The Red Strings Club

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,948 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
The Red Strings Club Game Cover
At first glance, sci-fi adventure The Red Strings Club is pure eighties cyberpunk: all neon, implants and improbably bulky eyewear. But take a seat inside this hallowed establishment and you’ll be regaled with a tale that is resoundingly human.
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In "The Red Strings Club," navigate a cyberpunk world where a corporation claims it can eliminate negative emotions from society. As a bartender and hacker, uncover the truth behind this program and its true intentions, questioning what happiness means and what limits should be set to achieve it. Utilize pottery, bartending, and phone impersonation to bring down the corporate conspiracy.

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Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,948 reviews
story842 positive mentions
grinding62 negative mentions
  • Incredible storytelling that challenges players to think about their own beliefs and ethics.
  • Beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the overall atmosphere.
  • Engaging gameplay mechanics that involve mixing drinks to influence characters' emotions and decisions.
  • The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 3-5 hours, which may leave players wanting more.
  • Some gameplay mechanics, like the pottery and phone calling segments, can feel tedious and frustrating.
  • The ending is fixed and does not change based on player choices, which may disappoint those looking for multiple outcomes.
  • story1,769 mentions

    The story of "The Red Strings Club" is widely praised for its engaging narrative, rich character development, and thought-provoking themes, particularly around morality and the implications of technology in a cyberpunk setting. Many players appreciate the game's ability to weave complex ethical dilemmas into the plot, making choices feel impactful, even if the overall story arc remains linear. However, some critiques highlight that the story can feel rushed or overly simplistic at times, with certain plot points left underdeveloped, leading to mixed feelings about its depth and execution. Overall, it is considered a compelling experience for those who enjoy narrative-driven games.

    • “The red strings club is an incredibly beautiful and well-written cyberpunk adventure game, with so much to love from the absolutely fantastic story, really good and well-written characters, and really good LGBTQ+ representation.”
    • “The story kept me interested and engaged, and the gameplay didn't get boring since new elements were added as the story progressed.”
    • “The red strings club delivers on a thought-provoking, interesting story, where your choices change how that story plays out.”
    • “The ending came after about 3 hours (and I took my time). I am confused because this felt like a short story but with the plot of an entire action movie.”
    • “The story builds and builds, and then shows you that not a single action you took the entire game mattered, and it hamfistedly tells the player that no action that anyone in the world has ever mattered.”
    • “The story is classic cyberpunk, and really intriguing, but it feels a bit flat.”
  • gameplay702 mentions

    The gameplay in "The Red Strings Club" is characterized by its simplicity and focus on narrative, primarily involving dialogue choices and a few unique mechanics like bartending and pottery. While some players found the mechanics engaging and innovative, others criticized them as tedious or underdeveloped, leading to a mixed reception regarding their contribution to the overall experience. Ultimately, the game is more about the story and character interactions than complex gameplay, making it appealing for those who prioritize narrative over mechanics.

    • “The gameplay is amazing and original.”
    • “An emotionally gripping story combined with fun & unique gameplay makes this game highly worth playing.”
    • “The gameplay is unique and fairly minimal, and the characters are intricate and captivating.”
    • “The mechanics feel so painfully rusty and outdated it's unreal.”
    • “The gameplay is boring, the plot is drowned under the pretentious tired dialogue.”
    • “The gameplay consists of a few paper-thin minigames.”
  • music680 mentions

    The music in "The Red Strings Club" has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the game's cyberpunk aesthetic. Composed by fingerspit, the soundtrack is described as beautiful, melancholic, and perfectly suited to the narrative, often evoking strong emotional responses from players. Many reviewers noted that the music not only complements the visuals and storytelling but also stands out as a memorable aspect of the overall experience, making it a significant draw for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “The music is so stunning that I could sit and watch the opening screen for hours on end.”
    • “The soundtrack is beautiful and you can really zone out to it.”
    • “The music, atmosphere, dialogue, and characters have sold me already.”
    • “The soundtrack is where this game shines though!”
    • “To clarify, the music was fine by itself, but I found that it didn't match the setting or tone at all.”
    • “The soundtrack, composed by fingerspit, the same who made the soundtrack for Gods Will Be Watching, is inspiring, vibrant and really put the player in the atmosphere of this cyberpunk future.”
  • graphics361 mentions

    The graphics of "The Red Strings Club" have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful pixel art style, which effectively captures the game's cyberpunk aesthetic and enhances the storytelling experience. Reviewers praised the visuals for their detail and atmospheric quality, noting that the art style complements the narrative and emotional depth of the game. While some critiques mentioned the simplicity of the graphics, many found them to be charming and fitting for the overall tone, contributing to a captivating and immersive experience.

    • “The pixel graphic art style is incredibly good with a lot of beautiful scenery and a good use of color and little touches that makes it feel alive and atmospheric.”
    • “The red strings club has it all: gorgeous pixel graphics, a fantastic score, beautiful writing, a mini-game that connected well with the story, a ton of technopunk transhumanist philosophy, difficult decisions that actually felt like they mattered.”
    • “The visuals are fantastic, the music is great, the story is worth every moment, and the mechanics are fun and unique.”
    • “I'm not a big fan of pixel graphics, but this game is really one of a kind.”
    • “The whole game design and pixel visuals just didn't catch me as other games did!”
    • “The game has very few scenes, so it's a shame that what is there isn't rendered in a more detailed art style.”
  • atmosphere222 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its authentic cyberpunk aesthetic, enhanced by stunning pixel art, a haunting soundtrack, and clever dialogue. Reviewers highlight the immersive experience created by the combination of visuals, sound design, and a compelling narrative that invites players to engage with deeper philosophical themes. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as captivating, melancholic, and thought-provoking, making it a standout feature that resonates with players.

    • “The atmosphere, the story, the music, the feeling of pressure and mystery—everything just hit all the right chords with this game.”
    • “The music, atmosphere, aesthetic, and dialogue do a great job at setting up a very human experience; it's the only way I could really describe it.”
    • “A wonderfully atmospheric game that was a joy to play, capturing its intended atmosphere with a beautiful pixel-based art style.”
    • “The cyberpunk atmosphere feels way too oppressive here.”
    • “Sacrificing an atmosphere that they tried so hard to create, wrecking characters and morals that they did so much to explore and develop.”
    • “Although the atmosphere of the game is elegant and charming, the length of the game is simply too short to allow the audience to really get into it.”
  • emotional172 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players reporting profound connections to the story and characters, often leading to tears by the end. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to provoke deep philosophical questions and explore themes of love, loss, and morality, creating a rich emotional experience that resonates long after gameplay. The combination of a beautifully crafted narrative, stunning art, and a fitting soundtrack enhances the emotional impact, making it a memorable journey for players.

    • “This game features an emotional story that gets more relevant by the day.”
    • “The thought-provoking, deeply touching, unique narrative will make you question your own morals.”
    • “A beautiful piece of art that made me cry.”
  • replayability139 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while it offers multiple choices and paths, the overall impact on the ending is limited. Despite its short playtime of around 2-4 hours, several reviews highlight the potential for multiple playthroughs to explore different storylines and achieve various outcomes, making it appealing for completionists. However, some players feel that the lack of significant changes in the narrative diminishes the incentive to replay.

    • “You could replay this game numerous times picking different choices, creating different storylines, which makes it replayable if you want to go back and redo it again.”
    • “Interesting and memorable main characters, a story with twists and turns that offers a degree of replayability due to the actually meaningful choices you have to make, thus requiring multiple playthroughs to uncover the entire plot.”
    • “The game is not really long, but for what it lacks in playtime, it more than makes up for it in replayability value.”
    • “There's an insane amount of depth to the choices you make, but they all have the same ending, so there's not much in the way of replay value overall.”
    • “The second is that the plot is not replayable in a meaningful way by my count; this is very likely to be a one-time experience.”
    • “While there is some replay value, the pottery segment in the beginning makes the replay a slog, as does the calling-around segment at the end.”
  • grinding65 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be largely tedious and frustrating, with many mini-games and mechanics feeling repetitive and clunky. While some elements are praised for their creativity, they often disrupt the flow of the narrative and lead to a less enjoyable experience, particularly in the game's latter stages. Many reviewers express a desire for a more streamlined gameplay experience that minimizes the need for repetitive tasks.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It would be nice to skip the tedious tasks (like drinks and molding) after completing them once.”
    • “A very thought-provoking narrative that is, in my opinion, tied down by the frustrating needlessness of tedious mini-games, which may have been necessary padding as my playthrough took only 4 hours (probably 30-45 minutes were spent doing these mini-games).”
    • “However, the minigames are tedious and agonizingly slow, and massively disrupt the flow of an otherwise very short game.”
    • “The only purpose the plot ended up serving in this game was stringing together a handful of very tedious minigames that are admittedly fun the first couple of times but quickly outstay their welcome.”
  • humor22 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as clever, darkly funny, and thought-provoking, often intertwining with serious themes and moral dilemmas. Players appreciate the mix of lighthearted moments and introspective dialogue, which elicits both laughter and reflection on societal issues. The writing is praised for its emotional depth and the ability to balance humor with impactful storytelling, making it a unique experience in gaming.

    • “Seeing Akara flop and fold like a slinky down the stairs is still hilarious.”
    • “The game is also full of silly and funny nods to modern-day culture and interesting Easter eggs.”
    • “I thought the prize for the tests being a pill you drop into your customer's drink so they forget and you can talk to them again was... darkly funny.”
  • character development15 mentions

    Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise the depth and meaningful choices that enhance character arcs, others criticize the lack of depth in certain NPCs and the overall narrative. Strong character design and well-written dialogue are highlighted, but there are concerns about shallow portrayals and insufficient development for some characters. Overall, the game excels in visual and auditory elements, but character development varies significantly across different characters and storylines.

    • “Love the character development, good storytelling, and amazing visuals.”
    • “Well-written dialogue and surprisingly deep character development considering the length.”
    • “Interesting dialogue, fleshed out character development, amazing world building, amazing game.”
    • “NPCs come across as very shallow or one-note characters with little involvement in the overall plot. My main example is the character Larissa Robillard, whose entire character development is essentially done through dialogue from other characters and never directly shown to the player.”
    • “There are certainly great elements to this game (the visuals and character designs), but for me, there were just too many faults to ignore.”
    • “I would say that even if the game did engage in stereotypes, it at least provided strong character development within them.”
  • stability8 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally good, with most users reporting it as "bug free." However, some players have experienced minor glitches, particularly with bottle interactions and occasional freezing during autosaves, which can detract from the experience. While these issues are noted, they do not render the game unplayable.

    • “It's basically bug-free, although the game can be very nit-picky about completing objectives.”
    • “One small nitpick I have: during the lathe gameplay, there are times when the game freezes while it's autosaving, and that can be frustrating.”
    • “I encountered a few small glitches (bottom line of the speech bubbles going over the bubble, bottles not giving me liquid when tilted, hit detection in the shaping sequence acting weird), but none made the game unplayable.”
    • “I had two major glitches in my only playthrough, which is pretty not great for 3 hours of gameplay.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game is well-optimized for the Steam Deck, with impressive mouse control support for trackpads and mouse inputs. However, while the graphics and performance received a score of 7/10, there are suggestions that the narrative could be enhanced by reducing its dependence on gameplay performance.

    • “I played the entire game on Steam Deck, and it runs really well on there. The mouse controls are optimized perfectly for the Steam Deck's trackpads and mouse inputs; I was really impressed by that.”
    • “Graphics, performance, and tech analysis score: 7/10.”
    • “The game is set in a not-so-distant future, in which corporations have amassed huge power, and the average citizen has implants installed to enhance brain performance or access the web.”
    • “The game is set in a not-so-distant future, in which corporations have amassed huge power and the average citizen has implants installed in them to raise the performance of the brain or access the web.”
    • “With the talent that these developers display for crafting stories, they could easily create a much more enjoyable experience by making the narrative choices/content more open, and not dependent on gameplay performance at all.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for prioritizing advertising ethics over more complex and relevant societal issues, such as transhumanism and mental health, which are only superficially addressed. This approach detracts from the potential for a deeper, thought-provoking narrative.

    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, prioritizing profit over player experience.”
    • “The game bombards you with ads and microtransactions, making it hard to enjoy without spending extra money.”
    • “Instead of focusing on meaningful gameplay, the developers seem more interested in pushing players towards in-game purchases.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4hMain story
7hCompletionist
4-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 15 analyzed playthroughs

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