Playne
- June 24, 2020
- Krish Shrikumar
- 18h median play time
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Get on Apple Store"Playne is a single-player, open-world game that focuses on improving mental well-being through meditation. With every meditation session, the game's world grows and transforms, providing a delightful and wholesome atmosphere. The game has received rave reviews for its exceptional music, marvelous visuals, and innovative use of gaming conventions to encourage meditation. It has a 96% positive rating on Steam and has been praised for helping players feel calmer and less stressed."
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Reviews
- Playne effectively gamifies meditation, making it easier for users to build a daily habit and stay motivated.
- The serene environment and soothing sounds create a calming atmosphere that enhances the meditation experience.
- The game provides clear guidance on meditation techniques, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
- Some users experience technical issues, such as crashes or bugs that disrupt the meditation process.
- The dialogue with the fox can feel repetitive and may detract from the overall experience for some players.
- The game may not offer enough content or variety in meditation techniques to keep long-term users engaged.
- story105 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in Playne unfolds gradually as players engage in meditation, with a charming narrative guided by a fox character that encourages mindfulness and personal growth. While some players find the storyline intriguing and motivational, others feel it lacks depth and can be meandering at times. Overall, the narrative serves as a pleasant backdrop to the meditation experience, enhancing player engagement through visual and environmental changes as they progress.
“The story is beautiful, the scene is breathtaking, and the achievements help motivate you.”
“Playne offers an intriguing story, which progresses by meditating, and helps to stay interested in the game.”
“The game aspect of Playne comes with the wonderful story of the fox that unfolds as you unlock new chapters and with the exploration of the evolve world.”
“The story has my interest but it is not something I can pour hours into, nor does it seem that you should, not in one sitting.”
“The story of the game needs some work, but to be honest, it's not why I play.”
“It takes three days of meditation to unlock the first 'story chunk', and by that point, I was just uninterested.”
- graphics67 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and immersive environments that enhance the meditation experience, while others criticize the dated graphics and technical issues that can hinder performance. Many appreciate the calming aesthetic and evolving landscapes, but some feel that improvements are needed, particularly in terms of graphical fidelity and text clarity. Overall, while the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, there are calls for enhancements to better align with modern standards.
“The graphics are beautiful, and you can even join the Discord community to talk with others.”
“Incredibly relaxing, beautiful graphics, and makes me feel as if things will be all right, even on a particularly bad day.”
“The graphics are stunning, and watching my little island grow has been such a pleasure.”
“The graphics are dated and it shows.”
“In the few meditations on offer, you spend your time literally looking at a flat, white circle graphic with text that sometimes is clipped off and unreadable.”
“The graphics could use a little work (just a gray circle for the duration, really?), and the text could use some proofreading, but seeing as it's in early access, you have to believe it can only improve from here.”
- music57 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and relaxing qualities, effectively enhancing the meditation experience with soothing ambient sounds and gentle instrumental tracks. Users appreciate the balance between music and environmental sounds, which creates an immersive atmosphere conducive to meditation. While many enjoy the existing soundtrack, there are requests for additional music options and guided tracks to further enrich the experience.
“The music and atmosphere it creates definitely helps with my meditation practice.”
“The music is beautiful and helps put you in a spiritual state of mind.”
“The scenery and atmosphere is very tranquil and the music fits perfectly with gentle simplicity.”
“There's no option for music, or soothing sounds to focus on, and even the 'guided' meditations are a minute of speech followed by twenty minutes of silence.”
“I would not recommend Playne if it had a similar competitor that offered more stylized graphics, more music, more characters to talk to, and, most importantly, better guided meditation tracks.”
“I might do meditation but I'm sarcastic so some ironic sarcasm would be great; I also wish the requirements to run the game weren't so high as I only have 6 GB of RAM on my computer. I need to upgrade eventually, but low res seems to help; it just bugs out the music so far.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is primarily focused on habit-building and mindfulness rather than traditional gaming mechanics, featuring a streak system and simple interactions like clicking to note thoughts. While some players appreciate the non-intrusive mechanics that encourage regular meditation, others find the pressure of the streak system potentially anxiety-inducing. Overall, it serves as a unique tool for developing healthy habits, though it lacks depth in conventional gameplay elements.
“Great gameplay, multiple forms of meditation, and habit-building mode keeps me coming back even when I skip a day.”
“Playne makes it easier to begin a habit of meditating by using non-intrusive game mechanics.”
“However, Playne's storyline, streak system, and world growth mechanics do make mindfulness a bit more satisfying and enjoyable for me, and has caused my mindfulness practice to be more consistent than it has been in a long, long time.”
“I'm not actually sure if the whole streak mechanic can be turned off - but for those like me who feel unnecessary pressure and anxiety from this sort of system might want to avoid this title as an introduction to meditation. It's no doubt a popular mechanic, as plenty of other tools and timers for sitting bake it in as well, but it's not for everyone.”
“Playne contains less content than most walking simulators and no true gameplay mechanics at all.”
“Don't expect much of a gamey game out of it, there's not really any day-to-day gameplay, it's more for the chain of achievements, but it gives you a great way to build a habit up over time.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and calming qualities, featuring lush landscapes, soothing soundscapes, and gentle music that enhance meditation and mindfulness practices. Users appreciate the tranquil environment, which effectively allows them to disconnect from daily stress and engage in relaxation. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and atmospheric sounds creates a serene experience that encourages players to return for its soothing ambiance.
“The lush landscapes and soothing soundscapes create an immersive atmosphere that makes it easy to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.”
“The atmosphere of this 'game' is beautiful and inspiring.”
“Amazing atmosphere, very soothing, the ambient sounds are really nice.”
“The mood and atmosphere is right there.”
“Relaxing atmosphere and it is possible to configure the smallest details like wind force, rain, lighting.”
“The scenery and atmosphere is very tranquil and the music fits perfectly with gentle simplicity.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the emotional benefits of the game, noting its ability to reduce stress, improve mental health, and foster better relationships. Many appreciate its therapeutic elements, which help them manage crises and emotional turmoil, while others find the heartwarming story and charming characters evoke strong positive feelings, including joy and nostalgia. However, some users report feelings of agitation, indicating a mixed emotional response.
“I recommend this game if you want a lower-stress, happier lifestyle that improves your physical and emotional health as well as relationships with those you love.”
“I also see elements of what a therapist once told me to do in a crisis, so I see this game as teaching skills not just to chillax, but to be able to handle crises and other emotionally intense situations.”
“This game has a heartwarming story, and works great as a timer for meditation.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers a highly customizable experience that allows users to tailor meditations to their needs, but it suffers from performance issues, requiring low settings for smoother gameplay. While it generally runs well without bugs, some players report choppy visuals and stuttering, indicating a need for further optimization.
“Highly customizable so that I can fine-tune the meditations at any time to make the most difficult first steps of building the habit and coping with performance anxiety, taking on whatever form I needed for it to be accessible and work for me.”
“I have not found any bugs, and it installed and runs smoothly.”
“It could benefit from some optimization, though.”
“I need to put it on very low settings and low-res to have an experience that isn't all choppy and stuttering.”
“It is definitely worth buying, but it does have some visual and performance issues at times.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its ironic and self-deprecating tone, with players finding amusement in their own experiences and the game's updates. Users appreciate the positive and humorous attitude of the community, which enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
“I am a Steam user for many years and I have never encountered such a positive, humorous, kind, and at the same time professional attitude before.”
“Update notes are funny and well-written.”
“Wait, it's a pro actually; it looks so funny! :D”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while some Steam achievements can be grindy and challenging to obtain, the overall grinding experience is considered manageable and even rewarding as the game progresses. Initially tedious elements, such as the fox's stories, ultimately lead to deeper reflections, enhancing the gameplay experience.
“Some Steam achievements may be grindy.”
“You are getting achievements on various aspects of the game, but some are grindy and difficult to obtain.”
“The game might seem a bit grindy at first, but it is an effortless grind; don't worry.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, freezing during exit, and performance struggles even on high-end gaming laptops. While the visuals and music are praised, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems.
“It's really visually lovely, but it doesn't run well (I have a brand new gaming laptop... it shouldn't struggle to load this game), and can get a little buggy at times.”
“The game freezes when I try to exit.”
“Extremely buggy.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews; while it offers free access to NHS and teaching staff and promotes environmental initiatives like tree planting, some users perceive it as a cash grab.
“This is another cash grab.”
