RETSNOM

About

"RETSNOM is a puzzle platformer with unique mirror-based mechanics. Your daughter is infected with a zombie virus and the only cure is in a mirror maze-guarded future lab. Mirrors in the game reflect, hide, and invert the world, and understanding these properties is key to solving the game's intricate puzzles."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 39 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features an interesting and unique puzzle mechanic that encourages creative problem-solving.
The atmospheric soundtrack and pixel art style contribute to an engaging and immersive experience.
Many players appreciate the challenging nature of the puzzles, which can provide a sense of accomplishment when solved.

The controls and mechanics can feel clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustration during gameplay.
The level design is often criticized for being vague and overly complex, making it difficult to progress without random clicking.
The story is perceived as shallow and poorly executed, lacking emotional depth and clarity.

gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
66%
10%
The gameplay of the game features innovative and unique mechanics, particularly a mirroring system that encourages experimentation and creative problem-solving, though some players find the controls unintuitive and the puzzles overly challenging. While the art style and soundtrack enhance the experience, the steep difficulty can lead to frustration, making it a mixed bag for players. Overall, it appeals to puzzle platformer enthusiasts who enjoy deep mechanics and the opportunity to explore various solutions.
- “Although the plot is paper thin, the game's art style, mechanics, and musical choice will keep you invested from start to finish.”
- “The underlying mechanics of Retsnom, the mirroring left and right, or up and down with the play of gravity, or the possibility to break mirrors in the last world and completely change and alter levels to the player’s desire is just shy of mind-blowing.”
- “Interesting story, unique game mechanics that drive the player to think in multiple directions about how to solve puzzles, and maintains a zen-like simplicity.”
- “In World 2, I stopped playing because I totally do not like the new mechanics that are being introduced.”
- “Throughout almost the entire playthrough, I felt like I was wrestling with the puzzle mechanics.”
- “Because of the steep difficulty of the main puzzle mechanic, each solution is a real chore.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
40%
15%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it dull and mismatched to the game's atmosphere, while others praise its haunting beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience. Many appreciate the instrumental soundtrack for its calming and somber qualities, which effectively complement the game's narrative and mechanics. However, there are notable criticisms regarding the music's repetitiveness and occasional disappearance, leading some players to mute it entirely.
- “Amazing soundtrack with an interesting flipped world game mechanic.”
- “With a chilling atmosphere, and a haunting yet beautiful soundtrack, retsnom is a fantastic puzzle game with a beautiful narrative.”
- “The music is hauntingly beautiful and suits the game's atmosphere perfectly.”
- “Dull, clunky, the music is annoying rehashed piano, the input sometimes does not register at all (makes the jump-and-mirror tasks very tedious), the graphics are horrible - a mishmash of grey tilesets more suitable for a pre-alpha prototype rather than a finished project, the plot is pretty predictable, the music disappears sometimes, the camera is zoomed in way too close.”
- “Also, I felt that the music does not fit with the game at all... personally, I couldn't bear listening to this depressing music so I turned the sound off and played with my own music.”
- “Although the plot is paper thin, the game's art style, mechanics, and musical choice will keep you invested from start to finish.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
63%
16%
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it dull, predictable, and poorly executed, while others appreciate its emotional depth, particularly the father's quest to save his daughter from a zombie virus. Critics note that the narrative attempts to be complex but often falls flat, leading to confusion and disinterest, despite some players finding the premise engaging and the soundtrack enhancing the overall experience. Overall, the story's execution seems to struggle with coherence and depth, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.
- “The story is pretty cool too, the idea that a father would do anything to save his daughter even if the whole world has to suffer, I really like it.”
- “The game revolves around one man's quest to cure his daughter of the zombie virus and he won't stop at anything and will kill anyone who gets in his way.”
- “The story of a father looking for his daughter is enough to get you hooked and to motivate you ahead.”
- “The story really wants to be deep and complex, but it comes across as wonky and shallow.”
- “It’s the digital manifestation of pretentiousness: a theoretically enticing convergence of deep gameplay and metaphorical storytelling, all of which utterly fails to connect on any level.”
- “Sadly most of the weight lies in the brief exchanges and the remainder is saved for what might be called a plot twist by few.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players criticizing them as dull and clunky, resembling a pre-alpha prototype, while others praise the well-executed pixel art and clean visuals that enhance the overall experience. The art style is noted for its balance and movement, though some find it uninspired and lacking variety. Overall, the graphics seem to evoke a polarized response, with a clear divide between those who appreciate the aesthetic and those who find it lacking.
- “Although the plot is paper thin, the game's art style, mechanics, and musical choice will keep you invested from start to finish.”
- “Excellent concept, superb visuals and music.”
- “The pixel art style works really well, and the animation of the protagonist's tie adds just enough movement to give the visuals balance.”
- “Dull, clunky, the music is annoying rehashed piano, the input sometimes does not register at all (makes the jump-and-mirror tasks very tedious), the graphics are horrible - a mishmash of grey tilesets more suitable for a pre-alpha prototype rather than a finished project, the plot is pretty predictable, the music disappears sometimes, the camera is zoomed in way too close.”
- “It doesn't help that the uninspired art style comes with no variety in scenery.”
- “Not interesting for its graphics, retsnom will completely blow your mind by its game mechanics!”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
38%
The atmosphere in "retsnom" is characterized by a chilling and tense ambiance, enhanced by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's narrative. Players appreciate the game's ability to create suspense and immersion, making it a standout experience in the puzzle genre. Overall, the atmosphere is a significant draw, contributing to the game's creative and challenging nature.
- “With a chilling atmosphere, and a haunting yet beautiful soundtrack, Retsnom is a fantastic puzzle game with a beautiful narrative.”
- “The music is hauntingly beautiful and suits the game's atmosphere perfectly.”
- “All of it leads to a form of unknowing suspense, a tense atmosphere in a somewhat slow-paced puzzle game.”
- “To sum it all up, Retsnom is a really creative puzzle platformer with a suspended and tense atmosphere.”
- “This game is a great buy if you want to strengthen your brain and get absorbed into a simple, but creepy atmosphere.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the game features complicated and touching moments, the minimal character development undermines the emotional impact of its tragic and dramatic scenes.
- “All you need to know is it's complicated and touching.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, citing issues such as unresponsive controls, repetitive and annoying music, and poor graphics that detract from the experience. The overall execution feels unfinished, with a predictable plot and a camera that hampers gameplay.
- “Grinding feels dull and clunky, with annoying rehashed piano music that detracts from the experience. The input sometimes fails to register, making tasks like jumping and mirroring tedious. The graphics are horrible, resembling a mishmash of grey tilesets more suitable for a pre-alpha prototype than a finished project.”
- “The grinding mechanics are frustratingly repetitive, and the overall experience is marred by a predictable plot and inconsistent music that disappears at times.”
- “The camera is zoomed in way too close, which adds to the tediousness of grinding and makes the gameplay feel even more cumbersome.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is minimal, resulting in tragic and dramatic moments that fail to resonate emotionally with players.
- “There is minimal character development, so tragic and dramatic moments lack emotional weight.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with their journeys.”
- “Character arcs are predictable and fail to evolve throughout the game.”