Tardy

About

Tardy is a single player action adventure game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by One Wing Cicada and was released on January 26, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"Tardy is a single-player Science Fiction Point and Click game with an ingenious story and excellent visuals. Players control Ramto, who wakes up on a mysterious spaceship and must deal with crazy machines, solve the crew's disappearance, and find a way back home. The game features immersive gameplay with realistic controls and a gripping story that explores conspiracy theories, tragedy, and war."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 122 reviews

story48 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Beautiful pixel art and atmospheric music enhance the overall experience.
Engaging and unique puzzle design that is mostly logical and satisfying to solve.
Interesting sci-fi story with a twist, despite some predictable elements.

The writing is often poor and filled with unnecessary text, detracting from the story.
Gameplay can feel tedious due to the requirement of using a mouse for keyboard inputs in certain puzzles.
The game is very short, with many players feeling it lacks depth and meaningful narrative progression.

story
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The game's story is generally regarded as interesting and well-written, featuring a predictable plot twist and engaging characters, though it suffers from excessive filler text that detracts from the overall experience. While some players found the narrative compelling and atmospheric, others criticized the dialogue quality and pacing, suggesting that the story often feels secondary to the puzzle-solving elements. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mixed bag, with potential that is sometimes overshadowed by its execution.
- “It's an engaging story with a pretty good plot twist at the end.”
- “The graphics are retro and the music was wonderfully atmospheric while also suiting the old-school feel, and the story was genuinely moving.”
- “The story is well written and easy to understand.”
- “However, there is one problem with it: there’s just too much useless text that adds no value to the story.”
- “The game doesn't seem to take its own story seriously.”
- “The story was boring and the writing was amateurish (it seems like it was written by someone for whom English is a second language).”
music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
90%
10%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. It is described as fitting well with the game's themes, creating a sense of space loneliness, and complementing the retro graphics beautifully. While some comments mention a lack of engagement in other aspects of the game, the soundtrack consistently stands out as a highlight.
- “The music is excellent.”
- “The music matches the mood of the game very well.”
- “Marvelous adventure, nice puzzles they are straight and logical, good storytelling, music makes a very nice sci-fi atmosphere.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful pixel art style, evoking a nostalgic retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic games while incorporating vibrant colors and detailed visuals. Many reviewers highlight the graphics as a standout feature, complementing them with atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience. However, some criticism arises regarding the tedious input method, which detracts from the enjoyment of the otherwise impressive visuals.
- “I say yes because of the really good plot and beautiful pixel graphics.”
- “The graphics are retro and the music was wonderfully atmospheric while also suiting the old-school feel, and the story was genuinely moving.”
- “The pixel graphics were fantastic, as well as the music/sound to complement the atmosphere.”
- “Boring setting and aesthetics, complete lack of writing, non-compelling 'hero', put you to sleep music.”
- “The graphics have a CGA vibe, but then jump out to more colors and pixels than should be there if it was legitimately a game from the 80s.”
- “I love the art style, sound design and story, but the decision to enter all input in terminals using a mouse becomes very tedious.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the implementation of point-and-click mechanics and the lack of adventure elements, while others appreciate the unique puzzle design that deviates from traditional item-collecting gameplay. Despite some technical issues and a weak story, many found the gameplay functional and enjoyable, particularly in its short, puzzle-focused format. Overall, the game may appeal to those looking for a casual experience, especially if purchased on sale.
- “Naturally, most of the game’s puzzles are based on this mechanic.”
- “Some puzzles have you do interesting stuff by moving a collected object to the right spot on the screen: you 'use' some objects by layering them over the gameplay area, which sometimes reveals useful info.”
- “I did not encounter any glitches and the gameplay worked well.”
- “Point n' click 101 is not understood by the devs either, so the gameplay begins with a pong mini-game, or with you having to use the mouse to type illegible computer commands on the tiny illegible keyboard of a tiny illegible terminal.”
- “Presentation 0/10, gameplay 0/10, interface 2/10...”
- “While the mechanics are point & click, the adventure part is non-existent.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its great visual style, retro graphics, and atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the combination of engaging storytelling and a moving soundtrack, which together create a captivating and immersive environment. The puzzles, while considered easy, complement the enjoyable atmosphere, making for a delightful adventure.
- “The graphics are retro and the music was wonderfully atmospheric while also suiting the old-school feel, and the story was genuinely moving.”
- “The pixel graphics were fantastic, as well as the music and sound to complement the atmosphere.”
- “Marvelous adventure, nice puzzles that are straightforward and logical, good storytelling, and music creates a very nice sci-fi atmosphere.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extremely tedious and frustrating, often citing poor writing and the cumbersome mouse input for terminal interactions as significant drawbacks. Despite appreciation for the art style, sound design, and story, the repetitive nature of the grinding detracts from the overall experience.
- “It's as ridiculous and tedious as it sounds.”
- “I love the art style, sound design, and story, but the decision to enter all input in terminals using a mouse becomes very tedious.”
- “That one felt tedious.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users praising its smooth performance while others report issues such as frame drops and stuttering. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a high level of stability, with no glitches or issues affecting gameplay. The experience is described as smooth and reliable.