Playne

About

Playne is a single player open world simulation game. It was developed by Krish Shrikumar and was released on May 1, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

A game designed to help improve mental well-being by helping players build a daily habit of meditation. Every day you meditate, the game world grows and transforms. Build resilience to stress, experience calm and relaxation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+13

Skip User Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,700 reviews

story48 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Playne effectively gamifies meditation, making it easier for users to build a daily habit and stay motivated.
The serene environment, beautiful graphics, and calming sounds create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the meditation experience.
The game provides clear guidance on meditation techniques and encourages users to reflect on their thoughts, promoting mindfulness.

Some users find the streak system too punishing, as missing a day can reset progress and discourage continued practice.
The game lacks a variety of guided meditations and audio options, which may limit the experience for some users.
Technical issues, such as bugs and performance problems, can detract from the overall experience.

story
210 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
75%
2%
The story in Playne unfolds gradually as players engage in meditation, guided by a fox character who shares wisdom and narrative elements that enhance the experience. While some players find the storyline charming and motivational, others feel it lacks depth and can be meandering, serving primarily as a backdrop to the meditation practice. Overall, the game effectively combines its narrative with gameplay mechanics to encourage consistent meditation, though it may not satisfy those seeking a more intricate plot.
- “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.”
- “As you progress with your meditations, you gain new chapters to the story and grow your 'playne'.”
- “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.”
- “It takes three days of meditation to unlock the first 'story chunk', and by that point, I was just uninterested.”
- “The story of the game needs some work, but to be honest, it's not why I play.”
graphics
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
3%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their beauty and calming aesthetics, particularly in creating an immersive meditation experience. However, some users criticize the dated visuals and technical issues, noting that the game can be taxing on lower-end hardware. Overall, while the visuals are generally appreciated for their serene quality, there are calls for improvements in style and performance.
- “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.”
- “This game has beautiful visuals and a great soundtrack, as well as the most relaxing ambience I've heard in a game lately; it's a landscape that evolves the more you play (meditate) and you'll notice the changes in both regards.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
music
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
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 scenery and atmosphere is very tranquil and the music fits perfectly with gentle simplicity.”
- “This game has beautiful visuals and a great soundtrack, as well as the most relaxing ambience I've heard in a game lately; it's a landscape that evolves the more you play (meditate) you'll notice the changes in both regards.”
- “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.”
- “It could use more guided audio tracks, but I've been using it for a while now and still enjoy its conceit of meditating to restart time, the calming soundtrack and its various interactive features.”
gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
84%
5%
The gameplay of Playne is primarily focused on habit-building and mindfulness rather than traditional gaming mechanics, featuring a streak system and a "click to note" mechanic that encourages regular meditation. While some players appreciate the non-intrusive approach and the ability to track progress, others find the pressure of the streak mechanic potentially anxiety-inducing. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking to develop healthy habits rather than for players looking for a conventional gaming experience.
- “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 have caused my mindfulness practice to be more consistent than it has been in a long, long time.”
- “Playne contains less content than most walking simulators and no true gameplay mechanics at all.”
- “But if you expect a gripping storyline and more advanced mechanics, this is not your game.”
- “Gameplay: click on 'meditate', pick how long it goes for, sit there and wait for it to finish...”
atmosphere
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
29%
7%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and tranquil qualities, featuring lush landscapes and soothing soundscapes that enhance meditation and mindfulness practices. Users appreciate the calming music and ambient sounds, which create a relaxing environment that allows for easy disconnection from daily stressors. Overall, the game is seen more as a meditation tool than a traditional game, with a focus on creating a serene and inspiring atmosphere.
- “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.”
- “The scenery and atmosphere is very tranquil and the music fits perfectly with gentle simplicity.”
- “Relaxing atmosphere and it is possible to configure the smallest details like wind force, rain, lighting.”
emotional
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to provide mental and emotional benefits, promoting a lower-stress lifestyle and improving overall well-being. Players appreciate its heartwarming story and therapeutic elements, which help them manage crises and intense emotions, although some report feelings of agitation. Overall, the game fosters positive feelings and self-improvement, making it a valuable tool for emotional support.
- “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.”
- “I was feeling really rough emotionally this evening, so I fired up Playne and, while I know those feelings will come back at some point, I feel further removed from the irrational emotions that were overwhelming me, helping to center myself and gain better control over my thoughts.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game offers a high level of customization, allowing users to tailor their experience effectively; however, it suffers from performance issues, requiring low settings to avoid choppy gameplay. While it runs smoothly without bugs, the need for optimization is evident, particularly in visual performance. Overall, it remains a worthwhile purchase despite these drawbacks.
- “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 effective 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.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its ironic and lighthearted tone, with players appreciating the funny update notes and the overall positive attitude of the community. Many users find themselves laughing at their own experiences, which adds to the enjoyment and relatability of the game. Overall, the humor is seen as a significant and uplifting aspect that enhances the gaming experience.
- “Update notes are funny written.”
- “Wait, it's a pros actually, it looks so funny :d”
- “I am a Steam user for many years and I never met such a positive, humorous, kind, and at the same time professional attitude before.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while some Steam achievements can be grindy and challenging to obtain, the overall grinding experience is considered effortless and manageable. Additionally, the initial tedium of the fox's stories is outweighed by their reflective depth as the game progresses.
- “Some Steam achievements may be grindy.”
- “You are getting achievements on various aspects of the game, but some are grindy or difficult to get.”
- “The 'game' might seem a bit grindy at first, but it is an effortless grind, don't worry.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is visually appealing but suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and performance problems, even on high-end hardware. Users report freezing, particularly when attempting to exit, and a lack of clarity in game mode explanations further detracts from the experience. Overall, while charming, the game's stability concerns hinder its enjoyment.
- “It's really visually lovely, but it doesn't run well (I have a brand new gaming laptop... 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.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews; while the company offers the game for free to NHS and teaching staff and promotes an environmentally friendly initiative by planting a tree for players who complete the story mode, some users perceive it as a cash grab.
- “This is another cash grab.”