Runaway, A Road Adventure

About

"Runaway: A Road Adventure" is a point-and-click adventure game that follows the story of a young college student, Brian, who gets caught up in a dangerous adventure after saving a beautiful woman, Gina, from the mafia. The game features traditional adventure gameplay with a focus on puzzle-solving and exploration, and it gained popularity in Europe for its engaging storyline, complex characters, and hand-drawn cartoon style. Players will need to use their wits and resources to help Brian and Gina evade the mob and uncover the truth behind their predicament.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 311 reviews

story77 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

The game features beautiful hand-drawn graphics and a unique art style that holds up well over time.
The story is engaging and filled with quirky characters, providing a nostalgic feel for fans of classic point-and-click adventures.
Some puzzles are clever and enjoyable, offering a satisfying challenge for players who appreciate the genre.

Many items are too small or blend into the environment, leading to frustrating pixel hunting.
The game often requires players to perform actions in a specific order, which can feel illogical and tedious.
The voice acting and character animations can be subpar, detracting from the overall experience.

story
215 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
55%
9%
The story of "Runaway: A Road Adventure" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and charming, while others criticize it for being cliché and poorly executed. Many appreciate the quirky characters and humorous elements, though the narrative is often described as predictable and filled with plot holes. Overall, while the story has its flaws, it offers a nostalgic adventure experience that appeals to fans of the genre.
- “The game is at times genuinely charming with its upbeat storytelling and weird characters.”
- “With its compelling story, charming visuals, and brain-teasing puzzles, it's a journey well worth taking for anyone seeking a classic point-and-click adventure experience.”
- “The story is engaging, and I'm genuinely invested.”
- “The story and the writing I found to be cheap and cheesy.”
- “The story is just okay and seems like it was rushed at the end, especially after tedious stages like the museum.”
- “The story itself is so fragmented and scattered, it doesn't really make any sense until the last chapter of the game.”
graphics
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
3%
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, featuring a blend of hand-drawn 2D visuals and simplistic 3D character models that some players find charming while others deem crude and unrefined. While the overall aesthetic has aged reasonably well, with vibrant colors and detailed backgrounds, the lack of resolution options and some dated cutscenes detract from the experience. Despite these criticisms, many players appreciate the unique art style and the effort put into the visuals, which contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The hand-drawn visuals are a visual treat, showcasing the attention to detail that Pendulo Studios put into creating the game's unique art style.”
- “These are some of the best looking graphics I've ever seen in a point-and-click adventure game, with tons of details and a fantastic color palette.”
- “The graphics are impressive in respect to the hand-drawn backgrounds, which might be the main reason why anyone would be attracted by this game in the first place.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “Unfortunately, the graphics didn't age well and the character models and gameplay were pretty clunky.”
- “Dated graphics, sometimes looks hideous.”
humor
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it absurdly funny, particularly in the context of its quirky puzzles and memorable characters. While some moments are genuinely hilarious and clever, others come off as outdated or poorly executed, leading to a debate about the effectiveness of its comedic elements. Overall, the game offers a blend of witty writing and goofy situations that can elicit laughter, though opinions vary on its overall comedic success.
- “Some of the puzzles are absolutely absurd, but with a guide, it becomes hilarious to see what these devs thought of as 'logical'.”
- “The writing is witty and engaging, with a good balance of humor and suspense.”
- “The plot is good, the twists are pleasant, the characters you meet are hilarious (the divas, Oscar, the hippies, etc.), and the overall atmosphere is very nice.”
- “Not funny.”
- “Finally, I'm not sure if the runaway is supposed to be funny.”
- “It was actually not funny at all; only partially hand-drawn and there was no adventure.”
music
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
33%
15%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack for its catchiness and ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others criticize the repetitiveness of certain tracks that can become annoying over time. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as solid and enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's experience, despite some players finding specific songs grating. The voice acting and musical themes are noted for their quality, though some players feel that the music could have been more varied.
- “Probably my favorite thing about the game, I'd say, is the soundtrack.”
- “The art is actually quite nice, and the music sets the atmosphere for each area quite nicely.”
- “There’s a good quality voiceover and excellent background music always fitting the scene you’re in – slow bluesy strums while exploring in the dry heat of the Arizona desert; jazzy intense vibes while trying to escape New York – all of these splendidly build up the atmosphere.”
- “Can't skip a line, can't skip the video, have to listen to some obnoxious song while the credits roll for a game I haven't played yet...”
- “Soundtrack consists of one song which is hella annoying from the start and you're forced to listen to it multiple times during the game playing or during the cutscenes.”
- “Its by no means perfect, while the puzzles are mostly high quality there are quite a few illogical ones, you also have to go pixel-hunting from time to time, and the vocalized music can get really annoying after hearing the same whiny refrain over and over for hours.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
74%
12%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with classic point-and-click mechanics that some players appreciate, while others find the controls unintuitive and frustrating. Puzzles can be challenging yet often feel tedious, and the overall experience is marred by poor design choices and a slow progression that detracts from enjoyment. Despite some refreshing elements and a visually appealing presentation, many reviewers feel that the gameplay lacks satisfaction and can be quite boring.
- “I loved the classic point and click mechanics!”
- “The gameplay also introduces some new elements in point and clicks which is refreshing, although some mechanisms don't work that well.”
- “Gameplay is interesting, puzzles can be challenging, but mostly they are chill and not brain-breaking.”
- “So you end up trying everything over and over again to avoid missing out on something, which leads to frustrating gameplay.”
- “The gameplay experience is meh - the fact that you have to switch manually between 'use' and 'look at' is atrocious.”
- “All of this makes the gameplay quite boring and tedious and I just didn't have fun playing the game.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tediousness, with players noting the need for pixel-perfect precision in item hunting and repetitive tasks that detract from enjoyment. Many reviewers feel that the prolonged cutscenes and excessive backtracking contribute to a frustrating experience, making it more suitable for hardcore adventure game fans rather than casual players. Overall, the grinding elements are seen as a significant drawback, overshadowing the game's charm.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Tedious pixel hunting needed to solve a lot of puzzles.”
- “I got stumped again 11 hours in, found a hint and discovered I have to repeat something really tedious five times for no real reason.”
- “All of this makes the gameplay quite boring and tedious and I just didn't have fun playing the game.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
8%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant visuals, engaging voice performances, and fitting musical scores that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the charming character interactions and the intriguing plot twists, which contribute to a positive ambiance despite some gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making it enjoyable and immersive.
- “The characters are brought to life with well-executed voice performances that enhance the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “The art is actually quite nice, and the music sets the atmosphere for each area quite nicely.”
- “There’s a good quality voiceover and excellent background music always fitting the scene you’re in – slow bluesy strums while exploring in the dry heat of the Arizona desert; jazzy intense vibes while trying to escape New York – all of these splendidly build up the atmosphere.”
- “Usually when the gameplay fails, the only thing that can save it are the characters, story, and atmosphere.”
- “In my opinion, these flaws add to the charm and atmosphere of the game.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and growth for the characters, leading to a disconnection from the player. While the character designs are described as charming and vibrant, they often rely on stereotypes and can be seen as exaggerated or offensive. Overall, the absence of meaningful character arcs detracts from the immersive experience that the appealing visuals attempt to create.
- “The character designs are charming, and the backgrounds are richly detailed, creating a vibrant and immersive world for players to explore.”
- “The animations are lovely, and if you don't mind an exaggerated art style, the character design is good too.”
- “Some of the character designs were okay, but they mostly ended up being exaggerations of stereotypes.”
- “No character development, just a stagnation into the awful person he always was, and will always continue to be.”
- “Yet, she lacked any solid character development throughout most of the story, giving little reason to feel attached to her as a character.”
- “The character designs ranged from by the numbers boring, to overwhelmingly offensive and reductive.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for modern display resolutions and not being updated for smooth performance on contemporary PCs. However, it is stable with no significant bugs or performance issues reported, which is a positive aspect.
- “Thankfully, I didn't encounter any bugs or performance issues throughout, so at least it seems to be stable.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth and investment, with one-dimensional characters that fail to engage players. Reviewers express discomfort with the portrayal of characters, particularly noting problematic traits that detract from any potential emotional connection to the story. Overall, the narrative does not succeed in fostering empathy or investment in the characters or their journeys.
- “So it felt like I was hearing a young girl's voice coming out of a voluptuous woman's body -- it made me feel wrong and uncomfortable inside.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
User experiences with stability vary significantly; while some report encountering glitches, bugs, and occasional screen freezes, others enjoy a smooth gaming experience without any issues.
- “No glitches, smooth gaming experience.”
- “The game runs flawlessly without any crashes.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or stutters.”
- “There were some glitches and bugs I came across when playing; the screen froze a couple of times, and on some occasions, there were glitches related to the voice/animations.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling it exploits nostalgia rather than offering genuine value, suggesting it capitalizes on the appeal of abandonware.
- “This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try to profit from abandonware.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “I can't believe how many microtransactions are crammed into this game; it feels like a constant money grab.”