Spiral

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 30 reviews
  • story
  • emotional
  • music
Spiral Game Cover
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Spiral is a third-person narratively driven exploration game sharing a poetic vision of cognitive degeneration seen from the inside. It tells the story of Bernard, a man who wishes goodbye one last time to the memories that built him from his early childhood to who he is today.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews
story13 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • Spiral offers a deeply emotional and immersive narrative that effectively portrays the experience of cognitive degeneration, allowing players to empathize with the protagonist, Bernard.
  • The game features charming characters, genuine dialogue, and a variety of engaging mini-games that provide a fun contrast to the heavier themes of the story.
  • Visually stunning with a unique art style, Spiral combines beautiful 2D and 3D graphics with a captivating musical score, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Some players experienced minor bugs and technical issues, such as getting stuck on objects or objectives not completing properly, which can disrupt the gameplay.
  • The audio levels for voice lines and sound effects can vary, leading to moments where dialogue may be too loud or too quiet, affecting immersion.
  • While the game is rich in narrative, some players felt that the gameplay mechanics were relatively simple and could benefit from more complexity.
  • story41 mentions

    The story of "Spiral" follows Bernard through five poignant chapters of his life, exploring themes of memory, family, and cognitive decline with empathy and depth. Players engage with a beautifully crafted narrative that combines emotional storytelling with interactive elements, making it a compelling experience that resonates long after completion. The game effectively balances heavier themes with light-hearted puzzles, creating a rich and immersive journey that highlights the complexities of living with dementia.

    • “We get to experience Bernard’s story through five different chapters of his life, helping him reconnect with the memories of his loved ones while navigating his increasingly unstable mind space.”
    • “Folklore Games truly accomplished their mission of wanting to display the person behind the illness and how it can affect every portion of their life and how they remember it.”
    • “The storytelling is truly poetic, mirroring cognitive degeneration in a way that is deeply emotional and immersive.”
    • “By the end, I found myself in tears—not just because of the story, but because it captured a perspective we rarely see: that of the person living with dementia.”
    • “The narrative is engaging, the subject matter is handled with care, and there’s plenty to interact with—not just passively listening to the story, as is common in many narrative games.”
  • emotional22 mentions

    The game is praised for its deeply emotional and immersive atmosphere, featuring a heartfelt narrative and well-written characters that evoke strong feelings, often leading players to tears. Its exploration of themes like nostalgia and cognitive degeneration creates a captivating journey that resonates with players of all ages, making it a memorable emotional experience. Overall, the combination of stylized visuals, engaging gameplay, and poignant storytelling results in a touching and heartwarming adventure.

    • “It is an emotional journey with well-written characters.”
    • “The emotional depth of the narrative is unparalleled; I found myself deeply invested in the characters and their struggles.”
    • “The storytelling is truly poetic, mirroring cognitive degeneration in a way that is deeply emotional and immersive.”
  • music11 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with a standout "holy pizza" song and a fitting score that enhances the overall experience. However, some players found certain tracks, particularly in the board game scenes, to be less enjoyable and distracting, leading to a desire for more varied music. Overall, the soundtrack contributes to the game's immersive atmosphere, though opinions on its effectiveness vary.

    • “The 'holy pizza' song had me rolling and the whole 'D&D' experience was beautiful.”
    • “Second, I have to say: the dialogue, art design, music, and voice acting are all great, and they work together well to create a moving tale.”
    • “Its stunning visuals and immersive soundtrack create a world that feels truly alive.”
    • “And at the same time, the other music choices were well-fitting for the areas they played, maybe not tracks I would want to listen to for as long as I had to while in certain scenes, such as the board game scenes.”
    • “It's music was more rock/grunge and although fitting, I found myself wanting something a bit less stifling since we spent a significant amount of time there.”
    • “You could hear the main spiral tracks playing, while the board game music played too, which did distract from immersion at times.”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay offers a solid 6 to 10 hours of engaging content, featuring stylized visuals, delightful characters, and a heartfelt narrative that balances relaxation with variety. While it includes interesting mechanics and humorous moments, some players noted minor frustrations, particularly with fishing controls, though developers are addressing these issues. Overall, the game is praised for its meaningful experience and rewarding gameplay, despite some small mechanical annoyances.

    • “It will take between 6 and 10 hours to complete, depending on how thorough the player is, and provides a good amount of gameplay for its price tag.”
    • “It offers stylized visuals, delightful characters, a heartfelt narrative, and a strong mix of relaxing and engaging gameplay with a lot of variety.”
    • “Interesting mechanics, funny moments, and throughout really smooth and colorful gameplay.”
    • “The game has a couple of small annoyances in terms of mechanics; the fishing on controller leaves a lot to be desired, although I have been assured that the devs are working on that.”
    • “Gameplay: 6.5/10”
    • “I am writing this review with about 3 hours of official gameplay, playing demos, etc.”
  • graphics8 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning art style, reminiscent of "James and the Giant Peach," and feature a beautiful blend of 2D visuals that enhance storytelling. Reviewers highlight the immersive environments and delightful character designs, noting that the overall artistic direction significantly contributes to the game's emotional impact, despite some comments on graphical fidelity.

    • “It offers stylised visuals, delightful characters, a heartfelt narrative, and a strong mix of relaxing and engaging gameplay with a lot of variety.”
    • “Its stunning visuals and immersive soundtrack create a world that feels truly alive.”
    • “The 2D art style was particularly beautiful as well, and the idea of blending both into a game for a stronger use of storytelling was well done.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by witty banter and amusing moments that provide a lighthearted contrast to the more serious elements of the story. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics and the overall vibrant gameplay that enhances the comedic experience.

    • “Full of funny banter.”
    • “These puzzles often offer a humorous reprieve from the heavier parts of the story.”
    • “Interesting mechanics, funny moments, and overall really smooth and colorful gameplay.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized as deeply emotional and immersive, drawing players into its world and enhancing their overall experience.

    • “deeply emotional and immersive atmosphere”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization of voice and dialogue in the game has received high praise, with users commending the quality of the dialogue and the exceptional performances of the voice actors and actresses.

    • “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
    • “I love how the developers have fine-tuned the performance settings, making it easy to customize the experience to fit my hardware.”
    • “The game's optimization ensures that I can enjoy stunning graphics without sacrificing frame rates.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, users report that while there are some glitches present, they do not significantly hinder gameplay or progress.

    • “There are frequent crashes that disrupt gameplay.”
    • “The game is riddled with bugs that make it nearly unplayable at times.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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