Signs of the Sojourner

About

Signs of the Sojourner is a narrative card game where your deck represents your character and influences relationships. Travel to diverse locations to acquire goods for your mother's store, engaging in optimistic stories and card game conversations. Your choices impact your connections, creating a personalized journey in a world affected by climate change.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 188 reviews

gameplay37 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Absolutely fantastic concept and art direction, creating a colorful world with captivating characters.
The deck-as-personality system is clever and leads to emotionally engaging moments, enhancing the narrative experience.
The game encourages multiple playthroughs, allowing players to uncover different story elements and character interactions.

Mediocre gameplay can feel tedious, especially with repetitive dialogue and the need to replay tutorials.
The fatigue system is punishing, making it difficult to maintain a balanced deck and enjoy conversations.
Repeated runs can become a chore due to the extensive dialogue and lack of significant changes in character interactions.

gameplay
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
4%
The gameplay of "Signs of the Sojourner" is characterized by its innovative deck-building mechanics that serve as a metaphor for conversation and interpersonal relationships, creating a unique narrative experience. While many players appreciate the integration of story and mechanics, some express frustration with the fatigue mechanic and the randomness of card draws, which can hinder enjoyment and lead to feelings of failure. Overall, the game is praised for its charming art, engaging atmosphere, and the depth of its gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “An interesting hybrid of visual novel and roguelike deck builder that's definitely worth a play if you like games with interesting mechanics.”
- “The gameplay revolves around building a deck of cards which all represent a small interaction in a larger conversation.”
- “I love narrative games and the storyline behind this one is interesting and mellow enough to allow you to just enjoy the flow of the game while learning how to deal with the game mechanics.”
- “Absolutely fantastic concept and art direction, but held back by mediocre gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately everything about the gameplay ruins what would otherwise have been a game I would be happy to engage with and sink time into.”
- “The constant fighting against the game mechanics is tiresome.”
story
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
73%
3%
The story of "Signs of the Sojourner" is praised for its depth and emotional resonance, intertwining a coming-of-age narrative with unique deck-building mechanics that influence character interactions and outcomes. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of wanderlust and melancholy, with multiple endings and replayability that encourage exploration of different story paths. However, some critiques highlight issues with plot coherence and gameplay mechanics that can detract from the overall experience.
- “The plot and world-building: the need to try and keep the shop in Bartow open, along with the mystery surrounding the nameless main character’s dead mother, are fantastic and the main reason why I kept playing.”
- “The story overall is a mixture of wanderlust and melancholy, with moments of tenderness and joy throughout; I highly recommend exploring different choices as you play (it's true that it's best not to try to please everyone!).”
- “The story is intriguing, has a colorful cast of characters, and a great soundtrack.”
- “The way the game is set up is ridiculous, the plot is incoherent, and the instructions are almost non-existent.”
- “For a story-based conversation game, I’m baffled at the lack of main plot details, and even when I found out the answers, they were lacking.”
- “I sometimes feel that there's a missing connection between the cards and the story of the game, but I can't verbalize what I'm looking for.”
music
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
36%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its soothing and immersive qualities. The soundtrack effectively complements the game's charming visuals and engaging narrative, creating a unique experience that resonates with players. Overall, the combination of excellent music and art contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout in the indie genre.
- “The soundtrack is also brilliant; it really captures the mood of the world and characters.”
- “The characters feel alive, the music is immaculate, and the dialogue system is elegant and clever.”
- “The music and visuals are gorgeous.”
- “Soundtrack - meh”
- “Maybe just for the colorful art style and OST but only for a few times since I’ve been stuck on the 4th playthrough for a few hours with no progress.”
- “I always, always turn off game music.”
graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
54%
8%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and original art style that complements its music, creating an aesthetically pleasing experience. While the visuals are often described as simplistic and reminiscent of low-effort mobile games, they are still appreciated for their colorful designs and soothing colors. Overall, the combination of graphics and soundtrack contributes to a relaxing atmosphere, despite some critiques regarding the lack of depth in the 2D visuals.
- “Just rewatching the trailer again reminds me how well its graphic design and visuals fit with the music, and how, despite the cute art style, it can be an extremely stressful and challenging game to play.”
- “The artwork, music, and overall vibe are lovely.”
- “Aesthetically, it has a unique art style with very soothing colors bundled with a relaxing and fitting soundtrack.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- “Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its random interactions, multiple story routes, and the potential for different outcomes with each playthrough. Players appreciate the depth of the narrative and character arcs, which encourage exploration and revisiting the game. However, some users noted limitations such as a short playtime and a single save slot, which can hinder the replay experience for certain players.
- “Amazing soundtrack, compelling characters with difficult choices that allow for replayability.”
- “The game is short, but has a lot of replay value as you can uncover more or different things about the story in each run.”
- “There's loads of replayability as you seek different endings or focus in certain areas, and the lessons the game can teach you are well worth the 20-dollar price tag.”
- “Quite short, about 5 hours long from start to finish, with little replayability.”
- “I would say there’s some replayability with the different towns, but I felt that if there were more options, they were locked behind some serious RNG, and it didn’t help that there’s only one save slot, so no real way to try again without starting over each time.”
- “Such as drawing a new hand, applying a card mechanic, removing a card permanently, etc. I feel like as it is now, it's only replayable a few times.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is deeply engaging, with players expressing a strong personal investment in the narrative and character interactions. Many reviewers noted the game's ability to evoke a wide range of feelings, from frustration and regret to joy and heartbreak, highlighting the impact of choices and consequences on the player's experience. The combination of compelling storytelling, complex characters, and evocative music and graphics creates a heartfelt adventure that resonates on an emotional level.
- “Very emotionally introspective and grown-up, looking at the consequences of actions and how hardships change people.”
- “The high highs of having an awesome conversation with someone I forged a relationship with over multiple trips to their town, paired with the low lows of not having the words to talk to someone you care deeply about, are both incredible and emotional experiences that I am hard-pressed to find in games.”
- “The music and graphics convey feelings appropriate to the setting and situation, and each character is complex and interesting enough that it's easy to form an attachment to them. I remember that I allowed myself to be robbed by a known thief just because I wanted to hear more about her story, and I legitimately shed a tear in the later part of the story when a character I was very fond of passed away.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its unique premise, beautiful hand-drawn art, and an evocative soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the strong world-building and how the gameplay mechanics seamlessly integrate with the atmospheric storytelling, making it a captivating and immersive experience. The combination of music, visuals, and engaging characters contributes significantly to the game's appeal, encouraging players to return.
- “This game should get much more recognition... creative gameplay (a card battler), beautiful hand-drawn art, an atmospheric soundtrack, and just an interesting world.”
- “The atmosphere evoked by the music and visual style is the big draw for me, but the characters and world-building are what keep me coming back.”
- “I was moved by the music, captivated by the atmosphere, engaged with the strategy and puzzles intertwined within the dialogue.”
- “Sots really shines in the atmosphere and storytelling mechanics.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game excels in character development by seamlessly integrating mechanics with a rich narrative, offering varied and thoughtfully designed characters. Players appreciate the unique approach to character growth within the deckbuilding genre, highlighting the impressive art and thematic depth that enhance the overall experience.
- “The art is great, the character design is varied and well thought out, and there are a lot of different things going on in the story.”
- “A fresh take on the recent deckbuilding genre craze that marries character development and mechanics in a very intriguing manner.”
- “This game marries mechanics with plot and character development so well, I'm surprised no one has thought of this before.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character development left me feeling disconnected from the story.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the structure encourages repeated plays to uncover all content, the necessity of replaying the tutorial can make this process tedious. Some appreciate the opportunity to explore conversations, likening it to older visual novels, but others may find the repetition frustrating.
- “Needing to replay the tutorial every time is rough. This is a shame because the game is structured so that you can't 'see everything' in a single run, which invites repeated plays, but makes them kind of tedious at the same time.”
- “These remind me a bit of old visual novels that used calendar-based events, though they're not as tedious in this game.”
- “I know it sounds tedious, and for some people it may be just that, but for me, uncovering each tidbit of conversation is a delight.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is criticized for being plagued by bugs, particularly with the resolve mechanic, which leads to inconsistent rewards and frequent glitches.
- “The resolve mechanic is buggy, leading to inconsistent rewards.”
- “The glitches are rampant.”
- “The resolve system is unreliable and prone to bugs.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of wit and melancholy, as it features a nomadic narrative filled with fascinating and amusing characters. The writing effectively balances comedic elements with deeper emotional themes, reflecting the protagonist's struggle to reconcile their new life with past friendships.
- “It swirls these into a nomadic story, bouncing from place to place, meeting fascinating, funny, and intriguing characters all the while.”
- “The writing is pretty good too, funny but also melancholy at times as you try to reconcile your new life on the road with the friendships you're trying to maintain in your hometown.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
Players appreciate the game's focus on innovative deck building without reliance on microtransactions or pay-to-play battles, indicating a preference for a fair and engaging monetization model.
- “The monetization model is fair and doesn't pressure players to spend money to enjoy the game.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content without locking essential features behind a paywall.”
- “I love innovative deck-building games that aren't focused on microtransactions and pay-to-play battles.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “It's frustrating that the game locks essential features behind a paywall, forcing players to spend if they want to progress.”