The House of Da Vinci

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,203 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
The House of Da Vinci Game Cover
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The House of Da Vinci is a first-person puzzle adventure game set in the world of Leonardo da Vinci. As Da Vinci's apprentice, you must explore his home, uncover secrets, and solve puzzles to unravel a mystery. With beautifully designed levels and challenging puzzles, the game offers an immersive and engaging experience for players who enjoy problem-solving and historical intrigue.

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Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,203 reviews
story137 positive mentions
grinding53 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and immersive atmosphere.
  • Challenging puzzles that require logical thinking.
  • Engaging hint system that helps without giving away solutions.
  • Clunky controls and frustrating camera angles.
  • Many puzzles rely on pixel hunting, making it tedious to find interactable objects.
  • The story is weak and the ending feels abrupt and unsatisfying.
  • story357 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it either weak or underdeveloped, often serving merely as a backdrop for the puzzles. While some appreciate the intriguing premise and the integration of historical elements, others criticize the narrative for being shallow, lacking coherence, or abruptly ending without resolution. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the story adds some context, it is not the primary draw of the game, which is more focused on puzzle-solving.

    • “The story does a good job of creating intrigue and mystery because we become invested in the story of our protagonist, Giacomo.”
    • “The visuals are fantastic, the puzzles are amazing, and the storyline is intriguing!”
    • “Great game, loved playing it and enjoyed the puzzles and story.”
    • “The story is almost nonexistent; you are basically trying to catch up to your fleeing master (Da Vinci) from a third party that is trying to get you both, comparing that to the null story in the Room games leaves the House of Da Vinci's story very weak and bare-bone.”
    • “The attempted storyline unfortunately doesn't really hit the mark and seems to just barely connect the puzzles thematically.”
    • “The story just suddenly ends right at the point when it becomes interesting.”
  • graphics353 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, intricate detail, and atmospheric design, often compared favorably to the aesthetics of "The Room" series. Many players highlighted the beautiful artwork and immersive environments that enhance the overall experience, although some noted issues with visibility and interface that detracted from gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The graphics are stunning, with detailed environments that bring Leonardo da Vinci's inventions to life in a visually captivating way.”
    • “Beautiful graphics and a wide variety of well-thought-out puzzles to keep you thinking.”
    • “The artwork and overall aesthetic of the game are amazing, and the puzzles build and become slightly more complex with each chapter.”
    • “Apart from the visuals, this game is a poor cousin to the Room series in every way.”
    • “If you like puzzle games that make no sense, have dark obscure graphics that make it hard to even see where the puzzle is, and the controls for the puzzles are frustrating and wonky, then you will love this game.”
    • “The graphics are really well below par.”
  • gameplay235 mentions

    The gameplay of "The House of Da Vinci" has drawn mixed reviews, with many players noting its strong resemblance to "The Room" series in terms of mechanics and aesthetics. While some appreciate the intricate mechanical puzzles and immersive atmosphere, others criticize the clunky controls, frustrating mechanics, and lack of intuitive design, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel tedious and convoluted. Overall, the game offers engaging puzzles but suffers from execution issues that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay is incredibly immersive, drawing you into a beautifully crafted renaissance world filled with intricate mechanisms and clever puzzles.”
    • “Amazing puzzles, lots of gameplay, just the right kind of subtle hints for when you get stuck but only want a nudge in the right direction.”
    • “The puzzles have a good difficulty ramp to them, starting off simply to explain mechanics and getting quite complex at the end, and extremely satisfying to work out.”
    • “It seems like it is trying to copy The Room but with very uninteresting turns and very boring mechanics where sometimes it even has some pointless clicks just to make you feel you're solving a riddle but you're actually just clicking around.”
    • “The mechanics were sub-par to begin with, but toward the end they got infuriating.”
    • “The gameplay is so similar to The Room that I assumed it was made by the same developers.”
  • music97 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, contributing to a cozy and engaging experience. However, several reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive and lacks variation, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some players found the music to be a pleasant background element, others felt it missed an opportunity to incorporate more period-appropriate compositions to enhance the game's setting.

    • “Very well made, with great atmosphere through visuals and music.”
    • “The music is very relaxing and atmospheric.”
    • “The artwork and music are fantastic, and I highly recommend this game to puzzle game players, especially if they liked the Room series, as the artistry is fantastic.”
    • “The music can feel... loopy, like a continuous soundtrack playing the same song over and over again.”
    • “The music could be better, especially because it was repetitive.”
    • “The music is your standard 'oooh it's a mystery puzzle game' music, a completely missed opportunity to use literally renaissance, or at least renaissance-like music, to better convey the time-period.”
  • atmosphere91 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, immersive sound design, and thematic consistency, creating a captivating experience for players. While many enjoy the relaxing and intriguing ambiance, some critiques highlight that the narrative can feel shallow or disconnected from gameplay, detracting from the overall immersion. Overall, the game successfully combines art direction, music, and environmental design to enhance the player's experience, making it a notable entry in the atmospheric puzzle genre.

    • “The music and sound effects lend a period atmosphere to the game.”
    • “The atmosphere is interesting and it is quite immersive; I particularly liked the sound effects when items moved.”
    • “The graphics, the atmosphere, and the environments are spot on.”
    • “The graphics and atmosphere were decent, but instead of wanting more after the ending, I was just happy it was over.”
    • “Atmosphere is gothic and relaxing; navigation and puzzles are a nightmare.”
    • “The room was static by comparison, and relied more on atmosphere than dynamic tension.”
  • grinding54 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with many puzzles described as repetitive, unintuitive, and requiring frustrating trial-and-error approaches. The controls and mechanics often contribute to a clunky experience, leading to a lack of enjoyment and immersion. While some puzzles are engaging, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game suffers from a significant amount of tedious gameplay that detracts from its potential.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grinding in this game is rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
    • “This game is tedious, miles away from the room.”
    • “However, there were some puzzles/things you need to find that seemed pretty arbitrary/obscure and would be extremely tedious to find without the hints.”
    • “However, after several hours of playing with it on a PC and Android, I found the controls to be imprecise and sluggish, which in turn made the gameplay very tedious and frustrating.”
  • stability19 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, including unresponsive controls, visual issues, and freezing. While some players found the game enjoyable despite these problems, many expressed frustration over the frequency and severity of the technical issues, suggesting that stability is a major concern. Overall, the game's performance appears inconsistent, with a notable impact on the user experience.

    • “This game is very nice, with little to no glitches or problems running it.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't encountered any crashes.”
    • “I appreciate how smoothly the game runs; it feels very stable overall.”
    • “Quite buggy, struggling to play at once.”
    • “There are glitches in this game on my computer, to the extent that I absolutely cannot play it.”
    • “So many bugs and glitches.”
  • replayability11 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with many players noting that it offers little value for repeated playthroughs due to predictable puzzles and a short gameplay duration of under five hours. While some features allow for chapter replays and experimentation with unlocked mechanisms, the experience remains largely unchanged unless significant time has passed since the last play. Consequently, the consensus is that replayability is not a strong aspect of the game, with ratings averaging around 4.5/10.

    • “Infinitely replayable.”
    • “The replayability is quite there, to beat your own time, or playing after some weeks when you have forgotten most of the steps again.”
    • “Replay value.”
    • “Little replay value until you forget the solutions.”
    • “Less than 5 hours of gameplay and no replay value; it's exactly the same every time as far as I went into the second time through.”
    • “While you can replay chapters at will and can visit the hall of achievements to 'play' with all the mechanisms you've unlocked, there isn't much replay value unless you have a bad memory or wait long enough to forget how all the puzzles are solved.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players appreciate its smooth performance and lack of bugs, others criticize long loading times on high-end PCs and subpar mouse controls, suggesting that it could benefit from further optimization for both PC and mobile platforms.

    • “Very well made with good performance.”
    • “Good looks, good puzzles, good sound, decent story, runs smoothly, and no bugs I noticed.”
    • “Well optimized”
    • “Probably unoptimized for PC since loading takes way too long for a top-end system.”
    • “I understand there's a satisfaction in manually pulling these levers and wheels, but it could've been optimized much better.”
    • “No, it's not perfect, as there are many times you can tell it wasn't completely optimized for a mouse: camera control and manipulation of items that just don't work very well (looking at the astrolabe in particular).”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and amusing elements, including funny contraptions and a blend of reality and fantasy that adds a lighthearted touch to the experience. Players appreciate the comedic aspects of the puzzles and the overall story, even if the narrative itself can be somewhat confusing. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with engaging gameplay, making it an entertaining journey.

    • “It is funny to say, but there is a freaking backtracking in the escape-room kind of game (and lots of it)!”
    • “My 2 tips for this game are to very closely inspect any item you come across, and to use your funnyvision abilities as often as possible.”
    • “Funny contraptions with intricate solving mechanisms.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    Players express a mix of frustration and nostalgia regarding the emotional experience of the game. While some felt inadequate due to challenging puzzles and motion sickness, others appreciated the immersive escape room vibe, indicating a strong emotional connection despite the game's shortcomings in storytelling. Overall, the game evokes a range of feelings from challenge-induced stress to a longing for the escape room experience.

    • “Awesome game, made me feel like being out in an escape room again.”
    • “This basically is the room with a more boring story.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing frustration over its perceived exploitation, especially in comparison to other indie titles that offer better value.

    • “This game feels like a cash grab; it's disappointing to see indie developers resorting to such tactics when there are better examples out there.”
    • “The monetization strategy is frustrating and makes the game feel more like a money-making scheme than a genuine experience.”
    • “It's disheartening to see a game that could have been great reduced to a series of paywalls and microtransactions.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development received a mixed response, with an average rating of 7/10 for character design. Reviewers noted that while the characters are visually appealing, their depth and growth throughout the game could be improved. Overall, the potential for more nuanced character arcs was recognized, but execution fell short for some players.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

7hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
7-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

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