Small Radios Big Televisions

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

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"Small Radios Big Televisions" is a first-person puzzle adventure game. The player explores surreal, abandoned industrial landscapes and encounters mysterious cassette tapes that transport them to strange, colorful realms. The goal is to uncover the story behind these tapes and the vanished workers who once inhabited the factories. The game features a nostalgic, retro-futuristic aesthetic and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 70 reviews

music12 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

The game features beautiful visuals and a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
The puzzles, while simple, provide a relaxing and enjoyable challenge that encourages exploration.
The soundtrack is excellent, contributing to the game's immersive and tranquil vibe.

The game is very short, typically taking only 1-2 hours to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
Navigation can be frustrating due to confusing level design and limited camera control.
Puzzles can feel repetitive and lack depth, leading to a less engaging gameplay experience.

music
26 mentions
46 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing, ambient qualities and unique electronic soundtrack, which enhances the overall atmosphere and complements the minimalist visuals. While some players find the soundtrack spectacular and integral to the experience, others note that it lacks memorability and can be difficult to balance in volume. Overall, the music is considered a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's vibe, though the short gameplay duration limits its replay value.
- “It's mostly a point and click puzzle game with a great almost minimalist/lo-fi design and an amazing electronic soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The in-game art and worlds are inspired, but the soundtrack definitely steals the show.”
- “First, the nitpicky side of me noticed how you can almost never get a proper volume setting that doesn't make the music sound too loud or quiet.”
- “It took me 2 hours of leisurely playing to get 100%, and there's really not much replay value beyond replaying a chapter to get a missed item or leaving the music on in the background if you didn't buy the soundtrack.”
- “You can buy for sure, without the soundtrack you're selling yourself short, but it is small and you will finish it lickety-split; I would wait for sales to pick it up cheap.”
story
24 mentions
42 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as quaint and intriguing, with a mix of interesting elements and vague, quirky aspects typical of indie games. While some players found the narrative engaging and the environmental storytelling through graffiti and tapes compelling, others criticized it for being shallow and confusing, leaving them wanting more depth and clarity. Overall, the visuals and atmosphere enhance the experience, but the story's execution varies in effectiveness among players.
- “The game hints greatly at the story and some dystopian future but leaves just enough mystique that you can keep guessing about the reality of everything.”
- “Exploring the third factory was the most interesting from the story perspective because the tapes were a government program and there are graffiti on the walls of the old testing facilities that say 'this tape won't end.', 'what tape am I in?', 'there is no solution.' which likely says a lot about how some tried to fight against the establishment of the new world order.”
- “The storyline is engrossing without smothering you - and leaves plenty about the world of SRBT to your imagination.”
- “The story only makes a little sense, even at the ending, but its vague and quirky nature (some might argue pretentious at times) will be familiar to anyone who plays indie games.”
- “The overall environment looks good, but my problem is that I didn't really understand the story and the camera is pretty annoying to control in the tape worlds.”
- “Wander around to ambient music and popping visuals and wonder what you're doing, pick up tapes, get confused on the story.”
gameplay
24 mentions
21 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of simple, repetitive puzzles and a unique tape mechanic that some players found delightful, though many felt it lacked depth and variety. While the game offers a moderate challenge, it is criticized for its short length and minimal exploration, leading to a sense of boredom and underdevelopment. Overall, players suggest that the experience may be more enjoyable if acquired on sale, as the gameplay does not justify its price point.
- “The tape mechanic is delightful, and I wish it was expanded further, but what it has is extremely good.”
- “Each level has a unique gimmick, and all use tapes as a main gameplay feature.”
- “Gameplay is simple, graphics are simple, the journey of the game takes you through a deserted world, and the story kept me hooked from start to finish.”
- “It's hard to stay interested, since the gameplay offers very little in return to completing the puzzles.”
- “Almost all gameplay involves moving between rooms on a 2D plane, with some easy and repetitive puzzles throughout.”
- “Overall, I felt as though the game is a little high in price with very little gameplay, being able to beat it in under two hours.”
graphics
22 mentions
41 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique and charming art style, featuring a nostalgic 80s aesthetic with voxel and minimalist elements that enhance the overall atmosphere. While the visuals are described as pleasing and engaging, some players find the level design confusing and the intentional static effects potentially distracting. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to an immersive experience despite the game's short length and simplistic gameplay.
- “The graphics have a uniquely rough style and the ambient music is relaxing, which matches the feel and slow pace of the game.”
- “The visuals are 80s themed, featuring cassette tapes and VCRs, and the voxel/poly art style fits it well.”
- “The art style was very charming, and I quite enjoyed the puzzles as well.”
- “I felt like the whole game was an excuse for the devs to play around with visual/sound aesthetics and tried to fit them into a puzzle game somehow, when the best option was to explore another genre.”
- “The regular puzzle levels look good, and the environments inside the tapes often looked quite bizarre, but others looked decent with their minimalist art style; however, the intentional static and distortion effects may be a nuisance to some.”
- “Gameplay is simple, graphics are simple; the journey of the game takes you through a deserted world and the story kept me hooked from start to finish.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its serene and haunting qualities, enhanced by minimalist graphics and a dynamic soundtrack that adapts to the player's situation. Reviewers appreciate the blend of hope and introspection, creating a trippy and immersive experience that deeply engages players with its narrative and artistic elements. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
- “I loved the haunting atmosphere, and the more I played, the more invested I got in the narrative.”
- “The graphics are somewhat minimalist, which I think adds to the overall atmosphere of the game, while the soundtrack adapts to your situation depending on where you are, what tape you're in, how warped that tape is, etc. Definitely worth a look!”
- “The concept, soundtrack, and overall atmosphere of this game are exactly where they need to be.”
- “The graphics are somewhat minimalist, which I think detracts from the overall atmosphere of the game, while the soundtrack fails to adapt to your situation depending on where you are, what tape you're in, how warped that tape is, etc.”
- “The concept, soundtrack, and overall atmosphere of this game are lacking and do not meet expectations.”
replayability
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers limited replayability, primarily allowing players to revisit chapters for missed items or enjoy the soundtrack. While the simple gameplay and collectables provide some incentive to replay, the lack of substantial content beyond the initial playthrough diminishes its long-term appeal.
- “The simple gameplay is easy to chill out to, and the groovy visual effects combined with a smooth down-tempo soundtrack make it enjoyable to play. The collectibles add a bit of replay value.”
- “The game offers a unique experience with each playthrough, encouraging players to explore different strategies and approaches.”
- “With multiple endings and various choices to make, the replayability factor is high, making each session feel fresh and engaging.”
- “It took me 2 hours of leisurely playing to get 100%, and there's really not much replay value beyond replaying a chapter to get a missed item or leaving the music on in the background if you didn't buy the soundtrack.”
- “There is a lack of replay value, however, I feel due to the nature of the game itself.”
- “The simple gameplay is easy to chill out to, but the lack of depth in collectables means there's minimal replay value.”
stability
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be stable and free of significant bugs; however, some players feel that its short duration does not justify the price, leading to refunds despite the lack of technical issues.
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly in relation to the puzzles, which can feel repetitive and time-consuming.
- “The puzzles can be a little tedious though.”