Personal Space
- June 24, 2022
- Friendly Fire
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Get on itch.io StorePersonal Space is the only roguelike action RPG all about avoiding others. Your only offense is a solid defense! Equip yourself with a variety of stat upgrades, familiars, and abilities to keep enemies at bay. Dodge your way through dozens of randomly selected room layouts, survive until time runs out in each room to advance through a story mode where you'll (reluctantly) meet some odd and interes…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming art style and engaging soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
- Fun and challenging gameplay that combines bullet hell mechanics with roguelike elements.
- Unique characters and dialogue that add depth and personality to the game.
- Lacks checkpoints, making the game repetitive and frustrating after dying.
- Controls can be awkward and unchangeable, which may hinder the gameplay experience.
- Some players may find the story and character interactions limited and lacking in variety.
- story14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story mode features a charming art style and engaging character interactions, but players note a lack of variety due to repetitive story elements across multiple playthroughs. While the dialogue offers a friendly and insightful experience, the absence of checkpoints and a more dynamic narrative structure detracts from the overall enjoyment. Many reviewers suggest that the game would benefit from a roguelite format to enhance storytelling and replayability.
“Upgrade items are everyday things, enemies are clearly not trying to hurt you, and the flickering hand-drawn style makes you think of the short animations people usually use to tell a quick personal story.”
“The game has a cute and well-done art style, along with some nice background music, and there are 2 game modes - story mode and arcade mode, where the story mode has you meeting certain characters after each episode is completed, with some dialogue options to choose from.”
“But as is the case with any good story, when reading their dialogues I felt like I was having a friendly, insightful conversation with their creator.”
“The gameplay and story, which are both just okay.”
“The biggest disappointment for me, then, was that each subsequent playthrough presented me with the same story beats as my first.”
“I think the game would have been better as a roguelite with a continuous story across runs, so you can experience the game once and move on.”
- music9 mentions
- 89 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with many users describing the soundtrack as amazing, epic, and charming. It complements the game's cute art style and enhances the overall experience, leading some players to express a desire for the soundtrack to be available for purchase. Overall, the background music is considered a strong point of the game, contributing positively to its atmosphere.
“Not only that, but the soundtrack is amazing as well.”
“I must say though, the soundtrack is pretty epic.”
“Cute, love the art and music!”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as fun and engaging, featuring mechanics reminiscent of "Undertale" and "Binding of Isaac," though it lacks the depth of those titles. Players appreciate the blend of combat and narrative, with some suggesting the addition of meta-progression to enhance the experience, especially for those struggling with the bullet-dodging elements. Overall, while the gameplay is enjoyable, it may not fully capitalize on its potential.
“The gameplay is super fun, and the mechanics are quite good.”
“Not even counting the polished gameplay, the added 'personal' connection with the developer and the sprinkles of insight on the human condition give an unexpected trip into your feelings.”
“Some meta-progression might be welcome for people who struggle a bit with the bullet dodging gameplay.”
“It's a roguelike that's based on the combat mechanics of Undertale, but lacking the strengths of that title.”
“The gameplay and story, which are both just okay.”
“But enough about the bullet hell and roguelite mechanics.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a cool and cute art style that is well-executed, especially considering it is free. Users appreciate the graphics and character designs, complemented by a good soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience in both story and arcade modes.
“The game has a cute and well-done art style, along with some nice background music as well.”
“Pretty good graphics for an absolutely free game with a good OST.”
“The characters and the art style are great too.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is perceived as lacking, with players finding the attempts at comedic relief during conversations to be unamusing and somewhat ironic, given the game's premise of avoiding social interaction.
“These conversations also offer a little place to rest between gameplay, which I find pretty funny in retrospect since the premise is that we want to avoid interacting with people.”
“The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
“I love how the game uses humor to break the tension; the unexpected jokes and quirky characters keep the experience light-hearted.”
“It's not funny.”
“The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
“I expected more laughs, but it just didn't deliver.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming narratives featuring eccentric characters, juxtaposed with themes of vulnerability and fear of emotional connection, creating a poignant exploration of relationships and personal struggles.
“Do you enjoy heartwarming stories with eccentric characters?”
“And another character hides away all day, too afraid to let anyone get close, lest he hurt them emotionally or be hurt himself.”
