Pretentious Game
- April 30, 2012
- Keybol
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"The Pretentious Game" is a unique platformer where levels represent riddles and puzzles that symbolize life's complex emotions and relationships. Players control a cube that falls in love with a square, facing challenges and heartaches as they navigate through abstract stages. The game explores themes of love, loss, and self-realization, delivering a profound and introspective experience.
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Reviews
- The game features a touching story that evokes strong emotions, making players feel attached to the characters, even if they are just colored blocks.
- The minimalist graphics and clever use of text enhance the storytelling, creating a unique and engaging experience.
- Despite its short length, the game offers interesting puzzles and a creative narrative that many players found enjoyable.
- The game is extremely short, with many players feeling that it does not justify its price, especially when similar experiences are available for free online.
- Gameplay mechanics can be frustratingly pixel-perfect, leading to moments of irritation rather than enjoyment, particularly in later chapters.
- Some players found the story to become less engaging as the game progressed, with the final chapters feeling forced and lacking the emotional impact of the earlier ones.
- story65 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as touching and deep, exploring themes of love and loss through a minimalist narrative that cleverly integrates gameplay mechanics. While some players found the initial chapters engaging and relatable, others criticized the later parts for becoming cliché and less impactful. Overall, the storytelling is appreciated for its emotional resonance, though some feel it lacks innovation and leaves the narrative feeling incomplete.
“The story itself was very deep and real, and I liked how the writing shows the powerful emotions between the characters.”
“Not only is this game fun, it's also creative and tells a deep story without any cut-scenes or character names.”
“The puzzles are tied to plot narration in pretty clever ways, and several times surprised me and made me laugh.”
“I guess I was pretty moved by the first chapter, but as the later chapters developed, it wasn't as touching as I thought it'd be in terms of the storytelling, so the game turned out more like a puzzle game in the end.”
“The storyline feels frankly rather bland until quite late in the game and it ends incomplete with the promise of adding more later, which is okay on mobile but feels very unsatisfying when played on the PC.”
“While a few of the puzzles are somewhat interesting, the game mechanics are rudimentary and the storytelling is outright bland, bordering on awful.”
- gameplay33 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Pretentious Game" is characterized by its simplistic mechanics and straightforward platforming, which some players find tedious and clunky. While the game attempts to intertwine its narrative with gameplay through metaphorical mechanics, many reviewers feel that the execution falls short, leading to a lack of depth and replayability. Despite its flaws, some players appreciate the narrative's connection to the gameplay, noting that it enhances the overall experience, albeit briefly.
“The narrative, short as it was, gives a greater meaning to the gameplay as well as being the instruction while still being a story that doesn't break the fourth wall, and the gameplay boosts the story as it feels like we're enacting the story ourselves.”
“Meanwhile, this game's presentation of narrative and gameplay really boosts each other up.”
“The actual game is entertaining enough, with some fun mechanics aided by and aiding the story in turn.”
“The last couple of chapters feel a little forced and the mechanics can get irritating.”
“Some mechanics don't fit well into the story (hang gliding? really!?), but what the pretentious game succeeds at, it does well.”
“You'll only get about an hour's worth of gameplay (and there is little replay value), but if a fifth chapter were released, I'd still install it again just to find out what happens next.”
- emotional13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its touching and emotionally evocative story, particularly in its early chapters, which resonate deeply with players despite its simplicity. While some feel that the emotional impact diminishes in later chapters, many still find it surprisingly intense and moving, making it a memorable experience overall. The combination of engaging puzzles and a heartfelt narrative contributes to its emotional depth, leaving players with a lasting impression.
“Surprisingly emotional retro game :)”
“A very short and simple but brilliant puzzle game that tells a short and touching story about love.”
“It's uncluttered and emotionally evocative without being, oddly, pretentious about it.”
- music11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as good and fitting the tone, featuring soft, melodic tracks that enhance the experience. However, many reviewers noted a lack of variety, with only one main track throughout the game, which some found too simplistic and repetitive. Additionally, while the soundtrack is available for purchase on the mobile version, it is not included in the Steam version, leaving some players disappointed.
“The game is good, the story is interesting, the music is good; also, the game is quite short, but for its price, I think it is fine.”
“Nice minimalistic style and melodic music.”
“Accompanying your playthrough is soft, simple, melodic music of a slightly depressing tone.”
“Block styled (simple) gameplay, average music as well as a short playthrough is what has made me initially thumbs down.”
“There is only one music track, no narration/voice acting, and barely any other audio.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their godly quality, particularly with ray tracing, while the minimalistic aesthetic draws comparisons to "Thomas Was Alone." This simplicity enhances the storytelling and gameplay, allowing players to focus on the experience rather than complex visuals, although some feel the visuals are less varied than in similar titles.
“The graphics are godly with ray tracing.”
“The game’s aesthetic is incredibly minimalistic, reminding me strongly of 'Thomas Was Alone'.”
“The game is offering less varied visuals than 'Thomas Was Alone'.”
“Ultimately, it's a representation of a larger story, with the simplistic graphics drastically reducing the complexity of the mechanics and allowing you to focus on the gameplay and storytelling.”
“I quickly realized, however, that beneath the simple art style there is some depth (and pretentiousness!) to the game.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers approximately an hour of gameplay with minimal replay value, though some players express a desire to revisit it if additional content were released. Overall, the lack of substantial replayability is a common critique among users.
“You'll only get about an hour's worth of gameplay, but if a fifth chapter were released, I'd still install it again just to find out what happens next.”
“You'll only get about an hour's worth of gameplay, and there is little replay value. However, if a fifth chapter were released, I'd still install it again just to find out what happens next.”
“It offers about an hour of gameplay, without any real replayability.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that "Pretentious Game" employs tedious platformer mechanics that can feel like a grind, despite its self-aware title suggesting a deeper experience. Players may find the gameplay repetitive and unengaging, reminiscent of simpler Newgrounds games.
“The game tries to lure you in with its self-aware title, but don't be fooled; it's just another tedious platformer that relies on grinding mechanics.”
“Grinding in this game feels more like a chore than an engaging experience, making it hard to stay motivated.”
“The repetitive nature of the grinding makes the gameplay feel monotonous and uninspired.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is cleverly integrated with the plot, often surprising players and eliciting genuine laughter through its inventive puzzle design.
“The puzzles are tied to the plot narration in clever ways, and several times they surprised me and made me laugh.”
“The humor in the dialogue is sharp and witty, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
“I found myself chuckling at the quirky character interactions and the unexpected punchlines throughout the game.”
