Poems & Codes
- March 4, 2023
- Hero Game Co
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Get on itch.io Store"Poems & Codes" is a game that supports Project Gutenberg by offering over 400 encrypted poetic excerpts for players to decode. Each poem is encrypted with a substitution cipher, and players can choose from four difficulty settings. The game features a soothing soundtrack and the option to switch between night and sunlight mode. Once decoded, players can read the entire poem in-game or download the poet's anthology for free. Ten percent of sales are donated to Project Gutenberg.
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Reviews
- The game features a lovely selection of classic poems and offers a clean, easy-to-use interface that enhances the overall experience.
- It provides a relaxing and intellectually stimulating environment, allowing players to enjoy solving ciphers while learning about poetry and its authors.
- The game is highly addictive and offers various difficulty settings, making it suitable for both casual play and more challenging sessions.
- Some players found the game to be more difficult than its predecessor due to the use of archaic language and shorter poem structures.
- There are occasional bugs reported, which can detract from the overall experience.
- A lack of quality of life improvements and the inability to select specific levels or poems can be frustrating for some players.
- gameplay3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is noted for its effective integration of ciphers, building on the mechanics of the first game. Players are encouraged to experience the original title first to fully appreciate the gameplay loop involved in solving these puzzles.
“The gameplay might actually work better for poems.”
“This game holds the same quality of ciphers, I think, and expands on the gameplay available from the first.”
“I'd recommend playing the first game first, if this is your first experience, as I think it gives you a better grasp on the gameplay loop of solving ciphers.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as somewhat repetitive, but it complements the experience without detracting from it, allowing players to enjoy their own music if desired. Overall, the peaceful and chill soundtrack enhances the beautifully designed environment and pairs well with the thoughtfully curated poems.
“This game is beautifully designed, from the peaceful music and thoughtful artwork to the carefully curated poems.”
“Wordsworth, Longfellow, Frost, etc. The poems are great, the ciphers are rewarding, and the music is chill.”
“The music is quite repetitive, making it easy to tune out.”
“I found the soundtrack to be underwhelming and lacking variety.”
“The background music doesn't enhance the experience; it feels more like an afterthought.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their beautiful design, featuring elegant artwork in dark mode and a delicate, whimsical style in light mode. The thoughtful integration of peaceful music and curated poems enhances the overall aesthetic experience.
“This game is beautifully designed, from the peaceful music and thoughtful artwork to the carefully curated poems.”
“The artwork in dark mode feels very elegant.”
“Light mode is very delicate and whimsical in its style and color scheme.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that the game's replayability is enhanced by the ability to forget details over time, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting, even for those with poor memory.
“I don't feel like this game has much replay value; I have a horrible memory, so after a few months, I'm totally excited to see what I do remember.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its strong stability, being well-polished and largely bug-free. Players appreciate the developers' responsiveness to feedback, with requested features being implemented promptly when feasible.
“The game is well polished and bug-free; developers are attentive to the requests of the players, and requested features are implemented quickly if it is within the realm of possibility.”
