the Line

About

the Line is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Marginal act and was released on December 7, 2017. It received neutral reviews from players.

In "The Line" , players control Angelina and her mutated dog Fin in a rogue-like, dungeon crawler, survival game with turn-based combat. The goal is to survive the long line for resettlement from the oppressive east side of the city while uncovering the true nature of the resettlement. Combat, negotiation, and exploiting enemy weaknesses are the keys to success in this atmospheric and immersive game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 28 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

The game features a unique and compelling visual aesthetic, utilizing collaged art styles that create a distinct atmosphere.
The gameplay offers various choices for progression, allowing players to barter, fight, or expose weaknesses, which adds depth to the experience.
The audio design complements the unsettling visuals, enhancing the overall immersive experience.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including freezing during mini-games, making it virtually unplayable.
Many gameplay mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion and frustration for players trying to navigate the game.
The balance of difficulty is inconsistent, with some players finding the game too easy or unchallenging, while others struggle with its mechanics.

gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The gameplay features randomized elements like item drops and enemy encounters, which could enhance the experience, but are marred by significant bugs that can freeze the game or disrupt core mechanics, making it feel unfinished. While the systems are intriguing and the difficulty is low, these issues can lead to a frustrating experience, overshadowing the game's potential despite its affordable price and appealing art style.
- “The gameplay mechanics were fairly interesting in terms of the systems, but the difficulty was extremely low.”
- “Still, for the cheap price, memorable art style, and interesting mechanics, I'm happy I bought the game.”
- “Some elements are randomized (item drops and enemies) and these aspects could lead to a great experience.”
- “Some elements are randomized (item drops and enemies) and these aspects could lead to a great experience; unfortunately, it is quite buggy. The scavenge minigames work sometimes, but sometimes they just freeze your game. The trap mechanics in Act II don't seem to work at all, your battle animation can lock into your movement, and sometimes you cannot interact with NPCs, although everything feels like you should.”
- “I don't mind obscure, hidden, and crude elements in terms of presentation or mechanics, but this clearly seems unintentional or, at worst, unfinished.”
- “Since searching for items and bartering those items to move ahead in the line is a core component of the gameplay, this is a game-breaking bug that makes the game unplayable.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
"The Line" is praised for its unique atmosphere, characterized by exceptional audio and a distinctive visual style that combines deformed-dystopian renaissance art with collage techniques. This unsettling yet engaging environment enhances gameplay, making it both surprising and addictive, as players navigate choices that reflect the game's tense and uneasy themes. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest selling points.
- “The line has great audio and exceptional art being collaged with deformed-dystopian renaissance assets, which make for a great atmosphere (probably the best selling point).”
- “I've never been so well surprised while playing this game; the atmosphere, concepts, and the graphics that I find really clever by using collage (which I've never seen before in a game) really made this game that I thought dull, actually pretty addictive.”
- “Unsettling art and sound choices contribute to an uneasy atmosphere.”
- “No one has the time in their life to wait out the line so you have choices on how you choose to proceed: barter with people for their spot, fight them for their spot, or expose their weakness (after a 'psychic' puzzle). Unsettling art and sound choices contribute to an uneasy atmosphere.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game features a unique and compelling visual aesthetic that some players find confusing yet memorable. Despite its strange graphics, many appreciate the art style and feel that it adds value to the overall experience, especially considering the game's affordable price.
- “The game has an interesting visual aesthetic and the world that it sets you down in is compelling (if confusing).”
- “I just really love the aesthetics of this game!”
- “Still, for the cheap price, memorable art style, and interesting mechanics, I'm happy I bought the game.”
- “Strange game with strange graphics”
- “Strange game with strange graphics”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is significantly hampered by numerous bugs, including freezing during scavenge minigames, non-functional trap mechanics, and issues with character interactions. These technical problems detract from the overall experience, making it difficult for players to progress. Despite some promising randomized elements, the frequent glitches undermine the gameplay.
- “Some elements are randomized (item drops and enemies) and these aspects could lead to a great experience; unfortunately, it is quite buggy. The scavenge minigames work sometimes, but other times they just freeze your game. The trap mechanics in Act II don't seem to work at all, your battle animation can lock into your movement, and sometimes you cannot interact with NPCs even though everything feels like you should.”
- “It is very buggy, however.”
- “Any time you initiate a sequence where you or the dog are doing the exploration minigame, the game freezes and it's impossible to make progress.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story of the game is criticized for being poorly executed, with many players feeling that it is overshadowed by control issues and overall broken mechanics. Despite some appreciation for the game's visuals, the narrative fails to engage, leading to disappointment among users.
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Character development is shallow, leaving players with little emotional investment in the narrative.”
- “The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises or excitement.”