Rainswept

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 161 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Rainswept Game Cover
Rainswept has an interesting plot, well-written characters and a distinctive visual style, although a few bugs and overly simplistic gameplay do let it down a bit.
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"Rainswept" is a single-player, point-and-click mystery game known for its fantastic story, masterful graphics, and beautiful music, but with some bugs. As Detective Michael Stone, investigate the death of a couple in the small, atmospheric town of Pineview, while grappling with your own past. Additionally, experience key moments in the victims' past relationships. The game contains mature content and high emotional stakes.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 161 reviews
story70 positive mentions
stability9 negative mentions
  • The story is compelling and emotionally engaging, tackling serious themes like trauma, depression, and relationships in a sensitive manner.
  • The art style and atmospheric music create a beautiful and immersive experience that enhances the narrative.
  • The characters are well-developed, with rich backstories that make the player care about their fates.
  • The gameplay is quite linear with minimal puzzles, leading to a feeling of limited player agency and interaction.
  • There are technical issues, including clunky animations and occasional bugs that can disrupt immersion.
  • Some dialogue can feel wooden or repetitive, and the writing may not always maintain a consistent quality.
  • story207 mentions

    The story in "Rainswept" is a central focus, praised for its emotional depth and character development, often evoking strong feelings in players. While the gameplay is largely linear with minimal puzzles, the narrative weaves together themes of loss, relationships, and personal struggles, making it a compelling experience for those who appreciate story-driven games. However, some players found the plot to be somewhat cliché or lacking in engagement, with a few noting that the pacing and dialogue could be improved.

    • “Most importantly, the story is good and the characters are deep.”
    • “The dev really knows how to tell a story and how to use visuals to send an even more powerful message.”
    • “The story is amazing, though, and I genuinely feel that it changed how I view the world.”
    • “Unfortunately, I was left rather unmoved by the story, both as a character drama and a mystery.”
    • “The biggest problem of the game is the main storyline, because the plot of a tortured detective beating himself up over the death of his wife is rather cliché.”
    • “The story got so stretched that the ending felt very fast and I didn't really understand it completely.”
  • graphics58 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique art style and atmospheric visuals that enhance the storytelling. While some players found the minimalist design charming and fitting for the game's mood, others noted issues such as graphical glitches, rough animations, and a drop in quality during close-ups. Overall, the visuals are described as beautiful and evocative, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “Awesome art style with stunning visuals, well crafted and interesting characters, gripping story, strings you along despite the rather linear storyline, little touches here or there that make certain interactions so much more enjoyable.”
    • “The atmosphere and the graphical style is kind of beautiful at times, and its gorgeous color palette and picturesque scenery is emphasized by fitting music that doesn't overwhelm you while playing.”
    • “Visual impact and style are strong and decisive in setting the tone for the investigations: a moody art direction of excellent level, with meaningful choices as regards the overall look and cinematographic cutscenes.”
    • “Rainswept suffers from quite a few graphical glitches that, while not game-breaking or detrimental, were distracting.”
    • “I didn't like the art style much, especially the character design.”
    • “The graphics do have their charm, but the animation is so ugly that only a mother, or in this case its dev, could love it.”
  • music45 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and evocative qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a beautifully crafted soundtrack that complements the visuals and narrative. Many players noted that the music creates a captivating ambiance, fitting the game's themes and emotional tone, while some appreciated the absence of voice acting, allowing the score to take center stage. Overall, the soundtrack is described as memorable and integral to the game's immersive storytelling.

    • “A truly enjoyable story with a great soundtrack; I will definitely be looking to play more games by the studio!”
    • “The music creates an atmosphere that entrances you fully, and you'll find yourself staring at the wonderful visuals like paintings in a museum.”
    • “The musical score by micamic is absolutely unforgettable; it perfectly fits the game’s atmosphere, its gloomy mood, and the dramatic condition of the main character.”
    • “The music stops when looking at the map and tasks.”
    • “While the silent text helps the soundtrack shine through, I spent the whole time thinking this could have been amazing with audio dialogue.”
    • “It's not as if there aren't good things: the solution of the mystery is plausible, the music works well, and if not for the animation, the art is fine.”
  • atmosphere41 mentions

    The atmosphere in Pineview and Rainswept is widely praised for its emotional depth and immersive qualities, enhanced by a unique art style and evocative soundtracks. Despite some graphical limitations, the games successfully create a cozy, captivating environment that draws players into their compelling stories and relatable characters. Overall, the combination of visuals, music, and narrative contributes to a memorable and atmospheric gaming experience.

    • “The dream sequences gave the atmospheric vibes of night in the woods, yet it manages to establish its own unique aesthetic.”
    • “The atmosphere and the graphical style is kind of beautiful at times, and its gorgeous color palette and picturesque scenery is emphasized by fitting music that doesn't overwhelm you while playing.”
    • “The musical score by micamic is something absolutely unforgettable, it perfectly fits the game’s atmosphere, its gloomy mood and dramatic condition of the main character.”
    • “The only issues were some minor video glitches here and there and the quality of animations throughout the game (which is subpar and could even be funny but that exactly what could hamper the game’s tragic atmosphere).”
    • “And I almost forgot to mention the nice music that supports the melancholic atmosphere of the game really well.”
    • “I was absolutely amazed by all these landscapes and how they managed to convey the atmosphere of the bright and colorful little town when it’s a sunny day and how it becomes pretty dull and grim when it’s raining.”
  • gameplay25 mentions

    The gameplay in "Rainswept" is primarily focused on storytelling, with minimal interactive elements and a linear structure that emphasizes narrative over mechanics. Players engage in walking and dialogue, with few impactful choices or puzzles, leading to a more passive experience. While the story and emotional depth are praised, many reviewers note that the gameplay lacks complexity and polish, making it feel somewhat underdeveloped.

    • “Maybe, Rainswept doesn’t make a revolution in terms of the story or the gameplay, but considering the fact that this is a game, the player completely immerses into the action, thus every single emotion is on an absolutely different level.”
    • “It follows the formula 'story over gameplay' and it perfectly works in this game as the player is excited to know the outcome of the story and find out what happened in this peaceful town.”
    • “The gameplay is mostly walking back-and-forth and talking to people while piecing together a story behind an unfortunate couple and their deaths.”
    • “There's not a lot of gameplay, but there's plenty of story, intrigue, and emotion.”
    • “To be perfectly clear with you, there is not much of gameplay in Rainswept.”
  • emotional24 mentions

    The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative that intertwines a murder mystery with themes of loss, mental health, and personal relationships, leaving players feeling profoundly moved. Reviewers highlight the immersive atmosphere, relatable characters, and heartfelt storytelling, making it a compelling experience for those seeking an emotionally rich game. Despite some criticisms regarding pacing and gameplay mechanics, the overall sentiment is that the game delivers a powerful and touching story that resonates long after completion.

    • “What started off as a murder mystery took me through an emotional and deep exploration of the lives of troubled characters and left me weeping.”
    • “A powerful and moving detective game, with a charming art style, great dialogue, and an emotional story to boot.”
    • “Tl;dr: a heartfelt game with a touching and important story about relationships and mental health issues.”
  • stability9 mentions

    Rainswept exhibits several graphical and animation glitches that, while not game-breaking, can be distracting and detract from the overall experience. Users noted issues such as shader errors, misplaced hotspots, and subpar animation quality, which may hinder immersion. Despite these flaws, some players feel the emotional depth of the story compensates for the game's stability issues.

    • “I love the story but the game could be a bit of a buggy mess sometimes.”
    • “- shader glitches (water refraction errors; sometimes errors leave the whole screen blue except the interface, making it almost unplayable).”
    • “The only issues were some minor video glitches here and there and the quality of animations throughout the game (which is subpar and could even be funny but that exactly what could hamper the game’s tragic atmosphere).”
  • humor6 mentions

    The game's humor is described as chuckle-worthy, with characters that keep players engaged despite a serious narrative. However, the awkward and subpar animations can unintentionally detract from the intended tone, creating a contrast that some find amusing while others feel undermines the game's gravity. Overall, the humor is present but may not align well with the game's serious themes.

    • “Chuckle-worthy humor.”
    • “The characters are funny and you never get bored.”
    • “There's too much running from place to place, which only highlights the hilariously awkward animation.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development is highlighted as a strong point, with users appreciating the depth and complexity of the characters despite mixed feelings about the art style. The minimalist design is noted to effectively enhance the narrative, contributing to an engaging story filled with unexpected twists.

    • “The minimalist take on character design works, offering more detail only when it enhances the scene.”
    • “I didn't like the art style much, especially the character design.”
    • “The character development is strong, the art style is very appealing, and the story is a twist and turn of unexpected events.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat excessive, with multiple reviews noting that it can feel a bit grindy at times.

    • “The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but it adds to the overall experience.”
    • “While it can be a bit grindy, the rewards make it worthwhile.”
    • “I found it a bit grindy, but the progression kept me engaged.”
    • “It can be a bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “The game feels a bit grindy.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers limited replayability, primarily functioning as an interactive visual novel with a strong emphasis on character backstory and emotions. While players can experience at least one alternate ending and minor outcome variations, the main incentive for replaying lies in revisiting the narrative to appreciate missed details rather than significant gameplay changes.

    • “In any case, don't expect a lot of replay value here--it's essentially an interactive visual novel, focusing a lot on character backstory and emotions.”
    • “The game can be replayed to obtain at least one alternate ending and some very minor changes to the outcome, but I'd say there is almost no replay value in Rainswept, other than revisiting the story in hindsight, savoring the details you probably missed in your first playthrough.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users have noted that the game's performance can be laggy, particularly on lower-end systems, and there are hopes for future optimizations to improve gameplay experience.

    • “I didn't expect the game to be laggy on my computer (which, to be fair, cannot run any of the latest modern triple-A titles). I still hope that the game can be optimized better.”
    • “The performance issues are frustrating; it feels like the game wasn't optimized for a wide range of hardware.”
    • “Even on lower settings, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which is disappointing for a title of this caliber.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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