Tengami

About

"Tengami is a single-player action game set in a Japanese pop-up book with a marvelous atmosphere, featuring sensational graphics and a masterful soundtrack. Players fold and slide the paper world to solve puzzles and uncover secrets, immersed in an authentic and intricate representation of ancient Japan. The unique pop-up book gameplay makes for a serene journey filled with dark forests, abandoned shrines, and tranquil waterfalls."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 810 reviews

music274 positive mentions

grinding28 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and soothing music create a relaxing atmosphere.
Unique pop-up book mechanics enhance the gameplay experience.
Simple puzzles that are enjoyable and not overly challenging.

Very short gameplay, typically completed in under 2 hours.
Slow character movement can lead to tedious backtracking.
Lacks a compelling story or deeper narrative engagement.

music
430 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
35%
1%
The music in Tengami is widely praised for its beauty and calming qualities, enhancing the game's serene atmosphere and Japanese-inspired visuals. Many players find the soundtrack soothing and immersive, although some note issues with abrupt transitions and occasional silences that disrupt the experience. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's aesthetic appeal.
- “The music is wonderful, and the unique art style makes the slow-paced walking a little more bearable.”
- “The music and visuals are quite amazing.”
- “The soundtrack is beautiful and goes really well with the ambient.”
- “The music gets a little bland and tedious in places, but it's fine.”
- “The music is okay.”
- “The music is very calming, the sound effects are spot on, the visuals are perfect (pagoda & torii gates especially) so if you're looking to relax for a while, this is the next best thing to meditating.”
graphics
390 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
38%
1%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning and unique pop-up book aesthetic, which beautifully integrates traditional Japanese art styles and watercolor visuals. While many players find the artwork captivating and a significant draw of the game, some criticize the simplistic and repetitive nature of the puzzles, suggesting that the visuals often overshadow the gameplay experience. Overall, the game's graphics are considered its strongest aspect, providing a relaxing and immersive atmosphere despite its short length and minimal narrative.
- “The graphics are amazing with lovely details and colors.”
- “The art style is beautiful and unique, the music doesn't grate even after I spent a while stuck on a puzzle, and the pacing is very relaxing.”
- “Tengami is a beautifully crafted experience, recreating that tactile feel of a pop-up book in a new medium and elevating it with impressive visuals and an incredible soundscape.”
- “The simplistic graphics fail to captivate, presenting a hollow and uninteresting visual landscape.”
- “It's clear that so much work went into the aesthetic choices for this game, but it just falls a bit flat as a game.”
- “The only thing to really recommend this game is the art style, but I was disappointed there too.”
gameplay
240 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
7%
The gameplay of Tengami is characterized by its unique pop-up book mechanics and point-and-click adventure style, offering a visually stunning but ultimately short experience, typically lasting around 1-2 hours. While some players appreciate the relaxing atmosphere and simple puzzles, many criticize the gameplay for being overly simplistic, slow-paced, and lacking depth, with a significant amount of time spent on navigation rather than engaging challenges. Overall, the game is seen as more of an artistic experience than a compelling gameplay adventure, appealing primarily to those who prioritize aesthetics over intricate mechanics.
- “The puzzles were well thought-out and use the folding-book mechanic to great effect.”
- “I loved the pop-up book style and the puzzles were easy enough so that I didn't get frustrated, but enough of a challenge because I had to discover a new game mechanic every once in a while.”
- “Tengami combines the gameplay of a point-and-click adventure with the visuals of a pop-up book together into one neat, small little package.”
- “Moreover, the slow and cumbersome navigation further detracts from the gameplay, leading to a frustrating and tedious experience.”
- “The gameplay is almost non-existent.”
- “It's a damn shame that the puzzles and gameplay elements are frustratingly slow and yet without depth or challenge.”
story
202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
66%
13%
The story in Tengami is often described as minimalistic and abstract, with many players feeling disconnected due to its lack of depth and clarity. While some appreciate the poetic and visual storytelling reminiscent of a Japanese pop-up book, others criticize the game for having little to no narrative structure, relying heavily on beautiful aesthetics rather than a compelling plot. Overall, the game is seen as a relaxing experience with a simple theme centered around a man's quest to revive a cherry tree, but it may not satisfy those seeking a rich or engaging storyline.
- “A beautiful point and click storybook game.”
- “Tengami is a visually beautiful, intimate story based on Japanese culture, distinguished by point and click adventure gameplay.”
- “The story is conveyed through a pretty unique pop-up book origami style of artwork and puzzle craft along with some musical, calligraphy, and a few other styles of puzzles.”
- “There was no story, so character growth - it felt like a final for a student project that they did a spectacular job on.”
- “The story is vague, but the theme is solid.”
- “The problem is: there's no story, no plot, no evolution, nothing at all.”
atmosphere
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
27%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals and calming soundtrack, effectively creating a serene and immersive experience reminiscent of a Japanese pop-up book. However, some players find the slow pacing and lack of engaging gameplay detracts from the overall experience, leading to moments of boredom despite the game's artistic appeal. Overall, while the atmosphere is a standout feature, it may not be enough to sustain interest for all players.
- “The wonderfully natural atmosphere of the game is complemented by the twanging of shamisen or koto and calming sounds of wooden flute, all drawing you into a zen-like state of deep calmness.”
- “The music and atmospheric sounds were excellent and the art style was very nicely done.”
- “It's a beautiful and atmospheric experience that teases you a little and urges you to explore its pages (quite literally, as you turn pages throughout the game).”
- “Unfortunately, the idea, aesthetics, and atmosphere are stronger than the game itself as a whole.”
- “It’s especially tragic here, where the art and gorgeous music want to create a soothing atmosphere, and yet here I am bored and looking at my phone while my character walks from A to B.”
- “I love the idea, the style, atmosphere, music... yet I still got bored.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, primarily due to slow navigation and repetitive tasks that detract from the enjoyment. While the visuals and puzzles are praised for their creativity, many reviewers noted that the experience often becomes dull, with some puzzles requiring excessive backtracking and exploration that feels like busywork. Despite its beautiful design, the game's pacing and character movement speed contribute to a sense of tedium that can overshadow its initial appeal.
- “The puzzles are not particularly challenging, but they are not tedious either.”
- “I recommend this game to anyone who is interested in an adventure/puzzle game that is not tediously long, or to someone who is looking for a nice change of pace.”
- “Moreover, the slow and cumbersome navigation further detracts from the gameplay, leading to a frustrating and tedious experience.”
- “It looks and sounds nice, but holy hell, it was the most dull and tedious experience of my life.”
- “Character speed is tediously slow and the few puzzles that exist are very simplistic.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
58%
26%
Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting that it can be completed in just 1-2 hours and offers no significant incentives to play again, such as changing puzzles or collectibles. While some appreciate its artistic qualities, the consensus is that the short length and straightforward gameplay do not justify the price, making it a poor choice for those seeking a game with lasting engagement.
- “That one I can highly recommend for style, writing, length, replayability, and all-around enjoyment.”
- “Cetainly neither action-packed nor valued for its replayability - yet this game was very much worth that cheap price it came with.”
- “Portal, Monument Valley, and others are very much like this, but if you are looking for a game that offers more staying power or hours upon hours of replayability, you may want to look somewhere else.”
- “However, I don't see much replayability.”
- “Because the game is very short - finished it in one sitting of 90 minutes, getting all the achievements - and has no replay value.”
- “But the game is very short, between one and two hours, without replay value.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, fostering family connections and providing a touching experience. Its beautiful and relaxing music enhances the overall atmosphere, making it a memorable and artistic journey. The simplicity of the controls complements the profound emotional impact it delivers.
- “This game brings the family together; it's still emotional.”
- “Touching, for me, at least.”
- “It's a deep, artistic, and emotional experience that will stay with you.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features an appealing art style, but it suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent music glitches and bugs that disrupt gameplay. While the visuals are engaging, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, making it less enjoyable.
- “The game has an interesting art style, but it behaves buggy.”
- “Music cues are a little buggy, hobbling the best part of the game, but the calming and flowing visuals keep it interesting for the hour or so it takes to complete.”
- “Cool art and music, but sometimes the music glitches and stops for no reason.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The humor in the game is described as inconsistent, with some players finding it amusing while others feel it falls flat and is overshadowed by confusion in gameplay. Overall, the comedic elements seem to vary widely in effectiveness, leaving some players entertained and others frustrated.
- “If you are in need of an adrenaline fix, deep meaning, humor, or cathartic hack-and-slash, continue your journey, oh digital wanderer.”
- “Ukyo: [laughing.] Just don't turn into P-Chan in the middle of it.”
- “I'm always confused when I play this game; where to go, what to do - this is stupid, not funny.”
- “The jokes fall flat and feel forced, making the humor feel more like a chore than a delight.”
- “I expected clever wit, but instead, I got tired clichés that just don't land.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features beautiful visuals and smooth performance, complemented by gorgeous music, resulting in a satisfying experience despite a minimal story. Overall, it received a performance rating of 81/100.
- “The visuals are beautiful and run smoothly, the music is gorgeous, and while the story is minimal, it leaves you feeling satisfied at the end.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The character development in the game is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, resulting in a barebones narrative that fails to engage players.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the game explores the characters' backstories, making their growth feel authentic and engaging.”
- “Each character evolves throughout the story, providing a satisfying sense of progression and emotional investment.”
- “The character development feels barebones, lacking depth and complexity.”
- “There is minimal story progression, making the character arcs feel flat and unengaging.”
- “The characters lack meaningful growth, resulting in a disappointing narrative experience.”