Resonance of the Ocean

About

In "Resonance of the Ocean" , you discover a deserted island and create musical instruments from washed-up objects. Solve puzzles by answering echoes from the ocean, all while enjoying a calming soundtrack in this hand-drawn adventure, which can be completed in 10 to 30 minutes. This game, originally created for a Japanese game jam event, ranked high in overall, art, and sound categories.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,574 reviews

music190 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Calm and relaxing atmosphere with beautiful art and sound design.
Short gameplay (15-30 minutes) makes it a perfect quick experience.
Unique concept of mimicking sounds using found objects adds a creative touch.

Gameplay can feel repetitive and puzzles are quite simple.
The story is minimal and leaves many questions unanswered.
Controls can be unintuitive, leading to frustration during gameplay.

music
346 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and beautiful qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a soothing atmosphere that complements the art style. Players appreciate the emotive soundtrack and sound design, which effectively engage them in the narrative, despite the game's short length. Overall, the combination of lovely music and charming visuals makes it a delightful experience for those who enjoy music-based puzzle games.
- “The soundtrack is incredible, with sound effects that make the entire experience even more immersive.”
- “Calming and soothing game with beautiful music.”
- “The music is beautiful and even if it's simple, I love the audio-based puzzles.”
- “And for a game about making music, there is little music.”
- “Although there wasn't much to this game, the music and visuals really pulled it together.”
- “The game itself may get boring if the player misses one instrument and has to go around repetitively, but the music and art are really well made (I think these make up for it).”
graphics
336 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
45%
1%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and adorable art style, which features hand-drawn visuals that create a cozy and calming atmosphere. Players appreciate the beautiful integration of the art with the soothing soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience. Many reviewers express a desire for a longer game that could further explore the unique aesthetic and engaging visuals.
- “The hand-drawn visuals were endearing and stand out for me as one of the game’s stronger features.”
- “This game is beautiful, the sounds are crystal clear, the visuals have a soft cozy feel to them and a simplicity that really hones in that hand-drawn vibe.”
- “The art style and the music are just wonderful, the game is also simple and you can get achievements easily.”
- “It has a pleasing aesthetic but that is the only praise it's possible to give this.”
- “Very simple graphics and game mechanics accompanied with nice sounds and lore.”
- “Although there wasn't much to this game the music and visuals really pulled it together.”
story
214 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
64%
8%
The game's story is described as simple, cute, and often nostalgic, evoking feelings of childhood exploration and imagination. While many players appreciate the charming art and music, they express a desire for a more developed narrative, as the existing story can feel vague, confusing, or incomplete. Overall, it offers a brief yet engaging experience, though some players wish for a deeper exploration of its themes and characters.
- “In bare 20 minutes this game gave me that feeling of when you were a child on holidays at grandma's country house, and you would run around being a great explorer of this small world of a garden, and finding a really cool stick, and fighting nettle bushes with it, and picking up whatnot that would become your treasure or 'experiments' material... and there were no other kids in the village, so you would do all of this alone, but you didn't mind because you were totally content with your imagination connecting everything into a story.”
- “The beauty in the game lies in the story of it.”
- “Its a story of loneliness, of discovery, of companionship, of loss, of hope.”
- “The story leaves a lot of mystery from lightly touching on what happened on the island and the fate of the character you play is never really resolved.”
- “There were some hints of story in the last day, by some notes you can read inside a house, but unfortunately they don't explain anything and leave you with more questions and assumptions.”
- “But it's super short, the story is uninteresting and confusing, and the controls were finicky at times.”
gameplay
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
5%
The gameplay of "Resonance of the Ocean" is characterized by its simplicity and charm, featuring intuitive mechanics that revolve around matching sounds with objects found in a serene environment. While many players appreciate the beautiful art and relaxing atmosphere, the short duration (approximately 15-20 minutes) and limited gameplay depth leave some feeling that it lacks substance and can become tedious. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a casual, light-hearted experience, particularly for its aesthetic appeal and soothing soundtrack.
- “The art is beautiful, minimalist, and charming, complemented by simple yet extremely well-designed mechanics that put the player in tune with the environment.”
- “The serene atmosphere and gentle gameplay make it perfect for unwinding after a long day.”
- “The gameplay loop is simple: a sound or combination of sounds will play, and the goal is to use items you find around your island to create makeshift instruments that will produce a matching sound.”
- “This made the gameplay kind of tedious, so I unfortunately didn’t really enjoy it.”
- “The mechanics can be frustrating and tedious and there isn't much to do in the plot.”
- “Overall, it was an okay experience and it was clear the developers put their heart into it but I found the breadcrumbs of story very obtuse and the gameplay a little frustrating.”
atmosphere
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
17%
7%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its calming and serene qualities, enhanced by beautiful hand-drawn art and soothing sound design. Players describe it as a unique and relaxing experience, perfect for unwinding, with a gentle gameplay style that encourages exploration without haste. Overall, the combination of art and sound creates a peaceful ambiance that resonates well with players, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The serene atmosphere and gentle gameplay make it perfect for unwinding after a long day.”
- “Resonance of the ocean is a visually stunning, atmospheric puzzle-adventure game set on a mysterious, isolated island.”
- “Probably the game’s foremost strength – there are three soundtracks that I did like as they created a rather peaceful, weightless sort of atmosphere befitting of the sea, but not enough to make me feel any more strongly about the game.”
- “The hand-drawn art style couples well with the relaxing atmosphere, and the sound, something that is a pretty crucial element of the game, is executed perfectly.”
- “The concept is very simple but feels very genuine which creates a really relaxing atmosphere.”
emotional
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its wholesome and emotionally engaging experience, characterized by a simple yet touching narrative and adorable art style. Players find it calming and relaxing, with the sound design enhancing the emotional depth. Despite its short length, the game leaves a lasting impression, evoking feelings of warmth and comfort.
- “The story leaves a lot of mystery from lightly touching on what happened on the island and the fate of the character you play is never really resolved.”
- “Very simple yet very sweet and emotional.”
- “Sound is often overlooked but it has such a deep emotional effect that it's almost as important as the visuals, sometimes more so.”
grinding
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
64%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, leading to a lack of enjoyment among players. Many reviewers express that the repetitive mechanics and limited plot contribute to a boring experience, suggesting that a longer game with more engaging content could improve the overall enjoyment.
- “This made the gameplay kind of tedious, so I unfortunately didn’t really enjoy it.”
- “The mechanics can be frustrating and tedious, and there isn't much to do in the plot.”
- “Overall, this game is boring and tedious.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
30%
40%
Overall, the game has been described as having minimal replayability, with many players noting that it offers a good one-time experience but lacks incentives for repeated play. While some users find it tranquil and unique, they agree that it does not stand out enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.
- “Infinitely replayable.”
- “Replayability is exceptional.”
- “The game offers endless replayability.”
- “I think this game is very tranquil and unique, though it isn't really what I'd refer to as outstanding and has no replayability after the 15 minutes you take to play it.”
- “Good one-time playthrough but has little to no replayability.”
- “Good one-time playthrough but has little to no replayability.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.

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5h Median play time

5h Average play time

0h Main story

0h Completionist

5-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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