Perils of Man

About

Perils of Man is a single player puzzle game with mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by IF Games and was released on April 28, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

"Perils of Man" is a narrative-driven adventure game that follows the journey of a young protagonist, Alec, as he uncovers the secrets of his family's past. Players will solve puzzles and make choices that impact the story's outcome in this immersive 3D world. The game explores themes of time travel, fate, and the consequences of one's actions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 156 reviews

story88 positive mentions

stability11 negative mentions

The game features a compelling story about family, fate, and invention, with emotional depth and philosophical themes.
The art style is charming, with a soft, painted aesthetic and well-designed environments that enhance immersion.
Puzzles are generally logical and well-integrated into the narrative, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating.

The game suffers from technical issues, including frustrating 3D camera angles and navigation problems that disrupt gameplay.
Some puzzles can feel obscure or illogical, leading to moments of confusion and reliance on walkthroughs.
The pacing is uneven, with slow transitions and stilted dialogue that can detract from the overall experience.

story
185 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The story of "Perils of Man" is a heartfelt and engaging narrative centered around themes of family, fate, and invention, featuring a time travel element that adds depth to the gameplay. While the game is praised for its emotional storytelling, strong voice acting, and intriguing plot, some players feel it suffers from technical issues and underdeveloped characters, leading to a somewhat rushed conclusion. Overall, it offers a unique and immersive experience for fans of narrative-driven adventure games, despite its shortcomings.
- “Perils of Man is a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure that skillfully combines mystery, steampunk aesthetics, and emotional storytelling.”
- “The story is captivating and you get thrown into the mystery right away, following the adventure of Ana as she's trying to find her missing father.”
- “The story is well written and not at all obvious from the start, keeping players engaged throughout the experience.”
- “The story feels hollow and empty.”
- “More bad news I'm afraid: the storytelling is poor, the story nonsensical, the characters stupid (the mother unbearably so...) even some of the dialogue is presented in the wrong order.”
- “The story needed more development and consequently, the ending felt vaguely unresolved.”
graphics
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The graphics of "Perils of Man" are characterized by a charming, stylized aesthetic that blends well with its narrative-driven gameplay, evoking a dreamlike quality reminiscent of Tim Burton's work. While some players appreciate the colorful visuals and engaging cutscenes, others note occasional technical glitches and a somewhat dated appearance, particularly in pre-rendered cutscenes. Overall, the art style is generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite some minor shortcomings.
- “Visually, it still carries a certain charm; the soft, painted aesthetic and moody lighting give it a dreamlike tone.”
- “The graphics are very charming, with engaging cutscenes and gorgeous environments and characters.”
- “The art style and story seem quite amazing, but a recurring gameplay 'bug' keeps staggering my progress which results in me having to restart the game from the very beginning.”
- “The graphics look dated; I've encountered bugs at least twice during the playthrough, and there are many unpolished elements.”
- “Unfortunately, the work put into visuals doesn't mean that the environments are top-notch, and it does mean that other dimensions of the game fall short, ultimately leading to disappointment.”
- “Mediocre game; it's recommendable, but there are some glitches here and there. The worst annoying one is pulling items in the inventory, which doesn't always respond on the first try, and a major downside is the cutscenes, which sadly don't hold up to the graphic level in the game.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
72%
6%
The gameplay of "Perils of Man" is characterized by classic point-and-click mechanics focused on exploration and puzzle-solving, though many players find the puzzles to be simple and lacking challenge. While the game features a compelling story and engaging visuals, it suffers from linearity and occasional glitches that can hinder the experience. Overall, it offers a straightforward and enjoyable adventure, but may disappoint those seeking more complex gameplay.
- “The gameplay of Perils of Man emphasizes exploration and puzzle-solving, hallmarks of classic point-and-click adventures.”
- “I really enjoyed playing Perils of Man, both the story and the gameplay. While the game could use a regular save feature and possibly a better hint system (like a hotspot hotkey), I can honestly say I recommend the game for any point-and-click adventure gamer.”
- “The puzzles are simple and aren't fun; the point-and-click can be all over the place, just feels like it's there so it can have an excuse for gameplay.”
- “Overall, I recommend this game; however, players looking for a challenge will be disappointed, as the game is very short: expect to clear the game in 2 hours or so of gameplay; also the difficulty is not hard, with the game hardly providing a challenge, except for a few minor graphical glitches which can sometimes cause a plot-critical item to become hard to see amidst its background.”
- “The gameplay is very linear and completely without challenge: only those items that are relevant to the area you are in are available in your inventory, and access to 'puzzles' is often locked behind arbitrary and unrelated dialogue trees.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt narrative that explores themes of family, sacrifice, and the consequences of human invention, though technical issues can detract from the experience. Players appreciate the well-written dialogue and strong voice acting, which enhance character depth and emotional resonance, particularly as the story progresses. While some find the pacing and character development lacking, many agree that the game offers a rewarding emotional journey for those who value story-driven experiences.
- “It’s a shame, because beneath the rough edges lies a smart and emotional narrative about courage, scientific curiosity, and the consequences of human invention.”
- “There is an underlying emotional resonance that grows as the story progresses, covering topics like regret, sacrifice, and how one's decisions often impact other family members.”
- “The game does a good job of using story-driven narrative and small, but impactful, backstory details to give emotional depth and substance to its characters.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The music in the game is generally described as supportive and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience without being particularly memorable. While some players appreciated the subtle and fitting soundtrack, others found it unremarkable and forgettable. Overall, the sound design, including music and effects, contributes positively to the game's mood and storytelling.
- “The music, sound, and voices really set the mood of the game.”
- “A fantastic story with some neat concepts, great voice acting (besides the cringy mom), and a subtle soundtrack.”
- “Especially the music and sound effects give the game a lot of atmosphere.”
- “I don't remember the music of the game.”
- “Nothing special here: the voice acting is bearable, the sound effects are clear and the soundtrack suits the tone of the game, even though it's really forgettable.”
- “The music was a delight to listen to, although I do wish it would have stopped when the game wasn’t in focus or was minimized.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability has been criticized for various technical issues, including minor graphical glitches, audio inconsistencies, and a particularly troublesome inventory system that can hinder gameplay. While some players found the game generally stable, the presence of bugs and glitches detracted from the overall experience, leading to frustration during key moments. Overall, the game is deemed recommendable despite these stability concerns, but players should be prepared for occasional technical hiccups.
- “In that sense, the game is mature, stable, and, barring the one mentioned above, is bug-free.”
- “The inventory is also buggy, and getting items out of your stupid inventory feels like more of a puzzle than the actual puzzles.”
- “Mediocre game, it's recommendable, but there are some glitches here and there. The worst annoying one is pulling things from the inventory; it doesn't always respond on the first try. A major downside is the cutscenes, which don't really hold up to the graphic level in the game, sadly enough.”
- “Con: buggy engine, you can really tell it's an indie game.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its campy style, clever writing, and a mix of light-hearted and serious moments, appealing particularly to geeks and hipsters. Players appreciate the funny characters, engaging dialogue, and the presence of humorous elements like the mechanical bird, Darwin. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with a compelling storyline, making it enjoyable and memorable.
- “Of course there's a lot of talking too, and the game has some sense of humor.”
- “Campy humor, some really nice easter eggs, especially for geeks and wannabe geeks and hipsters.”
- “One other thing I like about Perils of Man is the jokes and humor; it's cleverly written.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by whimsical yet eerie 3D animation and character design, reminiscent of Tim Burton, complemented by meticulously crafted environments that enhance the steampunk tone. While the music and sound effects significantly contribute to the immersive experience, some players felt that the dialogue did not always align with the overall atmosphere. Overall, the atmosphere is consistently engaging, particularly through the dynamic between Ana and her mother.
- “The 3D animation and character design evoke a whimsical yet slightly eerie atmosphere, reminiscent of Tim Burton’s work.”
- “Environments are meticulously crafted, featuring intricate machinery, atmospheric lighting, and a variety of textures that reinforce the steampunk tone.”
- “Especially the music and sound effects give the game a lot of atmosphere.”
- “The 3D animation and character design evoke a whimsical yet slightly eerie atmosphere, reminiscent of Tim Burton's work.”
- “Helping set atmosphere and help guide you.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often resulting in frustrating pixel hunts or the need to consult walkthroughs when stuck. The straightforward point-and-click controls, while functional, can also contribute to the monotony, and the lack of engaging dialogue further exacerbates the feeling of repetitiveness. Overall, the grinding experience is marked by a sense of tedium and a desire for more hints or engaging interactions.
- “So it either becomes a tedious pixel hunt several times or you just need to check a walkthrough (as I did) when you're stuck and are pretty sure it's just because you missed some random object in a dark corner of some room.”
- “Although sometimes I'd like some hints or something because walking back and forth while trying to figure it out could be tedious.”
- “There is an interesting combination mechanic which, however, can turn out tedious when you are stuck.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game has limited replayability, as all achievements can be earned in a single playthrough, and there are no alternate endings or significant choices that would encourage multiple runs. Players noted that the linear nature of the point-and-click format further restricts replay value, making it primarily appealing for those seeking to complete achievements rather than for varied gameplay experiences.
- “Replayability: 4”
- “All achievements can be earned in a single playthrough; there's no alternate endings and no replayability beyond earning achievements.”
- “I personally feel that the game has little immediate replay value unless you missed an achievement.”
- “Point & click, fairly linear, so limited replayability.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while Ana's journey from a curious teenager to someone facing moral complexities is well-executed, other characters lack depth, leading to a feeling of missed potential. The whimsical yet eerie character design enhances the atmosphere, but some players feel that the overall character development does not fully engage them, detracting from the experience.
- “Ana’s character development is well-paced and compelling, evolving from a curious and determined teenager into someone confronting complex moral dilemmas tied to her family’s secret.”
- “The 3D animation and character design evoke a whimsical yet slightly eerie atmosphere, reminiscent of Tim Burton’s work.”
- “This could have been a beautiful experience even with the waste of potential in the storyline, but the poor character development never made me feel invested in the game, and the gameplay was too ugly to enjoy staying in the world.”
- “The fantastic premise could have offered so much more in terms of character development, storytelling, and most importantly: meaningful choices.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users have reported inconsistent performance during pre-rendered videos, indicating potential optimization issues within the game.
- “Odd performance in pre-rendered videos.”