Sarawak

About

Sarawak is a single player puzzle game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Cowleyfornia Studios and was released on January 27, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Sarawak is a single-player Mystery Interactive Fiction game, offering an engaging and charming story that will keep you enticed. With a well-written narrative, vivid prose, and fun puzzles, Sarawak provides a unique and delightful gaming experience. If you're looking for a story-driven mystery with intrigue, this game is a must-try."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+13

Skip User Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 11 reviews

story6 positive mentions

gameplay2 negative mentions

The story is captivating and eloquently written, making it easy to get invested in the protagonist's quest.
The art style is minimalistic and stylish, enhancing the overall aesthetic of the game.
Puzzles are organic and well-integrated into the story, providing a light gameplay experience that doesn't disrupt the pacing.

The game is quite short, often completed in under 3 hours, leaving players wanting more depth and development.
The narrative is linear with little impact from player choices, leading to a feeling of limited engagement.
There is a lack of background music throughout the game, which detracts from the emotional impact of key moments.

story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
65%
12%
The story of *sarawak* is a captivating yet linear experience, featuring an engaging narrative that takes players on a journey from Oxford to Kuching, Malaysia. While the writing is eloquent and the interactive illustrations enhance the storytelling, the plot development feels limited, with a lack of meaningful choices and an underwhelming conclusion. Despite its brevity and missed opportunities for deeper engagement, the story remains entertaining and emotionally resonant, making it a worthwhile read for those seeking a short, immersive mystery.
- “The story is captivating and eloquently written, the puzzles are organic and varied, and the art is minimalistic and stylish.”
- “As a short story, [i]sarawak[/i] is easy to pick up to read, and hard to put down.”
- “If you’re looking for a story-driven mystery with plenty of intrigue and fun, give this one a go.”
- “The latter sadly has little impact on plot development or outcome, making [i]sarawak[/i] a rather linear experience overall.”
- “Maybe this was due to limited development resources and/or challenges in integrating meaningful puzzles into the story, but they were truly missed opportunities that could have made [i]sarawak[/i] even better.”
- “The ending is very underwhelming, as everything is explained directly to the main character at the end of the story, and the credits immediately begin rolling after a big decision in the epilogue.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its scarcity and lack of presence in key moments, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciated the use of authentic Sarawakian and Dayak music in certain scenes, others felt that the audio levels were poorly balanced and that more atmospheric sounds could have significantly enhanced the game's mood and narrative. Overall, the limited musical elements are seen as a major flaw that undermines the game's potential.
- “The art is lovely and very much my taste - I unashamedly admit it was my biggest incentive to buy the game - and while you don't get a constant stream of BGM, there's still the occasional scene where music does play its part in setting the mood; quite realistic in that sense.”
- “Dialogue was enjoyable as was the music.”
- “Authentic Dayak music 10/10”
- “There's only a few instances where you get actual music, but not where it mattered.”
- “The other big complaint has to be the lack of music in this game.”
- “Music can really enhance the narration, and I think this is the game's biggest flaw.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game's graphics feature strong lines, bold colors, and atmospheric shadows, creating a classy and romantic aesthetic reminiscent of a novel. While set primarily in Kuching, the visuals lack cat motifs, which some players found surprising. Overall, the minimalistic illustrations evoke a magazine or editorial style, enhancing the game's artistic appeal.
- “The accompanying artwork – with its strong lines, bold colors, and atmospheric shadows – gives this modern tale a classy, romantic feel.”
- “I enjoyed the aesthetic of the game; it really makes you feel as if you're reading a novel, especially the way you scroll down.”
- “Art is nice, like the kind of minimal illustrations you might see in magazines, editorials, or graphic design.”
- “Although the game is called Sarawak, most of the situations take place in the capital, Kuching, which is understandable, and yet there were no cat motifs or graphics used.”
- “Art is nice, like the kind of minimal illustrations you might see in magazines, editorials, or graphic design stuff.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The gameplay is characterized by its light mechanics and simple puzzles, which do not detract from the brisk pacing of the story. Players appreciate the interactive elements reminiscent of hidden object games, though the overall focus remains on the narrative rather than complex gameplay.
- “I liked the mechanics of interacting with objects in the images to solve puzzles, reminiscent of hidden object style games.”
- “Gameplay is minimal and puzzles are simple; you can tell the focus is on the unsurprising but neatly told plot.”
- “The light gameplay never affected the brisk pacing of the story.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its emotionally impactful storytelling, featuring several poignant moments that resonate deeply with players, despite the absence of dialogue; the experience is primarily conveyed through silence and the sound of mouse clicks.
- “There are several truly emotional points in the story, and all of them are conveyed silently.”
- “The game tells an emotional story, with the only sounds being the clicks of your mouse.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative is striking, leaving a lasting impact on the player.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its striking artwork, characterized by strong lines and bold colors, which contribute to a classy, romantic ambiance. However, some users feel that the experience could be further elevated with additional atmospheric sounds or music in various scenes.
- “The accompanying artwork – with its strong lines, bold colors, and atmospheric shadows – gives this modern tale a classy, romantic feel.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers limited replayability, with many users expressing that there isn't much incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
- “Not much replayability either.”