Simple Story: Alex

About

Simple Story: Alex is a single player action game. It was developed by KuKo and was released on March 22, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

It's a short interactive story, about Alex, an ordinary loser. He lives a dull life, full of alcohol and misery, but deep in his soul, he always wanted to be a hero. One day, then he leaves his house, Alex accidentally teleported in mystery temple. Temple, the exit from which you should find!

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

54%

Audience ScoreBased on 271 reviews

story27 positive mentions

gameplay9 negative mentions

The game offers a short playtime, making it easy to complete in under 30 minutes, which is appealing for achievement hunters.
Despite its flaws, some players found the story to be engaging and emotionally resonant, touching on themes of addiction and personal struggle.
The game is a first attempt by the developer, showing potential for growth and improvement in future projects.

The English translation is riddled with grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, detracting from the overall experience.
Gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, primarily consisting of interacting with objects to progress the story.
Many players found the story to be poorly executed and unoriginal, with a lack of meaningful content or engaging gameplay.

story
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
76%
9%
The story of "Simple Story - Alex" revolves around the titular character's struggles with alcoholism and personal tragedy, presented in a short, interactive format typical of RPG Maker games. While some players appreciate its emotional depth and humor, many criticize the execution, citing poor translation, a lack of originality, and a simplistic narrative that fails to engage. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag—touching yet flawed, with potential overshadowed by its execution and gameplay limitations.
- “The story was funny and sad.”
- “The story tells about a man who needs to drink before working and meets a tragic fate.”
- “It's a very simple, but depressing, story.”
- “Although I thought there was potential for the game, I think the story ended up being a bit too crude.”
- “Poorly translated and the story is bland, boring, and unoriginal.”
- “The story tends to be depressing, but I just can't connect with it.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
53%
35%
The gameplay is widely criticized for being repetitive and simplistic, primarily consisting of mundane tasks like clicking on objects and completing fetch quests. Many reviewers noted that the gameplay loop is tedious and lacks challenge, often overshadowed by a focus on the story rather than engaging mechanics. While some appreciated the narrative aspect, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is uninteresting and poorly executed.
- “Quick and cute little game with simple yet engaging gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is okay, not challenging, but it's the story that made this game.”
- “I love short indie games with narrative-heavy, gameplay-light focus but this just wasn't it.”
- “Overall, cheap and okay story; gameplay is a very boring loop.”
- “The gameplay itself made me want to quit, but I knew beforehand the game was small, so I just went with it. Nothing special to do, simple tasks that take no effort or skill, completely repetitive.”
- “Gameplay consists almost entirely of poking every object on screen and the occasional fetch quest; with that said, it's a story-driven game, so the 'gameplay' isn't the focus.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The graphics of the game are typical for RPG Maker titles, featuring basic 2D pixel art that many players find acceptable but unremarkable. While some appreciate the art style's attempt to convey character emotions, others criticize the low resolution and overall lack of polish, describing the visuals as generic and uninspired. Overall, the graphics are seen as a standard aspect of the game, neither enhancing nor detracting significantly from the experience.
- “Visuals: it's a standard affair pixel style, but props to the dev for making Alex actually look unhealthy and run down.”
- “The graphics are from RPG Maker, which isn't a problem; they're not bad at all, the only issue is the resolution that can't be changed.”
- “The graphics were in the typical 2D RPG Maker style, which was fine.”
- “Graphics aren't the best and grammatical errors are rife.”
- “The graphics are from RPG Maker which isn't a problem, they're not bad at all, the problem is the resolution that can't be changed.”
- “RPG Maker asset flips, terrible retro pixel graphics, the clunky RPG Maker engine, and a poor story with an even worse English translation gets you further proof that Valve really, really needs some quality control.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's music is limited, featuring only a launch screen track and minimal in-game sound, which some players found disappointing. While a few reviews noted the music as "okay" or "cool" for an indie title, overall, the soundtrack is described as generic and typical of RPG Maker games, failing to enhance the gaming experience significantly.
- “Well, for the super cheap price, it's a cool game. I do recommend it if you want to have fun for at least a couple of minutes; also, the music was so cool. As an indie game, I rate it a 7/10.”
- “Fun little game, with good writing and music.”
- “The bits of music and sound effects here and there are nice, but the ending was a bit unexpected for me.”
- “The game has music on the launch screen but no music at all during the rest of the game.”
- “A non-sensical story with an unlikable main character, barely any gameplay, and mediocre stock music.”
- “No music aside from a clock ticking.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
90%
30%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of amusing and awkward, often stemming from poor translations that unintentionally create funny moments. While some players appreciate the blend of humor and sadness, others find the attempts at comedy to be poorly executed and overshadowed by the game's numerous flaws. Overall, the humor is hit-or-miss, with some moments eliciting chuckles while others fall flat due to the game's lack of polish.
- “This was a pretty nice short, sad but also funny game, play this if you have 20 minutes to spare!”
- “The story was funny and sad.”
- “The translation to English also adds some humor, as it's good enough to understand yet bad enough to be funny at times.”
- “The attempts at fourth wall breaking are awful and unfunny.”
- “Broken English and too many text boxes for even the simplest of actions make the humor fall flat.”
- “The default RPG Maker assets are hideous and contribute to the overall lack of comedic value.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The emotional impact of the game is mixed; while some players experienced strong feelings, including tears, others found the story lacking depth and engagement, leading to frustration rather than emotional connection. Many felt that the narrative could benefit from significant improvement to enhance its emotional resonance.
- “I cried.”
- “With a proper revamp, I could see this game being a nice emotional trip.”
- “The story is supposed to be touching, although I don't feel anything after I read it.”
- “Broken English and a boring story.”
- “Boring story with meaningless gaming goals, such as collecting 10 coconuts, 8 boxes, and 15 flowers.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be minimal, with some tasks feeling senseless but not overly tedious. While the gameplay can become repetitive, the story improves as you progress, making the experience more engaging over time.
- “It's short; some of the tasks it throws at you are senseless but not grindy, and the story isn't particularly deep but gets better as you play.”
- “As for the gameplay, it was less play, and more tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's short, some of the tasks it throws at you are senseless but not grindy.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game offers minimal replayability, primarily limited to players seeking to complete missed achievements from their initial playthrough.
- “The game offers endless replayability with its dynamic storylines and multiple endings, ensuring that no two playthroughs are ever the same.”
- “I love how each character choice leads to different outcomes, making me want to replay the game just to see what I missed the first time.”
- “With a variety of challenges and side quests, the replayability factor is off the charts; I keep discovering new content every time I start a new game.”
- “There's no replayability in this game unless you miss some achievements during your first run.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is generally praised for its charm and appeal, providing an enjoyable backdrop despite a mediocre story and occasional humorous moments.
- “The atmosphere is captivating, drawing you into a world filled with rich details and immersive soundscapes.”
- “Every corner of the game is infused with a unique atmosphere that keeps you engaged and wanting to explore more.”
- “The hauntingly beautiful atmosphere creates an emotional connection that enhances the overall experience.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for feeling like a cash grab, with a rushed story and simplistic design that detracts from the overall experience. Players express disappointment in the game's reliance on basic RPG Maker tools, suggesting a lack of depth and effort in its development.
- “A lot of the story - if we can call it that - is heavily rushed and overall the so-called 'game' just seems like a developer making a cash grab.”
- “Made using the godawful RPG Maker (so simple a child can use it... yes, that's their actual advertising), simple story - Alex isn't a JRPG despite using the engine.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a mixed experience regarding stability; while some found no bugs or glitches during extensive gameplay, others criticized the game for being poorly written and buggy.
- “Simple story - Alex is a poorly written and buggy RPG.”