Stilstand

About

Stilstand is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Niila Games and was released on August 27, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Stilstand" is an award-winning interactive comic about a young woman's struggle with anxiety, loneliness, and despair during a summer in Copenhagen. Players explore her emotional landscape through an interactive graphic novel, complete with mini-games, text messages, and social media feeds, all set against a detailed black and white visual style and cinematic soundtrack. It's a whimsical and poignant journey through the artist's personal experiences of feeling stuck in life.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+13

Skip User Reviews

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews

graphics12 positive mentions

The game offers a genuine and well-crafted exploration of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, resonating deeply with players.
The unique art style and emotional narrative create a powerful and immersive experience, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.
Despite its short length, the game effectively captures complex feelings and provides a thoughtful, therapeutic experience for those who relate to its themes.

The gameplay is minimal, with little interactivity, which may not appeal to those looking for a traditional gaming experience.
Some players found the art style to be simple or low-quality, which could detract from the overall experience.
The game lacks a clear positive message or resolution, which might leave some players feeling unsatisfied after completion.

graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
25%
15%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and impressive art style that blends humor with a heavy, sometimes deliberately ugly aesthetic. While some users appreciate the simplicity and comic-like quality of the visuals, others note that the sound design effectively complements the graphics, creating a melancholic atmosphere. Overall, the art style is seen as a distinctive element that enhances the game's thematic depth.
- “The art style is unique and impressive.”
- “The art style and humor are a great combination - it's a difficult experience represented as it is/feels, without sugar-coating, but with plenty of levity.”
- “The deliberately ugly art style is unique and gives the game a nice, heavy feel.”
- “The sound effects and bass-infused beats offset the somewhat shoddy visuals.”
- “It's more like an animated comic/graphics novel without much interaction at all.”
- “The art style is very simple, but I think it was okay and fits the mood and the 'deformed' self-confidence of the protagonist.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The game is primarily focused on its narrative, offering an interactive story experience with minimal gameplay, mainly consisting of clicking and small mini-games. Reviewers praise its intense, poetic, and surreal storytelling, complemented by great sound design, though some express a desire for a more positive conclusion. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a unique, slice-of-life experience.
- “Intense story, great sound design!”
- “Of course more an interactive story than a game, but it's so beautiful and poetic.”
- “That said, it was a rather surreal but very interesting, humorous yet sad story that I'd probably recommend for people looking for a slice of life.”
- “There isn't a ton in terms of gameplay; you're more just clicking to let the story progress with some very small mini-games.”
- “It's about the story rather than doing anything.”
- “I missed some kind of positive message after finishing the story.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay in Stilstand is characterized by its ease and intuitiveness, focusing more on narrative progression than on traditional gaming mechanics like puzzles or challenges. While it features a unique mechanic involving chewing off a fingernail, players primarily engage with the story rather than complex gameplay elements, which some may find acceptable. Overall, it leans towards a narrative-driven experience rather than an action-packed adventure.
- “The gameplay is easy but intuitive and fluid.”
- “Not a lot of gameplay, you are mostly just following the story, but sometimes that's okay.”
- “Not a lot of gameplay; you are mostly just following the story, but sometimes that's okay.”
- “Stilstand is the first game that uses chewing off a fingernail as a game mechanic.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight the remarkable emotional depth achieved in [b]stilstand[/b], noting that it effectively utilizes minimal resources to create a powerful impact. The game is praised for bringing a fresh perspective to the emotional interactive fiction genre.
- “Astonishing what incredible emotional impact can be made with so few resources.”
- “And as these types of experiences go, I do think that Stilstand adds something fresh to the emotional interactive fiction genre.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted to be lacking, with reviewers highlighting that it doesn't focus on gameplay or entertaining elements like puzzles or interactive dialogue. Overall, the comedic aspects seem to fall short of expectations.
- “In a funny way!”
- “It's definitely not a gameplay and entertaining oriented adventure game with lots of puzzles, challenges, or interactive funny dialogue.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised, with multiple users highlighting its exceptional quality.
- “Great atmosphere!”
- “Great atmosphere!”
- “Great atmosphere!”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently praise the game's optimization, highlighting its impressive performance.
- “The performance is amazing.”
- “The performance is amazing.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is described as a pleasant and melancholic soundtrack that contrasts effectively with the game's unique graphical style.
- “In contrast to the 'crooked' graphical style, the soundtrack is quite nice and very melancholic.”