Refind Self: The Personality Test Game
- November 13, 2023
- Lizardry
- 3h median play time
Get on SteamRefind Self: The Personality Test Game is a narrative-driven experience where you play as an EAI android, exploring the world and interacting with various robots to uncover your purpose and the Doctor's secrets. The game analyzes your choices and personality throughout, with a full personality report after three playthroughs, each lasting approximately an hour. The story takes place in a robot-populated world, with important characters such as the protagonist and Dull, a lazy robot clerk at a café.
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Reviews
- The game features a captivating and emotional story that resonates with players, often leading to introspection and self-reflection.
- The art style and music create a beautiful and immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
- The personality test aspect is unique, as it analyzes player choices and actions, providing a personalized experience.
- The game can feel repetitive, as it requires multiple playthroughs to fully understand the story and complete the personality assessment.
- Some players found the personality results to be vague or inaccurate, leading to disappointment in the test aspect.
- There are technical issues, such as loading screen bugs, that can hinder the gameplay experience.
- story340 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a poignant exploration of themes such as identity, love, and the human experience, often described as bittersweet and emotionally resonant. Players are encouraged to engage with the narrative through multiple playthroughs, which gradually reveal deeper layers and connections to their personality traits. While some find the storytelling fragmented or simplistic, many appreciate its heartfelt delivery and the way it intertwines with the gameplay, making it a compelling experience overall.
“It's truly impressive how such a short and simple game can tell such a beautiful story and make a person reflect so deeply.”
“Endearing and bittersweet story exploring themes of choices, longing, and grief.”
“The story creates a thought-provoking self-reflection on what it means to be human, the beauty of human imperfections, and the challenges of adhering to human morals, told from the perspective of an AI who struggles yet strives to comprehend such concepts.”
“The story itself was kind of boring and I didn't care for the narrative, but the personality test kept me going to the end.”
“The story failed to engage me, and I remained indifferent to the protagonist’s past.”
“The test part serves the purpose of hooking the players into the main plot, which is acceptable, but the said plot comes off as generic, predictable, and bland.”
- music98 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming, melancholic, and nostalgic qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional depth of the experience. Many players highlight the beautiful piano melodies and soothing soundtracks that perfectly complement the game's art and story, creating an immersive and heartwarming environment. While some noted a desire for more varied tracks, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and emotional impact.
“The music and art give this game a very cozy and oddly nostalgic feeling, like I'm exploring somewhere I used to play at as a little kid.”
“Pour yourself a warm drink, snuggle up with a fluffy friend, and enjoy a couple quiet hours with lovely music and a heartfelt story about what it means to truly be human.”
“The soundtrack is a gorgeous melody to get lost in while exploring this unfamiliar and lonely world.”
“There is nothing in the soundtrack that caught my ear, either by sounding atrocious or nice.”
“Sure, the music is repetitive in some situations.”
“It has pretty art and music but completely fails as a personality test, narrative, and game.”
- emotional91 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players reporting that it made them cry and feel deeply connected to its heartfelt story and characters. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, offering a blend of self-discovery and emotional reflection, often describing it as beautiful, touching, and unexpectedly impactful. While some players felt less emotional engagement, the overall consensus is that the game delivers a poignant experience that resonates with its audience.
“This game is beautiful, and emotionally impactful in a way I was not expecting, very worth the small price and short time!”
“Pour yourself a warm drink, snuggle up with a fluffy friend, and enjoy a couple quiet hours with lovely music and a heartfelt story about what it means to truly be human.”
“The story was incredible and made me cry.”
- gameplay63 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Refind Self" is characterized as simplistic and primarily revolves around exploration and interaction within a small world, often described as more of a personality test than a traditional game. While some players appreciate the innovative blend of narrative and gameplay mechanics, many find the gameplay lacking in depth and complexity, with minimal engaging elements beyond a few minigames. Overall, the experience is often recommended for its story and artistic presentation rather than its gameplay mechanics.
“Very novel approach to storytelling and gameplay.”
“I enjoyed how many actions were mechanically accounted for, the variety of approaches you can have for any given playthrough, and the way systems open up the more you play.”
“This game offers a captivating blend of exploration and personality assessment, with an engaging narrative and unique gameplay.”
“Gameplay itself is just walking around the very small world of the game and interacting with different objects.”
“The gameplay is as equally shallow as the plot.”
“This game lacks a good story, is no deeper than BuzzFeed articles as a test, and doesn't shine in the gameplay aspect either.”
- graphics52 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and aesthetically pleasing art style, often described as cute and immersive, which complements the game's melancholic themes and storytelling. Players appreciate the pixel art and overall design, noting that the visuals, combined with a soothing soundtrack, create a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere. While some reviews mention that the graphics are not groundbreaking, they are considered effective in enhancing the emotional depth and experience of the game.
“The graphics, the art, the script, the music, everything in this game are absolutely gorgeous.”
“I absolutely loved this game, the soundtrack is so beautiful, the graphics are stunning and the story was very enjoyable and exactly what I was looking for!”
“The game has an enticing art style accompanied with a soothing and melancholy soundtrack that perfectly mixes into the game's short but sweet story.”
“The game’s graphics and personality test initially intrigued me, but ultimately fell short.”
“It's a very aesthetically pleasing game, but the 'game' part of it is just not there.”
“So don't expect triple A graphics or voiceovers.”
- atmosphere15 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning art, captivating music, and a blend of chill and melancholic tones that create a relaxing yet engaging experience. Reviewers highlight the charming and bittersweet ambiance, which enhances the storytelling and overall enjoyment, making it a comforting choice for players who appreciate atmospheric games. While the gameplay may be simplistic, the focus on atmosphere resonates strongly with many, offering a peaceful yet emotionally rich environment.
“The great storytelling, good visuals, and overall great atmosphere made it truly captivating.”
“I loved the melancholic atmosphere permeating the entire game and the leadup to the big reveals.”
“The art style and the music blend to provide a melancholy, bittersweet atmosphere.”
“That being said, the story is a bit simple and doesn't have any notable beats; it's more about the atmosphere set by the NPCs, so make sure to temper expectations.”
“Its atmosphere is very peaceful all around, but a bit of sadness hangs in the air.”
- replayability15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players enjoying the diverse endings, unique moments, and character interactions that encourage multiple playthroughs. While some users note that the experience may feel limited or "one-and-done" for completionists, the game's charm and engaging mechanics keep players coming back for more. The combination of personal growth and discovery within the game contributes to its lasting appeal.
“The game is not only fun but also offers great replayability with lots to discover.”
“With over twenty-three endings (along with the main story endings), the replay value of this game is immense; you can either choose to learn about yourself or learn about the world through the different paths that it gives you.”
“It's fast and short, but it has good replay value that makes me want to go again.”
“The replayability factor is somewhat limited, and completionists might feel frustrated by the multiple playthroughs required to uncover the full story.”
“The same feeling or experience feels like a sort of 'one-and-done' deal, and I imagine if you erase the data and do it again, the desire for replayability is low.”
“It's cute and poignant and smartly gets a lot of replay value.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, blending funny gameplay with a poignant soundtrack that enhances both comedic and melancholic moments. Players appreciate the meaningful dialogue and the amusing interactions with the helper bot, which evoke a range of emotions from laughter to sadness. Overall, the humor adds depth to the experience, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
“Good design and funny gameplay.”
“The piano throughout the whole area is the perfect soundtrack to fit the melancholy of the situation, while not making it too somber so that the more funny moments can stick out.”
“The dialogue was meaningful and had feel to it, along with the humor of the helper bot.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some find replaying enjoyable and engaging, others feel that it becomes tedious after multiple runs due to a lack of new content. Overall, the experience varies based on individual preferences and tolerance for repetition.
“You just have to replay the game 3 times; it's not tedious at all.”
“The grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged.”
“I love how the grinding mechanics allow for character progression and skill development.”
“It did get tedious by run 3, though. Maybe my complaining about that also says something about my personality.”
“Besides that, it was rather tedious continuing the game when you finished the first run, as there is nothing new added to the game.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many users reporting significant bugs that render it nearly unplayable. Despite its promising visuals, the persistent technical issues have led to disappointment among players who are unable to fully enjoy the experience.
“It's such a shame, the game looks really promising, but at least for me, it was a buggy mess.”
“I'm really disappointed at how unplayable this game is. I've tried opening the game several times and it's basically unplayable with how buggy it is. I was really excited to play it because it really does look like a beautiful game; it's just a real shame a lot of people will never be able to truly experience how amazing it could be.”
“Underwhelming and buggy.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its unique character designs and appealing art direction, but it suffers from shallow personality assessments that fail to provide depth. While the game offers extra lore for those willing to explore further, the overall character development feels lacking in substance.
“Aside from the story aspect, the art direction was good, the music was lovely, and the character designs are unique. Although the minigames didn't appeal to me much and the game is relatively short, there is plenty of extra lore to discover by playing it more.”
“While the pixel art style and character designs were interesting, the shallow personality assessment left much to be desired.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent battery life and overall performance, indicating effective optimization that enhances the user experience.
“Great battery life and performance.”
“The game runs smoothly on various devices, showcasing excellent optimization.”
“I appreciate how well the game manages resources, ensuring a seamless experience.”
