The Fall

The game offers a great story, brilliant voice acting, a notable aesthetic progression and an innovative combat system. And while a little short the only thing left to say is: you should play this game.

Starting at $1.32Buy now

Get on Steam

Get on Epic Games Store

The Fall is a side-scrolling adventure game with platforming and combat elements. Your character is an AI controlling a combat suit whose occupant is unresponsive and presumably dead or seriously injured. You have crash landed on an unknown planet for unknown reasons and must seek medical attention for your 'pilot'. The bulk of the gameplay resolves around completing a series of object-matching p…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,159 reviews

story944 positive mentions

stability41 negative mentions

Engaging story with thought-provoking themes about AI and consciousness.
Great atmosphere and visuals that enhance the overall experience.
Clever puzzles that challenge players without being overly frustrating.

Clunky controls that can hinder gameplay and combat.
Short playtime, leaving players wanting more and feeling incomplete.
Some puzzles can be obscure, requiring external help or walkthroughs.

story
1,858 mentions
51 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story of "The Fall" is widely praised for its engaging narrative and atmospheric setting, drawing players into a dark, dystopian world where an AI must navigate complex moral dilemmas to save its human pilot. While the game is noted for its compelling voice acting and well-crafted plot twists, many reviewers express disappointment at its brevity and the cliffhanger ending, which leaves the story unresolved and sets up for sequels. Overall, the narrative is considered the game's strongest aspect, making it a recommended experience for fans of story-driven games.
- “While it is simply the prologue to the rest of the story, it's captivating from the jump, and the dark moody environments successfully instill a sense of unease.”
- “The fall tells a great story that has an AI contradicting Isaac Asimov's rules of robotics in order to save its human host.”
- “The story is engaging, the voice acting is good enough to maintain suspension of disbelief, and the gameplay is smooth.”
- “Fair warning, the game ends clearly setting up for a sequel, so the story may feel a little incomplete as a result.”
- “However, the game itself is incomplete from a story perspective.”
- “The story is very very short, and it left me wanting more.”
atmosphere
529 mentions
71 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "The Fall" is widely praised for its dark, immersive, and eerie qualities, effectively enhancing the game's storytelling and emotional depth. Reviewers highlight the combination of excellent voice acting, sound design, and visual aesthetics that create a captivating and unsettling environment, reminiscent of classic titles like "Limbo" and "The Swapper." While some players noted gameplay issues, the overall consensus is that the atmosphere is a standout feature that draws players into its haunting narrative.
- “A hauntingly beautiful, atmospheric side-scrolling shooter with so much incredibly captivating story, character development, writing, voice acting, and an ending that cannot be forgotten.”
- “The atmosphere is thick and immersive with good use of vibrant electronic colors clashing with the muted dark environment, the point-and-click puzzles leading me through events seamlessly, subtle ambience layering tension and the ever-increasing idea that you're never quite safe, all nicely guiding the story.”
- “The atmosphere created is superb, the story will stick with you for days and the characters are fully fleshed out and complete.”
- “Crap controls, way too much backtracking, super clunky feel, never given a reason to care about the story, atmosphere failed to make me tense or even interested.”
- “People have talked about the atmosphere of the game, but it was completely non-existent for me.”
- “However, soon the intense atmosphere was destroyed by the fact that I was walking through the same corridor the sixth time or so with my flashlight on permanently, just to figure out where in the surroundings it was, what I had overlooked.”
gameplay
513 mentions
30 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Fall" is characterized by a blend of point-and-click mechanics and side-scrolling action, often described as simplistic and occasionally clunky. While the puzzles can be engaging, they sometimes require trial-and-error approaches that may frustrate players, and the combat mechanics are generally seen as underwhelming. Despite these shortcomings, many players appreciate the game's atmospheric storytelling and intriguing narrative, which often compensates for the gameplay's flaws.
- “Suspenseful dark story in a dystopian sci-fi setting, entertaining game mechanics and puzzles.”
- “The fall is a very good example, and proof that you do not need a massive budget or fancy graphics to make a good game: the gameplay itself is quite simple, and most of the puzzles as well, but everything is very well executed.”
- “The gameplay is a mix of puzzle solving and some light action.”
- “The gameplay is clumsy and working through the puzzles seemed like more of a chore than enjoyment.”
- “The controls are clunky, the puzzle elements are dull and sometimes illogical, the character models are uninspired, gameplay time is short (about 3hrs), and the story ends abruptly.”
- “As good as the story is, the gameplay is mediocre at best.”
graphics
299 mentions
56 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "The Fall" receive mixed reviews, with many praising its dark, atmospheric art style and effective use of lighting to create an immersive experience. While some players find the visuals stunning and fitting for the game's narrative, others note that the graphics can appear dated or simplistic, reminiscent of indie titles like "Limbo" and "The Swapper." Overall, the aesthetic is generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's eerie atmosphere and storytelling, despite some technical glitches and limitations.
- “The graphics are beautiful and utilize the 2D space perfectly.”
- “The dark shadowy visuals provide a beautiful, creepy atmosphere where you really do feel unsafe, the voice acting is quite excellent.”
- “The graphics are good, not like AAA title graphics of course, but good for a game like this nevertheless.”
- “The graphics seem pretty -- too bad it's so dark you can't see a whole lot.”
- “Graphically, the fall is not exactly top of the range graphics; the atmosphere is so dark that they actually get away with having amazing graphics, the game puts a lot of effort into the lighting to create the decaying atmosphere that you are set in.”
- “The graphics are not stellar and somewhat remind me of games like Out of This World and Flashback, except that some of the objects are very simplistic, while others seem out of place in a scene with how heavily rendered they are.”
music
92 mentions
36 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the dark and immersive environment, with many reviewers highlighting the quality of the voice acting and sound design as well. While some found the soundtrack to be beautiful and fitting, others noted that it could be repetitive or underwhelming at times, with a few mentioning that it often played a subtle role rather than standing out. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's mood, though opinions vary on its memorability and impact.
- “The music, voice acting, and worldbuilding behind the fall are really impressive.”
- “The soundtrack did a great job of setting the tone and the art style worked well to add to the enigmatic world while still being very pretty.”
- “The atmosphere is brilliant, the use of dark moody colors and silhouettes contrasting with the backgrounds is nice and really adds to it, the music helps create this tension as well.”
- “The rest of the time is spent trudging along a depressing environment, to the sound of a depressing musical score.”
- “The music, well, the music only really plays during combat and it's just one track.”
- “There is a bit of ambient music, but it played so little that I barely noticed it, spending most of my time in silence.”
humor
68 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is predominantly dark and macabre, often blending moments of levity with a grim atmosphere. Many players appreciate the clever writing and unexpected comedic elements, which provide a refreshing contrast to the oppressive themes, resulting in a unique experience that balances horror with humor. While some found the humor hit-or-miss, overall, it is well-executed and contributes significantly to the game's engaging narrative.
- “I was pleasantly surprised by the humor (sometimes dark, sometimes slapstick) that kept cropping up, bringing a little levity to a story that could have easily been made too heavy.”
- “The writing and voice acting are very well done, with the tone shifting well between humor and drama.”
- “Dark, atmospheric world with puzzles and a couple of situations I found humorous and others I found awfully dark.”
- “It is not spooky, not exciting, not funny, and has no sense of urgency or strategy... I really don't know what to say except interesting concept, and subpar execution.”
stability
42 mentions
2 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting various bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, including control issues, visual anomalies, and the need to reload checkpoints. While some users noted that these issues did not completely ruin their experience, many found the overall performance to be frustratingly inconsistent, with a mix of minor and more significant glitches that detracted from the enjoyment of the game. Overall, the game is described as playable but burdened by stability problems that need addressing.
- “The game was a little bit twitchy in a few places, but overall performance was bug-free.”
- “Big time, including slow response, bugs and glitches.”
- “Then I started getting some pretty weird visual glitches leading up to a completely game-breaking glitch that halted my progress entirely.”
- “On the bad side, it's really buggy and I ended up having to close the game and reopen it at one point.”
grinding
31 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often exacerbated by poor controls and unintuitive puzzles. Many reviews highlight the frustrating nature of pixel-hunting and backtracking, which detracts from the overall experience, despite some appreciation for the story and nostalgic elements. While some elements of gameplay are enjoyable, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding mechanics feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge.
- “The design of the combat system on its own is repetitive and time-consuming, and is made to feel tedious by the awful controls.”
- “Tedious game with nonsensical puzzles, tons of backtracking and mostly unclear objectives.”
- “The gameplay wasn't bad but it was bland and you spend an inordinate amount of time doing tedious chores that don't really add anything to the game or much to the story.”
emotional
30 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its dark and unsettling themes, evoking a range of feelings from fear to sadness and even moments of joy. Players report forming deep emotional connections with the characters, particularly the protagonist, despite the game's short length. The narrative is described as thought-provoking and beautifully crafted, leaving a lasting impact that resonates long after completion, though some moments may feel manipulative or lacking in genuine choice.
- “It's dark, it's unsettling, it's heart-wrenching at times.”
- “I personally got emotionally attached to the main character/s from the start and the voice acting really drew me in.”
- “The ending succeeded in leaving an emotional impact on me that was even stronger than that of the death of the baby Metroid in Super Metroid.”
replayability
29 mentions
10 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
28 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is generally considered low, with many reviewers noting its linear story structure and short playtime (around 3-5 hours) as significant factors. While some players appreciate the opportunity to pursue achievements or explore minor choices, the lack of substantial narrative branching limits the incentive to replay. Despite this, the quality of the story leaves a lasting impression, prompting some players to revisit it for the experience rather than for varied gameplay.
- “The replay value to get the achievements is actually pretty high, to be honest.”
- “Replay value is relatively high, as I am left wondering if there were other paths I may have taken for a different conclusion.”
- “The dialogue is amazing, there is branching dialogue that adds to replayability and the story is awesome.”
- “With that said, there is no real replayability.”
- “5 hours is not enough and the game does not really have much replay value.”
- “There is no replay value, it's a one-and-done title.”
optimization
16 mentions
38 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with smooth graphics and solid sound design contributing to an immersive experience. However, it is noted that the game performs better with a gamepad rather than keyboard and mouse, and some users experienced minor twitchiness and control issues. Despite these drawbacks, many players reported no significant performance-related problems, particularly on GNU/Linux systems.
- “The fall is a game that immerses you directly in a dark and intriguing atmosphere from the beginning, with magnificent music, great graphics that have good performance.”
- “Also, worth noting, I haven't had any performance-related problems while playing The Fall on GNU/Linux.”
- “Gamepad is highly recommended; the game is not optimized for keyboard and mouse.”
- “The game was a little bit twitchy in a few places, but overall performance was bug-free.”
- “However, circumstances occasionally dictate their circumvention for optimal performance.”
character development
12 mentions
50 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game features strong character development, with a captivating storyline that enhances the emotional depth of both protagonists and antagonists. Despite its brevity, players find the character arcs compelling enough to warrant interest in future installments. Overall, the writing, voice acting, and atmospheric elements contribute significantly to the memorable character experiences.
- “A hauntingly beautiful, atmospheric side-scrolling shooter with so much incredibly captivating story, character development, writing, voice acting, and an ending that cannot be forgotten.”
- “I would say the game is too short for the asking price, but the story and character development are so compelling that I already want to purchase and play the next two coming installments.”
- “Awesome character development with the protagonist and the antagonist being a different but fantastic villain.”
- “Sure it's not a GOTY type story writing (i.e., The Walking Dead or other story-driven games), but the character development is lacking.”
- “Undergoes a bit of character development.”
- “For a short game, there is much character development packed into it.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism for its abrupt ending and the locking of abilities, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and potentially exploited, especially with the promotion of a paid sequel. Many users view this approach as a cash grab, contingent on whether future content will be offered for free.
- “It ends just as soon as it was starting to get interesting, with half of the abilities in the menu still locked (they're unlocked at specific story moments), on a cliffhanger, with an advertisement for an unreleased sequel they want you to pay more money for.”
- “Unless chapter 2 comes for free, I will consider this game a cash grab, a scam.”