Placebo Love
- September 7, 2021
- Twelve Tiles
Get on SteamA lonely young man is guided by a silent Muse to solve the mystery behind his two Doppelganger Soulmates.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging and addictive gameplay with a deep plot that balances mystery and social elements.
- Well-written characters and diverse storylines that encourage replayability with multiple endings.
- Beautiful soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and emotional depth of the game.
- Limited romantic options, as players can only pursue the main two love interests, which may disappoint some.
- Some gameplay mechanics and consequences of choices can be unclear, leading to confusion.
- Technical issues such as performance problems and minor bugs that can detract from the experience.
- story44 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game features a rich and engaging narrative that captivates players with its character-driven storylines, each offering unique perspectives and emotional depth. While the main plot may not resonate with everyone, the diverse character arcs and the ability to make impactful decisions enhance the overall experience. The inclusion of a new game plus mode allows for further exploration of the story, making it a rewarding journey for those who appreciate intricate storytelling.
“This has been such a wonderful experience and the story is absolutely beautiful.”
“If you love making decisions and watching an incredible story unfold before your eyes, please give this game a try.”
“Each character has their own story, and they link into the larger mystery in sometimes surprising ways.”
“I wasn't terribly invested in the main storyline of the two identical girls, and I was relieved that I didn't need to be to get an interesting story.”
“But it's not a huge part of the story.”
“It is easy to get invested in certain storylines.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet addictive mechanics, offering a deep plot intertwined with social elements and multiple choices that lead to various endings. Players appreciate the clever design, humor, and the integration of themes through gameplay, particularly the balance between truth and deception. The time management aspect and character interactions enhance replayability, making the overall experience engaging and memorable.
“After giving it a shot, I see why: simple, addictive gameplay; deep plot; perfect balance of mystery and social element; multiple choices leading to different endings; option to choose the ending you prefer; little callbacks to other interactions you've had; amazing OST; replayability... should I continue?”
“Having to constantly choose between lies/truths/somewhere-in-between is a remarkably clever device for tying together gameplay, theme, and emotional weight.”
“I especially appreciated how tight, creative yet cohesive the overall design was, with lots of nice touches like the ways important information was made apparent (and manageable via the various apps), and each character arc being made memorable with its own visual and mechanical peculiarities (including how much some seem to appreciate being lied to!)”
“It's a nice detail, but it may interfere with the gameplay itself.”
“Having to constantly choose between lies/truths/somewhere-in-between is a remarkably clever device for tying together gameplay, theme and emotional weight.”
- music18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its lush quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, effectively establishing mood and complementing the narrative. While some tracks are considered standout hits, others may not resonate as strongly, with a few not fitting the game's tone. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's atmosphere, making it a notable aspect of the gameplay.
“The soundtrack is proper lush.”
“The soundtrack is an absolute banger.”
“Some of the spookier soundtracks didn't quite fit with the overall game mood.”
“The protagonist's life feels pretty bleak and empty at first, which makes it pretty funny the first time you unlock a bond with someone...they'll end the scene on a depressing or awkward note, and then all of the sudden a little cheerful music cue and visual effect proudly declares that you've ranked up your relationship.”
“Story has been good so far, but the biggest surprise to me was soundtrack quality, enhances experience immensely!”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching music and themes of love, comfort, and validation, making it a deeply resonant experience for players. Many reviewers appreciate the emotional maturity and kindness woven into the narrative, suggesting it offers a grounded perspective for those feeling troubled. The clever integration of choices between truth and lies adds significant emotional weight, prompting players to reflect on their own experiences and the nature of endings.
“Placebo love gave me a lot of comfort, enjoyment, and validation, and it has so much emotional maturity and kindness that's rare to find nowadays.”
“I think anyone looking for something more grounded or feels emotionally troubled should give this a go; it's literally tender love and care in the form of a good story.”
“Maybe I'm going to play it a second time (once I've recovered, it is pretty touching), because I was not really happy with the ending I got, but on the other hand, that's a life lesson too: you don't get another chance at it, so hey, maybe the ending I got is fine enough!”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charming blend of blocky, low-resolution environments paired with intricately detailed character portraits, earning high praise for their creativity and humor. However, performance issues have been reported, particularly on older hardware, leading to concerns about optimization despite the appealing art style. Overall, the graphics are celebrated for their clever design and engaging visual storytelling.
“I really love the art style of combining the blocky, low-res scenes with the beautifully detailed character portraits.”
“This is the best incarnation yet of the twelve tiles style: lots of design cleverness and humor, excellent writing, ingenious metaphors that tie together the visuals, game mechanics, and story -- yet mostly take the form of completely ridiculous fixations, here on beverages -- and a world where abstract social concepts are taken very literally.”
“Graphics: 10/10 cute art!”
“- the performance is well, pretty shoddy for such simple graphics; my (albeit old) MacBook had fans spinning the entire time, and sometimes I had to save and go to the main menu to make it run smooth again (memory leak?)”
“the performance is well, pretty shoddy for such simple graphics; my (albeit old) MacBook had fans spinning the entire time, and sometimes I had to save and go to the main menu to make it run smooth again (memory leak?)”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its simple yet addictive gameplay, deep plot, and multiple choices that lead to different endings. Players can explore various relationship outcomes and response choices, enhancing the experience with callbacks to previous interactions. Overall, the combination of these elements encourages players to revisit the game for a richer experience.
“After giving it a shot, I see why: simple, addictive gameplay; deep plot; perfect balance of mystery and social element; multiple choices leading to different endings; option to choose the ending you prefer; little callbacks to other interactions you've had; amazing OST; replayability... should I continue?”
“[*] long story & replayability.”
“There is replayability potential for relationships I didn't 100% fulfill or to try different response choices.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a clever juxtaposition of bleakness and cheerfulness, particularly evident when unlocking relationships that often end on awkward or depressing notes, only to be celebrated with upbeat music and visuals. The writing is praised for its wit and design ingenuity, using absurd metaphors—especially around beverages—to creatively connect the game's mechanics and narrative, resulting in a uniquely humorous experience.
“The protagonist's life feels pretty bleak and empty at first, which makes it pretty funny the first time you unlock a bond with someone. They'll end the scene on a depressing or awkward note, and then all of a sudden a little cheerful music cue and visual effect proudly declares that you've ranked up your relationship.”
“This is the best incarnation yet of the twelve tiles style: lots of design cleverness and humor, excellent writing, ingenious metaphors that tie together the visuals, game mechanics, and story -- yet mostly take the form of completely ridiculous fixations, here on beverages -- and a world where abstract social concepts are taken very literally.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor performance despite its simple graphics, with users reporting excessive fan activity on older hardware and the need to frequently return to the main menu to alleviate lag, suggesting potential memory leak issues.
“The performance is pretty shoddy for such simple graphics; my (albeit old) MacBook had fans spinning the entire time, and sometimes I had to save and go to the main menu to make it run smoothly again (memory leak?).”
- grinding2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players generally appreciate that the game is not grindy, making it easy to pick up and enjoy without excessive repetition. The user interface is also noted as good, contributing to a smooth gaming experience.
