Replica

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 359 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Replica Game Cover
Games that have you snooping through someone’s personal phone or computer are fairly common.
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"Replica is a single-player mystery simulation game with an intriguing story, marvelous game mechanics, pretty visuals, and a good soundtrack. As a player, you are given a cellphone of an unknown owner and must look for evidence of terrorism by hacking into the owner's accounts and inspecting their social media activity. The game features 12 multiple endings and 8 achievements, providing a unique and immersive experience that raises questions about privacy, surveillance, and patriotism."

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 359 reviews
story32 positive mentions
atmosphere3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and engaging experience by allowing players to snoop through a suspect's phone, creating a sense of immersion.
  • It features multiple endings, encouraging replayability and exploration of different narrative paths.
  • The game effectively raises thought-provoking questions about privacy, government surveillance, and moral choices in a dystopian setting.
  • The game is quite short, with many players completing it in under an hour, leading to a feeling of limited content.
  • Some players found the writing to be heavy-handed and the dialogue unrealistic, detracting from the overall experience.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive, as players may need to backtrack through similar tasks to achieve different endings.
  • story105 mentions

    The game's story is a mix of intriguing themes and moral lessons, exploring topics like surveillance and authoritarianism through a smartphone hacking narrative. While it features multiple endings and a mysterious journey, many players find the execution lacking in depth and worldbuilding, with some describing the plot as simplistic or heavy-handed. Overall, the story is engaging but may not satisfy those seeking a more profound or cohesive narrative experience.

    • “The story itself is only 1-2 hours long, but it is a very mysterious journey with a lot of little puzzles that make it a very special play.”
    • “The story is interesting and enthralling while causing reflection on real-world dilemmas and current events such as Big Brother, 'who watches the watchmen?', the anti-terrorism act, and more.”
    • “The story dives right in from the very beginning, and is enthralling.”
    • “Where replica struggles more is the worldbuilding and storytelling.”
    • “My biggest complaint is despite its interesting dystopian setting and character relationships, the game failed to deliver the story's potential.”
    • “The story is so mysterious you want to know more, you want to keep searching.”
  • gameplay34 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized as simple yet effective, focusing on puzzle-solving and investigation through a smartphone interface, which provides a unique and immersive experience. While many players appreciate the compelling narrative and the game's charm, some criticize its mechanics for being light and repetitive, leading to a lack of depth and replayability. Overall, it offers an interesting premise and engaging story, but may not satisfy those seeking more complex gameplay.

    • “The puzzle/investigation gameplay is simple yet very effective, and it provides some actual replay value in spite of most puzzle answers being the same every time.”
    • “The game's charm, for me personally at least, is in the gameplay, where you can immerse yourself into this suspect's phone as you're told what you ought to look out for.”
    • “Replica's cellphone-inspired gameplay is immersive and realistic.”
    • “4-digit codes and the 'clicking on clues' mechanics cannot make up for its flaws.”
    • “If you're looking for a game with lots of 'gameplay', this might not be for you.”
    • “Gameplay simply amounts to spam clicking.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its relaxing and fitting qualities that enhance the overall experience. However, some players feel that the soundtrack does not always align with the game's pace or themes, suggesting that improvements could be made. Overall, while the music is generally considered good and immersive, opinions vary on its appropriateness for the game's context.

    • “I thought it was a pretty fun little game with decent gameplay and good music.”
    • “The music is really peaceful and relaxing for what the game is.”
    • “A pretty stellar detective game with great music and heavy themes.”
    • “Music is dull.”
    • “These flaws can be eliminated by a better soundtrack.”
    • “While people rave about the music (and it is decent), I don't think it is all that appropriate for the pace of this game.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The game's graphics are characterized by a minimalistic pixel art style that many players find appealing and immersive, enhancing the overall experience. While some users appreciate the retro aesthetic and clean visuals, others note that the simplicity does not detract from gameplay. However, there are concerns about technical issues, such as crashes, despite the straightforward graphics.

    • “I appreciated the minimalistic pixel graphics and interface.”
    • “The game has wonderful and simplistic pixel graphics.”
    • “Awesome graphics, interface, and message behind.”
    • “It's a short game with very basic graphics.”
    • “This game crashes way too much for such simple graphics and setup.”
    • “Art style is pixelated/8bit.”
  • replayability14 mentions

    The game offers a moderate level of replayability primarily due to its multiple endings and branching paths, which encourage players to explore different outcomes. However, some users note that the inability to skip previously seen dialogues can detract from the experience, making it feel less replayable for some. Overall, while the game has replay value, opinions vary on its effectiveness in encouraging multiple playthroughs.

    • “The fact that there are multiple endings and a decent amount of replayability as well is an absolute must for a game like this.”
    • “Eleven possible endings yield high replay value.”
    • “However, the game is still replayable as there are multiple endings you can achieve.”
    • “Replayability is low because there is no way to skip the texts/conversations you've already gone through before, which is very annoying.”
    • “Despite the game being non-replayable and quite short, it surely provides a player with some things to consider.”
    • “There are multiple endings to get and paths to take, so there is a little replayability.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of cleverness and dark comedy, with some players finding it genuinely funny while others feel it lacks depth and can be overly comical or unrealistic. While certain endings are noted for their humor, opinions vary on whether this approach enhances or detracts from the overall experience, particularly for those with high expectations regarding the game's serious themes.

    • “Replica is clever, darkly funny, and more true than people allow themselves to accept.”
    • “There is a way to cheese your way to the 'true ending' (advance time), but when you do this, you get a humorous ending.”
    • “The endings are definitely funny, but lacked a lot of depth.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The game evokes a strong emotional connection despite the absence of facial expressions, particularly in the initial playthroughs, though later runs may feel overly moralizing. Players appreciate the emotional depth available if they choose to engage with it, highlighting the game's ability to resonate on a personal level.

    • “I made an emotional connection even though there were no faces.”
    • “The first couple of runs through the game have a solid emotional impact.”
    • “The game is really cool and emotional.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is described as tense and orwellian-dystopian, with sharp dialogues that enhance the experience. However, some users find it lacking in depth and coherence compared to similar titles, suggesting that while it has potential, it may not fully meet expectations in terms of storytelling and overall immersion.

    • “There are many sharp dialogues, a tense atmosphere, and some endings are hard to find.”
    • “If you enjoy puzzle games with a side of Orwellian-dystopian atmosphere, then this game will be well worth your $2.99!”
    • “It is super short and a little bit incoherent in the atmosphere.”
    • “I'm aware that the limits of what a lost-phone simulator can offer, but of the exact same price, 'A Normal Lost Phone', a similar indie game made by Accidental Queens, has exceeded this one in many ways, in terms of depth of story, interface design, and atmosphere.”
    • “Similar atmosphere to 'Papers, Please' but updated to the current time.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, with some expressing frustration over the lack of a save feature that exacerbates the grind. Overall, while the game has enjoyable elements, the repetitive nature of grinding can detract from the overall experience.

    • “One thing I wish it had was a save feature; it really annoys me when I have to stop playing and start from the beginning again, and it gets very tedious.”
    • “It seemed like something I'd enjoy, but to be honest, I found the experience kind of tedious.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, users report a mixed experience regarding stability, with some noting only minor bugs and glitches, while others express frustration with a significant presence of issues that detract from gameplay.

    • “The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs and glitches.”
    • “There are a few bugs and glitches that affect gameplay.”
    • “There are minor bugs and glitches that can be distracting.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

64% average critic score

Buy Replica

Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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