The Longest Road on Earth
- May 27, 2021
- Brainwash Gang
The Longest Road on Earth works like a video game Rorschach test. You paint a little of yourself onto the canvas of the story and that, in turn, is what you get from it.
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"The Longest Road on Earth" is a narrative-driven indie game that takes players on a emotional journey through four vignettes, featuring pixel art graphics and a minimalist design. The game focuses on relatable everyday experiences, with no dialogue or traditional narrative, allowing players to interpret the story in their own way. Gameplay consists of simple interactions and rhythm-based minigames, providing a relaxing, introspective experience.
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Reviews
- The game features a killer soundtrack that beautifully complements the emotional journey.
- The visuals are lovely, with a charming pixel art style that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers a unique, introspective experience that encourages players to reflect on their own lives and emotions.
- The gameplay is minimal, often feeling more like an interactive music video than a traditional game.
- The pacing is excessively slow, which can lead to boredom and frustration for players seeking more engagement.
- The narrative is vague and lacks coherence, making it difficult for players to connect with the characters or understand the overall story.
- music189 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in "The Longest Road on Earth" is widely praised for its emotional depth and beautiful composition, often described as the game's standout feature that elevates the overall experience. Many reviewers liken the game to an interactive music video, emphasizing that the soundtrack is integral to the storytelling, despite some criticism regarding its repetitiveness and the minimal gameplay. Overall, the combination of the hauntingly beautiful music and pixel art creates a poignant atmosphere, making it a compelling choice for those who appreciate artistic and musical experiences.
“The soundtrack, without question, makes this game beautifully unique.”
“The music helps tell the story and there are close to no words written in the game.”
“A beautiful artistic experience, with gorgeous pixel art and a lovely soundtrack.”
“As far as high-minded concepts go, this game has one in spades, but that concept is so bogged down with nonsensical, boring, and frankly insipid game mechanics and messaging, and doubly so because its soundtrack is unbearable.”
“It's more like a pretentious hipster music video, forcing you to sit through and listen to the soundtrack. All I can do is stare at a lamp for 3 minutes until the song ends? Then it's on to another poignant/pointless scene/song.”
“The constant music with vocals does not always match with the things we see on the screen, and sometimes I felt I needed a pause in the soundtrack so that I can breathe, because in the end the music never stopping becomes like a white background noise and you don't really enjoy it anymore.”
- story81 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by its subtlety and reliance on visual storytelling, accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack, allowing players to interpret the narrative in their own way. However, many reviewers found the plot to be vague and lacking coherence, often describing it as mundane or overly slow-paced, which detracted from their engagement. While some appreciated the emotional depth and slice-of-life moments, others felt it failed to deliver a compelling or structured narrative, leading to a mixed reception regarding its storytelling approach.
“The game is a story told in a very interesting, subtle way.”
“A pleasant slow burn story about melancholy and the quiet moments of everyday life.”
“The art style is great and performed amazingly well, combining this with the music creates an extremely well-made story filled with emotion.”
“There wasn't much reflecting to do there, since the story felt too mundane to put a mirror up to.”
“The game itself didn't provide enough information about the basics like who, where, when, and this is the minimum I expect from simple storytelling.”
“No story, no choices to make, no narration to draw a common thread between each character, and the scenes presented are so depressively ordinary that they only inspired me boredom instead of nostalgia or melancholia.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful pixel art style and nostalgic charm, while others found the monochrome visuals lacking depth and connection to the narrative. The visuals are often described as soothing and memorable, effectively complementing the game's soundtrack, though some players felt the overall experience resembled a meditative screensaver rather than a fully realized game. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is strong, but opinions vary on how well the visuals support the storytelling.
“The artwork is beyond beautiful and the short stories are humble to watch over, and it's told with no words at all.”
“The graphics are stylish and memorable, the music painfully beautiful, and the experience bittersweet.”
“The art style is great and performed amazingly well, combining this with the music creates an extremely well-made story filled with emotion.”
“The visuals and interaction in the game don’t really do the songs much of a favor either.”
“I've never been this disappointed by a pixel-graphics game in my life.”
“Aesthetically, it feels like it wants to be a silent film without subtitles (the marketing pitch being that you create your own story), but fundamentally, it is a chill interactive screensaver with music.”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by minimal mechanics, often described as slow and mundane, with many players feeling it detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the emotional depth and high-concept themes, others find the lack of engaging gameplay elements frustrating, leading to a perception of the game as more of an interactive experience than a traditional game. Overall, it appeals primarily to those who prefer narrative-driven experiences over conventional gameplay.
“When the creator understands that the gameplay plays into the themes as much as the writing and the story, you begin to get some of the best media there is.”
“I can't tell you what it's 'about', as that would only be my own opinion, but I can tell you that somehow, without dialogue and complex gameplay, I still felt a personal connection to each character, through projecting myself through them.”
“Some people looking for high-octane gameplay may be disappointed, but this game is gorgeous.”
“There is practically zero gameplay.”
“As far as high-minded concepts go, this game has one in spades, but that concept is so bogged down with nonsensical, boring, and frankly insipid game mechanics and messaging, and doubly so because its soundtrack is unbearable.”
“Relative to others, gameplay is pretty sparse, relegated to arrow keys to move from one location to another, and pressing spacebar at various intervals to advance the scene.”
- emotional20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its ability to evoke deep feelings through minimal gameplay and rich storytelling. The use of music enhances the emotional experience, creating poignant moments that resonate with players on a personal level. Overall, the game is described as a touching and heartwarming journey that encourages reflection and emotional engagement.
“Its different, its touching, and its beautiful.”
“The story of the rat lady in the beginning was rather heartwarming; it had this sweet melancholic feel as we watch her live out her golden years alone in the countryside.”
“It's really not the common genre of the game that you see a lot these days, more like a movie focusing on the very common day to day life, yet it's just so touching, the melancholy mood the game brings is really something special and will lead to some deep self reflections toward myself.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its slow pacing and atmospheric music, creating an immersive experience through silent pixel storytelling. Reviewers highlight the outstanding soundtrack and the effective use of minimal dialogue, enhancing the overall narrative ambiance.
“Just atmospheric music, silent pixel stories, and very slow pacing.”
“It's a slow-paced, atmospheric narrative.”
“Best soundtrack, slice of life, and the atmosphere is outstanding.”
“There is no dialogue or text to set the atmosphere.”
“The environment feels lifeless and lacks any immersive elements.”
“The sound design is underwhelming, failing to enhance the overall atmosphere.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively tedious, with some describing even simple tasks like walking across a room as a chore. While they appreciate slower-paced experiences in other genres, the grinding in this game detracts significantly from their enjoyment.
“I get wanting to have a slow pace, but this makes walking across a room an extremely tedious chore.”
“I like playing indie games, walking simulators, and other game-like media that have minimal gameplay, but the longest road on earth was an awfully tedious experience.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with players finding the gameplay repetitive and slow, leading to a lack of engagement and entertainment.
“It's mashing keys that are obvious, backtracking on your steps with nothing new to see at the speed of a salted slug, and overall has no replay value, or even entertainment value.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is noted as a minor concern, particularly regarding the design of animal characters, which some users feel could be improved to enhance their depth and relatability.
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
“The lack of meaningful choices in character development left me feeling disconnected from the story.”
Critic Reviews
The Longest Road on Earth Review
The Longest Road on Earth works like a video game Rorschach test. You paint a little of yourself onto the canvas of the story and that, in turn, is what you get from it.
80%The Longest Road on Earth Review
With a running time of around two hours, The Longest Road on Earth is the perfect game to play in one sitting.
80%The Longest Road on Earth Review – A Short but Sweet, Emotional Experience
By simply being an interactive experience, 'The Longest Road on Earth' won't be for everyone, but if you're a fan of the genre or want some 'chill out time', I implore you find a moment to take a stroll down this road. If nothing else, it's a reminder to stop and smell the roses every once in a while. Life's too short not to.
70%
