Pointless

About

Pointless is a retro-style game centered around destroying Dots for points, which can be added to a global point tally. Five weapons and eleven unlockable color palettes are available, with character building coming in the form of a talking head named Alex. The game boasts Steam achievements and trading cards for players to earn, all within an authentically pixellated 160x144 resolution.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 208 reviews

humor3 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game is free and provides a quick way to unlock all achievements in under 10 minutes.
The retro Game Boy aesthetic and sound design are charming and nostalgic.
It's a simple and mindless clicker game that can be oddly satisfying for a short period.

The gameplay is extremely repetitive and lacks depth, making it boring after a few minutes.
Many achievements are bugged, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
The game suffers from performance issues, including lag and poor hit detection.

graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel art style reminiscent of early Game Boy titles, which some players find charming while others view it as a lazy aesthetic choice. However, the visuals are criticized for being low-quality and unchangeable, contributing to a lackluster overall experience. While the art may evoke nostalgia, it ultimately feels outdated and insufficient to elevate the gameplay.
- “I will say however the aesthetics of the game were pretty interesting.”
- “The art style and everything is great but besides that, it's exactly what the title says: pointless.”
- “I did think the intro graphic was cute ('pretendo') and it definitely gave me a tiny bit of nostalgia.”
- “Pointless is an aptly named 2D retro pixel clicker with a lazy Game Boy ripoff skin slapped on it to try to cover the phoned-in visuals as 'deliberate' 'art'.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “On top of that, this game has graphics of a lower quality than the first Game Boy games and lags like crazy!”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
69%
25%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being simplistic and repetitive, primarily involving mindless clicking with little depth or challenge. Many users find it boring and lacking in replay value, with some describing it as a "buggy mess" and a "pointless" experience. While the graphics and music received some praise, they do not compensate for the uninspired and shallow gameplay mechanics.
- “Best game I've ever played, deep and complex mechanics.”
- “Gameplay is as lazy as the visuals as you mindlessly click on dots to increase the score.”
- “Buggy mess aside, I also just don't like the gameplay at all.”
- “The gameplay has nothing to it (just clicking dots as they appear, now and then clicking on a letter to activate a supercharger), the presentation is extremely uninspired, bland even, and the technical realization is sub-par at best.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
90%
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that affect gameplay and achievement unlocks. While some players found the game easy to complete, the overall consensus is that it feels unfinished and suffers from significant stability issues.
- “The game runs smoothly without any bugs, making it easy to achieve my goals.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game is; I haven't encountered any glitches.”
- “The lack of bugs and easy achievements contribute to a seamless gaming experience.”
- “It's unfinished and very buggy.”
- “There are some weird bugs/glitches with the game's unlocks and achievements.”
- “Buggy and laggy.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its chiptune style as enjoyable and encouraging, while others find it repetitive and annoying. Although the sound effects and music can be adjusted, many users feel that the overall audio experience detracts from the gameplay. Overall, the music is described as decent but ultimately considered "pointless" by some players.
- “The music is awesome.”
- “Sound is annoying, but the music is nice.”
- “Still, I guess its music is kinda decent?”
- “The music of 'pointless' is pointless.”
- “Granted, I could go into settings to turn off this pointless music and SFX, but I wasn't sure if I would lose all my pointless progress by doing that, so I just took my headset off instead.”
- “Music is getting pretty looped and annoying in minutes!”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered very low, with users noting a lack of depth, goals, and challenge, leading to a monotonous experience that diminishes any potential for repeated play.
- “There's not much replayability to it and no real depth.”
- “The replayability is very low.”
- “There is no replay value, no real goal, no difficulty curve, and it might give you RSI.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The reviews indicate a lack of a coherent story, with some users questioning whether there is any narrative at all. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game does not prioritize storytelling.
- “No story.”
- “Story?”
- “Lacks a coherent narrative.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that grinding in the game can be extremely time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time, likening it to needing a "second life." However, it is also praised for being accessible and enjoyable for those seeking quick achievement gains.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Very good and easy game to play, but if you want quick achievement grinding, this is the one.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players appreciate the humor in the game's palette names, describing them as fun and cute. However, there is also a sense of confusion regarding whether some of the game's quirks are intentional jokes or simply poor programming, leading to mixed feelings about the overall comedic value.
- “What I love about this game is the variety of palettes to choose from/unlock. The names for the palettes are quite fun, funny, cute, and alike!”
- “The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
- “The quirky dialogue and unexpected scenarios had me laughing out loud, making the experience much more enjoyable.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of "Pointless" aligns with its straightforward premise, focusing on minimalistic gameplay without excessive in-game purchases or ads, which some players appreciate for its honesty.
- “Pointless is a good example of truth in advertising.”
- “The game's advertising blurb says that 'Pointless is a game about destroying dots'.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has been criticized for its poor performance, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
- “The game suffers from extremely low performance.”
- “Optimization is lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
- “The overall performance is disappointing and needs significant improvement.”