The Painting
- September 27, 2024
- Tymedust Games
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"The Painting" is a poignant visual novel centering around a man grappling with grief, as he revisits memories from his past. With hand-drawn visuals, this kinetic story delivers a hard-hitting narrative in under 1,000 words, providing a profound emotional experience in just 10-15 minutes. Created for the O2A2 VN Jam 2022, this game offers a single Steam achievement for players to unlock.
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Reviews
- The game delivers a powerful and emotional narrative within a very short playtime, leaving a lasting impression on players.
- The hand-drawn art style and piano music enhance the overall atmosphere, contributing to the game's emotional depth.
- Despite its brevity, the writing effectively conveys a lot of emotion, making it a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy visual novels.
- The gameplay is very short, typically lasting around 5 to 10 minutes, which may leave some players wanting more content.
- Character development and narrative depth feel somewhat shallow due to the game's word limit.
- Some players feel that the absence of voice acting detracts from the emotional impact of the story.
- story12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story is a self-contained, beautifully crafted narrative that explores themes of longing and grief, leaving a profound emotional impact on players. Enhanced by lovely visuals, it is described as both heartbreaking and cathartic, resonating deeply with those who experience it. Overall, the cohesive storytelling and artistic design contribute to a memorable and poignant experience.
“The story is quite self-contained and it weaves a cohesive narrative.”
“A beautifully sad story enhanced by lovely art.”
“A short visual novel type story about longing and grief.”
“The story is definitely a stab in the heart, but leaves a cathartic end.”
“☐ no story”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is a poignant visual novel that explores a father's grief over his daughter's loss, delivering a deeply moving experience that resonates with players. Its heartfelt narrative and beautiful artwork evoke strong emotions, often leading to tears, making it a brief yet impactful journey worth experiencing multiple times.
“The painting is a short, emotional visual novel game about the grief of a father who lost his daughter.”
“The story is good and heartbreaking, and the paintings are lovely.”
“It packs an incredible emotional load in a very short runtime.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is notably brief, lasting only around 5 minutes, which may leave players wanting more content and depth.
“Only around 5 minutes of gameplay.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics received positive feedback, with users highlighting their quality and visual appeal, which complemented the emotional depth of the story.
“This was a really sad story and the visuals were great.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat excessive, with some suggesting it can feel tedious and time-consuming, requiring a significant investment of effort to progress.
“It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding, but the sense of achievement is incredible.”
“It can be a bit grindy sometimes.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its evocative piano music and charming hand-drawn art style, creating an immersive and engaging experience for players.
“The piano music and hand-drawn painting style enhance the overall atmosphere.”
“The haunting sound design and immersive visuals create a truly captivating atmosphere.”
“The rich environmental storytelling and ambient sounds draw you into a world filled with mystery and intrigue.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The piano music, combined with the hand-drawn painting style, significantly enhances the game's overall atmosphere, creating an immersive experience for players.
“The piano music and hand-drawn painting style help enhance the overall atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, creating an immersive experience.”
“Each track is beautifully composed, adding depth and emotion to every moment of the game.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is perceived as somewhat shallow, likely due to constraints in narrative depth, which some users find understandable given the limitations.
“The character development and narrative feel a bit shallow overall, but it's understandable considering the word limit.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and lacking depth, which made it hard to connect with them.”
“The characters seem one-dimensional, and their growth throughout the game is minimal at best.”
