Richard & Alice

About

"Richard & Alice" is a point-and-click adventure game that takes place in a frozen, post-apocalyptic world. The story revolves around Richard and Alice, two strangers who form a bond while surviving in a crowded shelter. Players uncover the mysteries of their past and the harsh world outside through exploration and conversation. The game features a branching narrative with multiple endings based on the player's choices.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 329 reviews

story185 positive mentions

graphics20 negative mentions

The story is compelling and emotionally engaging, exploring deep themes of survival and morality.
The writing is well-crafted, with realistic dialogue that enhances character development.
The game features multiple endings, encouraging replayability and exploration of different narrative paths.

The gameplay is slow-paced, with tedious walking mechanics that can detract from the overall experience.
The graphics are simplistic and may not appeal to all players, feeling outdated compared to modern standards.
Some puzzles are overly simplistic, leading to a lack of challenge and engagement for players seeking more interactive gameplay.

story
495 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
59%
4%
The story of "Richard & Alice" is a poignant and emotionally charged narrative set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic world, focusing on the intertwined lives of two characters as they navigate their harsh realities. While the game features a compelling premise and well-written dialogue, some players found the pacing slow and the plot predictable, with a few expressing disappointment in the execution of certain twists. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate deep storytelling, despite its simplistic gameplay and graphics.
- “The characters, while not being animated to show much emotion, came to life beautifully through some excellent dialogue and a story that kept its pace high and never pulled its punches.”
- “Richard & Alice is a story-focused point and click adventure set in a post-apocalyptic world.”
- “The story is gripping and moving, and the writing for the different characters is good though there isn't a heck of a lot of personality.”
- “The story is quite original, though it really is grim and depressing.”
- “The storyline here, pitch black as it is, falls apart into a self-righteous, quasi-religious, philosophical mess, where any potential poignancy and relevance becomes impossible to take seriously due to comical graphics.”
- “For a player who was more into the story than I was, I could see where this might be interesting, but the slow pace of both the story and character movement made it more of a chore than it was worth.”
graphics
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
68%
21%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users describing them as amateurish, dated, and lacking detail, often comparing them unfavorably to older titles. Despite the poor visual quality, several reviewers noted that the graphics do not detract significantly from the overall experience, as the engaging story and atmosphere compensate for the visual shortcomings. Overall, while the graphics are a common point of criticism, they are often seen as secondary to the game's narrative and emotional impact.
- “The graphics can be a little inconsistent in quality, but when they're good they look fantastic.”
- “The art style is perfect for the mood of the game and the pixelated graphics are just beautiful.”
- “This game has its own charm with the graphics and the story.”
- “First of all, it's ugly; graphics usually don't bother me if they're simple but functional, but in this case, it just looks amateurish to the degree that it's distracting.”
- “Being a low-budget indie game that was chosen through Steam's Greenlight program, it comes as no surprise that the graphics are simply just mediocre.”
- “The low-res pixel graphics are ugly enough to actively harm the experience, and the writing often tends more to the casual than transcendental.”
gameplay
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
11%
The gameplay of "Richard & Alice" is primarily a point-and-click adventure that many reviewers found lacking, often describing it as slow and clunky, with minimal challenge and repetitive mechanics. While the story is praised for its emotional depth and engaging narrative, the gameplay is seen as a hindrance, with excessive walking and limited interactivity detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game is more focused on storytelling than on providing a compelling gameplay experience, making it better suited for those who prioritize narrative over mechanics.
- “The gameplay flows smoothly, and the text is incredibly personalized for each character.”
- “Minimal and simple point-and-click gameplay but with an emotional story.”
- “The gameplay is largely successful but equally does falter in some areas.”
- “The gameplay is not very good; there's way too much slow walking back and forth through screens.”
- “The glacial pace of its gameplay was annoying; I don't feel like I've experienced anything new from its story, and while the characters and events were realistic, perhaps even sympathetic, I can't say I truly cared about any of them.”
- “The gameplay, despite its simplicity, manages to be disappointing thanks to the incredibly slow movement speed, paired with a couple of large, empty screens, making exploration (or back-tracking) a painful experience.”
emotional
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The emotional aspect of "Richard & Alice" is highlighted by its poignant storytelling and character development, which evoke strong feelings of empathy and sadness in players. While many reviews praise the game's ability to create an emotional connection through its dark, dystopian narrative and heartfelt dialogue, some criticize the execution, noting that certain plot elements and endings may diminish the overall emotional impact. Overall, the game is recognized for its ability to provoke deep emotional responses, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “Richard & Alice is a short story-focused game that will certainly have an emotional impact on you.”
- “An amazing game that contains a story so heartfelt it will leave you questioning human nature.”
- “The story is very emotional and will touch your heart and soul.”
- “Bad writing, boring story, terrible controls and art style. Not worth it at all. I kept on playing, assuming it would pick up, but it didn't. Don't waste your time on this.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
53%
8%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the storytelling. While some describe it as fitting and effective, others note that it can be repetitive or unmemorable, with minimal variation in certain scenes. Overall, the ambient sound design and music contribute significantly to the game's mood, despite some criticisms regarding its simplicity and lack of a more diverse soundtrack.
- “The music and sound effects add a lot to the ambiance.”
- “The story telling is amazing, it is wonderfully paced, the ambiance and the music is great, the graphics are bland and lifeless, which is exactly what they are going for.”
- “A great game followed with an amazing soundtrack and a perfectly unveiling story.”
- “There are no voice-overs or any soundtracks, so there is nothing to comment on here.”
- “The art is MS Paint level, and the music and production values overall aren't any better.”
- “The music is either royalty-free or otherwise unmemorable.”
atmosphere
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
22%
11%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively conveying a bleak, post-apocalyptic world filled with mystery and tension. While the background music enhances the experience, some critiques mention that the dialogue can detract from the overall atmosphere. Overall, the combination of strong visuals, a compelling story, and atmospheric sound design creates a captivating environment that resonates with players.
- “It has a very immersive atmosphere clouded with mystery and an eerie sense of a dystopian world in which both Alice and Richard inhabit.”
- “Incredible post-apocalyptic atmosphere with a deep story.”
- “The story and the atmosphere of this point-and-click adventure are amongst the best I have experienced in my gaming.”
- “It references such bleak post-apocalyptic fiction such as 'The Road', but the visuals in the game are not conducive to the similar atmosphere it's going for.”
- “Not only is the dialogue and story poorly paced, but it actively fights against its own atmosphere.”
- “Though at times it works well to enhance the atmosphere of a cold, dying world covered in snow.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The game offers some replayability primarily through its multiple endings and achievements, appealing to completionists and fans of point-and-click adventures. However, many players find the inability to skip dialogue and the tediousness of replaying sequences detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its long-term value. Overall, while there are options for replaying to see different outcomes, the game's brevity and repetitive elements limit its appeal beyond a few playthroughs.
- “Multiple endings give this considerable replay value given its brevity.”
- “It does have 5 separate endings depending on your choices within the game, so it has some replay value if you are looking to get the most out of it.”
- “Also, the multiple endings give this lots of good replay value, something which I plan on doing.”
- “If you are a fan of point and click adventures then it would be value for money, unfortunately with no real replayability past the couple of endings and there’s not much else to expect from this game for anyone other than hardcore point and click fans.”
- “The game is over in two hours, the replay value is zero except to see alternate endings, and the gameplay itself is irritating in the snow area.”
- “This would be ok if I had the desire to play the game again, but it has exactly 0 replayability, unless you want 100% of the achievements.”
grinding
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized for its tedious backtracking and slow walking speed, which detracts from the overall experience. Players find the puzzles mundane and the environments small yet time-consuming to navigate, leading to frustration rather than engagement. Additionally, the writing quality varies, with uninspired dialogue contributing to the game's overall tedium.
- “They grow tedious when in the big areas later on, in part because of the deathly slow walking speed (with no option to speed up).”
- “The environments are very small, but it can still take a minute or two just to get from one end of a map to another; this becomes very tedious when backtracking gets involved, usually to fetch an item to solve one of the game's puzzles, if they could even be called that considering how mundane and obvious their solutions are.”
- “I typically don't mind a bit of backtracking here and there, but when the backtracking involves clicking multiple times on a huge scrolling screen, waiting for the droopy little character to trundle across before the screen scrolls enough to click again, it gets extremely tedious extremely quickly.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor performance, particularly with low framerates in snowy scenes, which detracts from the overall experience. Users have encountered significant issues, including the game failing to launch properly, indicating a lack of polish and compatibility with various setups.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even in complex environments.”
- “I appreciate how the developers focused on performance, ensuring a stable framerate throughout most scenes.”
- “The game runs beautifully, with minimal lag and well-optimized graphics that enhance the overall experience.”
- “It's not like it's my first rodeo working with finicky games or stuff made in weird, old, or poorly optimized engines: I've messed with RPG Maker runtimes and tweaked graphical settings for bad game launches (Dead Island and Dark Souls launches come to mind). I've disabled dual monitor support for games that refused to load on the appropriate monitor, but I've never had a game just simply refuse to budge.”
- “And performance - framerate was very low at snow scenes, and let's be honest, it's not Far Cry.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with no major glitches reported. While some users experienced minor sound issues and graphical disappointments, these did not significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “The graphics were a bit of a letdown, and I experienced some minor sound glitches when moving into new areas. These things didn't bother me too much as it's all about the story, which is solid.”
- “On the positive side, the art is pretty decent (but I like pixel art), and I never encountered any game-breaking glitches.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of light-hearted moments and deeper emotional undertones, contributing to a memorable narrative experience. While the humor is not the primary focus, it effectively complements the drama, leaving a lasting impression on players. Some users also noted a desire for more whimsical elements in the game's environments.
- “At times funny, sometimes sad and moving, the story really stays with you, even after you're done with it.”
- “It has good drama and small bits of light humor.”
- “The graphics are good, but funny thing - personally I wanted more trees in the stage layouts!”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The character development in "Richard & Alice" is criticized for being insufficient, lacking the depth and backstory necessary to engage players emotionally. Reviewers note that the game feels dark without meaningful character arcs or substantial dialogue, resulting in a narrative that fails to resonate.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters as their stories unfold.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of character arcs, which made the emotional moments hit harder and kept me invested in their journeys.”
- “The way characters evolve throughout the game is masterfully done, providing a satisfying sense of growth and transformation.”
- “There's simply far too little substance here for one to take the game seriously, so Richard & Alice ends up just being dark for darkness' sake, without the character development or backstory required to really make anyone care about what's happening to the characters as the story unfolds.”
- “You would expect a game centered on character development to have large, meaty dialogue chunks, but it does not.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization in the game is criticized for feeling overly intrusive, with some elements appearing more like blatant advertisements for other titles rather than organic inclusions.
- “Lastly, there's a cameo that's so ham-fisted it honestly feels like advertising for a much better game.”
- “The monetization model is so aggressive that it ruins the overall experience.”
- “I feel like I'm being constantly pushed to spend money instead of enjoying the game.”