Smile For Me

About

Smile For Me is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by Day Lane and was released on May 31, 2019. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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99%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,382 reviews

story366 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and unique character designs that enhance the overall experience.
The puzzles are engaging and provide a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
The story is heartwarming and filled with humor, making it a delightful experience that resonates with players.

The inventory system can become tedious to navigate as it fills up with items throughout the game.
Some players may find the game too short, with a playtime of around 3-5 hours.
There are moments where the game can feel a bit clunky, particularly with the nodding and shaking mechanic not always registering.

story
666 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The story of "Smile for Me" is widely praised for its engaging and heartwarming narrative, featuring a unique blend of quirky characters and a charming art style. Players appreciate the depth of the characters' backstories and the emotional resonance of the plot, which balances lightheartedness with darker themes. While some reviewers noted a desire for more character development and a longer storyline, the overall consensus is that the game offers a delightful and memorable experience that captivates players from start to finish.
- “The story and characters are sweet and engaging, and the art is cute and unique.”
- “The story is great, and it perfectly balances the creepy/funny/cute vibes!”
- “The story is captivating, and the characters are fantastic and joyful.”
- “The story isn't super mind-blowingly incredible but I'd say you're more there for the characters than the plot.”
- “Since every character has just a few lines of dialogue, none of them gets really much development over the course of the story, and the game area is essentially a nearly empty box where you click on the characters with various items until they are all happy and little else.”
- “I do wish certain characters had more of a story or character arc.”
graphics
616 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
The graphics of "Smile for Me" are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, which blends 2D and 3D elements to create a visually striking experience. Reviewers highlight the colorful character designs and the overall aesthetic, noting that the art effectively complements the game's quirky and sometimes eerie narrative. The combination of vibrant visuals, engaging character animations, and a whimsical soundtrack contributes to a delightful atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “The art style is absolutely wonderful and each character leaks with their own special charm.”
- “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, and like... wow.”
- “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.”
- “For graphics this low-tech and gameplay this clunky, it's maybe worth $10.”
- “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.”
music
318 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
40%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many players describing it as catchy, dynamic, and fitting perfectly with the quirky art style and engaging story. While some noted that it may not be revolutionary, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature that adds charm and emotional depth to the gameplay. Overall, the combination of delightful music and unique visuals creates an immersive atmosphere that players find memorable and enjoyable.
- “The music is beautiful, the artwork is amazing, the story is captivating, and the characters are all so unique.”
- “The soundtrack ties the experience together, making the world feel alive and, when necessary, unnerving.”
- “With charming characters, wonderful music, interesting puzzles, and a thrilling story; this game creates an amazing experience that will stick with the player for a long time!”
- “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.”
gameplay
284 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The gameplay of "Smile for Me" is characterized by its unique nodding and shaking mechanics for communication, which adds a charming twist to traditional point-and-click adventure elements. Players engage in a series of side quests and puzzles that are generally intuitive and enjoyable, though some may find the mechanics a bit janky or the gameplay loop simplistic. Overall, the game is praised for its creative mechanics, engaging characters, and delightful art style, making it a memorable experience despite its brevity and occasional frustrations.
- “The gameplay is quirky and fun, if a bit janky sometimes, and the characters are all unique and interesting.”
- “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 definitely something really special and I feel like everyone should try to play this at least once.”
- “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.”
- “Just know that the gameplay, characters, and story are extremely and underwhelmingly simple.”
- “For graphics this low-tech and gameplay this clunky, it's maybe worth $10.”
humor
226 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 their memorable, funny dialogue, which often elicits genuine laughter. The game's unique art style complements its humor, creating an engaging experience that resonates with those who enjoy whimsical and absurdist comedy.
- “The humor is genuinely funny (rather than 'video game funny') but it's also got a good heart.”
- “The characters are all lovable, the humor is creative and entertaining, the music is perfect for the setting, and this game in general is just amazing!!!”
- “The story unravels steadily but brilliantly, and the dialogue shifts between witty humor and thought-provoking drama, occasionally combining the two into dark comedy.”
emotional
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of heartwarming and creepy elements, creating a transformative experience that resonates deeply with players. Many reviews highlight the touching narratives, memorable characters, and the ability to evoke strong feelings, including joy and sadness, often leading to tears. The game's art style and humor further enhance its emotional impact, making it a standout title for those seeking a heartfelt gaming experience.
- “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 is enthralling and touching, the art is completely wacky and wonderful, and the gameplay works well with the storytelling.”
atmosphere
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
39%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of whimsical and slightly unsettling elements, reminiscent of Tim Burton's style. Players appreciate the charming character designs, quirky visuals, and a soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, creating a memorable and engaging environment. While the game maintains a lighthearted tone, it subtly incorporates darker undertones, resulting in an atmosphere that is both fun and thought-provoking without relying on traditional horror elements.
- “It has a very unique avant-garde type of atmosphere and visuals; it's definitely not scary but always has that slightly unsettling or creepy feeling in the air.”
- “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.”
- “A solid little puzzle game with a creepy atmosphere, but no hardcore scares.”
- “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.”
character development
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
33%
3%
The character development in the game is highly praised for its phenomenal and diverse designs, which are described as charming, memorable, and reminiscent of 90's cartoons. Players appreciate the depth and uniqueness of each character, noting that their personalities and interactions significantly enhance the overall experience, making them feel like fully fleshed-out individuals. The combination of captivating art style, engaging dialogue, and immersive atmosphere contributes to a rich character-driven narrative that resonates with players.
- “The character designs are phenomenal and catch my eye, and I really like the sound design and controls, for the most part.”
- “It was fresh, unique and had a wide variety of diverse characters with such creative character designs.”
- “The character designs were inspiring and their dialogue was vastly entertaining.”
- “The character designs are charming and memorable, but the dialogue often falls flat, making it hard to connect with the characters on a deeper level.”
- “While the character designs are visually appealing, they lack depth and development, leaving the characters feeling one-dimensional.”
- “Despite the creative character designs, the overall character development feels superficial, as the characters don't evolve or grow throughout the game.”
replayability
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
48%
8%
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. Despite this, the unique aesthetic and engaging story provide enough incentive for some to revisit the game. Ultimately, it offers a decent replay value for those interested in achievements and atmospheric exploration, but may not be compelling enough for repeated playthroughs.
- “Beautiful, raw, and ridiculously replayable.”
- “Great art and lovable characters :) just finished one ending and it definitely has replay value.”
- “It also has good replay value and you can spend a lot of time just interacting with characters and exploring different dialogue (this game is very heavy in dialogue).”
- “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.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game, particularly related to the inventory system, to be somewhat tedious, especially in the late game when item accumulation increases. While the puzzles can also feel a bit repetitive, the game's relatively short duration of around four hours prevents these mechanics from becoming overly burdensome. Overall, the inventory management could benefit from more efficient navigation options.
- “It could be really tedious to have to scroll through items, especially in late game when you have a lot.”
- “The inventory system gets a bit tedious as your inventory gets clogged up with items from solved puzzles.”
- “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.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with players reporting frequent performance problems, 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.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, users report a high level of stability, with multiple reviews indicating that they experienced no glitches during gameplay.
- “I experienced no glitches.”
- “I experienced no glitches.”