The Great Perhaps

56%
Game Brain Score Based on 133 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Great Perhaps Game Cover
The Great Perhaps is a nice looking adventure game that takes players on an interesting journey with solid dimension-shifting gameplay. Just be wary of the poorly handled mood swings and occasionally annoying design elements.
Starting at $0.99Buy now
Get on Steam

In The Great Perhaps, play as an astronaut returning to a post-apocalyptic Earth, using a mysterious lantern to explore the past and uncover the cause of the disaster. Solve time-travel puzzles and experience a unique atmosphere melding Soviet aesthetics with gripping post-apocalyptic drama. Interact with memorable characters and enjoy an original adaptive soundtrack.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

56%
Audience ScoreBased on 133 reviews
story35 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game features a beautiful hand-drawn art style and a captivating atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience.
  • The time travel mechanic is interesting and adds a unique twist to the puzzle-solving gameplay.
  • The storyline is engaging and evokes a range of emotions, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
  • The gameplay is often repetitive and lacks challenging puzzles, leading to a sense of tedium.
  • Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The game is very short, with many players feeling that it ends abruptly without providing satisfactory conclusions to the story.
  • story77 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players praising its intriguing and engaging narrative, while others criticize it for being simplistic, predictable, or lacking depth. Many reviews highlight the emotional impact and artistic presentation of the story, but note that it often feels incomplete or convoluted, leaving players wanting more resolution. Overall, the story is seen as a key element that can elevate the experience, but its execution varies significantly among players.

    • “Such an amazing story this game tells.”
    • “If you want to spend a couple of hours in a beautiful world with an amazing story – this game is for you!”
    • “The story is really intriguing and the characters are fun, especially the AI companion of the main character.”
    • “The story is garbage.”
    • “The minimum of story you get is just plain boring and predictable.”
    • “The story never seemed to pay off.”
  • gameplay61 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a central time-travel mechanic that allows players to switch between past and present to solve puzzles, which some find interesting and engaging. However, many reviews highlight issues such as repetitive puzzles, clunky controls, and a lack of depth, leading to a generally unimpressive experience. While the art and story elements are praised, the overall gameplay is often described as simplistic and frustrating, with some players recommending it only for those who enjoy light puzzle-solving.

    • “The lantern's time-travel ability is the main gameplay mechanic.”
    • “The puzzles are really interesting and flipping between the past and present is a really cool game mechanic; if the price is right, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good puzzle.”
    • “The gameplay is fast-paced, but all motions in this game are very slow in real time.”
    • “As this has happened twice already in the 30 minutes I've played this game, I would strongly suggest watching gameplay online rather than wrestle with bad game mechanics.”
    • “Even in this short 2-3 hours of gameplay time, I've seen the same puzzle 3 times!”
    • “While I am still a fan of the premise of the time travel mechanic, the manner in which it actually plays out in the scenarios of the game ended up just frustrating me time and time again as I kept dying in ways that felt unfair and unnecessary.”
  • graphics26 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a beautiful hand-drawn art style that evokes Eastern European and Soviet aesthetics, effectively enhancing the game's atmosphere and storytelling. While the visuals are generally praised for their charm and uniqueness, some reviews note that the animations and overall graphical execution are amateurish, which may detract from the experience for some players. Despite these shortcomings, the art style remains a highlight, drawing players into the game's world and complementing its moody soundtrack.

    • “The graphics are pretty nice, hand-drawn style, with Eastern European and Soviet aesthetics.”
    • “Great short and sad story with very cool graphical design and in a good retro-Soviet setting.”
    • “The art style is also very alive with stark contrasts between past and present, which helps propel the tone of planetary dread very well.”
    • “While the graphics, animations, and voice acting are strictly amateur level, there is something strangely endearing and addictive about the gameplay that overcomes the weakness of some of its elements.”
    • “Animations, graphics, and voice acting are all relatively weak, and are certainly not going to win any awards, but they are overcome by the fun, addictive nature of the gameplay.”
    • “So much of the premise, gameplay promises, atmosphere, and art style kept drawing me into it, yet it was plagued by too many immersion-breaking moments that it made me overall disappointed with the outcome of actually playing it.”
  • music17 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and narrative, with many reviewers noting its emotional and immersive qualities. The soundtrack complements the hand-drawn art style and gameplay mechanics, creating a cohesive experience that players find captivating. While voice acting received mixed reviews, the overall musical accompaniment is considered a standout feature that elevates the game's appeal.

    • “The music, the style, the mechanics all lend themselves to an awesome array of scenarios that you find yourself in as you progress along your journey.”
    • “The music also did a good job at carrying the narrative forward as you progress and explore this grim tale.”
    • “Music and atmosphere are just magical, I felt myself completely immersed and that’s what this game’s about.”
    • “The hand-drawn art style is good but the voice acting is somewhat average; luckily, the soundtrack keeps things together.”
    • “The music, the style, and the mechanics all lend themselves to an awesome array of scenarios that you find yourself in as you progress along your journey.”
    • “Music and atmosphere are just magical; I felt myself completely immersed, and that’s what this game is about.”
  • atmosphere14 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, featuring a rich Soviet post-apocalyptic setting complemented by excellent voice acting, music, and level design. While many players appreciate the emotional depth and artistic style, some express disappointment due to immersion-breaking moments and a sense that the story could have been more developed. Overall, the atmosphere is described as magical and engaging, making it a strong draw for fans of narrative-driven experiences.

    • “The game has a rather thick atmosphere of the Soviet post-apocalypse.”
    • “Music and atmosphere are just magical; I felt completely immersed, and that’s what this game is about.”
    • “Incredible atmosphere, music, and art.”
    • “So much of the premise, gameplay promises, atmosphere, and art style kept drawing me into it, yet it was plagued by too many immersion-breaking moments that it made me overall disappointed with the outcome of actually playing it.”
    • “The great perhaps uses cute puzzles to explore the before and after of humanity’s time on earth, with a melancholy atmosphere that reaches for, but doesn’t quite grasp, the profound.”
    • “Now the earth is visible from orbit, there are no clouds of ash flying in the atmosphere.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating due to infrequent checkpoints and slow movement, which can lead to tedious backtracking after dying. The combination of slippery running mechanics and lengthy puzzles contributes to an overall experience that feels more laborious than enjoyable, detracting from the game's otherwise appealing aesthetics.

    • “You can die very easily in this game, so the infrequent checkpoints can get really tedious really fast when you accidentally die to some random hazard and need to spend a long time getting back to where you were.”
    • “The walk is very slow and gets really tedious, but the run is slippery (for some reason), which makes it more troublesome to use when you want to stand in a specific spot.”
    • “It's a strange mixture where the unique elements really only serve to make the game more tedious.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, evoking laughter and tears through its touching narrative and calming music. However, some players find that repetitive failures during intense segments can disrupt immersion and detract from the overall emotional impact.

    • “A very touching and sobering experience.”
    • “I laughed, I cried.”
    • “Has some nice music, very calming and emotional.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many players finding the ending twist disappointing and the overall experience too short. While a few puzzles offer multiple solutions, this limited variability does not significantly enhance replay value.

    • “A few puzzles have more than one solution, which adds to the replay value.”
    • “The game offers multiple endings, encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes.”
    • “With various character builds and strategies, each playthrough feels unique and engaging.”
    • “Thumbs down because there is no replay value and the ending twist wasn't very original and quite disappointing compared to the rest of the game.”
    • “[Very short game, no replay value, may be a little depressing. Some puzzles are only explained once and not very well.]”
    • “A few puzzles have more than one solution, which might give some replay value.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent bugs that disrupt gameplay, making puzzles simple yet frustrating to solve. Players have reported that the glitches can sometimes add an unintended layer of enjoyment, but overall, the instability detracts from the experience.

    • “Puzzle game where you switch between the past and present, though the puzzles are simple to solve and frequently buggy.”
    • “The most fun I had with the gameplay was discovering a few glitches and repeatedly killing myself.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its clever integration into the side-scrolling gameplay, featuring amusing scenes during puzzle-solving and witty, sarcastic interactions with AI characters. Overall, players find the comedic elements to be a delightful addition to the experience.

    • “Gameplay is a side scroller where you spend most of your time solving puzzles and transitioning between the past and present, which is neat and often features quite funny scenes.”
    • “The interaction with the AI is quite funny, filled with many sarcastic remarks.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

58% average critic score

Buy The Great Perhaps

Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
3-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games