Rumu

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 931 reviews
  • story
  • emotional
  • gameplay
Rumu Game Cover
Rumu is slightly held back by easy puzzles, but the fantastic story, wonderful character development, and lovely audio video package do a lot to make this robot's journey of self-discovery worth it.
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"Rumu" is a single-player adventure game where you play as a sentient robot vacuum cleaner in a smart home, with an intriguing story, good mechanics, and a dark secret to uncover. The game features stunning visuals, outstanding music, and a talented voice cast including Allegra Clark and Larissa Gallagher. Despite some bugs, "Rumu" delivers a heart-wrenching narrative and amazing atmosphere that will make you laugh and cry.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 931 reviews
story295 positive mentions
stability28 negative mentions
  • Rumu features a captivating and emotional narrative that explores themes of love, loss, and artificial intelligence.
  • The game has beautiful visuals and excellent voice acting, particularly from the character Sabrina.
  • Despite its short length, Rumu provides a unique and engaging experience that leaves a lasting emotional impact.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs that can hinder gameplay and broken achievements.
  • Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, making navigation frustrating at times.
  • At its full price, the game may feel overpriced for its short duration and linear gameplay.
  • story737 mentions

    The story of "Rumu" is a captivating and emotional narrative centered around an AI vacuum cleaner navigating themes of love, loss, and family dynamics. While the game is relatively short, lasting around 3-4 hours, it effectively engages players with its well-written dialogues and environmental storytelling, despite some criticisms regarding predictability and linearity. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its depth and emotional impact, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “The story is captivating - the more you sleuth out, the more you want to know!”
    • “Rumu is a great little game with a beautiful look, emotional story and delightful characters.”
    • “The story is surprisingly meaningful with tidbits of information located throughout the house you'll be exploring in the form of notes, posters, books, and other objects.”
    • “Overall the story is okay, Rumu is cute, but I can't recommend a game that the dev has seemingly abandoned with several bugs.”
    • “Relies heavily on story but fails by contradicting itself, breaking immersion, and having a secret obvious from day one so the reveal at the end has little impact.”
    • “The story went from okay to this doesn't make any sense.”
  • emotional214 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game "Rumu" is widely praised for its surprising depth and ability to evoke strong feelings, with many players expressing unexpected emotional connections to the protagonist, a robot vacuum. Reviewers highlight the game's touching narrative, well-executed voice acting, and the emotional rollercoaster it provides, often leading to tears and heartfelt reactions. Despite its simple premise, the game effectively explores themes of AI, emotional awareness, and personal relationships, making it a memorable and impactful experience.

    • “The emotional balance here was so thoughtful and the narrative was executed beautifully.”
    • “Never did I think I would find an emotional connection with a game about a vacuum cleaner, but that is just what Rumu delivered.”
    • “Overall Rumu is a fantastic experience, deeply atmospheric and emotional and beautifully crafted.”
  • gameplay188 mentions

    The gameplay in "Rumu" is largely simplistic and revolves around point-and-click mechanics, with many players noting its linearity and lack of challenge due to easy puzzles. While some appreciate the relaxing nature and narrative focus, others criticize the awkward controls and minimal engagement, suggesting that the gameplay often takes a backseat to the story. Overall, it is recommended for those who prioritize narrative over gameplay depth, but may disappoint players seeking a more robust gaming experience.

    • “A short, thoughtful and evocative game, Rumu has a strong story to tell with a deceptively simple gameplay loop.”
    • “Fun, simple, charming gameplay with a much deeper story than you would anticipate.”
    • “Overall I am truly loving this game and cannot offer more praise for the story, the gameplay mechanics and the way the game prompts you to want to progress and explore.”
    • “Yet, its linearity, the boring gameplay with its childish puzzles and the awkward controls don't let it shine.”
    • “The gameplay is sadly the most lacklustre part of the game.”
    • “Sadly it's hard to recommend when the isometric gameplay and vacuuming minigames look like they were shoehorned forcefully into a story rather than giving consideration to the gameplay potential.”
  • graphics132 mentions

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their beautiful, minimalistic, and captivating art style, which complements the engaging narrative and excellent voice acting. Many players appreciate the polished aesthetic and the emotional depth conveyed through the visuals, although some have noted that the graphics can be taxing on hardware, leading to performance issues. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “Gotta say, this is a fantastic narrative adventure game with excellent writing, voice acting, and music, plus a delightful diorama style to its visuals that you've presumably noticed.”
    • “The graphics look good, it's got full voice acting, the character(s) and story are appealing... it's just great.”
    • “If you like narrative-driven games with beautiful graphics then this is definitely the game for you.”
    • “It’s a shame that a game that has visuals and sound that are so polished would also be host to technical issues like these.”
    • “I have a decent video card, and these are simple graphics, but they put a significant drain on my system causing multiple crashes even after disabling and turning down most, if not all, graphics options.”
    • “My 7 year old laptop kind of had trouble with the graphics even on the lowest settings; it got a little laggy sometimes when clicking on things.”
  • music105 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers noting its calming and atmospheric qualities. The soundtrack is described as fitting perfectly with the game's tone, contributing to the emotional depth of the narrative and complementing the visuals beautifully. Overall, players find the music to be a standout feature, elevating the storytelling and gameplay.

    • “Gotta say, this is a fantastic narrative adventure game with excellent writing, voice acting, and music, plus a delightful diorama style to its visuals that you've presumably noticed.”
    • “The puzzles are relatively easy, but the storytelling is great, and the atmospheric music enhances the whole experience.”
    • “The soundtrack was also a nice surprise and fits perfectly with the sci-fi tone of the game as well as changing every time the story progresses and things start to become clearer.”
    • “I will get the first user warning about seizures and after that I get a blank screen with music playing.”
    • “The closest thing was a part of the soundtrack that sounded eerily similar to 'Ghost of Rattmann...'”
    • “[*] The soundtrack I cannot even remember - that's how well it fitted in with everything!”
  • atmosphere30 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its haunting yet touching quality, enhanced by a beautiful soundtrack and imaginative storytelling. Players appreciate the minimalistic sci-fi art style and well-crafted levels, which contribute to a unique and emotional experience. While the puzzles may be easy, the overall ambiance, voice acting, and character design create a deeply engaging atmosphere that resonates with players.

    • “The game affects a unique touching yet haunting atmosphere, especially aurally, and tells its story in an original way through the sweetest protagonist you'll play.”
    • “Overall, Rumu is a fantastic experience, deeply atmospheric and emotional and beautifully crafted.”
    • “The atmosphere is great and the art style is beautiful.”
    • “Some neat mechanics, but the writing and atmosphere is what stands out.”
    • “Levels are well crafted even if simplistic in nature, the atmosphere is very sci-fi and minimalistic at the same time which overall gives the game a unique clean look that I pretty much enjoyed.”
  • stability28 mentions

    The game's stability is notably problematic, with frequent bugs causing save data issues, unresponsive quests, and broken achievements. Players report that technical glitches, such as freezing when using alt+tab and various UI issues, detract from the overall experience. While the gameplay is enjoyable, the persistent bugs and lack of fixes make it difficult for many to recommend investing in the game at its current state.

    • “Wiping save data allows me to play again but only up to the same point, where it freezes again and fails to load.”
    • “The most frustrating for me was the fact that a number of the achievements were buggy or just plain broken.”
    • “Unfortunately, there's some UI glitches here and there that take away from the experience.”
  • optimization28 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing performance issues such as stuttering and black screens, particularly on certain platforms like Linux. Despite these problems, the overall technical performance is deemed acceptable, and the game's polished controls and engaging voice acting, especially by Allegra Clark, are highlighted as strong points. However, the game's relatively high performance demands for its simple design and its short length may lead some to question its value.

    • “The soundtrack is excellent and the graphics are aesthetically driven, with a somehow unusually high performance draw for such a simple design.”
    • “Since I have played for such a short amount of time, I still have a long journey ahead, but the polished performance of the game and easy-to-use controls.”
    • “Graphics, performance, and tech analysis score: 8/10”
    • “I closed the game, started it back up and after the epilepsy warning it went to a black screen with the same stuttering, trailing, mirrored mouse.”
    • “Poorly optimized.”
    • “There may be some optimization issues in v1.0.0.”
  • replayability20 mentions

    The game generally lacks replayability, with most reviews noting a linear story and a short playtime of around 2 to 4 hours. While some players may find value in pursuing achievements or re-experiencing the emotional narrative, the consensus is that the limited gameplay duration and absence of alternative paths diminish its replay value, raising concerns about the price point.

    • “Replay value depends entirely on whether or not you’re the kind of person who likes to get all the achievements and/or re-experience the story.”
    • “Not a ton of replay value, but you definitely get your money's worth for this short game.”
    • “It doesn't have a lot of replay value, but even just a single playthrough is worth the money.”
    • “You will get between 2.5 and 3.5 hours of gameplay, and there is not any replayability.”
    • “Clocking in at a hair over 2 hours, $20 is a bit pricey for a very linear story game with no replayability.”
    • “Two hours of playtime and little replay value make me question the $20 price tag.”
  • humor18 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever one-liners, quirky characters, and the charming dialogue of the protagonist, Rumu, which evokes laughter reminiscent of a great stand-up act. Players find the blend of heartwarming and humorous moments, alongside the unexpected narrative depth, to be both entertaining and engaging, making it a memorable experience. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its appeal, leaving players amused and delighted throughout their journey.

    • “The humor in the game is top-notch, with witty one-liners and quirky characters 🤣”
    • “Rumu's dialogue is gold, and I'm laughing like I've found the funniest stand-up act in the world.”
    • “I actually find it funny that I picked up Rumu thinking it was a puzzle game, but it's actually a science fiction story touching on a lot of themes all the while you play the game as a vacuum cleaner.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Character development in the game is highly praised, with reviewers noting a well-paced narrative that effectively conveys the story of Rumu's world. The character's journey of self-discovery is complemented by excellent voice acting and a charming presentation, making the overall experience engaging despite some simplicity in gameplay challenges.

    • “But the story narrative, character development, and voice acting were excellent.”
    • “Rumu is adorable and has a very well-paced flow in the narrative and character development; the story of Rumu's world is told beautifully.”
    • “Rumu is slightly held back by easy puzzles, but the fantastic story, wonderful character development, and lovely audio-visual package make this robot's journey of self-discovery worth it.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with many elements feeling overly predictable and drawn out. The short gameplay length of 2-5 hours exacerbates this issue, leading to frustration over unskippable dialogues and monotonous tasks.

    • “In summary, the game is tedious, too short (only around 2-5 hours of gameplay), and too predictable.”
    • “Lots of parts in this game are just tedious, like how I couldn't skip the coffee machine dialogue after accidentally pressing it for the tenth time.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization model of this game is praised for avoiding the pitfalls of loot boxes and microtransactions commonly found in many AAA titles, providing a refreshing experience that reassures players about the integrity of gaming as a hobby.

    • “Games like this one are precisely why I am not worried about gaming as a hobby at a time when many AAA games are trying to sell you a shell game filled with loot boxes and microtransactions.”
    • “The monetization strategy in this game feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy without spending extra money.”
    • “It's frustrating to see a game that could be great bogged down by aggressive monetization tactics.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

Buy Rumu

Play time

5hMedian play time
24hAverage play time
5-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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