find the soundtrack beautiful and fitting for the game's art style, some note that it can become repetitive during challenging puzzles. Overall, the music is considered a key element that ties the game's aesthetic and narrative together, creating a captivating environment for players.
- “The music is also top notch, and is what glues this whole experience together!”
- “It's a surreal game with beautiful music.”
- “More than that, I’d also recommend it to everyone else, for the overall experience of passing through a brilliantly designed world, while having a wonderful soundtrack as a faithful companion.”
- “The music is quite loud and there's no way to turn it down.”
- “Some puzzles will have you scratching your head for a while, so you can imagine that the music would become quite repetitive and frustrating.”
- “However, as well done as they are, my attention glided primarily towards the music and the art style.”
story
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
75%
7%
The story in Pavilion is conveyed through symbolic visuals rather than dialogue, creating a haunting and fragmented narrative that leaves much to the imagination. While the art and music are praised for their beauty and atmosphere, many players find the story vague and lacking closure, especially since this is only the first chapter of a two-part series. Overall, the game offers an intriguing but incomplete storytelling experience, with players expressing a desire for more clarity and depth in the narrative.
- “The story is teasing and haunting and unfolds in fragments.”
- “Pavilion is a hand-crafted audio-visual experience purposefully devoid of dialogue, text, and tutorials in an effort to express its story through visual cues and observations.”
- “You travel through dreamlike, hazy landscapes while encountering a rather convoluted (but intriguing) story.”
- “The story really just could have concluded and wrapped up where it did, if only there would have been one small cutscene at the end -- so, the cliffhanger was not too bad, I just think it wasn't handled well.”
- “The story is implicit rather than explicit -- but this means you're wandering around the ruins without a strong sense of who you are, why you are here, and what you want.”
- “Pavilion is a nice little game to add to your library if you’re a puzzle fan, but if you’re looking for an absorbing story, sadly you won’t find it here.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
32%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their fantastic atmosphere, unique art style, and surreal beauty, effectively immersing players in a mysterious world. While the visuals are described as detailed and captivating, some users noted minor graphics glitches that detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the combination of stunning graphics and ambient music enhances the gameplay, making it a significant draw for players.
- “The visuals are amazing and do a fantastic job immersing you in a mysterious world of decay, shadows, and regrets.”
- “Of course the puzzles are the main hook, but when a game has graphics this beautiful, it certainly boosts the entire experience.”
- “The art style itself is fantastic and dreamlike, and with all the strange things happening in the world, it makes you wonder what is really going on.”
- “There are a number of graphics glitches that cause certain things to not be rendered, or to not be de-rendered.”
- “Despite the extraordinary, dreamlike visuals, this game has quite a few flaws potential players should be aware of.”
- “Minor graphics glitch, which I'm sure will be patched out.”
atmosphere
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
14%
8%
The atmosphere of Pavilion is widely praised for its stunning visuals and immersive sound design, creating a surreal and intriguing experience reminiscent of works like Twin Peaks. While the gameplay features simple puzzles and some bugs, the game's rich artistic presentation and tranquil music more than compensate, making it a recommended choice for those who appreciate atmospheric worlds. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be beautifully detailed, captivating, and filled with a sense of mystery and spookiness.
- “I would recommend Pavilion to people who like to get lost in an atmospheric world, for whom soaking in the experience is enough.”
- “Beautiful artwork and atmosphere; the surrealism of this game kind of reminds me of Twin Peaks.”
- “If you enjoy beautiful scenery, great sound, and amazing atmosphere - then Pavilion has that in droves.”
- “What it is lacking in gameplay it easily makes up for with atmosphere, but some of the bugs take away from that a little.”
- “It's unfinished (only chapter 1 right now) and puzzles are mostly simple, but I'm still recommending for the surreal art and atmosphere.”
- “I recommend Pavilion to all puzzle fans, especially those who like the atmosphere presented.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for numerous game-breaking glitches and persistent bugs, leading to a frustrating experience for players. While some gameplay remains smooth, the prevalence of graphical issues and the overall bugginess have left many feeling that they received an unfinished product rather than a polished release.
- “It's buggy as hell!”
- “I paid for the finished product, not for the buggy beta!”
- “There are a number of graphics glitches that cause certain things to not be rendered, or to not be de-rendered.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with many expressing that certain puzzles contribute to a sense of monotony. This repetitiveness detracts from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.
- “It hit the point of tedious.”
- “Some puzzles are a bit tedious.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game has received criticism for poor optimization, particularly affecting players with older computers, leading some to seek refunds despite acknowledging its overall quality.
- “Verdict: fairly good game, but not optimized well enough for people with older computers to play it.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game lacks character development, which hinders players' ability to form emotional attachments. Consequently, the emotional impact of the game is diminished, as players struggle to connect with the narrative or characters.

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77%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Pavilion and the maze as metaphor
Killscreen.com
77%

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Pavilion and the maze as metaphor

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