The Forest Quartet

The Forest Quartet is a powerful narrative exploring how it feels to live with grief. With beautiful imagery, narrative and music, it is a perfect game to delve into if you want a quick but impactful experience.

83%Game Brain Score

story, music

replayability, grinding

92% User Score Based on 226 reviews

Critic Score 69%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Forest Quartet is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by Mads & Friends and was released on December 8, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"The Forest Quartet" is a narrative-driven adventure game where players uncover the secrets of a mysterious forest through the eyes of four different characters. With a focus on exploration, puzzle-solving, and character development, players will delve into the rich lore and history of the forest while forming bonds with the unique inhabitants they encounter. The game boasts stunning visuals and an original soundtrack, creating an immersive and atmospheric experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 226 reviews

story70 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The Forest Quartet features stunning visuals and a beautiful soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience of the game.
The game tells a heartfelt and poignant story about loss and grief, making it a touching experience for players.
The gameplay, while simple, is relaxing and allows players to immerse themselves in the narrative without frustration.

The puzzles are overly simplistic and lack challenge, which may disappoint players looking for engaging gameplay.
The game is very short, taking only about 1 to 1.5 hours to complete, leaving some players wanting more content.
Some players felt that the narrative could have been deeper, with more character development and emotional connection to the lead singer.

story
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
3%
The Forest Quartet presents a poignant and heartfelt narrative centered around a jazz band grappling with the loss of a member, exploring themes of grief, motivation, and emotional healing. While the game is short and features simple puzzles, it is praised for its beautiful music, charming visuals, and the emotional depth of its storytelling, making it a worthwhile experience for those seeking a meaningful, atmospheric tale. However, some players feel the story could have been more engaging and better structured, with a desire for deeper exploration of the characters and their experiences.
- “The forest quartet is a beautiful, heartfelt game that tells a touching and bittersweet story about friends coping with the loss of a dear friend.”
- “The forest quartet offers a special experience by telling a story of sorrow, grief, and loss, dealing also with topics such as depression and self-doubt.”
- “It's a really beautiful and wholesome game/story.”
- “The story is short and more could have been done with the puzzles which are not very challenging and too repetitive in style.”
- “This game looks good and sounds good but in terms of storytelling it is not that good.”
- “I don't like writing negative reviews for indie titles but I really don't think the story was told well.”
music
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
49%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its stunning quality, emotional depth, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful soundtrack and voice performances. The integration of music into the gameplay is noted as masterful, contributing significantly to the narrative experience, while some critics express a desire for more musical content, particularly in the game's conclusion. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a major highlight, making the game a worthwhile experience for music lovers and those seeking an emotionally resonant journey.
- “The audio and music are stunning, as are the voice performances, which add so much emotion to the experience.”
- “The soundtrack and audio are phenomenal, which definitely contributes to the atmosphere and emotions.”
- “Beautiful game, loved the soundtrack, story, and general mood.”
- “The narrative, and ultimately, music wasn’t inspiring enough to recommend a playthrough, even at the sale price.”
- “In my opinion, the sound and musical score in general, as well as the sound design, was well done and deserves the most praise. However, there are a few points that could be constructively criticized; when Nina sings in the game, it sounds a bit synthetic and plastic. It would have been much nicer to hear her sing properly, and maybe in a few variations so it's not always the same.”
- “Doesn't matter that pretty much everything else (music, story, art style, etc.) is done really well; the game portion of this game isn't good, so I can't recommend.”
gameplay
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The gameplay is centered around a narrative-driven experience where players help the spirit of a singer, Nina, reunite her band for a final concert. While the game features simple mechanics and a soothing aesthetic, many reviewers found the gameplay to be shallow and lacking challenge, often feeling like mere padding for the story. Overall, it offers an emotionally resonant experience but falls short in delivering engaging gameplay, leaving players wanting more depth and integration with the narrative.
- “You travel through three chapters, each featuring different mechanics and conversations with the band members.”
- “The sound, the visuals, the effective use of light and shadow and particles, all tied together with the intuitive but interesting game mechanics and the heartwarming story.”
- “The music was also woven into the gameplay in masterful ways; the angry banging of drums and lonely piano tune stood out as the antithetical sounds to a quartet in need of orchestration.”
- “Not enough narrative; the gameplay itself feels too much like padding for what would be an extremely short game otherwise.”
- “Yet, gameplay is shallow, puzzles too simplistic and could be better integrated into the plot.”
- “There are 3 zones with various puzzle mechanics, although once you understand the controls, the game has almost a negative level of challenge; you can pretty much glide your way through the game.”
emotional
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The Forest Quartet is widely praised for its heartfelt and bittersweet narrative centered on a jazz quartet coping with the loss of a member, delivering an emotionally resonant experience that combines beautiful visuals and sound design. While many players found the game to be a touching exploration of grief and healing, some felt that the storytelling was too direct, lacking suspense and depth. Overall, it is regarded as a gentle, immersive tribute that effectively evokes emotions, particularly for those who appreciate music and poignant storytelling.
- “The forest quartet is a beautiful, heartfelt game that tells a touching and bittersweet story about friends coping with the loss of a dear friend.”
- “Completely immersive, utterly absorbing, incredibly touching exploration of the manifestations of grief.”
- “It's a beautiful tribute and for me it was emotional.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
41%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty, artistic aesthetics, and atmospheric lighting, creating a captivating visual experience that enhances the overall ambiance. While some players noted occasional lag and expressed a desire for more engaging gameplay, the combination of unique art styles, effective use of light and shadow, and a relaxing vibe contributed to a memorable aesthetic journey. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, elevating the game's narrative and emotional impact.
- “I have no words to explain just how beautiful this game is; the visuals are perfect!”
- “Great axonometric 3D graphics with a dark color palette and atmospheric lighting conditions.”
- “The graphics are a wonderful balance of weird, like the pulsating organisms, and charming, such as the anxiety monsters running away from you but curiously approaching again when they hear the tone of the voice.”
- “Although the graphics are well done (dark, dramatic, and atmospheric), I got bored with it.”
- “Doesn't matter that pretty much everything else (music, story, art style, etc.) is done really well; the game portion of this game isn't good, so I can't recommend it.”
- “I mean, as an aesthetic/narrative experience, I think you did a decent job, but I think you didn't take all of the opportunities with the gameplay and the visuals that you created. There are so many games on Steam that are all about the experience, and so many of them are more compelling; I wanted to get more out of it.”
atmosphere
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
28%
9%
The atmosphere of "The Forest Quartet" is widely praised for its poignant and surreal qualities, enhanced by exceptional voice acting, a phenomenal soundtrack, and visually stunning graphics that create a dark, dreamlike world. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke deep emotional responses related to grief and reflection, making it a compelling experience for those in a somber mood. While some found the gameplay simplistic, the overall ambiance and artistic presentation leave a lasting impression.
- “The soundtrack and audio is phenomenal, which definitely contributes to the atmosphere and emotions.”
- “[b]"The Forest Quartet" is an atmospheric experience that speaks about psychological states and grief after the loss of a close friend.”
- “It has a lonely, peculiar, kind of surreal atmosphere.”
- “Visually it's gorgeous with an amazing axonometric, eerie world, strong surreal atmosphere and smooth animations.”
- “I took my time with this little gem, purely so I could absorb the atmosphere, style, and most importantly - the music.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The optimization of the game is highlighted by its stunning audio and music, complemented by realistic and emotional voice performances that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate how these elements contribute to the game's emotional depth, particularly in key moments.
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game offers limited replayability, with only a handful of puzzles and a short playtime of 60 to 90 minutes. However, it compensates for this with an engaging story that provides a thought-provoking experience, akin to watching a well-crafted film.
- “Not a long game, but it offers a really well-crafted experience that is worth your time being immersed in, like a good film.”
- “The game is very short, I would say 60 to 90 minutes with no replay value or collection content.”
- “Not a long game, not big replayability but a really well-crafted experience and one that is worth your time being immersed in, like a good film.”
- “In reality, there are no more than ten puzzles and there is no replay value, but it does provide a captivating story that can lead you to think about several interesting things.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often questioning the necessity and enjoyment of the process. The experience can feel monotonous, leading to frustration rather than engagement.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its silliness, with players finding amusement in tricking the characters, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the gameplay.
- “They are incredibly silly, and tricking them feels funny.”