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STONE

STONE's writing can swerve between fantastic and terrible at the drop of a hat. Considering this is the most important part of the game, it's a shame it couldn't be more consistent in its quality.
STONE Game Cover
64%Game Brain Score
story, music
gameplay, replayability
68% User Score Based on 88 reviews
Critic Score 57%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPCMac OSPhoneXbox OneiPadXboxMobile PlatformiPhoneWindows
STONE Game Cover

About

STONE is a single player casual role playing game with mystery and comedy themes. It was developed by Convict Games and was released on September 20, 2018. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"STONE is a single-player, mystery role-playing game with an intriguing story and outstanding soundtrack. Created by a global team, the game features a 3rd person perspective with a drone cam and map-based free roam exploration. Experience a deep, reference-heavy interactive story involving drinking, dancing, and smoking, as you uncover the life lessons of the game's protagonist."

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68%
Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews
story28 positive mentions
gameplay5 negative mentions

  • The game features a unique and engaging story centered around a gay koala private investigator, which adds a refreshing perspective to the narrative.
  • The soundtrack is well-curated, featuring a mix of hip-hop and rock that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The character designs and visuals are colorful and appealing, contributing to the game's charm despite some technical limitations.
  • The gameplay is overly simplistic and linear, with minimal interaction and repetitive tasks that can lead to boredom.
  • Voice acting is inconsistent, with some characters delivering lines poorly, detracting from the overall immersion.
  • The game is very short, lasting only about 1.5 to 2 hours, which may not justify the price for many players.
  • story
    130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Stone" revolves around a koala on a quest to find his kidnapped boyfriend, blending elements of noir and humor with a distinctly Australian flavor. While some players appreciate its engaging twists and emotional depth, many criticize the slow pacing, lack of meaningful dialogue choices, and underdeveloped characters, leading to a mixed reception overall. Despite its potential, the storytelling is often hampered by poor execution, making it feel more like a passive experience than an interactive narrative.

    • “The story is well crafted and reveals itself through a series of twists that keep you engaged throughout.”
    • “Stone is a solid, short interactive story with some memorable characters and settings.”
    • “The story is a mix of 'The Big Lebowski', 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', and 'Two Hands'.”
    • “The story itself has potential, but the telling of that story is so oafishly handled that any goodwill gets tossed aside, just like the carpet of empty beer cans lining Stone's apartment.”
    • “The overall story is okay, but the dialogue is forced and the characters don't come across as believable.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story is very minimal and weak, not well written, not so interesting and engaging; playtime is about two hours, but it could be less.”
  • music
    61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the diverse and well-curated soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and experience. While some found the selection of hip-hop and techno less appealing compared to rock, others appreciated the inclusion of various genres and the opportunity to watch classic films. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, contributing positively to the game's charm despite criticisms of other aspects like dialogue and gameplay.

    • “I really enjoyed the music and how it helped create distinct atmospheres in each location.”
    • “The music soundtrack is awesome and gives a really good atmosphere to the game.”
    • “The soundtrack is one of the best I've ever heard in a video game.”
    • “The soundtrack is decent, even if there's way too much crappy hip-hop and techno compared to the amount of rock music.”
    • “Outside of the soundtrack, I'm not sure what Stone's hip-hop credentials are aside from the main character's keychain which lazily reads 'I heart rap'.”
    • “The game world is explorable to a degree, but there's just not a lot to see and do unless you're really interested in exploring the music and film offerings.”
  • gameplay
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily a linear, dialog-focused experience that resembles a light point-and-click adventure, with players mostly walking around and interacting with characters to advance the story. Many reviewers noted the lack of engaging gameplay mechanics, describing it as repetitive and simplistic, often feeling more like a walking simulator with minimal interactivity. While some appreciated the narrative and character development, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is underwhelming and lacks depth, making it feel more like an interactive story than a traditional game.

    • “While the gameplay was a little too connect-the-dots for my tastes, I thoroughly enjoyed the originality and heart that I found in Stone.”
    • “Gameplay consists of just walking about and interacting with objects, and much of the game is spent talking to other characters.”
    • “In terms of gameplay, it's a very light adventure game, meaning that there's not that much adventuring or investigation to do.”
    • “The gameplay can be defined as dialog-focused light point-and-click adventure, closer to an interactive story.”
    • “Unfortunatly the game lacks real gameplay and is mostly interactive story and is quite linear in the first few acts, more choices open up after that.”
  • graphics
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the colorful art style and character designs, particularly the animal models, while others criticize them as bland and simplistic. Although there are some appealing visual touches, such as a unique aesthetic and decent animations, many players feel the overall graphical quality falls short of expectations, especially compared to the game's concept art. Overall, while the visuals have their charm, they are often described as lacking depth and coherence.

    • “The graphics are very well done, the soundtrack is great, and the story is interesting, to say the least.”
    • “The art style and graphics are quite nice; visually speaking, the character design is great, seeing a wombat with a tinny whilst standing on a bowling green is perfect.”
    • “The visuals are stimulating and I absolutely loved the character designs!”
    • “The graphics were bland and boring with absolutely nothing going for them, which just added to the bland story and gameplay.”
    • “This game is let down by overly simplistic graphics, annoying club music, lazy writing, and poor voice acting.”
    • “The graphics are competent, but feel incomplete.”
  • humor
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of Australian wit, colloquialisms, and heartfelt storytelling, often delivered through well-written dialogue and charming character interactions. While some players found the humor to be hit-or-miss, with moments of genuine charm and clever quips, others noted that it could feel underwhelming by the end. Overall, the game successfully captures a unique comedic tone that resonates with its cultural context, making it both relatable and entertaining.

    • “A funny heartfelt story-based game made by Australians.”
    • “It's chock full of Australian wit and colloquialisms that make it both representative of what the country is able to produce in terms of art and a hilarious drumming of the country's own issues, while remaining accessible.”
    • “Complemented with superb voice-over, the game achieves to portray a genuine community of imperfect personalities, surrounded by a bitter sense of humor all the way through.”
    • “As a detective, he's dumb as a rock; not funny-dumb, in a Lebowski way, but like a slow-witted uncle.”
    • “The jokes fall flat and often feel forced, lacking the cleverness that would make them enjoyable.”
    • “The humor tries too hard to be quirky but ends up being more cringeworthy than amusing.”
  • emotional
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt storytelling and well-written dialogue, often infused with humor and Australian slang. While some players found the pacing slow and the inability to skip dialogues frustrating, others appreciated the varied and interesting characters, noting that the narrative can evoke genuine emotions, especially towards the end. Overall, it appeals to those seeking a unique and emotionally engaging experience.

    • “The characters were varied, interesting, and overall if the above interests you, then I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a heartfelt story with a splash of comedy thrown in, and especially if you're craving something a little different.”
    • “An emotionally driven walking simulator.”
    • “Shrouded in Aussie slang and humor, this is quite a heartfelt story.”
    • “I'm glad that there are subtitles for those who have a hard time listening, like me, but not being able to skip the dialogues after I've finished reading the subtitles is too much, especially for a slow and boring story like this.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by an impressive soundtrack and effective lighting, creating distinct moods across various locations. While the 3D models are simplified, the overall ambiance is engaging and lighthearted, making it a compelling experience for those who appreciate story-driven content.

    • “I really enjoyed the music and how it helped create distinct atmospheres in each location.”
    • “The music soundtrack is awesome and gives a really good atmosphere to the game.”
    • “This game might not be for everyone, but it has a good, lighthearted atmosphere and a fun world to immerse yourself in.”
    • “The textures in the 3D models and objects are mostly simplified, with lighting that helps to create the atmosphere in some areas.”
    • “Since there's no gameplay, you're really here for the story and the atmosphere.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability, primarily due to its short length of around 90 minutes and a lack of engaging content. While players can choose between different responses in conversations, which may provide some variation, the overall experience is described as dull and not worth replaying.

    • “The game offers a good length and replayability.”
    • “You can choose between two responses in certain conversations, which adds some replayability.”
    • “The replay value of choosing different responses is significant; I went the nice route, but I bet the jerk responses are pretty amusing.”
    • “The 15€ for an experience that barely reaches 90 minutes offers no replayability whatsoever and is so dull it will feel like a chore to play through.”
    • “If you are willing to pay the asking price for an experience roughly two hours long, the replay value of choosing different responses is limited.”
    • “You can choose between two responses in certain conversations, which seems like it adds some replayability, but I’ve only played through the game once, so I'm not completely sure.”
  • character development
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is praised for its excellent design and visually appealing art style, with unique and engaging character concepts. However, the 3D models and limited animations detract from the overall experience, as the environments feel lifeless and uninspired.

    • “The character designs in of themselves are pretty eye-catching.”
    • “The art style and graphics are quite nice; visually speaking, the character design is great, seeing a wombat with a tiny while standing on a bowling green is perfect.”
    • “The visuals are stimulating, and I absolutely loved the character designs!”
    • “Feels like the excellent character design is being held back by the 3D models.”
    • “The character designs in and of themselves are pretty eye-catching.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly noting that the repetitive task of traveling from point A to B can feel monotonous and unengaging. Overall, the grinding elements detract from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.

    • “It's incredibly tedious to just walk from point A to B in some situations.”
    • “Kinda goes into that tedious feeling mentioned earlier.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been criticized for its basic art style, a poorly zoomed-in third-person camera, and a user interface that is not well-suited for controller use. Additionally, while the music may have been a focal point, it did not resonate with all players. Despite these issues, some users found a certain charm in the overall experience.

    • “Not much gameplay, the art style is a little basic, the third-person camera was too zoomed in, and the music, which seemed to be a big focus, was not really to my taste. Additionally, the UI was not optimized for controller use, but despite all of those problems, there was a certain charm to it.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that while the story is engaging, the stability is compromised by occasional glitches in the dialogue, which can disrupt timing and flow.

    • “As much as I love the story here, the dialogue is strained at times and has glitches that affect the timing.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

STONE is a casual role playing game with mystery and comedy themes.

STONE is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, Phone and others.

STONE was released on September 20, 2018.

STONE was developed by Convict Games.

STONE has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

STONE is a single player game.

Similar games include Demetrios: The Big Cynical Adventure, Rainswept, 1954 Alcatraz, State of Mind, Harold Halibut and others.