Seen

About

Seen is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Seen Games and was released on June 20, 2019. It received very positive reviews from players.

Seen is a runner game about a lonely kid struggling to reach his only hope.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,686 reviews

story690 positive mentions

grinding62 negative mentions

story
1,706 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
2%
The game's story is described as a poignant and emotional journey, focusing on a sad boy navigating a dark world alongside his cat, symbolizing themes of loneliness, bullying, and hope. Players appreciate the unique storytelling approach that relies on visuals and music rather than dialogue, creating a deeply immersive experience, though some find the narrative somewhat vague or simplistic. Overall, the story resonates with many, evoking strong emotional responses, and leaves players eager for future developments in the sequel.
- “It is a beautiful experience with an amazing story.”
- “A captivating and emotionally driven story about a sad boy going through a dark world in search for hope.”
- “The music in the game is absolutely fantastic, it really feels like I'm feeling the story through the music and it is very emotional.”
- “The story doesn't quite make sense; it's like they wanted to portray a very meaningful, deep message, but in the end, there are only empty words. We didn't get to fix anything in the world or escape from anything.”
- “The story and characters don't live up to the premise of the game description; the inspirational quotes don't replace character and story/setting development, and the gameplay is a chore and a bit frustrating.”
- “The story is virtually nonexistent, and you're left with a lot to wonder about.”
music
1,242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
36%
1%
The music in the game has been widely praised for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players noting its beautiful, haunting quality that complements the game's themes of sadness and hope. Reviewers highlighted how the soundtrack effectively conveys the protagonist's feelings, making it a key element of the gameplay experience. Overall, the music is described as stunning, immersive, and integral to the storytelling, with many expressing a desire for a soundtrack release.
- “The music in the game is absolutely fantastic, it really feels like I'm feeling the story through the music and it is very emotional.”
- “The soundtrack is absolutely stunning and very moving.”
- “The music essentially carries the game and does a fantastic job maintaining the atmosphere.”
- “✅ bad, depressing music”
- “Not to mention this game's autorunning rhythm-game-esque sequences where the actions onscreen don't quite line up with the music, or the cringy non copyright tunes playing throughout the game, or the motivational quotes thrown in everywhere.”
- “The music often restarts at the wrong point in the score at completely inappropriate points and is often the wrong piece for the point you are at.”
graphics
756 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
35%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beauty and artistic style, often described as stunning, minimalistic, and reminiscent of titles like "Limbo" and "Inside." Players appreciate the hand-drawn visuals and atmospheric presentation, which enhance the storytelling and overall immersive experience. While some critiques mention a lack of detail or a simplistic aesthetic, the majority find the graphics to be a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's emotional impact.
- “+ the graphics are absolutely gorgeous—definitely a feast for the eyes.”
- “The game's graphics enhance the storytelling and contribute to its overall immersive atmosphere.”
- “One of the key features of seen is its beautiful, hand-drawn graphics, which give the game a unique and visually appealing look.”
- “Seen is, well, the first thing you'll notice about this abandoned early access endless runner is the developer ripped off the art style for Microsoft's award-winning 'Limbo' with no remorse whatsoever.”
- “The achievements are overwhelming and unneeded, and the art styles of the main 2D character and the 3D background just clash uncomfortably, at least from what I've seen.”
- “The graphics my computer right now can't handle because it's too graphic heavy; causing my laptop to lag horrendously.”
gameplay
748 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and fun, while others describe it as boring and generic. Many critiques focus on the janky controls and limited movement mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience, especially in puzzle-solving and platforming elements. Despite its aesthetic appeal and emotional narrative, the gameplay often feels simplistic and unpolished, leading to frustration for some players.
- “The gameplay is really engaging and fun.”
- “The game's engaging storytelling and branching paths provide a dynamic and personalized gameplay experience.”
- “The gameplay is intuitive and enjoyable, working with the endearing and meditative narrative.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's very boring and generic. The puzzles are okay, not really that good. Don't expect out-of-the-box amazing puzzles, and for me personally, I didn't like the movement and how it's limited to tiles; it felt limiting and annoying.”
- “The gameplay is nothing original, and you could get a better experience for the same price or even for free on one of those browser gaming websites.”
- “The gameplay is mostly just a sidescroller where you move up and down and jump; this at least is pretty fluid, but the mechanics feel harsh and the puzzles are a complete joke.”
emotional
608 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its deep emotional themes, captivating storytelling, and a powerful soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Many players report feeling a strong emotional connection to the characters, often leading to tears and introspection, as the narrative explores loneliness, hope, and resilience. However, some critiques mention that the gameplay mechanics can detract from the emotional impact, leaving players wanting a more immersive experience.
- “A captivating and emotionally driven story about a sad boy going through a dark world in search for hope.”
- “The emotional journey, from moments of euphoria to heart-wrenching decisions, paralleled the complexities of navigating human relationships, evoking a sense of empathy and understanding.”
- “This game was a very amazing game from beginning to end, it had me on one of the biggest emotional roller coasters I've ever been on in a long time.”
atmosphere
246 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
32%
2%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its emotional depth, combining a haunting soundtrack with stylish visuals to create a captivating and immersive experience. Players describe it as both melancholic and beautiful, effectively enhancing the storytelling and emotional impact of the gameplay. However, some feel that certain gameplay elements, like achievement prompts, detract from the overall atmospheric experience.
- “The atmosphere was amazing and the soundtrack was gorgeous.”
- “The music and atmosphere are enough to tell a story by themselves.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere incomparable to anything else.”
- “Additionally, the overstimulating amount of achievements for collecting singular orbs drives away from the atmosphere presented.”
- “Some levels were unnecessarily challenging as you had to do them in one go or else you had to start all over, and for a game that I thought I could enjoy for the sad and scary story, this really ruined the atmosphere for me.”
- “Delete the leaderboard that appears in the game process, because it has no relation to the game subject and damages the game atmosphere.”
grinding
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
32%
65%
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized, with many players stating that it requires an excessive amount of time and effort, often likening it to needing "a second life" to complete. While some find the achievement hunting enjoyable, others describe it as tedious and repetitive, particularly when replaying sections for completion. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The length of the game is to a point where it's not tedious to play through repeatedly but long enough to enjoy.”
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “One long, tedious grind.”
- “This is by far the most contrived piece of dogsh*t achievement farming garbage attempt at a game I have seen in a long time.”
- “The game, if you're impatient, is incredibly tedious.”
- “- Definitely needs a skip button at least after finishing the game for the first time; repeating the whole game to get the rest of the achievements gets really, really tedious.”
stability
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
4%
95%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting various bugs and glitches, particularly during cutscenes and gameplay mechanics like jumping and lane changes. While some users found the issues minor and manageable, others experienced significant frustrations, such as getting stuck or unresponsive controls. Overall, as an early access title, it shows promise but requires further polish to enhance stability.
- “It is well made with no glitches or other bugs.”
- “The last cutscene is buggy and randomly moves me somewhere like I'm on ice sliding, and after that, I just can't walk.”
- “As it is still an early access game as of my play and review, there was one buggy part where I was not able to move up and down and had to fall a couple of times for it to resolve itself.”
- “The gameplay itself is buggy and unpolished.”
replayability
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
68%
13%
Overall, the game exhibits mixed reviews regarding replayability. While some players appreciate the presence of hidden achievements and challenges that encourage multiple playthroughs, many others criticize the limited replay value due to exhaustible storylines and a lack of diverse outcomes. Enhancements in content and variety could significantly improve the replay experience.
- “There are also plenty of achievements that you can try to hunt, so the game has plenty of replay value.”
- “A ton of achievements, secret areas, replay value, and to top it all, it's cheap!!!”
- “For now, the game does have replay value, as there are all sorts of hidden achievements to get if you so wish.”
- “Despite its branching narrative paths, the game suffers from limited replay value as players may exhaust the available choices and storylines after completing it once.”
- “The replayability isn't good; it's one of those games that you finish once and then never touch again.”
- “Otherwise, replayability is highly limited, as repeat story playthroughs are only for collecting stuff you may have missed.”
optimization
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
47%
35%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting poor performance across various hardware setups, including high-end GPUs like the RTX 4080. Many users experience frame drops, janky gameplay, and frustrating mechanics, particularly on mobile platforms where interface constraints further limit the experience. Overall, the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance performance and stability.
- “Game play is smooth; optimization is cool. It should work more, but it's cool.”
- “Although the game looks amazing, it doesn't look like it'd need a lot of resources to run smoothly; however, I get a lot of frame drops with 4K max settings + GTX 1650 Super.”
- “Optimization needs some improvements as it runs kind of poorly compared to other indie games.”
- “Bad optimization, broke gameplay mechanics which are too rough and playing with these is just frustrating.”
- “Even with a RTX 4080 16GB, my GPU was at 70-80% on ultra, which is terrible performance.”
humor
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of lighthearted and dark elements, with players enjoying the ability to spell funny words using achievements and finding amusement in quirky scenarios, such as a child crying or the absurdity of repeated failures. While some moments evoke laughter, others blend sadness with humor, creating a unique emotional experience. Overall, the game is described as funny, with many players appreciating its comedic aspects despite occasional awkwardness.
- “The achievements in the game are letters you can use to spell funny words on your profile, which might be its own motivation to play the game. The way they are acquired is by collecting the main collectibles, meaning that you will regularly be inundated with many achievements throughout the experience of playing the story.”
- “It's funny that a remake of the WhatsApp story 'Annie96 is typing' is available for purchase, which is a great pleasure for fans of this strangely creepy story.”
- “No matter how many times you miss that one spot and have to start over, no matter how many times you fall to your death, it never feels like the game is laughing at you.”
monetization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
The monetization aspect of the game has mixed reviews, with some players feeling that microtransactions significantly impact gameplay, while others argue that they do not interfere with the experience. Additionally, the game features no in-app purchases, relying instead on video ads and surveys, which some users find unjustified, especially given its early access status.
- “Microtransactions that do not interfere with gameplay.”
- “However, there are no in-app purchases in the game, so you only need to watch video ads and take surveys.”
- “Microtransactions over gameplay!”
- “Microtransactions that significantly affect the gameplay.”
- “It also feels unjustified putting a part two advertisement at the end, while this is still in early access.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Character development in the game has been criticized for being shallow and lacking depth, leading to low immersion and a disconnect from the narrative. However, some players appreciate the emotional experience facilitated by the game's artistic design, animation, and music, suggesting that while character growth may be minimal, the emotional resonance is creatively executed. Overall, the focus seems to be more on aesthetic and emotional engagement rather than traditional character development.
- “The team has beautifully executed the design by allowing the player to experience the emotional side due to the beautiful artistic backgrounds, animation, and character design, as well as the choice of music. Everything synergizes together, creating a beautifully unique and creative emotional experience.”
- “The character development is deeply engaging, allowing players to connect with the characters on an emotional level. The artistic design and music enhance this connection, making the experience feel rich and immersive.”
- “The way the characters evolve throughout the game is remarkable. Their development is not just about gameplay mechanics but also about the emotional journey they undergo, which resonates with players.”
- “The story is shallow and depressing, with low immersion and no character development.”
- “The game lacks character development, making it difficult to connect with the characters.”
- “Despite the beautiful artistic backgrounds and animation, the emotional aspect is overshadowed by the lack of character development.”