Shivering Hearts
- July 21, 2020
- Mischa
Get on SteamShivering Hearts is a light-hearted role-playing game illustrated through detailed, hand-drawn watercolour paintings. Explore a world that reacts to your choices. The player can achieve over 120 possible ending combinations.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful visuals and a charming art style that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers a well-crafted story with complex characters, humor, and emotional depth, making it engaging and memorable.
- The dialogue system allows for meaningful choices that can lead to multiple endings, encouraging replayability.
- The game is quite short, with playthroughs averaging around 1.5 to 2 hours, leaving players wanting more content.
- There are limited locations to explore and a lack of variety in gameplay mechanics.
- Some players may find the writing uneven, and the dialogue options may not provide enough agency to significantly alter the story.
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful art style and character design, which are considered the main appeal. Reviewers appreciate how the visuals complement the game's narrative, enhancing the overall experience. The artwork consistently impresses throughout, making it a standout feature.
“The visuals are beautiful and it upholds a solid story about an abusive family.”
“The graphics are the game's main appeal for sure, but I thought the story was nice too.”
“The artwork is what grabbed me from the trailers and screenshots - and it's great the whole way through.”
- story5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around the theme of an abusive family, complemented by beautiful visuals and a well-structured dialogue system that offers meaningful choices and consequences. While some players may find the narrative somewhat preachy, the option to bypass certain lessons and the potential for multiple playthroughs add depth to the experience. However, there are mixed feelings about player agency, with some feeling limited in their ability to significantly alter the story's outcome.
“The visuals are beautiful and it upholds a solid story about an abusive family.”
“Speaking of dialogue, there are enough dialogue options with actual consequences to justify a second playthrough if you want to see how much of the story can be altered by your choices.”
“Some people might find it a bit preachy, but the dialogue system allows you to bypass some of the story lessons if that's not your thing.”
“The dialogue trees are well done, but ultimately I didn't feel like the player had enough agency to alter how the story plays out.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a standout feature, blending funny and dark moments effectively, with well-crafted dialogues that elicit consistent laughter. Players appreciate the balance of humor, emotional depth, and cleverness in the dialogue, making for an engaging experience throughout its compact runtime.
“The humor in this game is very well done.”
“I found myself laughing all the way through as the game constantly dishes out humorous dialogues and dialogue choices (perhaps a bit too much).”
“It's compact (just under 2 hours for me) without feeling rushed, really straightforward to play, and every line of dialogue is either funny, touching, or even smart.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, complementing the sound effects and art style effectively. Players appreciate how the soundtrack contributes to their immersive experience.
“I love how this game looks, its music, and the whole atmosphere.”
“Good music, sound effects, as well as art style.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively transitions from a lighthearted and quirky tone to deeply emotional and intense moments within a compact playtime of under two hours. Players appreciate the well-crafted dialogue, which balances humor and poignancy, enhancing the overall emotional impact without feeling rushed.
“I really didn't expect how the game would go from kind of goofy and weird to extremely touching and intense - and that in such a short playtime!”
“It's compact (just under 2 hours for me) without feeling rushed, really straightforward to play, and every line of dialogue is either funny, touching, or even smart.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players have noted a lack of variety in gameplay, which can lead to repetitive experiences and diminished engagement over time.
“There is a lack of variety in gameplay.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and uninspired.”
“I found the mechanics to be overly simplistic and not engaging.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its captivating visuals and immersive music, creating an engaging overall experience.
“I love how this game looks, its music, and the whole atmosphere.”
