Rodeo Clown

About

Rodeo Clown is a single player open world simulation game with romance, drama and comedy themes. It was developed by Xavier Bell and was released on August 27, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"You ain't worth a dollar." Rodeo Clown is a visual novel/walking sim about the sorriest man on Earth. Fill the shoes of Des and embark on a journey that'll take you to the sleepy backwater of Aurora, Texas. Not much happens in Aurora, besides the occasional tornado or distant gunshot. There's a tractor museum (closed), a beautiful mural, angsty teenagers, ominous signs, totem tennis a…

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100%

Audience ScoreBased on 15 reviews

story4 positive mentions

Deeply introspective and emotional narrative that skillfully blends humor and melancholy.
Unique and captivating setting with well-written dialogue and memorable characters.
Engaging gameplay combining walking simulator exploration and visual novel elements, enhanced by an atmospheric minimalist soundtrack.

The story can feel aggressively bleak and slow-paced, particularly towards the end.
Some players might find the political content and certain dialogue options less appealing.
Replayability requires careful save management to experience missed dialogue and content.

story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
The story offers a captivating and introspective experience that balances bleakness with humor and relatable slice-of-life moments. It explores themes of living, love, pain, and connection, making it a thoughtful and engaging narrative suitable for fans of visual novel-style games.
- “I liked it, and it was a fascinating and captivating experience, with an introspective story that shifts between depressing and funny moments.”
- “The characters are mostly enjoyable though and even though there's no real action or threat driving the plot like Trail of the Wretched, it's very relatable and introspective.”
- “Great story worth taking a look at if you like visual novel style games.”
- “I'd describe the story as aggressively bleak.”
- “The characters are mostly enjoyable though, and even though there's no real action or threat driving the plot like Trail of the Wretched, it's very relatable and introspective.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The music in the game is praised for its unique, minimalist ambient style that complements the experience well. Players also appreciate specific references and find the soundtrack memorable and evocative, with hopes for an official release.
- “Besides all that, it looks very unique and the minimalist soundtrack works very well.”
- “The music also slaps (as much as ambient music can slap).”
- “I especially appreciated the Sufjan Stevens reference as well as the whole, "my brain operates at half capacity because the other half is occupied by song titles and quotes from films I haven't watched for years."”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently sharp and impactful, balancing well between introspective, sometimes depressing moments and genuinely funny, clever dialogue. Players appreciate the creator's strong comedic touch, especially in side content and interactions, making it a standout aspect of the experience.
- “In a world of lesser Disco Elysium clones, Rodeo Clown remembers to be funny as often as it punches you in the stomach.”
- “I liked it, and it was a fascinating and captivating experience, with an introspective story that shifts between depressing and funny moments.”
- “The creator has fantastic humor; all of the side things and dialogues are fantastic.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the game's graphics for their cool visuals and appealing interface, which strongly attract and engage players even before gameplay.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect is characterized by a poignant, immersive experience of feeling isolated yet connected through meaningful interactions with locals, creating a subtle but impactful sense of depth and poignancy.
- “It is about being stuck in a small town with a broken-down car, killing time until the tow truck arrives, but the people you meet and the conversations you have feel kind of powerful and emotional.”
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay combines exploration elements typical of walking simulators with narrative-driven interactions found in visual novels, allowing players to explore the environment and engage in conversations with locals.
- “The gameplay is a cross between a walking simulator and a visual novel, as you can explore and talk to the locals.”