Starstruck: Hands of Time

About

Starstruck: Hands of Time is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by Createdelic, LLC and was released on September 16, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Starstruck: Hands of Time" is a unique game that combines rhythm gameplay with an interactive rock opera, featuring a catchy soundtrack and live instruments by Elsie Lovelock. In the game, you'll play guitar in musical story segments and also control a giant human hand to demolish houses and solve puzzles in a strange miniature world. With the "Autoplay" option, you can enjoy the music and story even without the rhythm gameplay. Explore three interconnected adventures and uncover the mystery of how the little lives in the world are connected to the end of mankind.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 208 reviews

story46 positive mentions

The game features stunning visuals and a charming art style that captivates players.
It offers a unique blend of rhythm gameplay and an engaging, quirky story that keeps players invested.
The ability to use various controllers, including guitar controllers, adds a fun and nostalgic element to the gameplay.

The pacing can be slow during story segments, and there is no option to skip cutscenes, which may frustrate some players.
The game is relatively short, which might leave some players wanting more content.
Some rhythm game mechanics can be unintuitive, making it difficult for players to keep track of notes and beats.

story
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
56%
3%
The game's story is a quirky and often dark exploration of creativity, identity, and the struggles of artists, particularly through the relatable character of Edwin. While the narrative is engaging and visually charming, some players found the pacing slow and the ending abrupt, leaving certain plot threads unresolved. Overall, the unique storytelling, combined with rhythm game elements and beautiful aesthetics, makes it a compelling experience, even for those who may not typically enjoy rhythm games.
- “The game is very charming with an amazing style and a sweet story.”
- “I'm intrigued with where the story is going to go with the idea that scorned artists can sometimes turn on the world they once tried to captivate with art, and the early rejection that Edwin feels is very relatable.”
- “The story definitely goes places I didn't expect it to; it was really interesting.”
- “Unfortunately, that does bring me to one of my complaints and that's the inability to skip cutscenes and how slow the more 'story-focused' segments are.”
- “The game's ending also creeps up on you at a point where it feels like there should be another hour of the story to explain everything.”
- “I don’t think the game is quite successful at delivering a quirky story with symbolisms to complement and enhance its plot and characters.”
music
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the overall soundtrack as "magnificent" and "wonderful," while some criticize certain tracks for sounding "amateurish." Players appreciate the emotional depth and unique charm of the new compositions, although some feel that the rhythm minigame mechanics can be frustrating and unintuitive. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's aesthetic and narrative, making it a standout feature despite some inconsistencies.
- “But as a whole, the new music is really damn good, and it provokes feelings that still work well with the game's original scenes.”
- “Fantastic game with a wonderful presentation and an even better soundtrack.”
- “The visuals are fantastic, the music bops, and on top of the eccentric mix of adventure, rhythm gameplay, and sandbox destruction, it all comes together to make something truly unique.”
- “For a title emphasizing music, many of the songs you play during the rhythm minigames sound too amateurish.”
- “Experienced guitar hero players should note that, even though it supports guitar controllers and works great, there are some frustrating bits about the rhythm minigame: there's no real on-screen indicator for where the beat falls, which makes the charts nearly impossible to sightread, the notes wrap back around to the left side of the screen at musically random points in time (i.e. not at beat one of a bar), and you'll have to press the buttons for each note (for example, for a series of power chords, there's no 'strum', you just have to press the chord buttons each time).”
- “I was disappointed to discover that not every song has vocals as seen in the demo, but maybe it's because I'm just not into jam bands or 5/8 time signatures.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
39%
7%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique charm, featuring a striking clay art style that blends various artistic influences, including realism and cartoonish elements. Reviewers highlight the impressive visuals, dynamic camera angles, and the overall aesthetic that enhances the gameplay experience, making it a standout aspect of the game. The combination of beautiful graphics, engaging characters, and a captivating story contributes to a visually delightful and immersive experience.
- “The visuals are fantastic, the music bops, and on top of the eccentric mix of adventure, rhythm gameplay, and sandbox destruction, it all comes together to make something truly unique.”
- “The striking clay art style, wonderful music, the charming characters, the intriguing plot, and the overall inspired presentation hooked me all those years ago and still seem to be here in full force.”
- “Even if you aren't typically a fan of rhythm games, it's still worth getting for the story and visuals alone.”
- “The mix of the clay art style gets mixed with all sorts of weird stuff like real world objects, and I can just feel the passion that the developers had when making this game.”
- “While it's easy to compare games to their inspirations, the game is filled to the brim with its own unique charm, from its music, to its characters, to the visuals that after hours with the game can still make my jaw hit the ground.”
- “The passion of its creators shines through in this game, with various art styles: realism, hand-made sculpture, cartoonish styles mixed with historical documents.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The gameplay is a unique blend of rhythm mechanics and adventure elements, allowing players to explore and interact with a vibrant world filled with hidden easter eggs. While the rhythm gameplay is engaging and satisfying once mastered, some players find the note charting uneven and challenging. Overall, the game offers a charming experience with great visuals, music, and a compelling narrative that keeps players invested.
- “Overall gameplay-wise it's wonderful, there's a ton of custom options and support for a bunch of controllers including guitar controllers.”
- “The visuals are fantastic, the music bops, and on top of the eccentric mix of adventure, rhythm gameplay, and sandbox destruction, it all comes together to make something truly unique.”
- “The game seems to have an emphasis on finding little hidden easter eggs and details in the world, and there are little game segments built around different mechanics that allow you to interact with the world in different ways, and this in particular is really engaging to me.”
- “Unfortunately, the core gameplay has taken the worst aspects of 'Um Jammer Lammy,' like the nonsense note charting and atonal songs.”
- “I don't think the developers know how much fun hand mode is, considering how little there is of it compared to the rest of the gameplay.”
- “The rhythm game mechanics are fine in and of themselves, but they're weirdly unevenly spread across the game's runtime, and the charting makes really poor use of the mechanics and the controller.”
humor
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its uniqueness and charm, blending imaginative and quirky elements with clever writing and funny dialogue. Players appreciate the balance of humor with deeper, sometimes eerie themes, creating a captivating experience that surprises and entertains throughout. Overall, the game's comedic aspects are seen as a significant highlight, enhancing its engaging narrative and gameplay.
- “It's smart, without feeling up its own ass, and it's funny.”
- “An insanely charming rhythm game with consistently cool surprises in its narrative gameplay and a really funny vibe.”
- “Those brief, vaguely katamari-esque destruction sections serve as a hilarious counterpart to the music creation.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a complex journey that balances wholesome moments with unsettling themes, creating a rich emotional experience. While it effectively captures deep themes and offers a mix of humor, heartache, and horror, some players feel that the resolution of character arcs lacks emotional depth and fulfillment. Overall, it is recommended as an emotional ride worth experiencing.
- “It's wholesome when it needs to be, and quite unsettling when it needs to be unsettling, too.”
- “It's an emotional ride that I think a lot of people should experience.”
- “Starstruck perfectly captures three emotionally-dense themes underneath its dream logic.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its relaxing claymation style and ambient music, creating an engaging environment. Players find the characters likable and appreciate the depth of the plot, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is amazing, the characters are likable, and the plot itself is far deeper than it needs to be.”
- “Overall atmosphere is very relaxing with the claymation style and ambient background music.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight that the game features appealing character designs, which contribute positively to the overall character development experience. However, there is limited feedback on the depth or progression of the characters themselves.