Smile For Me
- March 23, 2019
- Day Lane
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Smile For Me" is a Point-and-Click Adventure game where players communicate with characters by nodding and shaking their head, exploring an abstract world, solving puzzles, and uncovering its sinister secret. The game features 23 peculiar characters with unique stories and personalities, and players can choose to save only their favorites or all of the Habiticians. The game boasts charming animations and a beautiful world to discover.
Reviews
- The game features a charming art style and unique character designs that enhance the overall experience.
- The puzzles are engaging and clever, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
- The story is heartwarming and touching, with a mix of humor and darker themes that resonate with players.
- The inventory management can become tedious as the game progresses, making it difficult to navigate through items.
- Some players may find the game too short, with a playtime of around 3-5 hours, leading to a desire for more content.
- The nodding and shaking mechanic can be sensitive and occasionally unresponsive, causing frustration during interactions.
- story333 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its engaging and heartwarming narrative, featuring lovable characters and a unique art style that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of cute and dark themes, with many noting the emotional depth and clever writing that keeps them invested throughout. However, some reviewers express a desire for more character development and a longer storyline, as well as a few minor gameplay frustrations.
“The story is captivating, and the characters are fantastic and joyful.”
“The characters are lovable, and the plot and story are great.”
“With memorable and delightful characters and an incredibly-crafted story, Smile for Me is a must play!”
“The story isn't super mind-blowingly incredible, but I'd say you're more there for the characters than the plot.”
“It's unique and the art style is charming, but overall the depth of characters is shallow and the story sort of falls flat as you play through the game.”
“I do wish certain characters had more of a story or character arc.”
- graphics308 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their unique and vibrant art style, which combines 2D sprites with a 3D environment, creating a visually striking experience. Players appreciate the charming character designs and the overall aesthetic, often describing it as cute, quirky, and reminiscent of nostalgic animations. The art style not only enhances the gameplay but also contributes significantly to the game's atmosphere, making it a standout feature that many reviewers highlight as a major reason to play.
“The art style is unique and really adds to the experience of the game.”
“I love the visuals so much -- the style of having paper cutout characters in contrast with the open, 3D habitat is incredibly striking.”
“The art style is absolutely lovely and I love all the characters so much.”
“For graphics this low-tech and gameplay this clunky, it's maybe worth $10.”
“Most noticeable is the relatively average looking graphics serving as the environment to the flat cartoon character models, which makes it look very much like just some weird indie game.”
“But in the end the only really positive aspect I left with was the art style, and the rest of it doesn't have much to it.”
- music159 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty, charm, and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players describing it as catchy, dynamic, and fitting for the quirky environments. The soundtrack complements the unique art style and engaging characters, creating an immersive atmosphere that players find delightful and memorable. While some noted that certain tracks could become repetitive, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's appeal and emotional impact.
“The music is beautiful, the artwork is amazing, the story is captivating, and the characters are all so unique.”
“The soundtrack fits the game well and is easy to listen to and enjoy.”
“The music is lovely and I will admit that I cried at the true ending.”
“The sleepy time music thoroughly stresses me out and the final rush music physically scared me, 10/10.”
“The music isn’t bad, the art style is interesting, and the characters and puzzles are interesting while not too obvious.”
“You don't play this game for the puzzles, you play it for the art, music, and characters, so if you don't like what you see in the screenshots, then you definitely won't enjoy this.”
- gameplay142 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Smile for Me" is characterized by its unique nodding and shaking mechanics for communication, which adds a charming and interactive element to the experience. While the game features a mix of simple puzzles and fetch quests reminiscent of RPG side quests, some players found the mechanics a bit janky or tedious at times. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and fun, complemented by a delightful art style and memorable characters, making it a worthwhile experience despite its brevity.
“The gameplay is quirky and fun, if a bit janky sometimes, and the characters are all unique and interesting.”
“The gameplay is definitely something really special and I feel like everyone should try to play this at least once.”
“Smile for me is a grand ol' time, the gameplay is very enjoyable, it's very satisfying to make all these people happy, and the story is actually surprisingly engaging.”
“The gameplay is nothing special.”
“Just know that the gameplay, characters, and story are extremely and underwhelmingly simple.”
“The gameplay itself is pretty much all sidequest-type tasks, so if you don't enjoy running back and forth getting items for NPCs, this game probably isn't for you.”
- humor113 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness, charm, and ability to balance lightheartedness with darker themes. Players appreciate the quirky characters and witty dialogue, often finding themselves laughing out loud at the interactions and scenarios presented. Overall, the humor is described as memorable, unique, and integral to the game's appeal, making it a delightful experience for those who enjoy a mix of comedy and creativity.
“The humor is genuinely funny (rather than 'video game funny') but it's also got a good heart.”
“The characters are witty, funny, and unique!”
“The entire game just exudes style and humor.”
- emotional75 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a unique blend of heartwarming and creepy elements, evoking a wide range of feelings from joy to sadness. Players frequently mention being deeply attached to the characters and moved by the touching narrative, often resulting in tears during pivotal moments. The game's charming art style and clever storytelling enhance its emotional impact, making it a memorable experience that resonates with players long after they finish.
“This was such a transformative experience; there's so much heart and life in each inch of the game. It's sweet, heart-wrenching, and so deeply charming.”
“The design of the game is phenomenal, and the story is very touching.”
“The characters are fun and so memorable, the story enthralling and touching, the art completely wacky and wonderful, and the gameplay works well with the storytelling.”
- atmosphere60 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of whimsical and slightly unsettling elements, reminiscent of works by Tim Burton and the darker undertones of titles like "Undertale" and "Little Inferno." Reviewers highlight the charming character designs, vibrant art style, and an engaging soundtrack that collectively create a memorable and immersive experience, balancing lightheartedness with moments of eerie tension. Overall, the game successfully establishes a quirky, artsy atmosphere that enhances its storytelling and character interactions, making it a delightful yet thought-provoking playthrough.
“It's a short fun game with a cool atmosphere that reminds me of the more chill parts of Undertale with the dark undertones of Little Inferno.”
“The art, effects, and style of the game are refreshingly unique, and the audio/music adds to the visuals, creating a quirky, almost mysterious atmosphere.”
“Smile for Me is an incredibly fun and engaging game with lovable characters, wacky humor, and a wondrous, artsy atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is somewhat creepy but not exactly horror, just a bit uncanny.”
“This game is impressive in that it manages to present a foreboding and genuinely very unsettling atmosphere in a cartoonish and whimsical manner.”
“It feels like the 'stealth horror' stuff was put in last minute as a marketing gimmick for an otherwise Psychonauts-level intensity, because at no point does the threatened darkness ever spring forth or coalesce into a scare or an oppressive atmosphere.”
- character development47 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is widely praised for its phenomenal and charming designs, which are described as unique, colorful, and reminiscent of 90's cartoons. Players appreciate the depth and personality of the characters, noting that their engaging dialogue and interactions enhance the overall experience, making them feel like fully fleshed-out individuals. The combination of captivating art style, memorable character traits, and a whimsical atmosphere contributes to a rich and immersive gameplay experience.
“The character designs are amazing, the voice acting (or mumbling/gibberish? idk) is really good and honestly it's just a fun little puzzle game!”
“The character designs were inspiring and their dialogue was vastly entertaining.”
“Smile for me drew me in with its art style and great character designs, but I was happily enthralled with the character's personalities, the interactions, and the gameplay itself.”
“The character designs are charming and memorable, but the dialogue lacks depth and fails to enhance the characters' development.”
“While the character designs are visually appealing, they often overshadow the lack of meaningful character growth throughout the game.”
“Despite the charming character designs, the characters themselves feel one-dimensional and their development is minimal, leaving little impact on the overall story.”
- replayability18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the opportunity to explore different endings and character interactions, many feel that the short length and limited content reduce its long-term appeal. Some reviewers enjoyed revisiting the game's atmosphere and aesthetics, but others noted that once the main story is completed, there isn't much incentive to return. Ultimately, the game offers enough replay value for those interested in achievements and character dialogue, but it may not be compelling enough for repeated playthroughs.
“Enough replayability to get all the silly achievements and endings.”
“Beautiful, raw, and ridiculously replayable.”
“Great art and lovable characters :) just finished one ending and it definitely has replay value.”
“I don't know that it really holds any replay value; I'll probably remember this game as a neat thing that I played once as opposed to something I'll come back to, but that doesn't make it not good.”
“My biggest criticism is that the game is pretty short and doesn't feel like it has a ton of replay value.”
“The replay value isn't very high, and the game isn't very long (I've beaten it in about 6 hours with no walkthrough), but it's still a very peculiar and different experience that you just don't get in many indie games.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game, particularly related to inventory management, to be somewhat tedious, especially in the late game when item accumulation increases. While the game duration is relatively short at around four hours, the large inventory can become cumbersome, making scrolling through items a less enjoyable experience. However, the addition of trigger button functionality helps alleviate some of the frustration.
“It could be really tedious to have to scroll through items, especially in late game when you have a lot.”
“I might have a small critique in that scrolling through the huge list of items you accrue can get pretty tedious, but the game lasts exactly as long as it should at 4 hours or less, and that's not long enough for that mechanic to get too cumbersome.”
“The inventory system gets a bit tedious as your inventory gets clogged up with items from solved puzzles.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for significant performance issues, including bugs and crashes that disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences, particularly when attempting to solve puzzles.
“I had huge performance issues and a lot of bugs and crashes, which had me restarting many times and being really confused about certain riddles. It's frustrating when you have the right answer, but the game is bugged and doesn't let you do the right thing.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users report a high level of stability, with multiple reviews noting the absence of glitches during gameplay. Overall, the game appears to run smoothly without any significant technical issues.
“I experienced no glitches.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
“I never encountered any bugs during my playthrough.”
