Shiner

About

Shiner is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Team Shiner and was released on March 17, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

Learn every attack that gets used against you in this turn-based strategy game. Meet (and battle) a colorful cast of fully voice-acted characters as you search for the bully who wronged you.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 136 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features a clever puzzle-like combat system where players learn abilities from defeated enemies, making for engaging and strategic gameplay.
The art style and voice acting contribute to the game's charm, creating a delightful atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
As a free game, it offers a surprisingly rich experience with interesting characters and a fun narrative, making it a hidden gem worth trying.

The lack of a save feature is a significant drawback, as players must complete the game in one sitting, which can be frustrating given the trial-and-error nature of the combat.
Some players found the gameplay to be predictable and constrained, with specific moves often required to defeat certain enemies, limiting variety in strategies.
The voice acting and sound mixing were inconsistent, leading to a somewhat amateurish feel that detracted from the overall polish of the game.

gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some praising the engaging puzzle mechanics and innovative combat system that rewards players for learning enemy abilities, creating a fun and memorable experience. However, others criticize the lack of clear explanations for certain mechanics and a steep learning curve, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these flaws, many players appreciate the unique gameplay loop and solid mechanics, indicating a strong foundation for future titles.
- “This game is honestly really good both with the characters, the gameplay, and the overall presentation.”
- “Gaining these new moves and how their mechanics interacted to make new builds was really fun.”
- “The gameplay loop is engaging; you have to have a move used on you to be able to learn it, and you have to beat an enemy to learn the move.”
- “Certain mechanics aren't explained very well, requiring you to pay attention to what actually happens when using a skill instead of relying on the given description.”
- “As much as there is to be said about the art style and characters, the story is pretty dull and the gameplay is difficult without much explanation.”
- “I'm still kinda bewildered that that was the case, and it unfortunately put a sour ending to an otherwise impeccable gameplay experience.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The game's graphics feature a charming, hand-drawn aesthetic that many players find cute and fitting for its playful theme, enhancing the overall experience. However, despite the appealing art style, the game suffers from significant technical issues and a lack of polish, which detracts from the enjoyment. Overall, while the visuals are praised, they are overshadowed by gameplay flaws and bugs.
- “Pretty cool concept and really cute art style, combined with surprisingly amazing dialogue and banger music (the bar music slaps so hard)!”
- “I love the art style, the puzzle design, and the gameplay loop.”
- “First let me say this, I loved the graphics.”
- “It's a badly made, unpolished and bug-ridden mess... and to cap it off, not only did DigiPen think it unnecessary to teach game students in 2023 how to do 3D graphics, they also didn't bother teaching them how to make a save game system, so you lose all your progress when the game crashes due to all the bugs.”
- “One of the first things students should be taught in game development is that 3D graphics became mainstream in the mid-1990s with dedicated 3D cards like the Voodoo3 and the ATI Rage.”
- “You can just claim the graphics is the art style, since it's developed by students.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
18%
9%
The music in the game has received widespread praise, with many reviewers highlighting its quality and catchy compositions, particularly noting standout tracks like the bar music. While some critiques mention issues with voice acting and sound mixing, the overall sentiment is that the music significantly enhances the game's appeal, contributing to a charming and engaging experience.
- “The music and sound design are pretty good for a free student project.”
- “Pretty cool concept and really cute art style, combined with surprisingly amazing dialogue and banger music (the bar music slaps so hard)!”
- “The art, voice acting, and music are great throughout as well!”
- “Some of the voice acting was okay, some worse than others, and most suffered from bad sound mixing. A little bit of work in Audacity would do wonders, or recording more consistently, like in the sound booths in the DigiPen audio department. Why didn't a music or audio engineering student help?”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it interesting and sweet, while others describe it as dull and lacking depth. Many appreciate the lovable characters and potential for expansion, but some express disappointment over the absence of post-story dialogue and a save feature. Overall, the narrative aspect seems to have room for improvement, despite the engaging gameplay mechanics.
- “The storyline is also very interesting and very sweet.”
- “Toooo good, has room for story, lovable characters, great game overall, play it now.”
- “If they continue to create polished games with solid mechanics and voice work/story, the graphics will change and morph to fit that vision.”
- “As much as there is to be said about the art style and characters, the story is pretty dull and the gameplay is difficult without much explanation.”
- “And ok, the story is bad; true, there is no save feature; but the mechanism works so well and the game is free and I recommend it.”
- “☐ no story”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many finding the jokes and dialogue to be funny and uplifting, though some feel the portrayal of violence as humorous is problematic. Players appreciate the cleverness of the humor, which is often described as effortlessly cool and thought-provoking, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience. However, there are suggestions for improvement, particularly in voice acting during combat scenarios.
- “The range of minimum/recommended hardware is funny as well!”
- “Effortlessly cool, funny, and thoughtful.”
- “The dialogue is both humorous and thought-provoking.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth and maturity, offering a wholesome ending that resonates with players. Despite some janky art and voice acting, these elements contribute to the game's charm and authenticity, enhancing the overall emotional experience.
- “A wonderful game written with an emotional maturity not often seen; the janky art and voice acting just circles back to the charm and authenticity on display.”
- “The choice at the ending of the game is also somewhat deep and wholesome.”
- “It is a bummer, because it is a fun game with a wholesome ending.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, citing unskippable cutscenes and slow battle animations as major frustrations. The lack of shortcuts and a save system further exacerbates the grind, making the experience feel monotonous, especially on subsequent playthroughs.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This proved to be tedious and not so fun, due to the unskippable cutscenes, slow unskippable battle animations and turns, no shortcuts, lack of a save system, how uninteresting the game got on a second playthrough after knowing the right route to solve all the puzzles, and the tedium of some of the achievements.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, being described as poorly made and filled with bugs, which can lead to crashes that result in lost progress due to the absence of a save system. Overall, players find the lack of polish and technical shortcomings severely detrimental to the experience.
- “It's a badly made, unpolished, and bug-ridden mess. To cap it off, not only did DigiPen think it unnecessary to teach game students in 2023 how to do 3D graphics, but they also didn't bother teaching them how to make a save game system, so you lose all your progress when the game crashes due to all the bugs.”
- “The game is plagued with stability issues, constantly crashing and making it impossible to enjoy any progress.”
- “I experienced frequent crashes and glitches that ruined the gameplay experience, making it feel like a beta version rather than a finished product.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praised the character development for its unique and memorable designs, highlighting how these distinct traits contribute to the overall appeal and depth of the characters.
- “Character designs were unique and memorable.”