SINoALICE

"SINoALICE" is a single-player, fantasy turn-based strategy game with a splendid story and stellar atmosphere, featuring fabulous graphics and a delightful soundtrack. However, the game has its drawbacks with lots of grinding, bugs, and excessive advertisements. Directed by Yoko Taro, this Japanese mobile game is published by Square Enix and offers a wholesome and hilarious experience for players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,923 reviews

story890 positive mentions

grinding129 negative mentions

The art style and music are fantastic, creating a captivating atmosphere.
The dark twist on classic fairy tales adds an intriguing layer to the story.
The game is generous with rewards, making it accessible for free-to-play players.

The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, often feeling like an auto-play experience.
There are frequent bugs and connection issues, making the game frustrating to play.
The gacha rates are low, making it difficult to obtain desired characters and weapons.

story
1,778 mentions
50 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many praising its dark and unique take on classic fairy tales, often highlighting the intriguing character arcs and atmospheric writing typical of Yoko Taro's style. However, some players find the storytelling fragmented and lacking depth, with many expressing disappointment in the gameplay's repetitiveness and the limited narrative engagement during battles. Overall, while the art and music are frequently lauded, the story's execution varies, leaving some players captivated and others feeling disconnected.
- “The story is really interesting; they take characters from fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White, and Alice and give them a darker twist. It's incredible so far; I love this game.”
- “The storytelling and narration give an ominous vibe that would give you goosebumps.”
- “The story is dark and eerie, just the way I thought it would be, but this is a one-hour play review so to each their own.”
- “The story is bland/uninteresting, basically a waste to read those little bits.”
- “The story is completely original, artwork stands out amazingly and the soundtrack is just so ambient and relaxing, yet fitting of the game.”
- “The story is dark and eerie just the way I thought it would be but this is a 1 hour play review so to each their own.”
gameplay
1,155 mentions
38 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it simplistic, repetitive, and lacking depth. While some appreciate the straightforward mechanics and the ease of understanding, others criticize it for being grindy and uninspired, often comparing it unfavorably to other gacha games. The art, music, and story elements are generally praised, but they often overshadow the gameplay, which many feel could benefit from more complexity and engagement.
- “I personally like the art style, and enjoy the battle mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is simple but addictive, the power creep is steady and satisfying, and overall, the mechanics of the game are working together pretty well without being overbearing.”
- “The gameplay is easy to follow and I'm curious about the story each character holds.”
- “Where it really falls short is gameplay; there is barely any strategy to it other than a rock-paper-scissors system, and it does not stand out among gacha games.”
- “The gameplay is extremely slow and unfortunately shallow, and the path to progression seems unclear.”
- “The gameplay is so simple that you don't need to think about it that much; the tutorial is clear enough, so if you're new to this kind of game, it's not a problem at all.”
music
916 mentions
73 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its beauty, atmospheric quality, and ability to enhance the overall experience. Composed by Keiichi Okabe, known for his work on the Nier series, the soundtrack is described as haunting, captivating, and perfectly suited to the game's dark themes. While the art and music are consistently highlighted as standout features, some players noted that the gameplay can be repetitive, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “The music is fantastic, as is the menu and character presentation.”
- “The art is amazing and the soundtrack is godly.”
- “The music is beautiful, the stories are interesting, and the characters have enough development for me to be interested in them.”
- “There is no battle sound effects which is very important; secondly, the music seems to be the same every time. I had high expectations for this game; hope they fix it.”
- “Barely any new music for different stages with gameplay that isn't exactly fun but very repetitive.”
- “The only good thing left in this game is the lore and the soundtrack.”
graphics
912 mentions
66 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a mixed response from users, with many praising the beautiful art style, character designs, and overall aesthetic that aligns well with the game's dark themes. However, some players noted that the in-game graphics and animations can feel outdated or simplistic, particularly during combat, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the visuals are often described as stunning and engaging, making the game visually appealing, especially for fans of unique art styles.
- “The visuals are excellent and very much fit the world and theme, with a great 2D style that feels distinct and striking, standing out from similar games.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous and the game is highly interactive.”
- “Beautiful artwork, good music, and the ambiance is there if you like somewhat creepy stuff.”
- “The only thing I find personally falling behind are the battle animations and graphics; they seem too simple for my taste and it makes the battle seem tedious or not as exciting when I'm selecting what to do.”
- “The graphics are really not up to par for a gacha game in 2020.”
- “Boring gameplay with mediocre graphics; the 3D designs are really pretty but in battle, sprites are identical with the same animations.”
grinding
131 mentions
1 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game is heavily grind-focused, often leading to a tedious experience for players. While some appreciate the art and story, many find the grinding for materials and upgrades to be excessive and unrewarding, with limited quality-of-life features. The presence of auto-battle options offers some relief, but overall, the gameplay loop is criticized for being repetitive and time-consuming, particularly for free-to-play users.
- “Really enjoying the game so far; it's not too grindy, but I haven't played for too long.”
- “Expensive gacha mechanics aplenty; if you like twisted takes on fairytale characters, by all means, it's quite neat with its art, but expect difficult, slow, grindy systems that really just don't reward you at the end of the day.”
- “Grinding is also artificially extended to the point where you need to spend far more time than necessary to farm materials; this game is a failure on all levels.”
- “The game is grindy and very repetitive, and the plot is only reading a few sentences or paragraphs of text before almost every battle.”
character development
118 mentions
71 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highly praised, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning character designs and unique art style that enhance the overall experience. While the backstories and personalities of the characters are noted as interesting and immersive, some players feel that the gameplay could be more engaging. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals, compelling character concepts, and a captivating soundtrack contributes to a strong sense of character development, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The character concept and the character design are really well made and unique, fitting perfectly for the tone of the game.”
- “The character designs, music, and stories are all so intriguing and captivating.”
- “I think this gacha really delivers on story and character development; I'm impressed.”
- “Game does the whole 'character (fighter)' and 'same character (mage)' thing so they can reuse character designs.”
- “Mediocre graphics and character designs, story is underwhelming - it's just a series of texts with no production value whatsoever. The biggest negative is the lackluster boring combat, idle game-ish that lacks stimulating animations/effects, which is sad since it is a PvP-centric game.”
- “I give it four stars because while I do like the grim aspects of these fairy tales and can see the love and dedication put into these character designs and the stories, the reason I give it a four is because I know it still has areas where it can improve.”
atmosphere
105 mentions
66 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating blend of dark themes, beautiful art, and haunting music, which effectively enhances the storytelling and overall experience. Many players appreciate the unique take on fairy tales, noting that the atmospheric elements set it apart from typical gacha games. However, some reviews express a desire for deeper gameplay and narrative substance to match the impressive atmosphere.
- “The game creates an amazing atmosphere that really fits with the lore of the story.”
- “Fantastic art, animation, sound design, music, and general atmosphere.”
- “An excellent experience thick with atmosphere, beautiful portrayal of the dark fairy tale genre.”
- “I don't understand the hype, clearly overrated, pretentious yet confusing and boring game, fails to deliver the dark atmosphere it intends to, laggy, repetitive, lackluster.”
- “Mistakes atmosphere for substance.”
- “The dark atmosphere, theme, artwork, and haunting music sets this apart from a plethora of gacha games.”
humor
80 mentions
99 % positive mentions
-2 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is predominantly characterized by its dark and quirky elements, with players appreciating the hilarious interactions and dialogue between characters, particularly the puppet duo Parrah and Noya. Many reviews highlight the game's self-aware humor and clever writing, which adds a unique charm to the overall experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics. Overall, the blend of dark humor and beautiful art style creates an engaging atmosphere that resonates well with players.
- “I love the touch of humor and how self-aware the gacha is.”
- “Their expressions, mannerisms, and dialogue are hilariously adorable.”
- “The interactions between Parrah and Noya are hilarious, and the ease of jumping into combat is great.”
- “The humor in this game falls flat; it feels forced and unoriginal.”
- “I expected some clever jokes, but instead, I got cringeworthy puns that made me roll my eyes.”
- “The attempts at humor are so over-the-top that they detract from the overall experience.”
monetization
59 mentions
10 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
64 % negative mentions
The monetization in the game is heavily criticized for being aggressive and resembling a cash grab, particularly through its gacha mechanics and high in-game purchase prices. While some players appreciate the absence of ads and the availability of free content, many express frustration over the necessity of microtransactions for progression, leading to a repetitive and grindy experience. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to favor paying players, with concerns about balance and fairness for free-to-play users.
- “There are no ads which is a plus and the in-app purchases aren't necessary to play the game (not yet at least).”
- “The game as a whole is a fun gacha game with reasonable monetization practices that are both healthy for free-to-play and whales alike!”
- “10/10 IGN game of the year, but in all seriousness though, it's a great game, not too pushy on their microtransactions, fair easy progression.”
- “However, as you play longer it gets really repetitive and leveling up with your character and equipment gets very frustrating; it would force you to buy in-game purchases so that you could progress.”
- “It's a great story-driven game that feels polished and unique in its combat gameplay, however the gacha-style of monetization means you will be hard pressed to shell out exorbitant amounts of money to stay competitive.”
- “An uninspired cash grab; the item mechanics and shop system are completely stolen from other Square Enix games, and the prices are aimed at whales.”
stability
56 mentions
5 % positive mentions
-4 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent freezes, crashes, and bugs reported by users. Many players experience random freezes during gameplay, particularly when loading battles or watching cutscenes, which detracts from the overall experience. While some minor issues are noted, the overwhelming consensus is that the game is currently too buggy for a higher rating.
- “Runs great even on low-performance phones.”
- “The game maintains a smooth experience without crashing.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is, even during intense moments.”
- “Freezes, lag, and actual bugs can make this mode frustrating to play.”
- “The game just released here so there are some bugs that need fixing (game closes prematurely/game freezes).”
- “Extremely buggy, random crashes during battles, stuck buttons, stuck cutscenes, the list goes on.”
optimization
19 mentions
74 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed feedback; while many players report smooth performance and good graphics, there are notable concerns regarding gameplay controls and the experience on lower-end devices. Some users experienced performance issues and bugs, indicating that further optimization is needed, particularly for specific hardware configurations. Despite these issues, the game generally runs well and is enjoyable for a majority of players.
- “A few bugs here and there but overall everything runs smoothly.”
- “So far the game runs smoothly, no crashes or bugs, it still holds a feeling of foreboding in terms of how stories might pan out but I am intrigued with this.”
- “It was so worth waiting for this aaargh it's just so good, and it even runs smoothly on my low-end phone!”
- “At certain times, the performance is less than desirable.”
- “I'm a little sad it isn't optimized for people playing off of memory cards, but it performs far better than a lot of other mobile titles.”
- “Hope this will be optimized soon.”
emotional
10 mentions
80 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its captivating storytelling and powerful music, particularly in 'sinoalice', which evokes a mix of charm and darkness. However, some players express disappointment with the gameplay and narrative depth, feeling let down by the overall experience. While the game can elicit strong feelings, it also risks emotional investment due to concerns about its longevity and repetitive mechanics.
- “Sinoalice, however, is an exception to that rule, thanks in part to Yoko Taro's unconventional yet captivating storytelling plus Keiichi Okabe's powerful yet emotional music.”
- “Incredibly charming in that heartfelt but delightfully grim Yoko Taro way, even if the gameplay is generic gacha fare.”
- “Would cry again.”
- “Very mediocre; the gameplay is bland, and it feels like I might as well use autobattle to grind out a boring story.”
- “I got too hyped and was let down pretty hard by the boring gameplay, dull story (I was expecting VN-style chapters like FGO), and uninteresting combat mechanics.”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from low replayability, as players quickly exhaust its content despite enjoying the character art and balanced online features. Once players have achieved their goals, there is little incentive to return, compounded by frustrating technical issues related to data linking.
- “Even Nutaku games had more replay value than this.”
- “This game possesses wonderful character art and weapon designs with a decent online co-op and PvP/PvE system that is fun and fairly balanced, but as soon as you've gotten all you want from this game, it lacks replayable aspects. If you think you can just link your data to a social media account or ID and password, you're out of luck because it won't work. It will tell you it doesn't exist. If you download this, don't get your hopes up because the devs won't help you at all.”