The Franz Kafka Videogame

The Franz Kafka Videogame is a unique adventure game experience, filled with unique art style and accessible puzzles. However, a baffling story that goes nowhere and a dreadfully short length make the game simply adequate rather than surreal.

57%Game Brain Score

graphics, music

story, gameplay

56% User Score Based on 268 reviews

Critic Score 65%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Franz Kafka Videogame is a single player puzzle game. It was developed by Denis Galanin (mif2000) and was released on April 6, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

In "The Franz Kafka Videogame" , you follow K., a man offered employment who embarks on a journey to a surreal world filled with absurdity and uncertainty. The game, inspired by Franz Kafka's works, offers unique logic puzzles and high-definition graphics, while omitting traditional RPG features such as inventory and boss battles. Embrace a distinctive atmosphere and uncover the mysteries beyond K.'s homeland.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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56%

Audience ScoreBased on 268 reviews

graphics37 positive mentions

story16 negative mentions

The game features a unique and charming art style that enhances the surreal atmosphere.
Puzzles are creative and encourage out-of-the-box thinking, providing a satisfying challenge for players.
The game offers a whimsical experience that captures the essence of Kafka's absurdity, making it enjoyable for fans of surreal narratives.

The game is very short, often completed in under two hours, which may leave players feeling unsatisfied.
Many puzzles lack clear logic, leading to frustration and reliance on hints, which can detract from the overall experience.
The story is convoluted and feels disjointed, with little connection to Kafka's actual works, potentially disappointing fans of his literature.

story
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
76%
13%
The game's story is often described as confusing and incoherent, with many players feeling it serves primarily as a backdrop for the puzzles rather than a compelling narrative. While some appreciate the surreal and absurd elements reminiscent of Kafka's work, others criticize the lack of depth and cohesion, leading to a sense that the story is ultimately unfulfilling. Overall, the focus on puzzles over storytelling leaves many players feeling that the narrative is shallow and poorly executed.
- “The story is nice and well presented (though, well, bizarre).”
- “Delve into a strange world which embodies Kafka's work excellently, with its bizarre and obscure art style and weird storyline.”
- “The art is nice, the story is nice; if the hints didn't take the 3-minute wait, I'd recommend it for that, but as it is, I sat twiddling my thumbs rather more often than I prefer.”
- “The story in this game can be quite confusing.”
- “I mean, I get what the story means, but it's as if the story's main purpose is only to give that twist, with everything you experienced throughout the game amounting to nothing.”
- “There is just no cohesion, no story and little to no logic.”
graphics
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The graphics of "The Franz Kafka Videogame" are widely praised for their charming and unique art style, which effectively captures the surreal and enigmatic essence of Kafka's works. While the visuals are described as beautiful and well-executed, some players note that the overall graphical quality is basic and lacks depth, particularly in terms of animation and resolution options. Despite these criticisms, the game's aesthetic and atmospheric sound design contribute to an immersive experience, making it appealing for those who appreciate artistic visuals.
- “The game's visuals pay homage to the unique and enigmatic style of Franz Kafka's literary works.”
- “With its minimalist yet evocative art style, the game presents a series of absurd and dreamlike environments that will captivate and intrigue players.”
- “Graphically, the game looks gorgeous, but the animations are very simple.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “The mobile app features simple, fairly basic 2D visuals, and while some effort went into them, they don't look bad exactly, but they don't look great, either.”
- “In the 3D era of gaming, that kicked off in the mid-1990s with dedicated 3D GPUs like the S3 Virge and ATI Rage, phoning in the graphics like this isn't going to win any awards or appeal to enthusiast PC gamers.”
music
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The music in the game is generally praised for its pleasantness and ability to enhance the surreal atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its beautiful and atmospheric qualities. However, some criticism arises regarding the soundtrack's fit with the game's narrative, particularly towards the end, where a rock track feels out of place. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, its memorability and integration with gameplay could be improved.
- “Good puzzle game with pleasant visuals and music that well conveys the surreal atmosphere of Franz Kafka’s books and David Lynch’s films.”
- “The art is fantastic, and the soundtrack is gorgeous!”
- “Clever puzzles, brilliant music, Kafka's stories - there's nothing to wish for more.”
- “The soundtrack at the end of the game doesn't fit at all (rock music, why?) and destroys the rest of the 'deeper meaning' of this easy and poorly written riddle game.”
- “The music and sound didn't really stand out to me at all, other than not caring for the credits music.”
- “It's pretty and the music isn't half bad but the puzzles at the core of the game are just an incomprehensible mess with no clear objective.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
82%
9%
The gameplay of *The Franz Kafka Videogame* is polarizing, with some players appreciating its blend of point-and-click mechanics and clever puzzles that complement the surreal narrative, while others criticize it for being simplistic, short (around 90-120 minutes), and lacking mechanical depth. Many reviews highlight the game's atmospheric qualities and engaging experience, but note that the puzzles can be easy and the overall gameplay may feel tedious or unmemorable. Ultimately, it is described more as an interactive art piece than a traditional puzzle game, appealing to those seeking a unique, introspective experience rather than a challenging gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay is a blend of point-and-click mechanics, clever puzzles, and unexpected interactions.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are intuitive and complement the surreal narrative, ensuring that each puzzle and challenge is an engaging and thought-provoking experience.”
- “With its striking visuals, engaging gameplay, thought-provoking narrative, and atmospheric sound design, it offers a unique and immersive experience for players seeking a deeper and more introspective gaming experience.”
- “Those seeking mechanical depth, challenge, or narrative closure may feel shortchanged.”
- “As for the gameplay itself - it's simple with kitschy artwork, nothing particularly surprising.”
- “More like an 'experience' than a real game, its length (~2 hours of gameplay) and simplicity (most of these puzzles can be solved simply by clicking and dragging things around, even if they are so confusing to understand what you were supposed to do) will prevent it from staying in your memories for long.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
27%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its exquisite visuals, painterly backdrops, and atmospheric sound design, which together create a surreal and immersive experience reminiscent of Franz Kafka's works and David Lynch's films. While the game effectively conveys a sense of quiet disquiet and engages players with its unique art style, some reviewers noted that the connection to Kafka's themes could feel diluted or overshadowed by cartoonish elements. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, enhancing the narrative and puzzle-solving experience, despite some critiques regarding its depth and coherence.
- “Visually, it is exquisite: painterly backdrops, delicate animation, and a muted color palette that conjures an atmosphere of quiet disquiet.”
- “The atmospheric sound design of the Franz Kafka video game enhances the overall surreal and immersive experience.”
- “With its striking visuals, engaging gameplay, thought-provoking narrative, and atmospheric sound design, it offers a unique and immersive experience for players seeking a deeper and more introspective gaming experience.”
- “There were also near-constant comments from our main protagonist about how absurd all this is, which kind of took away from the atmosphere a bit.”
- “A bunch of characters from Kafka's books is present but the 'kafkaesque' atmosphere is gone, replaced by some cartoon nonsense.”
- “And even though I have to say I was hoping for way more connection to Kafka and his writings (or the style of his writings), the atmosphere and art style is quite neat.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
18%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of cute and quirky, with some moments that can be funny but often fall flat, leaving players feeling frustrated rather than entertained. While there are charming references and a nod to Kafka's sense of humor, the overall execution is seen as nonsensical and lacking in impactful jokes, making it a hit-or-miss experience for players.
- “But if I call something 'the Spider-Man game' and then have Peter Parker being a man in his thirties that collects spider posters and then at some point decides to hit the gym while saying 'with great power comes great responsibility...to remove my belly flab', then at best that could be a pretty funny take on it.”
- “It's a funny game; if you love Franz Kafka's books, you should play it.”
- “- twisted and sarcastic humor”
- “And also not funny!”
- “Nonsensical and unfunny riddles”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
88%
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is generally viewed as tedious, with one achievement requiring players to replay the entire game and endure long wait times for hints. While some players found the overall experience enjoyable despite the grind, the repetitive nature of certain puzzles, like the "15 puzzle," added to the frustration.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The gameplay is tedious, at best.”
- “As seems to be a Daedalic tradition, one achievement is very tedious (requires redoing the whole game and waiting for hints to become available - 3 minutes of wait time per hint).”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the Franz Kafka video game has been criticized as a cash grab by mobile developers, with users feeling that it disrespects the author's legacy for profit. The game is perceived as an insincere attempt to capitalize on Kafka's name rather than offering a genuine gaming experience.
- “The Franz Kafka video game is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game (it's not). It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. The game essentially tries to profit from the life and times of Franz Kafka by disrespectfully lambasting the poor man. No respect for the dead; they want your money to make light of a famous author.”
- “The monetization in this game is outrageous. It feels like every aspect is designed to squeeze money out of players, making it impossible to enjoy without spending.”
- “I was really disappointed by the aggressive monetization tactics. It ruins the experience when you have to constantly be bombarded with prompts to buy in-game currency.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Despite the game's overall shortcomings, players appreciate its ability to evoke strong emotions, leading them to feel significant and engaged. This emotional impact seems to outweigh the game's flaws for some users.
- “The game made me feel a deep connection to the characters, and their struggles resonated with my own experiences.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the storyline; it evoked a range of emotions that I didn't expect from a game.”
- “Playing this game was an emotional rollercoaster, and I found myself tearing up during several key moments.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Despite being a short game developed by a single person, players express surprise at the depth of story and character development, indicating that it exceeds initial expectations.
- “The character development in this game is surprisingly deep, considering it's a short experience.”
- “I was amazed at how much the characters evolved throughout the story, making me feel emotionally invested.”
- “Each character's journey is well-crafted, with meaningful growth that adds layers to the overall narrative.”
- “You might think that this is a short game and a single-person effort, so how much of a story and character development should I expect?”
- “The character development feels rushed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with anyone.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that impact character growth throughout the game.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has limited replayability, as players may find little incentive to revisit once they know the solutions, aside from pursuing a final achievement related to hints.
- “There's no replay value once you know the solutions, unless you want to be a stickler and get the final achievement, as there will always be one missing - complete with all hints or complete with none.”
- “After finishing the game, I felt no urge to play it again. The story and puzzles lose their charm once you know the answers.”
- “The lack of different endings or choices makes replaying the game feel pointless; it’s the same experience every time.”

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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews

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2h Median play time

3h Average play time

2-4h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Franz Kafka Videogame is a puzzle game.

The Franz Kafka Videogame is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing The Franz Kafka Videogame.

The Franz Kafka Videogame was released on April 6, 2017.

The Franz Kafka Videogame was developed by Denis Galanin (mif2000).

The Franz Kafka Videogame has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

The Franz Kafka Videogame is a single player game.

Similar games include The Dream Machine, Samorost 2, Deponia: The Complete Journey, Hamlet or the Last Game without MMORPG Features, Shaders and Product Placement, Leaves: The Journey and others.

The Franz Kafka Videogame

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