The Cinema Rosa

By all accounts, The Cinema Rosa could, and should, have been so much more, but what we’re left with is a small game with big problems.

61%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

optimization, stability

90% User Score Based on 21 reviews

Critic Score 54%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Cinema Rosa is a single player simulation game with horror, fantasy, romance, drama and others themes. It was developed by dewdle and was released on April 8, 2019. It received neutral reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

The Cinema Rosa is an immersive PC and Mac exploration game and puzzle game set in an abandoned cinema. The game explores themes of: loss, romance, nostalgia and regret, aiming to take the player on an emotional journey through the psychological effects of a relationship. You take on the role of a protagonist exploring his past through various personal demons. As you explore, you encounter vario…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 21 reviews

story11 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The Cinema Rosa features a thought-provoking story that delves into themes of romance, tragedy, and loss, leaving players reflecting on its deeper meanings.
The game boasts a captivating atmosphere, enhanced by fitting sound design and visually appealing graphics that recreate the essence of a vintage cinema.
Puzzles are well-integrated into the narrative, providing a satisfying challenge for players who enjoy exploration and problem-solving.

The game is relatively short, with a playtime of about 2-3 hours, which may leave some players feeling underwhelmed for the price.
There are minor bugs and glitches present, including issues with saving functionality and some frustratingly vague puzzle clues that can disrupt gameplay.
The lack of a hint system or hand-holding can make the game challenging for players who prefer more guidance, potentially leading to frustration.

story
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
71%
6%
The story of "The Cinema Rosa" is a deeply emotional and thought-provoking narrative that explores themes of romance, loss, and regret through a unique blend of environmental storytelling, narration, and interactive puzzles. While initially perceived as somewhat vague, recent updates have enhanced its depth and coherence, making it more engaging and poignant, though some players may still find it short and reliant on exploration to piece together the narrative. Overall, the storytelling is well-crafted, leaving a lasting impression and encouraging players to reflect on its themes long after the game concludes.
- “Over the course of its somewhat two-hour playtime, The Cinema Rosa intrigues, entertains, and delves into a story of romance, tragedy, and loss.”
- “The story—arguably the biggest draw to this style of experience—is not lacking in depth or emotion, as it takes you down a mysterious path of loss and regret, leaving you still thinking over the tale shown to you long after the game has ended.”
- “It relies heavily on the exploration of the environment as you piece together the story of two lovers who built their dream, just to see it all unravel.”
- “While the story is deeply thought-provoking, I believe the most memorable element of this game is found in its puzzles.”
- “It does fall a bit flat in terms of execution since progressing through the story requires finding hidden objects and solving some head-scratching puzzles, which might prove frustrating if the playable area was not so self-contained in the first place.”
- “Finally, without spoiling what little exposition the game has to offer, even as it takes up the whole presentation, I was unconvinced at first that the game would move past the initial pretension and deliberate lack of context, thinking that the developers would leave little to work with in an attempt to fool players into believing that a tapestry of subtext and implied story elements existed, at the expense of any thought being put into giving the game a decent story.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the improvements made, particularly in terms of atmosphere and detail, thanks to the use of Unreal Engine 4. While some players noted occasional glitches and issues with animations, the overall aesthetic has been described as visually appealing and immersive, featuring stylish retro elements and a well-executed art style. However, a few critiques pointed out that certain graphical aspects remained mediocre or repetitive, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Created with the Unreal Engine 4, it has an interesting montage of graphical changes throughout the game, utilizing the technology.”
- “The graphics and sound make for a great atmospheric experience, and obvious extensive research was done to bring the experience alive.”
- “The game now looks quite beautiful with plush period furniture adorned in the rooms and lots of interesting artwork and posters to admire.”
- “Most of it is mediocre, from the graphics to the music and to the story.”
- “To list off a few things I noticed without giving spoilers away, in-game text was occasionally misspelled or contained improper grammar, the puzzles are frustratingly vague (and at certain points, give the impression of being complex, when the solution is incredibly simple and had little relevance to clues), the graphics at times were glitchy, the animations and cutscenes were rigid and unrefined, and, most prominently for me, the opening 10 minutes of the game was a flop thanks to its cluttered use of clues in the main lobby of the theatre.”
- “Previously the graphics were poor with the same identical objects appearing again and again.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising the fitting soundtrack that enhances the immersive experience and complements the environment. However, some users noted a lack of audio customization options and pointed out inconsistencies in the music's transitions and thematic alignment. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its melodic qualities and improvements, it has moments that detract from the overall experience.
- “The world feels pretty immersive with the fitting soundtrack and improved details.”
- “This 3D exploratory adventure has a good story, an excellent soundtrack, and an interesting and ghostly environment.”
- “The musical score was melodic and fitted the time period.”
- “Most of it is mediocre, from the graphics to the music and to the story.”
- “Additionally, the music was a mixed bag for me.”
- “At times, the music would even stop abruptly, or roughly transition into another song.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised for its immersive quality, blending atmospheric sounds, detailed art style, and thoughtful references to classic cinema. Players appreciate the contrasting elements of music and visuals that create a unique emotional experience, enhancing the overall exploration of the environment. The extensive research behind the design contributes to a rich and engaging atmosphere that captivates players.
- “Everything, from the atmospheric sounds, gramophone records, classic movie posters, and references to said classic movies (sometimes hidden on the labels of wine bottles) to the dilapidated halls of the titular cinema rosa, strive to fill the player with a deep sense of atmosphere, and what an atmosphere it is.”
- “The graphics and sound make for a great atmospheric experience, and obvious extensive research was done to bring the experience alive.”
- “The atmosphere, graphics, and voice over are wonderful!”
- “It often felt as though the music wanted to create a scary atmosphere, while the visuals were reassuring and intentionally comforting.”
- “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it difficult to immerse myself in the experience.”
- “Despite the potential for a haunting environment, the overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
Gameplay is generally smooth with well-functioning mechanics, though some users have noted issues with glitches and unpolished details that could benefit from future patches. While the game does not provide hand-holding, players seeking assistance may appreciate the option for hints.
- “Gameplay is smooth and all mechanics worked well.”
- “No hands-held gameplay (could use hints for players that prefer them).”
- “If you want to see some gameplay, I have added the link to a blind let's play of the game below.”
- “No hands-held gameplay; it could use hints for players that prefer them.”
- “My major gripes with it mainly reside in glitchy gameplay and unpolished details, all of which can still be fixed with patches, should the devs choose to update the game.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a deeply emotional narrative centered on lost love, skillfully weaving together dreams, flashbacks, and diary entries that reveal hidden secrets. Players experience the intertwined stories of two lovers, enhancing the emotional weight of their romance and ultimate loss, while the improved storytelling makes the experience more poignant and relatable.
- “I'm trying to avoid spoiling any details, so I'll keep this to a minimum, but the story takes you through a very well-crafted collection of dreams, flashbacks, and diary logs that tell an emotional tale of lost love and the many sad, hidden secrets behind the cinema rosa.”
- “Though you play as only one of the lovers, both of their narratives are told along the journey, unfolding an emotionally tied romance with ultimate loss, and exploring how we deal with this mentally.”
- “Most importantly, the story is now much more comprehensible and feels more emotional, poignant, and believable.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have reported initial stuttering issues with the game's optimization, but many found that these problems were resolved after updating their hardware.
- “At first, I was experiencing significant stuttering issues, but that seemed to be on my side since I tried the game again after a hardware update.”
- “The optimization is terrible; I constantly face frame drops and lag, making the game nearly unplayable.”
- “Even on high-end hardware, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which is incredibly frustrating.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits some stability issues, including minor bugs and glitches in sound and level design, as well as freezing during specific moments, such as displaying backer names. While these problems are not pervasive, they can detract from the overall experience.
- “This game is by no means perfect; minor bugs and glitches (both in sound and level design) do show themselves if you look hard enough.”
- “It does not credit the voice actor for the game's dialogue, and it even freezes when showing the last few names on the list of backers, before unceremoniously spitting you back out onto the game's title-less menu screen.”