Tales of the Neon Sea

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 660 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Tales of the Neon Sea Game Cover
Tales of the Neon Sea is a promising cyberpunk puzzler marred by an underbaked story and a host of small annoyances. Although it boasts engaging puzzles and beautiful visuals, Neon Sea drags and loses its direction as it progresses. It's a game that has potential, but it just can't seem to capitalize on it.
Starting at $1.76Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store Get on Epic Games Store

"Tales of the Neon Sea" is a puzzle-filled adventure game set in a cyberpunk city with both humans and sentient AI robots. As a retired police detective, you'll use your wits to solve cases amidst rising tensions between the two groups. With retro-styled pixel art and a rich, immersive world, this game promises 8-12 hours of engaging and suspenseful gameplay.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 660 reviews
story255 positive mentions
grinding20 negative mentions
  • Gorgeous pixel art and vibrant visuals that create an immersive cyberpunk atmosphere.
  • Engaging story with interesting characters and a mix of humor and darker themes.
  • Variety of puzzles that are mostly enjoyable and not overly difficult, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
  • Frequent spelling and grammatical errors in the English translation that detract from the overall experience.
  • Some puzzles can be overly convoluted or tedious, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
  • The game ends on a cliffhanger, leaving many plot points unresolved and potentially disappointing for players seeking closure.
  • story553 mentions

    The story of "Tales of the Neon Sea" is a captivating blend of cyberpunk aesthetics and detective narrative, featuring a retired detective and his feline companion as they unravel a series of murders intertwined with themes of societal conflict and personal demons. While many players found the world-building and character development engaging, some noted that the plot can become convoluted and occasionally loses focus, particularly towards the end, leaving several threads unresolved and hinting at a potential sequel. Overall, the narrative is praised for its intriguing premise and immersive atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and writing quality.

    • “The story is interesting, you investigate a murder that eventually ties to unsolved murders 15 years earlier with a serial killer that never got caught.”
    • “The story kept me engaged and I think they left it on a proper cliffhanger that leaves me hopeful for a sequel.”
    • “The story is engaging and follows a detective (a man with a lot of past, little present, and no future) in a string of events that lead him back to an old unresolved and particularly brutal case of his; a degree of cuteness is added by a parallel story of a street cat and its endeavors and how it helps out the main protagonist.”
    • “The storyline never hooked me.”
    • “The story is not engaging and is stuffed full of clichés it plays straight.”
    • “The plot rushes into weird tangents near the end and tends to forget what the game originally was about.”
  • graphics234 mentions

    The graphics of "Tales of the Neon Sea" have been widely praised for their stunning pixel art and vibrant cyberpunk aesthetic, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlighted the beautiful character designs and detailed environments, noting that the visuals are a major draw of the game. However, some critiques mentioned a mismatch between character portraits and pixel graphics, as well as a lack of depth in certain areas, suggesting that while the graphics are impressive, they do not fully compensate for other gameplay shortcomings.

    • “The pixel art style masterfully captures the cyberpunk atmosphere and elevates the game's overall aesthetics.”
    • “The graphics are absolutely gorgeous.”
    • “The game immediately hooks you in with its gorgeous visuals and hand-crafted pixel art, creating a vibrant cyberpunk world teeming with life at every corner, just waiting to be explored.”
    • “The character portraits and pixel graphics just don't go along well.”
    • “Most of what we see is a very limited view of the cyberpunk world and the character art style clashes heavily with the pixel art.”
    • “They chose to use obsolete retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
  • gameplay130 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a mix of standard point-and-click mechanics, puzzle-solving, and exploration, with some players appreciating the variety of puzzles and mini-games, while others find it repetitive and linear. Many reviews highlight the engaging story and visuals, but some criticize the gameplay for being simplistic or lacking depth, with certain puzzles feeling frustrating or disconnected from the narrative. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as enjoyable by some, but disappointing for others due to its execution and pacing.

    • “The gameplay is split between talking sequences and puzzles.”
    • “The core gameplay is the usual point-and-click investigative adventure, and the puzzles are solid - there is a good variety to them with very little repetition, and in terms of difficulty they are challenging enough without being too obnoxious or arbitrary.”
    • “Not only do you get a good storyline which manages to hook you until the end, but you also get a wide variety of puzzles, investigations, interactions, and fun gameplay.”
    • “My one issue is that there wasn't much variety in gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is plagued by repetitive mechanics and some puzzles suffer from a bad translation from Chinese into English.”
    • “The gameplay was story-oriented, with a mix of puzzles thrown in that mimicked the process of investigation, decoding software locks, and so forth.”
  • music116 mentions

    The music in "Tales of the Neon Sea" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and immersive qualities that complement the game's vibrant pixel art and cyberpunk setting. While some players found the soundtrack to be beautiful and engaging, others described it as forgettable or repetitive, particularly in certain areas. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's ambiance, enhancing the overall experience despite some criticisms regarding its variety and volume control options.

    • “The music and ambience are amazing.”
    • “The music is incredible (just listen to the intro song all the way through...it's insane) and the game itself has cute, nostalgic graphics.”
    • “The soundtrack and audio are excellently done.”
    • “The soundtrack is negligible.”
    • “The sound effects are really annoying, like constantly meowing cats that are way too loud, which leads me to turn the sound off and looping mini soundtracks, mostly the same soundtrack for almost every area, that are just bad.”
    • “The music is a bit dull.”
  • atmosphere63 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning pixel art and immersive cyberpunk setting, which effectively captures a neon-soaked dystopian world. Reviewers highlight the combination of beautiful visuals, engaging storytelling, and atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience, making it a must-play for fans of the genre. While some critiques mention inconsistencies in gameplay and story depth, the rich atmosphere remains a standout feature that draws players into its captivating environment.

    • “The pixel art style masterfully captures the cyberpunk atmosphere and elevates the game's overall aesthetics.”
    • “A fantastic thriller, this game manages to capture the mysterious nightly atmosphere, cultural blend, and philosophical questioning typical of great cyberpunk narratives.”
    • “The convergence of pixel art, cyberpunk aesthetic, and immersive storyline contribute to a deeply beautiful atmosphere, yet one that feels a bit directionless.”
    • “A delectable atmosphere that deserves a better, more relatable protagonist and story.”
    • “The story is idiotic but does not get in the way of the atmosphere and dialogue.”
    • “In the last chapter(s), the designers suddenly decided it was a good idea to let Rex die all the time, which is somewhat annoying as it destroys the relaxed atmosphere of the first 80% or so.”
  • humor20 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of clever and quirky, with well-placed comedic moments that balance the darker themes of the narrative. While some players found the dialogue and character interactions amusing, others noted issues with translation and depth, leading to a varied reception of the humor's effectiveness. Overall, the game is appreciated for its engaging writing and the ability to evoke laughter amidst its more serious undertones.

    • “The story and characters are cute, the pixel graphics are gorgeous, and the game has a great sense of humor.”
    • “The characters are well written, the humor is well done and well placed, and I became quite attached to the main cast of the game throughout my playthrough.”
    • “The writing is both humorous and provocative, providing a level of engagement.”
  • grinding20 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While many appreciate the engaging story and enjoyable puzzles, several reviews highlight the tediousness of backtracking and certain puzzles, particularly in the later stages, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these frustrations, the game is still considered worth trying, especially at a lower price point.

    • “Instead I'm stuck doing an endless series of tedious chores.”
    • “Unfortunately, the cybermysteries involve a lot of tedious item scavenger hunting and the occasional puzzle, and the scavenger hunting involves a lot of pacing around locations trying to find items to take that will make other items available to be picked up, so there's a bunch of backtracking and it wore me out.”
    • “But towards the end, the puzzles just start to become almost absurdly tedious and monotonous; at one point I was stuck at a particular puzzle which spanned an entire section of the game for nearly 2 hours, not because it was hard but just because it required constant backtracking and trial and error.”
  • character development5 mentions

    The game's character development is highlighted through its engaging pixel art style and vibrant environments, which enhance the overall atmosphere. While the character designs are praised for their detail and charm, some players noted a lack of variety, with recurring face shapes and similar robot designs detracting from the uniqueness of individual characters. Overall, the combination of light puzzles and exploration contributes to a rich narrative experience.

    • “Then about 2/3 of the game are point and click with light puzzles, lots of character development, fun places to explore in the city.”
    • “First of all, the pixel graphics and comic-like character designs are gorgeous. The soundtrack is very nice, and the game is full of goofy pop culture references, which altogether create a great atmosphere.”
    • “- The game has lush pixel graphics with a lot of detail put into the environments and characters.”
    • “The game has lush pixel graphics with a lot of detail put into the environments and characters, though I'm not sure if the aesthetic choices for a lot of the character designs match the tone of the game.”
    • “That said, there are a few caveats... in the form of repeating women with the same exact face shape or repeating robot character designs.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with most players noting that it primarily offers a one-time experience focused on its story and art. While some elements, like collecting lore, provide a slight incentive for multiple playthroughs, the lack of meaningful choices and the linear nature of the gameplay significantly diminish its long-term replay value.

    • “Having many pieces of lore to collect and view adds potential replayability as you can explore to find all of them.”
    • “I powered through a second and a third time because of how much I liked the art, even if I wouldn't say this game is exactly replayable beyond one or two runs.”
    • “I wouldn't say this game is exactly replayable beyond one or two runs, but I powered through a second and a third time because of how much I liked the art.”
    • “As is the downside of games like these, there's basically no replay value except experiencing the story again.”
    • “It was okay for what it was, but it's an on-rails modern puzzle adventure game which leaves it without any real story choices besides some side lore and no replayability.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while players appreciate the engaging problem-solving elements, the storyline lacks depth and emotional stakes, leaving some feeling disconnected from the narrative's potential intrigue.

    • “Really made me feel like I was solving something.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game's stability is notably poor, with numerous bugs and glitches that significantly detract from the overall experience. Players have reported issues with puzzle implementation and subpar mouse controls, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience despite the game's potential.

    • “Holy shit, this game is just one big clusterfuck, from puzzles that make no sense, sometimes broken or just not implemented well within the game, to bugs and glitches which just ruin the experience.”
    • “The mouse controls are subpar and even buggy.”
    • “It's a good game, but there are still some glitches happening here and there.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game excels in optimization, delivering a visually stunning "neon" atmosphere while maintaining stable performance and smooth gameplay. Reviewers highlight its professional polish and overall reliability.

    • “Outstanding in rendering the 'neon' atmosphere in addition to very stable game performance and art presentations.”
    • “The game runs smoothly and is professionally polished.”
    • “Performance and stability are top-notch.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “Despite the beautiful graphics, the optimization is lacking, causing long loading times and crashes.”
    • “The performance is inconsistent, with noticeable lag in busy areas, making it frustrating to play.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

60% average critic score

Buy Tales of the Neon Sea

Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
6-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News