Quern: Undying Thoughts

About

"Quern: Undying Thoughts" is a first-person puzzle adventure game with a captivating story and beautiful graphics. It offers flexible gameplay and reuseable puzzle mechanics, allowing players to wander and experiment freely among tasks. The unique mood of the game is created by a combination of traditional and modern visuals and music. The final solution to puzzles may be found by reconsidering seemingly irrational results gained during the game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,392 reviews

story436 positive mentions

optimization20 negative mentions

Quern features a beautifully crafted world with stunning graphics and a captivating atmosphere.
The puzzles are clever, varied, and generally logical, providing a satisfying challenge without relying on moon logic.
The game includes a helpful notebook feature that allows players to take in-game screenshots and notes, enhancing the puzzle-solving experience.

The story is somewhat shallow and relies heavily on exposition, lacking depth and engagement.
Some puzzles can be tedious and require excessive backtracking, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
There are performance issues on certain systems, leading to frame drops and lag, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
991 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The story in "Quern" is generally described as intriguing but often simplistic and predictable, serving primarily as a backdrop to the puzzle-solving gameplay. Players appreciate the gradual unfolding of the narrative through letters and environmental storytelling, though some feel it lacks depth and complexity compared to similar titles like "Myst." While the story adds context and motivation for the puzzles, many reviewers note that it doesn't significantly enhance the overall experience, with some expressing a desire for a more engaging plot.
- “Quern perfectly captures the mystery and intrigue of Myst by telling a brand new story that had me hooked from the very start.”
- “The story builds up to a climax which was kind of obvious, but that still makes this game a must play if you enjoy games like Myst.”
- “The story is well thought out and is similar in concept to that of The Room.”
- “The story is not fleshed out properly; it begins with almost nothing at all, and the few letters here and there give you only glimpses into the past of the professor, with a slight hint to a reward that awaits at the end of these trials.”
- “The story is paper thin, and will do little to motivate you.”
- “The storyline is shallow and predictable, conveyed through plain uninteresting letters with some voiceover, the puzzles themselves don't even pretend to fit organically into the world.”
graphics
548 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere that enhance the overall experience. However, some players noted issues with optimization and performance, particularly on lower-end systems, leading to occasional frame rate drops and graphical glitches. Overall, the game's aesthetic is often compared favorably to classic titles like Myst, though some critiques mention a somewhat muted color palette.
- “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!”
- “From the moment you step foot on the mysterious island, you are captivated by the stunning visuals and immersive soundscapes that transport you to a realm unlike any other.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the interface is easy to understand and the story was decent, though I thought the endings could have been better, in that they revealed more information based on the ending you achieved in the game.”
- “Repetitive yet pretty plastic entry-level graphics - simply rubbish.”
- “The native Linux port has terrible framerate issues even on the lowest graphics settings.”
- “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
405 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
34%
4%
The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many players praising its atmospheric and immersive qualities that enhance the overall experience. While some found the soundtrack beautiful and relaxing, others noted that it can become repetitive and distracting during gameplay. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's ambiance and puzzle-solving atmosphere.
- “The music is beautifully done, so much so that I frequently use it as background music for relaxing or during work.”
- “The music was a notable high point, blending medieval soundscapes with lush, natural instrumentation evoking wonder, joy, and mystery.”
- “The music enhances the immersion, and the gentle fades in and out when moving from one environment to another is perfectly done.”
- “There isn't enough variation to keep things interesting, and it's better to have your own music or something on instead.”
- “I found most of the soundtrack both short and repetitive.”
- “The only flaw I have in mind is about the music, which is localized in space (a music is dedicated to a given place on the island), causing some of them to be kind of repetitive and often changing when you endlessly wander in the island to find clues.”
gameplay
302 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
68%
3%
The gameplay in "Quern" is characterized by its intuitive movement mechanics and a variety of engaging puzzles that often require logical thinking and real-world note-taking. While many players appreciate the clever design and interconnectedness of the puzzle mechanics, some find certain puzzles tedious or repetitive, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. The game successfully combines beautiful visuals with a rich, immersive world, making it a standout in the puzzle genre, reminiscent of classic titles like "Myst."
- “Quern is a fun puzzle game with a pretty cool setting and puzzle mechanics along with an interesting story.”
- “The mechanics are original, which makes this game so much more interesting.”
- “Most notably, the circular stone wheel in the cave and the mechanics room.”
- “The gameplay is linear yet layered: you'll think you're done with an area then bam there's more to it.”
- “However, where it could have been improved is that the story and gameplay is very linear, despite being in an open-world environment.”
atmosphere
226 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
25%
1%
The atmosphere in "Quern" is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, drawing strong comparisons to classic games like "Myst." Reviewers highlight the game's stunning visuals, evocative music, and a sense of mystery that enhances the puzzle-solving experience. While some note minor issues with environmental variety or sound effects, the overall consensus is that the game's atmosphere significantly contributes to its appeal and enjoyment.
- “Quern is an incredibly atmospheric, challenging, escape-room type game.”
- “The atmosphere is immersive, the visuals/architecture are gorgeous, music is beautiful, and there is even a great background story!”
- “The game has an old-school atmosphere, combining sounds, music, landscapes, and animations that merge together perfectly, creating the perfect setting for discovery and mystery.”
- “The only thing that bothered me was the beginning; the color of the atmosphere was so overexposed that I felt I could have done with a pair of sunglasses to play the game.”
- “The atmosphere seems a bit dry and non-dynamic.”
- “This significantly weakened the atmosphere of the game by making it mostly silent and bland.”
optimization
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
60%
23%
The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and long loading times, even on high-end hardware. While the visuals are praised for their quality, the demanding graphical settings, particularly shadows and reflections, contribute to a frustrating experience for many users. Overall, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, detracting from its otherwise enjoyable gameplay and aesthetics.
- “Good puzzles and good graphics, although quite unoptimized.”
- “Visuals are really beautiful and detailed, although some optimization wouldn't hurt as my potato machine had some trouble running it smoothly.”
- “The graphics look nice, but I feel the performance could be improved a bit.”
- “The game is so poorly optimized it's almost unplayable.”
- “Horribly optimized.”
- “The only real issue I found with the game was how bad it ran in terms of performance (fps).”
grinding
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The reviews indicate that while the game features a variety of puzzles, many players find a significant portion of them to be tedious, particularly those requiring backtracking or repetitive actions. Some puzzles are praised for their logical design and challenge, but others are criticized for being overly convoluted or requiring excessive trial-and-error, leading to frustration. Overall, the experience can be enjoyable for fans of puzzle games, but players should be prepared for moments of tedium.
- “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.”
- “The problem is that the puzzles get tedious.”
- “Many puzzles have obvious solutions that are extremely tedious to input.”
- “The last half of it got to be pretty tedious, which is why it took me a few months of on-and-off playing to wrap it.”
stability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
4%
85%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with many users reporting minor glitches and bugs, particularly related to graphics and UI, but few experiencing game-breaking issues. While some players noted that the game runs smoothly on certain platforms, others encountered significant loading problems and occasional crashes. Despite these stability concerns, many found the gameplay enjoyable and manageable with quick fixes like reloading or restarting.
- “The game runs 'straight out of the box' and appears to be bug-free.”
- “A must-have for 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.”
- “I've played this on Linux, and it runs great, with no issues whatsoever.”
- “The game is still buggy long after release.”
- “Every time I click 'new game,' it goes to the loading page, then freezes my computer!!!”
- “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
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a mixed experience, with some players feeling deeply engaged and touched by the story, while others found themselves emotionally detached or less invested in the narrative. Many praised the game for its beautiful world and heartfelt storytelling, comparing it favorably to the Myst series, though some felt that a lack of character depth and plot twists diminished their emotional connection. Overall, the game evokes a range of feelings, from nostalgia and joy to sadness, depending on the player's level of investment in the story and characters.
- “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%
63%
19%
Overall, the game's replayability is rated as low, with many reviewers noting that once the puzzles are solved and the endings are experienced, there is little incentive to replay. While some mention that it may have slight replay value after a significant time gap, the consensus is that it lacks depth for repeated playthroughs, typical of the puzzle genre.
- “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 hit-or-miss, with some players finding amusement in the absurdity of specific mechanics, such as needing a particular ladder despite having other options. However, others feel that the humor falls flat, particularly when it highlights frustrating design choices rather than genuine comedic moments. Overall, the humor seems to evoke mixed reactions, blending irony with moments of confusion.
- “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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game features a monetization model that is free from micro-transactions or in-game purchases, providing a straightforward experience without additional costs.
- “It's great to see a game that doesn't rely on microtransactions or in-game purchases.”
- “I appreciate that there are no additional costs after the initial purchase; it feels fair.”
- “The absence of microtransactions really enhances the overall experience.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Character development in the game is minimal, with few characters and limited backstory, which detracts from the overall rating. However, players appreciate the immersive experience and the opportunity for introspection, suggesting that the game's strengths lie elsewhere.
- “The character development in this game is truly remarkable, allowing players to form deep connections with each character as their stories unfold.”
- “I was genuinely surprised by the depth of the characters; their growth throughout the game made me feel invested in their journeys.”
- “The way the game explores each character's backstory and motivations adds layers to the overall experience, making every interaction meaningful.”
- “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.”
- “I found the character arcs to be underwhelming and lacking in depth, which detracted from my overall experience.”