Strange Telephone / ストレンジテレフォン

About

Strange Telephone / ストレンジテレフォン is a single player action game. It was developed by yuta / HZ3 Software and was released on March 25, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

In Strange Telephone, players navigate surreal, dot-worlds generated by phone numbers, helping the protagonist Jill and her phone-companion Graham escape their mysterious confinement. As you explore and collect items, multiple endings and experiences await, promising a unique and intriguing adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Strange Telephone / ストレンジテレフォン screenshot

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 175 reviews

graphics20 positive mentions

story7 negative mentions

The game features beautiful visuals and a charming aesthetic that enhances the surreal experience.
Exploration is enjoyable, with a unique mechanic of dialing phone numbers to access different worlds, providing a sense of discovery.
The game offers a variety of quirky puzzles and multiple endings, making it engaging for fans of surreal and experimental gameplay.

Many puzzle solutions are esoteric and unintuitive, often requiring players to rely on guides to progress.
The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious due to the limited variety of environments and the reliance on random number generation.
The lack of a coherent story or meaningful character interactions leaves players feeling unsatisfied and disconnected from the experience.

graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
41%
8%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their charming pixel art style and surreal aesthetics, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that resonates with fans of indie titles like *Yume Nikki*. While the visuals and sound design contribute positively to the overall experience, some players noted that the repetitive environments can diminish the initial visual appeal. Overall, the game's unique art direction and engaging atmosphere make it a standout feature, despite some gameplay challenges.
- “The graphics are very cute and the story is quite nice!”
- “With its surreal atmosphere and endearing pixel graphics, I can recommend this to fans of Yume Nikki or Japanese indie games in general.”
- “It is an interesting and unique game to say the least, sporting a new mechanic I personally have never seen before, the trippy and amazing visuals give a sense of being in some sort of dream or fantasy, reminding me a lot of Yume Nikki.”
- “Unfortunately, even an aesthetic as cute as this can't excuse some of the weird adventure game logic.”
- “The aesthetic of it might appeal to some people, which is what initially drew me in, but the visual awe wears off after seeing the same scene too many times.”
- “Strange telephone is not a bad game aesthetically, but I feel like it actively does not want me to take the time to appreciate and get immersed in the atmosphere.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay of "Strange Telephone" is a mixed bag, featuring a unique mechanic of dialing phone numbers to access small, surreal levels for exploration and puzzle-solving. While the art style and atmosphere are praised, many players find the repetitive nature of the gameplay and lack of a cohesive story detract from the overall experience, leading to boredom over time. Despite its charm and interesting mechanics, the game struggles with depth and engagement, leaving some players feeling unfulfilled.
- “The art style is nice, the mechanics are simple, and the music is a jam.”
- “This is a fun little Yume Nikki-styled sidescroller with an emphasis on puzzles and classic 'point and click' styled gameplay.”
- “It's really charming and fun to play, with some new and interesting game mechanics I've never really seen before.”
- “There's no story and the gameplay and environments are not fun, what is the point?”
- “Unfortunately, I think this game is somewhat hampered by the primary mechanic of dialing in locations to visit and the repetitive nature of the locations you visit.”
- “The actual gameplay is 'use item on x to continue' and it tells you nothing about that.”
story
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
61%
21%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many players noting that it feels vague or non-existent. While some appreciate the surreal and ambiguous elements, they express disappointment in the absence of a clear narrative or character development, leading to a sense of aimlessness in gameplay. Overall, the storytelling is seen as minimal and often overshadowed by the gameplay mechanics, leaving players wanting more substance and clarity.
- “The graphics are very cute and the story is quite nice!”
- “The game sports 11 unique endings, all of which can help bring some understanding of a story.”
- “Though there isn't much set story, it is still intriguing as you explore the levels and 'characters' found within the game.”
- “There's no story and the gameplay and environments are not fun; what is the point?”
- “Nothing was given about the story or characters' background, basically just clicking to go left or right without knowing what to do, picking up items without any useful information.”
- “The story isn't really there, and it looks like the creator is trying to do something with Alexander Graham Bell and inventing, but I'm unsure what the main goal is.”
atmosphere
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
28%
10%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its surreal and calming qualities, with appealing visuals and sound design that evoke a sense of exploration reminiscent of titles like *Yume Nikki*. However, some players feel that the introduction of time limits detracts from the immersive experience, turning exploration into a rushed task rather than a leisurely journey. Overall, while the game captures a unique and charming atmosphere, opinions vary on its effectiveness in maintaining immersion and depth.
- “The art is cute and unique, the atmosphere is really nice and the sound design is excellent.”
- “Overall, it's just a very unique, original and charming game, with great aesthetics, atmosphere, and an exchange of ideas not seen so much in games these days.”
- “The music creates a great atmosphere.”
- “But for most players, I'd recommend you try Yume Nikki instead, which has a better surreal/creepy atmosphere and better exploration.”
- “Strange Telephone has some nice art direction and certainly nails, for the most part, that surreal atmosphere it's trying to convey, but when you start seeing just how shallow the 'worlds' are and how ineffective and broken the mechanics are, everything falls apart (pretty quickly too, I might add).”
- “The music and designs of the environments are alright, but since each environment is literally only the size of your screen and you constantly are jumping between them, there's zero room for atmosphere or immersion.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
28%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a beautiful soundtrack that many players find memorable. While some users note that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, it is generally described as enjoyable and fitting for the game's surreal and immersive environments. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and appeal, making it a highlight for many players.
- “The music surprisingly has some really nice tunes, many of which are very laid back and nice to listen to when you're just chilling out or studying.”
- “The music is wonderful, the worlds are wonderful, and the creature designs are so wonderful.”
- “Honestly, the game is worth it for the music alone, if you want to spend a few hours between realms wandering without a cause.”
- “The music and designs of the environments are alright, but since each environment is literally only the size of your screen and you constantly are jumping between them; there's zero room for atmosphere or immersion.”
- “A very atmospheric game, beautiful art, but the soundtrack is kinda annoying in some worlds.”
- “The soundtrack is fair, although it gets repetitive after a few hours of gameplay.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, often leading to repetitive back-and-forth actions and aimless exploration. Unlike its inspiration, "Yume Nikki," which is cryptic and mysterious, this game is criticized for becoming overly obtuse and boring, reducing the experience to random number trials in search of objectives.
- “The game eventually devolves into a tedious session of trying random numbers until you find the object you need in the preview screen, or you give up and try to walk in a single direction from a random number.”
- “In the end, this game is boring, tedious, and (unlike its inspiration Yume Nikki) instead of being cryptic and mysterious, it becomes just obtuse and frustrating.”
- “It's a bit tedious having to go back and forth, but I can understand a bit why since otherwise most players would just be roaming around forever with no repercussions and eventually would get lost.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging, feeling a sense of cleverness when solving puzzles, despite some lacking clear indicators. Its charm and heartfelt moments resonate well, though many note that the game has notable flaws.
- “This game is fascinating, charming, and heartfelt, but also quite flawed.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a mix of endearing and awkward mini-stories that players encounter while solving puzzles and interacting with NPCs, offering moments that can be cute, scary, or hilariously awkward. While some players may not find it overtly funny, the charm lies in the unexpected and relatable narratives that unfold throughout the gameplay.
- “Instead, there are countless endearing 'mini-stories' you uncover as you solve puzzles and help NPCs, which can be cute, scary, sad, or hilariously awkward (if you played the game, you know the one).”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game lacks significant replayability, with users noting that it does not offer enough incentive or variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “Unfortunately, it really doesn't have any replay value.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of "Strange Telephone" is positively highlighted, particularly for its clever use of advertisements that creatively integrate gameplay elements, such as showcasing a player using a phone in the final video.

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2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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