The Mind's Eclipse

"The Mind's Eclipse" is a black and white science-fiction visual novel where players explore a fallen research station, the CORE, in search of their loved ones while experiencing an emotional narrative. As they uncover the mystery of the Eclipse and its side-narratives, players will interact with their environment and analyze journals and chat logs to understand the CORE's downfall. The game features morally gray characters and an immersive world, providing an engaging experience without the need for dating mechanics. Be cautious of COSy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews

story22 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The Mind's Eclipse features a well-written and engaging sci-fi story that prompts deep reflection on existential themes.
The game's art style is striking, with beautifully drawn black-and-white visuals that enhance the atmospheric experience.
It offers a unique blend of visual novel and adventure game elements, making it accessible yet thought-provoking for players.

The gameplay is mostly linear with limited interactivity, which may disappoint players looking for more choices and puzzles.
Some technical issues, such as the cumbersome navigation and lack of a 'Continue' button, can detract from the overall experience.
The pacing can feel dragged out in parts, leading to moments where the atmosphere loses its intensity.

story
46 mentions
48 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The game features a well-crafted sci-fi narrative that explores themes of life, death, and immortality, engaging players with its intriguing characters and plot twists. While the story follows familiar tropes, it is delivered in a compelling manner, often conveyed through artwork and emails, allowing players to piece together the narrative at their own pace. Overall, the storytelling is immersive and deep, making it a significant aspect of the gameplay experience.
- “Super well-written and interesting sci-fi story and characters.”
- “The story is not painfully obvious, while not forcing one to dive into every single phrase and detail to get a firm grasp of it.”
- “A story about life, death, immortality (and the consequences of it), and choice.”
- “Most of the story is told through the game’s artwork and emails, and it’s up to you to piece together how different people feel about the eclipse, and what they decide to do about it.”
- “If you are so close to making the story interactive, why not go all the way?”
- “The story... well it goes exactly where you would expect it to go, but it's told so well that it doesn't matter that this is a well-worn path.”
graphics
24 mentions
50 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of "The Mind's Eclipse" are characterized by a striking black-and-white art style that is both simplistic and immersive, reminiscent of indie comic books. This monochromatic aesthetic effectively complements the game's themes and storytelling, enhancing the overall experience despite the absence of voice acting. Players appreciate the clarity and navigability of the artwork, which plays a crucial role in conveying the narrative.
- “The striking black-and-white artwork and electronic soundtrack really help to make this visual novel stand out.”
- “The art style for The Mind's Eclipse is a wonderful ink-shaded world that appropriately sets the tone for the game.”
- “Thus far, I've found the storytelling mechanism to be quite compelling, and the artwork makes for an immersive experience.”
- “The graphics are raw and uncompromising, like an indie comic book.”
- “One of the main reasons for buying The Mind's Eclipse was its graphics.”
- “Most of the story is told through the game’s artwork and emails, and it’s up to you to piece together how different people feel about the eclipse, and what they decide to do about it.”
gameplay
18 mentions
17 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily linear and simple, characteristic of a visual novel, with minimal puzzle mechanics and an inventory feature that feels largely unnecessary. Players can expect an intuitive experience, with straightforward controls and a consistent aesthetic throughout the game, which typically spans around seven hours of slow-paced play.
- “I took about 7 hours of slow-paced gameplay.”
- “I also find the menu, controls, and gameplay experience to be intuitive.”
- “Try the demo, and the full game has the same look, sound, and mechanics.”
- “On the gameplay side, it's a visual novel, so expect something simple that doesn't ask much from the player.”
- “[ - ] mostly linear gameplay”
- “[ - ] inventory feature mostly useless gameplay-wise”
music
14 mentions
71 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highlighted as a compelling ambient soundtrack that enhances the stark black-and-white visuals, creating a varied and immersive atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the electronic soundtrack for its ability to draw players into the narrative, contributing significantly to the overall experience despite the absence of voice acting. Overall, the music is praised as a standout feature that complements the game's artistic direction and storytelling.
- “The game’s atmosphere, set by the black and white art and soundtrack/soundscapes, is pleasant and quite varied for a short game.”
- “This game has a compelling ambient soundtrack that pulls you into the stark, black and white scenes.”
- “A short but intense narrative experience with a great soundtrack and an old-school sci-fi art direction.”
- “- moody soundtrack”
- “- moody soundtrack”
atmosphere
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of *The Mind's Eclipse* is characterized by its effective use of black and white art and immersive soundscapes, creating a pleasant yet gloomy environment that enhances the mystery of the abandoned city. While the game successfully establishes a strong atmosphere, some players noted a loss of pacing and claustrophobia in the middle sections, which detracted from the overall experience.
- “The Mind's Eclipse is an atmospheric sci-fi point-and-click visual novel - awakening in an abandoned city, you piece together its past from fragments of emails and logs you find, making for a highly effective mystery.”
- “The game’s atmosphere, set by the black and white art and soundtrack/soundscapes, is pleasant and quite varied for a short game.”
- “Very good simplistic but atmospheric game.”
- “The game lost some of its pacing and claustrophobic atmosphere, which made it feel a bit dragged out in the middle part.”
- “- gloomy atmosphere”
- “- gloomy atmosphere”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its portrayal of a desolate world, punctuated by stunning visuals and impactful emotional moments that resonate with players.
- “The game presents a barren, dead world, yet it is filled with occasional gorgeous shots and deeply emotional scenes.”
- “The game features a barren, dead world, interspersed with stunning visuals and powerful emotional moments.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely criticized, with multiple users stating that it fails to deliver any comedic elements, resulting in a lack of laughter or amusement.
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game somewhat tedious due to the movement between rooms, but appreciate the lack of backtracking, which helps alleviate some of the frustration.