Retention
- January 13, 2015
- Sometimes You
Get on Steam"Retention" is a game-photo album where you help a man recollect his memories after an accident, through slides of his past. With a unique genre and 8 different endings, your choices and observations will shape his fate. The game features an original soundtrack, Steam Trading Cards, and a user-friendly interface for an immersive experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique narrative concept that allows players to explore memories through a series of images, providing a personal and introspective experience.
- Some players found the visuals to be beautiful and thought-provoking, appreciating the artistic aspect of the game.
- It can be a relaxing experience with nice instrumental music, making it suitable for those looking for a calm and meditative gameplay session.
- Many players criticized the game for lacking actual gameplay, describing it as a slideshow of random pictures with no coherent story or purpose.
- The execution of the concept was deemed poor, with players feeling confused and frustrated by the lack of meaningful connections between the images.
- Several reviews highlighted technical issues, such as lag and the inability to play in full screen, further detracting from the overall experience.
- story34 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The story in the game is centered around a man who suffers from temporary amnesia after an accident with his bicycle, leading him on a quest to rediscover his identity through a series of photographs. However, players find the narrative confusing and lacking depth, with many expressing disappointment that the promised story fails to materialize, resulting in a disjointed experience that feels more like a slideshow than a cohesive tale. Overall, the game struggles to engage players with its storytelling, leaving them unsatisfied and questioning its purpose.
“Moving right along, story-wise you play as a man who has an accident and has his memory stolen from him. He runs in search of finding out who he is, about his past, the people he knows, and his present.”
“What you choose from each set affects the outcome of the framing story, which is a short but powerful allegory: a man falls with his bicycle and suffers temporary amnesia.”
“I understand that the story is to be partially constructed by the player.”
“It's all very confusing, no story or purpose, and on top of that I don't know how they managed to make a game consisting only of clicking photos so laggy and slow.”
“Whilst it does somewhat try to give an opportunity to tell a man by his memories in the form of a photo album that the player's personality can cause change to, it really fails to get any kind of story or meaning into it due to lack of depth or explanations, bar one-liners on each picture.”
“A big problem with retention is that it promises a story that never happens.”
- music30 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed to negative reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and interesting, while others describe it as odd, uninspiring, and poorly fitting for the game's theme. Many users expressed frustration with the music, labeling it as terrible and distracting, which detracted from their overall experience. Despite a few appreciating the instrumental aspects, the consensus leans towards disappointment, suggesting that the music fails to enhance the game effectively.
“Relaxing and interesting experience with nice instrumental music.”
“The music adds an interesting touch to the game as well.”
“I also personally enjoyed some of the art and music in this photo album simulator.”
“The music was just weird for me. To be honest, I never heard anything like it... I didn't enjoy it.”
“The game must be awarded for not making any sense at all, using dull uninspiring photos and picking music that is not fitting in any shape or form.”
“Seriously, the music is so odd, like it was completely performed by those doing work experience.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its affordability and the amount of content for the price, while others criticize the lack of depth and interaction, noting that it primarily consists of selecting images and reading evaluations. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as limited and repetitive, leading to dissatisfaction among some players.
“So small cost and so much gameplay, wow!”
“Even 10 minutes of gameplay for $0.50!”
“If there was more gameplay and interaction.”
“There are no game mechanics beyond picking images and reading your evaluation afterwards, hence all the hateful reviews.”
“This occurs numerous times, and makes up the entirety of the gameplay.”
“What about the gameplay!”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from the amusingly exaggerated complaints found in negative reviews, which many players find entertaining and relatable. This aspect adds a layer of enjoyment, as players appreciate the comedic value in the frustrations expressed by others.
“The best part about this game is all of the complaining in the negative reviews; some of it is downright hilarious.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed; while some users feel there is little to no replay value, others believe it can be worthwhile for those interested in viewing all the individual pictures.
“There is replay value if you want to be able to view all the individual pictures; it's worth it in my opinion.”
“There's no replay value.”
“There's no replay value.”
“There is replay value, if you want to be able to view all the individual pictures (it's worth it in my opinion).”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is criticized for being poorly executed, likened to a subpar website that fails to effectively showcase its offerings.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unfulfilling, with repetitive clicking leading to a vague and unsatisfying conclusion. The experience is described as lacking meaningful engagement, contributing to a sense of frustration.
“I got to the end of the game after about 15 minutes of tedious clicking, and was given a vague ending that didn't seem to mean anything at all!”
- graphics2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics have been criticized for lacking the quality and engagement expected from a game, with some users stating it doesn't even qualify as an interactive graphical experience. Overall, the visuals are deemed unsatisfactory and not recommended.
