Quern - Undying Thoughts

Quern – Undying Thoughts is an excellent first-person puzzler that’s likely to be doubly special to anyone who spent hours with Myst or Riven in the past.

89%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

optimization, grinding

91% User Score Based on 2,614 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

Quern - Undying Thoughts is a single player puzzle game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Zadbox Entertainment and was released on November 28, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Quern: Undying Thoughts is a first-person puzzle adventure game. Explore the mysterious ancient island of Quern and solve its challenging puzzles to uncover the secrets of the island's past. Immerse yourself in the game's rich atmosphere and intricate story, and discover the island's connection to your own past.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,614 reviews

story457 positive mentions

optimization20 negative mentions

Great and intuitive puzzles that challenge players without being overly frustrating.
Beautiful immersive world with stunning graphics and a captivating atmosphere.
Engaging story that unfolds through environmental storytelling and written records.

Some puzzles can be overly complex or tedious, requiring excessive backtracking.
Lack of clear direction at times, leading to confusion about what to do next.
Accessibility issues for colorblind players and those with hearing impairments due to certain puzzles.

story
1,060 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The story in "Quern" unfolds primarily through environmental storytelling and scattered notes, providing context for the exploration rather than driving the gameplay. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and intriguing narrative, many find it lacking depth and complexity compared to similar titles like "Myst." Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the puzzle-solving experience, with mixed reviews on its engagement and execution.
- “The story serves as a contextual anchor rather than a driving force, providing meaning to exploration without overshadowing the puzzle-solving focus.”
- “For fans of exploration-driven puzzle games who appreciate logical complexity and environmental storytelling, Quern offers a deeply satisfying journey that lingers in the mind long after the final mystery is solved.”
- “The story naturally unfolds as you progress, told through not only the notes you find and the cutscenes, but also the items in the areas, the new environments you discover, and the general ambience.”
- “For all the parallels Myst has with this game, Quern's story is incredibly lackluster in comparison.”
- “The overarching story, however, is sadly lacking.”
- “The storyline was a bit 'meh' though; it didn't really make a whole lot of sense from the spirit's perspective, which I admit I yelled at the screen a few times.”
graphics
561 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
38%
2%
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers noting the stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere that enhance the overall experience. However, some players have pointed out issues with the muted color palette and performance optimization, leading to occasional graphical glitches and low frame rates on certain systems. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered excellent, there are mixed feelings about their optimization and vibrancy.
- “The graphics are stunning, the puzzles are fun, logical and fair, the atmosphere is incredible, the music and voice acting is wonderful... and the story is great too!”
- “The graphics combined with almost totally free 3D movement allows you to immerse yourself into the environment and focus on solving the puzzles.”
- “The visuals are very good and there are some stunning visual moments in the game that made me go 'wow!!!'.”
- “The island itself isn’t the most colorful place – the palette leans heavily into muted greys and dull browns – but the slightly subdued visuals actually help to focus attention on what the game does best: its puzzles.”
- “Repetitive yet pretty plastic entry-level graphics - simply rubbish.”
- “My only complaint is that the graphics were a little jittery in some scenes on my middle-to-high-end 2020 laptop; this was surprising to me, given that Quern was developed in 2016.”
music
443 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
36%
4%
The music in "Quern" has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising its atmospheric and immersive qualities that enhance the game's exploration and puzzle-solving experience. While some found the soundtrack beautiful and fitting for the various environments, others noted that it could become repetitive, particularly in areas where players spend extended periods. Overall, the music is seen as a significant contributor to the game's ambiance, though opinions vary on its memorability and variety.
- “The world feels handcrafted, like every part of it has meaning and the subtle, haunting soundtrack perfectly matches this mood.”
- “The atmosphere, combined with the original soundtrack, creates a relaxing and immersive experience.”
- “The music is beautifully done, so much so that I frequently use it as background music for relaxing or during work.”
- “The music is so annoying and repetitive I had to turn it off.”
- “The only flaw I have in mind is about the music which is localized in space, causing some of them to be kind of repetitive and often changing when you endlessly wander in the island to find clues.”
- “The music isn't even ambient; it is melodic and has percussive elements.”
gameplay
326 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
68%
3%
The gameplay in "Quern" is characterized by a rich variety of mechanical puzzles that build on each other, creating a cohesive and immersive experience reminiscent of classic titles like "Myst." While the game features innovative mechanics and a helpful notebook system, some players found certain puzzles frustrating or disconnected from the narrative, particularly towards the end. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its challenge and depth, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre, despite some minor issues with controls and puzzle clarity.
- “The environments are brilliant, with vibrant colors and props, set-pieces, and mechanics that were fresh and rewarding as you explore each new area.”
- “The gameplay is really simple and the 'taking notes' mechanic is absolutely brilliant.”
- “Quern is a fun puzzle game with a pretty cool setting and puzzle mechanics along with an interesting story.”
- “There are a few puzzles that are made more difficult by the controls and the game mechanics, for example, the underwater puzzle where you have to pull the three levers to enable the machine inside.”
- “All in all, most of the game is good, it's held back by a few frustrating mechanics and the puzzles do fall off in the last quarter of the game or so.”
- “However, I very much disliked the game mechanics, and I also encountered what appears to be a bug that did not allow me to progress (had to do with items disappearing from my inventory; reloading to a previous save worked only up to a point).”
atmosphere
247 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
26%
1%
The atmosphere in "Quern - Undying Thoughts" is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully crafted world, reminiscent of classic puzzle games like Myst. Players appreciate the combination of stunning visuals, a captivating soundtrack, and a sense of mystery that enhances the exploration experience. While some noted minor accessibility issues, the overall consensus is that the game's atmosphere significantly contributes to its engaging and relaxing puzzle-solving adventure.
- “In the end, Quern – Undying Thoughts stands as a confident and carefully designed tribute to classic puzzle adventures, offering a richly atmospheric world filled with meaningful challenges and quiet intrigue.”
- “The atmosphere, combined with the original soundtrack, creates a relaxing and immersive experience.”
- “Quern is a gem of a game - an atmospheric first-person puzzler with visuals, music, story, and difficult puzzles on par with games like Myst, Portal, and The Talos Principle.”
- “The only thing that bothered me was the Quern beginning; the color of the atmosphere was so overexposed that I felt I could have done with a pair of sunglasses on to play the game.”
- “The atmosphere seems a bit dry and non-dynamic.”
- “Quern has a similar atmosphere, but the puzzles feel arbitrary, and unless you like running all over the map to see if pulling that lever opened a random door, you'll find the game tedious.”
optimization
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
59%
22%
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, frequent frame drops, and high resource demands even on capable hardware. While the visuals are often praised, they come at a cost, leading to a frustrating experience for many users who find the game unplayable or requiring substantial adjustments to settings for smoother gameplay. Developers are urged to address these optimization issues in future updates to enhance the overall experience.
- “Good puzzles and good graphics, although quite unoptimized.”
- “Visuals are nice but performance is lacking for what you get; reflections and shadows cost far too much in fps for what you get.”
- “The graphics look nice, but I feel the performance could be improved a bit.”
- “Good game, poor ending, poor performance optimization.”
- “The game is so poorly optimized it's almost unplayable.”
- “The only real issue I found with the game was how bad it ran in terms of performance (fps).”
grinding
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The reviews indicate that while the game features a variety of puzzles that can be engaging and satisfying, many players find certain puzzles to be tedious and overly time-consuming, often requiring backtracking and repetitive actions. Some puzzles are described as frustratingly convoluted or lacking intuitive solutions, leading to a reliance on walkthroughs. Overall, the experience is mixed, with a balance of enjoyable challenges and moments of tedium that can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “I had to get out the pen and paper often; for small additions, it was challenging but not tedious.”
- “This might sound like needless backtracking, but it's woven neatly into the story, so it feels immersive, not tedious.”
- “Many of the puzzles are familiar if you have any interest in puzzle games, and many of them are tedious to complete.”
- “The problem is that the puzzles get tedious.”
- “Some puzzles feel like a leap of logic is required, and others just felt tedious, but they're an extreme minority compared to everything else this game has to offer.”
stability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
7%
82%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with many players reporting minor glitches and bugs, particularly related to graphics and user interface, but few experiencing game-breaking issues. While some users enjoyed a smooth experience without significant problems, others noted that certain bugs could disrupt gameplay, requiring restarts or workarounds. Despite these issues, many players found the game enjoyable and well-executed, indicating that the stability concerns do not heavily detract from the overall experience.
- “I played with keyboard and mouse and experienced no glitches.”
- “A must-have for the fans of Myst and Rhem... big up to the developers, no glitches or bugs throughout the whole game, despite not even matching the minimum requirements on my graphic card.”
- “Note: I've played this on Linux, runs great, no issues whatsoever.”
- “The game is still buggy long after release.”
- “It's also buggy as hell.”
- “While I appreciate the game having launch-day Mac support, it was buggy to the point that it would not load (the discussion board has at least two other reports of the same issue with no given solution).”
emotional
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke a range of feelings, from nostalgia and joy to detachment and confusion. Players appreciate the touching story and immersive experience, with some expressing deep emotional responses, such as crying at the conclusion. However, there are mixed feelings about character depth and narrative engagement, with some players feeling less invested in the story and choices presented.
- “Absolutely fantastic, beautiful and touching game which can totally hold up with the Myst series!”
- “The world is beautiful, the gameplay elegant, the hint system seamless and the story - oh the story <3 I cried my eyes out when I finished this game.”
- “Usually puzzle games don't have great stories, but Quern really has an emotional story without using annoying cutscenes and without telling much about it: it's just the game as it is, it has an immersive soundtrack and when you beat the game it leaves you with a great moral question.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The game has been widely criticized for its low replayability, with many reviewers noting that once the puzzles are solved and the endings are reached, there is little incentive to play again. Despite having multiple endings, the overall consensus is that the game offers minimal replay value, making it more suitable for a discounted purchase rather than a full-price buy.
- “I guess that it has good replay value after a period of time.”
- “There's not a lot of replayability, but that's to be expected from a puzzle game.”
- “As with the nature of puzzle games though, they lack replay value because once you know how to do the puzzles, there’s not much reason to play it again.”
- “Replay value: virtually none.”
- “I feel the game is a little bit overpriced which, combined with the fact there is virtually no replay value in a game like this, makes it one to put in the 'wait for a discount in a sale' category rather than the 'buy it now at full price' category.”
- “Despite multiple endings, there's not much replayability for the game.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The humor in the game is described as situational and ironic, with players finding amusement in the absurdity of needing a specific item for a task that could have been accomplished with alternatives. However, some users also express frustration, indicating that the humor may not resonate with everyone and can lead to confusion rather than laughter. Overall, the humor seems to be hit-or-miss, depending on the player's perspective.
- “The forge ladder puzzle made me laugh, as I 'technically' could have used any of the iron bars tying around to do the same thing, but had to use the 'specific brand' of ladder.”
- “The funny thing is, I started and then stopped for a few days, thinking I wasn't going to enjoy it.”
- “Funny thing is, I've been in game development for years, and I've never worked on a game that had a wrong indicator like that.”
- “Not funny at all!”
- “The jokes fell flat and felt forced.”
- “I expected more laughs, but the humor was stale.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a monetization model that is free from micro-transactions or in-game purchases, which has been positively noted by users.
- “It's worth noting that there are no microtransactions or other in-game purchases.”
- “The game offers a complete experience without the need for additional spending.”
- “I appreciate that the developers chose to avoid monetization tactics that can disrupt gameplay.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development in the game is minimal, with few characters and limited backstory, leading to a lower rating in this aspect. However, players appreciate the immersive experience and the opportunity for introspection, which enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “The character development in this game is truly remarkable, with each character having a rich backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that feel impactful and meaningful to their journeys.”
- “The way the game allows for personal growth and transformation in its characters is one of its strongest features, creating a deeply immersive experience.”
- “There are very few characters with very little character development or backstory, so I can't give a very high rating here.”
- “The lack of character development makes it hard to connect with the characters on a deeper level.”
- “Character arcs are minimal, leaving players wanting more depth and growth from the cast.”

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

The closest we may ever come to a Riven sequel
Quern – Undying Thoughts is an excellent first-person puzzler that’s likely to be doubly special to anyone who spent hours with Myst or Riven in the past.
Pcworld.com
80%

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13h Median play time

14h Average play time

10-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 28 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quern - Undying Thoughts is a puzzle game with mystery theme.

Quern - Undying Thoughts is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS, Xbox One and others.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing Quern - Undying Thoughts.

Quern - Undying Thoughts was released on November 28, 2016.

Quern - Undying Thoughts was developed by Zadbox Entertainment.

Quern - Undying Thoughts has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Quern - Undying Thoughts is a single player game.

Similar games include Obduction, Haven Moon, Firmament, The Eyes of Ara, The Painscreek Killings and others.

Quern - Undying Thoughts

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The closest we may ever come to a Riven sequel

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