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Shardlight

Although it has some minor flaws, Shardlight nevertheless stands out as an excellent point & click adventure that pays homage to its predecessors.
Shardlight Game Cover
81%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
character development, grinding
90% User Score Based on 604 reviews
Critic Score 71%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

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Shardlight Game Cover

About

Shardlight is a single player survival role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Wadjet Eye Games and was released on March 8, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Shardlight is a single-player, science fiction arcade game with compelling story, good mechanics, ingenious graphics, and a beautiful soundtrack. In a post-apocalyptic world, Amy Wellard, a young woman working for the ruling Aristocrats to qualify for the vaccine lottery, believes there's a cure and is determined to find it, even if it costs her her life. The game creates a dense atmosphere through its depiction of the struggle for survival in a world devastated by bombs.

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+6
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 604 reviews
story217 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with strong character development and voice acting.
  • Beautiful pixel art and atmospheric soundtrack that enhance the immersive experience.
  • Puzzles are mostly logical and intuitive, allowing for smooth gameplay.
  • Game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 5-6 hours.
  • Some puzzles can feel overly simplistic or repetitive, lacking challenge.
  • Ending feels rushed and lacks depth, with choices not significantly impacting the narrative.
  • story
    563 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Shardlight" is a compelling yet somewhat conventional narrative set in a post-apocalyptic world, focusing on themes of disease, class struggle, and rebellion against an oppressive regime. While the writing and voice acting are praised for their quality, many reviewers noted that the plot suffers from predictability, pacing issues, and a lack of character depth, leading to a linear experience that may not fully engage players seeking a more intricate storyline. Overall, the game is recognized for its atmospheric world-building and engaging premise, though it may not stand out as much as other titles from Wadjet Eye Games.

    • “Great writing and voice acting, well designed immersive post-apocalyptic world and a captivating story.”
    • “The story follows Amy Wellard, a mechanic navigating a society controlled by an oppressive aristocracy in the aftermath of a devastating plague.”
    • “An amazing story-telling experience, with unique and memorable characters, cool twists, and outstanding voice acting.”
    • “The storyline, however, is fairly stock-standard in its arc, and I think if you're going to do that then you want to build it into a grand and satisfying climax, which I don't think they succeeded in fully.”
    • “Shardlight's biggest problem is that it's a slow, dreary story in a slow, dreary world with mostly two-dimensional characters.”
    • “The plot holes are so vast they'd be considered natural wonders, from the entire premise of the story being hinged on a person entrusted with a secret mission not telling it to literally the worst person possible at the first opportunity.”
  • graphics
    149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic pixel art style that resonates well with fans of classic adventure games, showcasing beautifully crafted environments and character designs. While some players appreciate the atmospheric visuals and artistic direction, others note that the low resolution can detract from the overall experience, especially on modern displays. Overall, the game's graphics are praised for their charm and detail, contributing significantly to the immersive storytelling and setting.

    • “Ben Chandler's artwork is absolutely gorgeous - it's hard to overstate how fabulous his backgrounds and characters are in this game, and there is a strong visual language and careful use of color that just oozes atmosphere and intentionality from every pixel on screen.”
    • “The post-apocalyptic setting is immersive, with beautiful hand-painted visuals and an atmospheric soundtrack.”
    • “The graphics are honestly astonishingly beautiful, especially for an adventure game studio game.”
    • “The game has some interesting ideas around setting and story, but they are mostly overshadowed by a rushed ending and low graphical resolution.”
    • “Unfortunately, the graphics are quite dated; the AGS engine is showing its age here.”
    • “Graphics are from the stone age; if you are not one of the nostalgic guys.”
  • music
    105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance the immersive experience, particularly in the context of the post-apocalyptic setting. While some players find the soundtrack beautifully crafted and fitting, others criticize it for being repetitive or unremarkable, with specific complaints about volume levels affecting dialogue clarity. Overall, the music is generally seen as a strong component of the game's atmosphere, though opinions vary on its memorability and originality.

    • “The post-apocalyptic setting is immersive, with beautiful hand-painted visuals and an atmospheric soundtrack.”
    • “The music and the atmosphere are really good; I felt engaged in this world from minute one.”
    • “The thematic and unintrusive soundtrack by Nathaniel Chambers fits the gameplay and the world well.”
    • “I can't get that enthused about the music - it's dusty and sad, mostly acoustic guitar noodling... supporting the atmosphere without getting in the way, but also without really doing anything interesting or noteworthy.”
    • “The music, for the most part, is awful, repetitive when you don't want it to be, and horrifyingly bad folk caterwauling when it isn't.”
    • “The music on the other hand is something I can’t even remember now that I think about it.”
  • gameplay
    78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Shardlight is characterized by traditional point-and-click mechanics, featuring logical puzzles and a straightforward interface, though it often lacks innovation and can feel repetitive. While the game is technically sound and offers a captivating story, many players find the gameplay to be less compelling, with some puzzles feeling tedious and predictable. Overall, it provides a comfortable experience for fans of the genre, but may disappoint those seeking more challenging or varied gameplay.

    • “The way it blends classic mechanics with a gripping dystopian tale is something I enjoyed a lot.”
    • “Like all of Wadjet Eye's games, Shardlight's gameplay is quite good with logical puzzle design based around actions and things that (mostly) make sense.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, the puzzles are enjoyable, logical but never too hard.”
    • “Shardlight relies more on its characters and setting than on gameplay challenge, and while it holds interest through detail and presentation, it never fully distinguishes itself.”
    • “Mediocre worldbuilding, bad storytelling, gameplay not really compelling.”
    • “Gameplay is the real issue, and it felt like quite a grind.”
  • atmosphere
    67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "Shardlight" is widely praised for its immersive and richly detailed post-apocalyptic setting, enhanced by stunning pixel art, excellent voice acting, and a fitting soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the game's strong world-building and visual storytelling, which effectively convey a somber yet engaging tone. While some critiques mention the puzzles as uninspired, the overall atmosphere remains a standout feature that captivates players from the start.

    • “The story and characters of this game and the puzzles are enjoyable enough, but what really carries it is the atmosphere; just such an interesting world with amazing background art, colors, and soundtrack!”
    • “The atmosphere is great, and the art, sound, and animation are still very good for the genre, especially if you like this kind of low-res pixel art.”
    • “I can't get that enthused about the music - it's dusty and sad, mostly acoustic guitar noodling... supporting the atmosphere without getting in the way, but also without really doing anything interesting or noteworthy.”
    • “The widespread infection of the population with the 'green lung' plague makes for a decidedly downbeat, even depressing atmosphere.”
    • “The world is well constructed and immerses you in a depressive and multi-faceted post-apocalyptic atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the strong voice acting and touching storytelling that evoke deep feelings, while others criticize the lack of emotional depth in characters and narrative. Players appreciate moments of emotional weight, particularly in darker themes, but some feel disconnected from the main character and find the overall experience bland. Notably, the protagonist Amy is highlighted for her depth and emotional range, contrasting with the more trope-driven supporting characters.

    • “The voice acting is great, as always. I’ve noticed it’s something Wadjet Eye consistently excels at, and it adds a lot to the game’s emotional weight, making its bleak world feel all the more real.”
    • “This one is very dark and has some heart-wrenching moments.”
    • “After some Blackwell games, I almost end up with tears in my eyes - so touching were the endings.”
  • humor
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is a mixed bag; while some characters, like Amy, provide unintentional comedic relief and the dialogue is praised for its wit, the overall humor is inconsistent and often overshadowed by a convoluted plot. Players appreciate the quirky walking animations and certain absurd scenes, but many find the lack of coherent humor and frustrating story elements detract from the experience. Despite its grim setting, the writing manages to inject some levity, making for a unique, albeit flawed, adventure.

    • “Walking animations are hilariously quaint, but the little dudes are characterful, and the dialogue portraits are straight-up great.”
    • “Amy is a very hilarious character to riff on; I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but it makes my experience playing the game more fun anyway.”
    • “From the get-go, the setting is very grim, but the writing has a great sense of humor.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking, with many reviewers noting that while the character design and world-building are creative and visually appealing, the depth of character arcs is minimal. Some mention a few unexpected twists and moderate development, but overall, the characters fail to evolve significantly, leaving a sense of disappointment, especially when compared to the more intriguing portrayals of secondary characters like cultists.

    • “The character design and world-building blend post-apocalyptic elements with tropes of the French Revolution, creating a bizarre and fascinating scenario – highly creative and deeply entertaining!”
    • “There’s a moderate amount of character development that occurs and a few less predictable twists.”
    • “It's incredible how much detail they manage to pack into the scenery, character design, and even body language with the medium they've chosen.”
    • “Both the story and puzzles are very linear and sequential, and character development is lacking.”
    • “Cool atmosphere and decent character design are wasted on a pretty lackluster game.”
    • “I haven't even started on the total lack of character development for most of the characters.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, reviews indicate that while some puzzles in the game can be tedious and simplistic, the engaging story and character development help mitigate the grind. Unlike other titles, the game avoids excessive backtracking, maintaining a balance that keeps the experience enjoyable despite some flaws. However, certain inventory puzzles and a lack of innovation may still detract from the overall enjoyment for some players.

    • “The grinding in this game feels rewarding and engaging, making each session enjoyable.”
    • “I love how the grinding mechanics are designed to keep me motivated without feeling tedious.”
    • “The progression system makes grinding feel purposeful, allowing me to see my character grow with every effort.”
    • “I think there were some notable flaws in this one in particular though, such as some of the puzzles being a bit tedious and the ending(s) being anticlimactic.”
    • “For me, the inventory puzzles and the point-and-click pixelated graphics get tedious, but there was an interesting story and some nice characters.”
    • “[Some tedious puzzles weigh the experience down, unoriginal setting, few innovative gameplay concepts]”
  • optimization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the optimization of the game is commendable, with high-quality art, animations, and a haunting soundtrack that enhance the experience. The voice acting is notably strong and consistent, particularly for the main character, although there are occasional standout performances that detract slightly from the overall quality. The game's immersive atmosphere and storytelling are bolstered by its meticulous attention to detail, despite some minor narrative inconsistencies.

    • “Art, animations, vocal performances, and the soundtrack are all top notch.”
    • “A truly believable milieu, meticulously crafted, laced with a rare 100% voice-over performance, and a haunting soundtrack that fits the mood well.”
    • “Abe Goldfarb, as usual in every Wadjet Eye game, gives a terrible, hammy vocal performance, but otherwise the voice acting is very good, including the main character importantly.”
    • “A truly believable milieu (although you'll need a flexible science fiction imagination to see past the obvious holes and scope problems), meticulously crafted, laced with a rare 100% voice-over performance, and a haunting soundtrack that fits the mood well.”
    • “The voice acting was, surprisingly, a high point – while Wadjet Eye’s crew of voice actors seem mercurial in their past games, with performances of varying quality within each one, in Shardlight it was consistently good and believable.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability, primarily due to a lack of impactful player choices leading to the ending, though it does feature multiple endings and some achievements that encourage replay. Additionally, small choices and a commentary mode provide slight incentives for players to revisit the game.

    • “The game also would've been strengthened by having player choice play a greater role before the immediate ending to increase replay value, which it currently is lacking.”
    • “Missed several more obtuse achievements, plus there are multiple endings, so there's some replay value.”
    • “Also has some replay value via small choices and a commentary mode.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and skipped conversations, which detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game is incredibly buggy; conversations keep skipping over and over.”
    • “I experienced frequent crashes that made it nearly unplayable.”
    • “The stability issues are frustrating, with constant lag and glitches disrupting gameplay.”
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71%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews
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7h Median play time
7h Average play time
7h Main story
8h Completionist
6-9h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Shardlight is a survival role playing game with science fiction theme.

Shardlight is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, iPad and others.

The main story can be completed in around 7 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 8 hours to finish. On average players spend around 7 hours playing Shardlight.

Shardlight was released on March 8, 2016.

Shardlight was developed by Wadjet Eye Games.

Shardlight has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its character development.

Shardlight is a single player game.

Similar games include Technobabylon, Primordia, Gemini Rue, Kathy Rain, The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav and others.