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The Novelist

The Novelist captures the quiet heartbreaks of family life.
The Novelist Game Cover
70%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, character development
79% User Score Based on 886 reviews
Critic Score 61%Based on 10 reviews

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The Novelist Game Cover

About

The Novelist is a single player casual simulation game with a drama theme. It was developed by Orthogonal Games and was released on December 10, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"The Novelist" is a narrative-driven game that tells the story of a struggling writer and his family. Players must make difficult decisions to balance the writer's professional aspirations with the emotional needs of his loved ones, all while exploring a beautifully creepy coastal mansion. The game explores themes of ambition, relationships, and personal growth.

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The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
The Novelist screenshot
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79%
Audience ScoreBased on 886 reviews
story257 positive mentions
grinding19 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and engaging narrative that explores the complexities of family life and the difficult choices that come with balancing personal ambitions and responsibilities.
  • The characters are well-written and relatable, making players emotionally invested in their outcomes and decisions.
  • The game successfully evokes a sense of introspection, prompting players to reflect on their own life choices and priorities.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, as players are required to search the same small house for clues multiple times.
  • The stealth mechanics are often frustrating and can detract from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging game.
  • Some characters, particularly the child, may come off as unsympathetic or overly simplistic, which can hinder emotional connection.
  • story
    890 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *The Novelist* revolves around the Kaplan family—Dan, an aspiring novelist, his wife Linda, and their son Tommy—navigating personal and familial challenges during a summer retreat. Players engage in meaningful decision-making that influences the narrative, which is both relatable and emotionally impactful, though some find the plot familiar and the gameplay repetitive. While the game offers a unique interactive storytelling experience, opinions vary on its depth and execution, with many praising its emotional resonance despite its simplicity.

    • “I can highly recommend the novelist for those who like a good story with meaningful choices.”
    • “The story is engaging and choices are hard to make, which is good.”
    • “The story is at once heartwarming and heartbreaking, and its narrative bridges the chapters smoothly regardless of your decisions.”
    • “Their story is one you’ve seen a thousand times before.”
    • “If it were a story alone it would fail.”
    • “The story is uninspired and boring until no end.”
  • gameplay
    340 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of *The Novelist* is characterized by its simplistic and repetitive mechanics, primarily involving stealth and exploration within a single house. While the game offers a unique narrative experience with decision-making elements, many players found the gameplay to be tedious and lacking depth, often overshadowing the story's emotional impact. Overall, it appeals more to those who prioritize narrative over intricate gameplay, as the mechanics serve primarily to facilitate the storytelling rather than provide a challenging gaming experience.

    • “The gameplay is quite unique and interesting, but also fairly simplistic.”
    • “The stealth mechanic is mercifully lenient and serves to establish a tiny bit of player progression: initially progress through the house can be sluggish, but after you learn the layout and character paths you can navigate the space a bit faster.”
    • “The gameplay: this game does surprisingly fantastic for a point-and-click game.”
    • “I didn't complete the game; the story didn't grab me, nor did the gameplay, with gameplay being the biggest factor why I didn't finish it.”
    • “The gameplay is quite repetitive and tedious, and I often found myself rushing through the clue-finding.”
    • “The gameplay gets a bit repetitive quickly, looking for the same clues in similar places in the same house over and over.”
  • emotional
    146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke a deep connection with the characters and the moral dilemmas they face, often leaving players feeling guilty or heartbroken over their choices. Many reviewers highlight the game's poignant storytelling and the impact of its narrative, which resonates on a personal level, making it a memorable experience despite some criticisms regarding its brevity and gameplay mechanics. Overall, it is regarded as a touching and thought-provoking journey that effectively explores themes of family, sacrifice, and emotional complexity.

    • “My first playthrough made me feel every emotion (happy, sad, angry, ecstatic) mainly because the choices were hard and the consequences both lifted my spirits and crushed my heart.”
    • “I cried in the end, most of the actions I did were trying to help everyone... but that is not always how it is in real life.”
    • “This game has the most touching and relatable story I've experienced in any game.”
    • “The big flaw is the boring story, which lacked any meaningful conflict or stakes.”
    • “A boring story with some limited but interesting and totally underutilized gameplay.”
    • “I bought this game and found it somewhat entertaining and like I had an impact, though a somewhat boring story I still wondered at the outcome.”
  • graphics
    89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally described as simple yet charming, with a pleasant art style that complements the storytelling. While not technically impressive, they create a suitable atmosphere, though some players noted a lack of detail and variability. Overall, the visuals are appreciated for their aesthetic appeal, but they may not leave a lasting impression.

    • “The graphics fit perfectly with the storytelling.”
    • “The ambience created by the piano tracks and slightly abstract art style work well here.”
    • “Great story, awesome visuals, and interesting concept.”
    • “The graphics are rather simple (not ugly, simple!) and there is a low density of details.”
    • “The story is rather simple, predictable, and sometimes does not make much sense; the graphics are pretty sterile too.”
    • “The graphics are nothing, (though I imagine if you're into these types of games you don't care much for them) they're not special and certainly not high end.”
  • replayability
    59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers moderate to high replayability due to its multiple decision points and varying outcomes, encouraging players to explore different narrative paths. However, its short playtime (around 1.5 to 4 hours) and some players' experiences of slow pacing may limit the desire for repeated playthroughs. While many appreciate the weight of choices and potential for different endings, some find the overall experience lacking in depth, which affects their inclination to replay.

    • “The choices you make really build, giving your decisions weight and also adding replay value.”
    • “The novelist is the best kind of walking simulator, one that presents well-written characters, moral ambiguity, and multiple endings with tons of replay value.”
    • “Great replay value, would highly recommend giving this a try.”
    • “By not having the option to save in multiple files (or if you can, I managed to mess up somehow), you can’t set points for further replayability, unless you don’t mind repeating everything.”
    • “The game, while it has replay value to reach different story outcomes, only lasts about 1.5-2 hours on the story mode playthrough.”
    • “On a simple note, the game is extremely boring and repetitive with no replayability, and has about three hours of content.”
  • music
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric and reflective qualities that enhance the emotional depth of the story, while others find it repetitive and ill-fitting. Many players appreciate the gentle and peaceful soundtrack that complements the game's introspective themes, though some feel it can become monotonous. Overall, the music contributes to the game's charm but may not resonate with everyone due to its somber tone and lack of variety.

    • “The game's music reflects the mindset of the characters and their feelings, which is great.”
    • “Despite having to make some tough choices, the gentle music, sound effects, and general pacing of the game helped make the whole thing a relaxing experience, leading to introspective contemplation rather than stressful regrets when a tough choice was presented.”
    • “The soundtrack was beautiful and peaceful.”
    • “The house is pretty bland and the same type of music all the time can get irritating.”
    • “The art style is bland and repetitive, the house is small and inadequately designed, the music is boring and ill-fitting, and the levels do not get more challenging or thought-provoking as the game progresses.”
    • “2/5 soundtrack”
  • grinding
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious, repetitive, and slow-paced, leading to a frustrating experience for players. Many reviewers noted that the process of clue-finding and character decision-making often felt boring and aimless, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the story. Despite some interesting challenges, the overwhelming sentiment is that the gameplay becomes a chore rather than an engaging adventure.

    • “It's tedious and boring, and you wander around quite a bit not knowing what to do, even with the clues.”
    • “The process of finding the 'clues' and learning more about the players was also repetitive and became tedious.”
    • “When I think of words to describe this game, the ones that come to mind are: depressing, annoying, boring, repetitive, and tedious.”
  • atmosphere
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is described as immersive and dreamlike, enhanced by its graphics, music, and voice acting, despite some imperfections. Reviewers note a slow, melancholic tone that contributes to a deep narrative and character development, though this somber atmosphere may limit playability for some. Overall, it successfully creates a compelling and engaging environment.

    • “While the graphics aren't perfect, they still provide a great atmosphere, supporting the idea that living in the house really does seem like a dream.”
    • “The game is very atmospheric with a slow, almost sad tone to everything from the voices to the music.”
    • “It had a deep storyline, good character build-up, and an overall atmosphere few games achieve.”
    • “Unfortunately for me, because of that sad atmosphere, I can't play much.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is generally praised, maintaining a steady 60 fps, though some users note that there are minor performance flaws present. Overall, the experience is smooth, but it is not entirely without issues.

    • “Performance was great with the game sticking very close to a constant 60 fps.”
    • “Performance was great with the game sticking very close to a constant 60 fps.”
    • “So they're the performance (action) and you're the thought (theory).”
    • “This can't be without flaws in the performance.”
    • “The performance (action) is there, but you're left with the thought (theory).”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is praised for its effectiveness despite limited screen time, successfully evoking emotional responses. However, some weaknesses in this area hinder full engagement with the narrative, suggesting that while the potential is there, it may not be fully realized.

    • “Stealth, exploration, and character development through meaningful choices are three of my favourite things in games, so this is right up my alley.”
    • “Overall, the game delivers the desired emotional effect, but some of the weaknesses in character development make it difficult to fully engage with some aspects of the narrative.”
    • “I have rarely seen character development this successful with so little screen time.”
  • humor
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is consistently praised, with many players finding it very funny, particularly enjoying the clever use of easter eggs like the changing meal-list on the fridge that adds a comedic touch in each chapter. However, some moments also carry a more somber tone, creating a contrast between humor and emotional depth.

    • “At times funny, at others soul crushing.”
    • “The meal list on the fridge changes every chapter and left me laughing.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game involves a somewhat confusing mechanic where players must "fill the form" to create ads that attract visitors to view paintings. While this feature is intended to enhance engagement, the connection between the ads and the gameplay is not clearly communicated, leading to some player frustration.

    • “In the game, this help is branded as 'filling the form'; yes, it's right after reading about ads, but the connection is really not clear.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game demonstrates excellent stability, with users reporting no crashes, bugs, or glitches during gameplay.

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61%Critics’ scoreBased on 10 critic reviews
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2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2h Main story
3h Completionist
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Novelist is a casual simulation game with drama theme.

The Novelist is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

The main story can be completed in around 2 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 3 hours to finish. On average players spend around 2 hours playing The Novelist.

The Novelist was released on December 10, 2013.

The Novelist was developed by Orthogonal Games.

The Novelist has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

The Novelist is a single player game.

Similar games include Always Sometimes Monsters, Yes, Your Grace, Gone Home, Beholder, The Pale Beyond and others.