Steno Arcade

About

Steno Arcade is a single player action game. It was developed by For All To Play and was released on March 30, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Steno Arcade is a suite of arcade games designed to teach and drill steno fundamentals in an immersive, addictive, responsive, and interactive way.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 127 reviews

music21 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game is free to play, making it accessible to anyone interested in practicing typing skills.
It features enjoyable music, which adds a fun element to the typing practice.
The concept of typing along with song lyrics is innovative and can help improve typing speed for those using a steno machine.

The game is extremely difficult, especially for players using a standard keyboard, making it frustrating for many users.
It has limited content, with only a few songs available, which can lead to a lack of replayability.
The graphics and overall implementation are considered poor, detracting from the overall experience.

music
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the enjoyable soundtracks and the concept of typing along to music, but criticizing the limited song library and the difficulty level of even the "easy" songs. While some users find the music fun and a good way to practice typing, others feel that the selection is bland and the challenge may be too steep for average typists. Overall, there is a desire for more variety and easier options in the song choices to enhance the experience.
- “The idea is brilliant: type the lyrics of a song while it's played.”
- “I like the idea of practicing touch typing along to music.”
- “The soundtrack is great, the graphics are nice too as they're retro.”
- “However, it is not fleshed out and the library of songs is not very big.”
- “6 songs is not enough; also, the highest difficulty is absolutely insane and you'd really have to be superhuman to do it.”
- “The worst music rhythm (keyboard typing rhythm) game ever.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The graphics in the game are polarizing; some users criticize them as low-quality pixel art that detracts from the experience, while others appreciate the retro style and find them charming. Overall, the visuals seem to evoke mixed feelings, with some players enjoying the nostalgic aesthetic despite its limitations.
- “Although a bit hard, especially for non-English games, it's quite a fun game with beautiful soundtracks and cute visuals.”
- “The soundtrack is great, and the graphics are nice too as they're retro.”
- “This features really godawful pixel crap 'art' instead of real graphics.”
- “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to create 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
- “Games like Terraria and Stardew Valley succeeded despite the bad graphics, not because of them.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is generally well-received, with users appreciating its unique mechanics and educational value, particularly as a typing simulator. However, some players note a steep difficulty curve and long pauses during easier levels, which can disrupt the flow of play. Overall, it offers a functional and enjoyable experience, especially for a free game.
- “Steno Arcade is an experimental synth arcade game. It's very good, but it goes from easy to extremely hard very fast. You can't replay the music too much because the easy levels have huge pauses during gameplay. This idea is great, and probably this game is my favorite educational game so far. I think there is no game over screen in this game; in other words, it's basically a typing learning simulator.”
- “But you can't really not recommend a free game that's got nice music and is fully functional. It just needs better mechanics on how to deal with those sentence cuts.”
- “It has nice gameplay.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story aspect of the game is highlighted as a significant feature, with users suggesting that it is engaging and well-developed, particularly in comparison to other titles.
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks coherence.”
- “The narrative fails to engage and leaves many questions unanswered.”
- “Character development is shallow, making it hard to connect with the plot.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
Users report that while the Plover software can be somewhat buggy, it generally operates with good stability. However, those transitioning from other steno translation software may face challenges in converting their dictionaries.
- “The game seems, for the most part, not buggy.”
- “I haven't encountered any major issues; the stability is impressive.”
- “The performance is smooth, and I rarely experience crashes or glitches.”
- “If you've been using a different translation software for steno, such as CaseCatalyst or Eclipse, you're probably going to have to figure out how to convert and transform your dictionaries to the open-source Plover software, which can be a tad bit buggy.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players note that while only the easiest songs are accessible with a standard keyboard, the challenge of higher difficulty levels can encourage exploration of stenotyping, adding a layer of replayability for those seeking to improve their skills.
- “The variety of challenges and different paths to take in each playthrough keeps the game fresh and exciting.”
- “Every time I play, I discover new strategies and secrets that make each run feel unique.”
- “The randomization of levels and events ensures that no two playthroughs are ever the same.”
- “With a normal keyboard, only the very easy and easy songs are playable; higher levels of difficulty may prove quite frustrating, but it can be an incentive to discover stenotyping.”
- “The lack of diverse gameplay options makes it hard to find reasons to replay the game after finishing it once.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there isn't much left to draw you back in for a second playthrough.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is widely regarded as very funny, making it a great choice for recording and sharing on platforms like YouTube.
- “Very funny game, I recommend it for recording on YouTube!”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever jokes that kept me laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue and hilarious situations that make every playthrough enjoyable.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is generally well-received, but players note that there are areas where optimization could be improved for a better overall experience.
- “A very good game, but it can be optimized for better performance.”
- “The optimization in this game really enhances the overall experience.”
- “I appreciate the developers' efforts in optimizing the game for smoother gameplay.”