Red Tape

About

Red Tape is a single player simulation game with horror and comedy themes. It was developed by DreadXP and was released on February 14, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

Explore 9 levels of corporate hell as you fight to clear your name with the Devil and restore balance between Heaven and Hell.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 278 reviews

story30 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and charming art style that enhances the overall experience.
The writing is entertaining and filled with humor, making the narrative enjoyable despite its simplicity.
It's a short and quirky adventure that effectively satirizes corporate culture in a creative way.

The gameplay primarily consists of repetitive fetch quests, which can become tedious over time.
The final platforming section is frustrating and feels out of place compared to the rest of the game.
The game is quite short, leading some players to feel it lacks depth and replay value.

story
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The story of the game is characterized as quirky, charming, and humorous, set in a creative world where players navigate a surreal office in hell as a fallen angel. While the narrative is engaging and features thought-provoking themes, it is primarily a visual experience with fetch quests and light puzzles, lacking depth and replay value. Overall, players appreciate the unique art style and the entertaining plot, making it a delightful short adventure.
- “The world is so creative and the whole story is a lot of fun to watch unfold.”
- “Great game with good humor; the riddles/tasks are not that hard and allow for good progression while delivering a unique story that everyone who has worked in an office can immediately recognize!”
- “Of course there is a twist; I was happy that it was not too obvious and the story developed pretty deeply in the end.”
- “In the story's final stretch, presentation takes a hit, as it seems that the developers had run out of steam.”
- “The game would benefit from more optional objectives; there are very few things that are not directly tied into the story.”
- “Obviously, the story is not super deep and it's not meant to be taken very seriously, but it does have some thought-provoking themes, even if they are played for a joke when it comes to the overall experience.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
29%
6%
The graphics of "Red Tape" are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, described as beautiful and reminiscent of paper cut-out aesthetics. Reviewers highlight the game's pleasing visuals and cohesive design, which enhance the quirky narrative and humor, making it a visually engaging experience despite some criticisms of the writing and gameplay. Overall, the art style stands out as a significant strength of the game, contributing to its appeal as a fun and entertaining adventure.
- “Loved the art style.”
- “The art style is amazing and it has a unique storyline that keeps it interesting.”
- “Redtape is a game with beautiful visuals and a unique sense of humor.”
- “I was going to give this a passing grade (like a C-) for cute graphics and concept in spite of boring writing and predictable fetch/deliver quests.”
- “Puzzle solving is pretty light but the art style is pretty unique with the paper cut-out look to characters.”
- “As with many self-aware walking sims, the game is very much full of silly artwork and just the overall random world design. I think the game was enjoyable to explore, even though it's somewhat linear - just looking at all the weird posters, helping people with their problems, and ascending in the corporate structure.”
humor
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of darkly comedic and quirky elements, appealing to fans of similar titles, though some reviewers felt it fell short of expectations. While many appreciated the charming dialogue, visual gags, and unique setting inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, others criticized it for lacking substantial comedic depth and relying too heavily on familiar tropes about bureaucracy and capitalism. Overall, the game is noted for its stylish presentation and moments of genuine humor, but opinions vary on its effectiveness as a comedy.
- “It was a relaxing, funny, and overall joy to explore this corporate version of hell.”
- “A really funny game heavily inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy.”
- “Great game with good humor; the riddles/tasks are not that hard and allow for good progression while delivering a unique story that everyone who has worked in an office can immediately recognize!”
- “The only good thing about this game is its visuals; it's not funny enough to be a good comedy, nor substantial enough to be anything else but a mediocre comedy about bureaucracy and corporations.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay is largely criticized for its simplicity and lack of depth, primarily consisting of fetch quests and linear progression with minimal platforming. While some players found enjoyment in the narrative and aesthetics, many noted that the game feels more like a walking simulator than a traditional game, with little to engage players on a mechanical level. Overall, it appeals more to those who prioritize story and art over gameplay complexity.
- “Aside from one sequence that almost made me quit the game - no spoilers but it relies on a totally different kind of gameplay - a really fun little experience.”
- “The writing and characters were decent enough that the simple gameplay loop did not detract from my enjoyment of the game at all.”
- “If you want to have some chuckles and don't mind the 'walking sim' type of gameplay, then this game is for you.”
- “There are no puzzles, no interesting gameplay, it's just 'go get this thing and deliver it to this person.'”
- “Watching the trailer, I expected something similar to Broken Reality, but this game is mostly a narrative experience, very much a silly walking simulator - there is a little bit of platforming gameplay (about 3 minutes in total), but the exploration is mostly tied to linear progression.”
- “Taking the price of the game into consideration, I think it's a fun and creative experience, personally I really enjoyed the characters, just don't expect a lot of gameplay, it's very much a fetch quest for 90 minutes with some silly tasks.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The music in the game is praised for its engaging and unique qualities, particularly a standout track in the finale that enhances the overall experience. While the soundtrack complements the game's visuals well, some players noted that the volume levels for both music and dialogue could be improved, feeling too low even at maximum settings. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's fun and immersive atmosphere.
- “This game is really funny, but is elevated to goat status by the song that plays in the finale.”
- “The music in this section is fast-paced and adds stress, so I found myself totally out of my element.”
- “The music in this section is fast paced and adds stress, so I found myself totally out of my element.”
- “On my end, it felt like the volume on the dialogue text and the music were a bit too low even at 100%. I felt like it should be 10-20% louder.”
- “The paper-cutout style for characters mixed with the PS1-esque pixel art for the environments fit perfectly together, as does the strangely discordant soundtrack.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences notable stability issues, including lag on the second floor and a frustrating screen glitch when attempting to use the portal on the sixth floor, leading to a generally buggy experience.
- “I wish it wasn't so weirdly buggy at times, like the lag on the 2nd floor and the screen going white when trying to go through the portal on the 6th floor.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its distinctive and quirky qualities, enhanced by a unique cut-out art direction that contributes to its overall charm.
- “I really liked the weird atmosphere and the unique cut-out art direction.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers an enjoyable story experience; however, players note a lack of replay value, suggesting limited incentive to revisit the game after completion.
- “The story is fun, but there is pretty much no replay value.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally enjoyable and performs well on the Steam Deck with some control adjustments; however, players have reported significant performance issues specifically in the second level.
- “Enjoyable to the end, but the second level has horrendous performance issues that need to be addressed.”