Retrace

About

Retrace is a single player puzzle game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Spider Lily Studios LLC and was released on January 20, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Retrace" is a single-player Horror Visual Novel game with an intriguing story and good music. Players explore a 2D world full of puzzles, action sequences, and secrets, all while trying to escape a deadly place that rewards death with the ability to rewind time. The game features traditional logic puzzles, heart-pounding action, and the ability to use what you learn from one path to explore further in another.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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100%

Audience ScoreBased on 44 reviews

story18 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features a touching and engaging story that explores themes of self-discovery and emotional growth, with well-written characters that players quickly become invested in.
The art and music are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional impact of the game, making it a visually and audibly pleasing experience.
Despite its short length, the game offers creative puzzles and a satisfying journey that encourages replayability to discover all possible endings.

The game is relatively short, taking only about 2-3 hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more content for the price.
Some early dialogue can feel clunky, and the game has been noted to have bugs and a lack of polish that can detract from the experience.
The puzzles are generally simple and may not provide enough challenge for players looking for more complex gameplay.

story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
42%
8%
The game's story is highly praised for its emotional depth and engaging characters, exploring themes of self-discovery, queer romance, and personal growth within a horror-light atmosphere. Players appreciate the well-written dialogue, captivating art, and music, which enhance the overall experience, making it a memorable journey that can be completed in about three hours. While some players desired more backstory, the concise narrative and lack of filler were seen as strengths, allowing for a satisfying and replayable experience.
- “A touching story, if horrific, about discovering yourself.”
- “The story was great and got me to feel more invested in the characters within the first few minutes of interacting with them.”
- “The music is great, the dialogue and characters are quite well written, and all in all it's an enjoyable story with a sort of supernatural escape room twist, with themes of self-acceptance, queer romance, perseverance, and growth.”
- “Completion of the basic storyline takes maybe 3 hours, with a single bonus achievement for finding all of the hidden bad ends.”
- “All in all, a first playthrough will probably take about two to three hours, and once you've discovered all the secrets and solutions, playing a 100% run will probably take the same amount of time - depending on if you're reading the dialogue again or skipping through (of course, since the story is the joy of replaying it, why would you want to skip it?).”
- “I'd hoped I could see more of their backstory.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
10%
10%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its haunting quality and emotional impact, enhancing the overall experience with solid soundtracks that complement the narrative and art. Reviewers highlight the music as a standout feature, contributing to the game's charm and depth, making it a memorable aspect of the gameplay. Overall, the combination of great music and well-written characters creates an engaging atmosphere that players appreciate.
- “The soundtracks were amazing and did a great job of evoking emotions throughout the game.”
- “The music is great, the dialogue and characters are quite well written, and all in all it's an enjoyable story with a sort of supernatural escape room twist, with themes of self-acceptance, queer romance, perseverance, and growth.”
- “From the portrait art to the soundtrack (definitely would recommend adding that on if you choose to purchase it), to the amazingly well-written characters and story, this game is absolutely a gem in my collection which I have played and replayed time and time again.”
- “Music: haunting”
- “Music: haunting”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay is characterized as simple yet enjoyable, featuring straightforward puzzles that are reminiscent of the Zero Escape series. While some players noted the simplicity, they appreciated the inclusion of hints and logic puzzles that enhance the experience, suggesting that the game prioritizes storytelling over complex mechanics.
- “Gameplay is simple, with equally simple but fun puzzles.”
- “The game mechanics definitely reminded me of Zero Escape, and I appreciated the logic puzzles as well as how there were hints to guide me on the right path in the game.”
- “About the gameplay, well... it is quite simple.”
- “This kind of game focuses more on the story, or at least that's how I see it, so I didn't mind that the gameplay was somewhat simple.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its touching and horrific narrative that explores themes of self-discovery, defying death, and fate. Despite its brevity, the well-written story and emotionally impactful moments resonate strongly with players, making it a memorable experience.
- “A touching story, if horrific, about discovering yourself.”
- “An emotional game that takes you on a journey to defy death and fate.”
- “Despite the game's short length, the characters are well-written and easy to care for, and the game's emotional moments hit excellently.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The game's graphics are praised for their beauty and uniqueness, featuring surprisingly good visuals that complement the creative design. While it is categorized as horror, the gore is minimal and presented through pixel sprites that can be toggled off, ensuring a less graphic experience. Overall, the combination of graphics and music enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
- “The visuals are beautiful and unique.”
- “Short but creative, with surprisingly good graphics and music.”
- “Even though it's listed as a horror game, the gore is limited to the pixel sprites (which can be toggled) and descriptions. None of the CGs are graphic in nature.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is described as surprisingly chilling, offering a horror-light experience that balances tension without being overly frightening. It is suitable for players seeking an atmospheric story that evokes a sense of unease without delving into full horror.
- “If you're looking for a horror-light (but not zero-horror) atmospheric story, this is a good choice.”
- “The atmosphere is surprisingly chilling, but the game overall is not 'scary' - and I'm someone that's scared of her own shadow!”
- “The atmosphere is surprisingly chilling, but the game overall is not 'scary' - and I'm someone who's scared of her own shadow!”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's initial release was marked by noticeable bugs and polish issues, such as repeated events and missing scenes during replays. However, the development team promptly addressed these concerns with a timely update, significantly improving stability for players.
- “The first part is just unpolished and buggy enough to be noticeable (examples: picking up the same object or seeing the same event twice in a run, not seeing expected scenes when re-attempting a route).”
- “When I bought it on release day, it was a little buggy, but the team behind Retrace was quick to respond to the feedback and an update fixed all the problems I and some others had.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is praised for its engaging and relatable designs, with the principal cast embodying a charming, soft aesthetic that resonates well with players. This appeal contributes to a strong emotional connection with the characters, making them hard not to love.
- “All the character designs are just the platonic ideal of soft gay, and it's hard not to love any of the principal cast.”