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To Be or Not To Be

90%Game Brain Score
humor, story
gameplay, grinding
90% User Score Based on 466 reviews

Platforms

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About

"To Be Or Not To Be" is an interactive, non-linear game based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, written by Ryan North and featuring art from notable webcomic artists. You can guide different characters, such as Hamlet or Ophelia, through their own storylines, leading to often humorous deaths. The gameplay is reminiscent of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, with multiple outcomes depending on your choices. The game showcases North's wit and the unique art style of various talented contributors.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot
To Be or Not To Be screenshot

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 466 reviews
humor268 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and hilarious take on Shakespeare's Hamlet, with countless options and endings that keep the experience fresh and entertaining.
  • The humor is sharp and often irreverent, making it a delightful experience for those familiar with the source material, while also being accessible to newcomers.
  • The illustrations and overall presentation enhance the storytelling, making it a visually appealing and engaging interactive novel.
  • The checkpoint system is poorly designed, making it tedious to backtrack and explore different choices without having to replay large sections of the game.
  • The humor may not resonate with everyone, as some players find it cringy or overly simplistic, leading to a lack of depth in the narrative.
  • The narration can be out of sync with the text, and the overall pacing feels rushed, which detracts from the immersive experience.
  • humor
    274 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "To Be or Not to Be" is widely praised for its cleverness and irreverence, often transforming Shakespeare's classic into a hilariously absurd choose-your-own-adventure experience. Many players found themselves laughing out loud at the witty writing and unexpected twists, although some noted that the humor may not resonate with everyone, particularly those unfamiliar with Ryan North's style. Overall, the game is recommended for fans of quirky, intelligent comedy and those who appreciate a playful take on literary classics.

    • “The humor is spot-on, often irreverent, and it takes Shakespeare’s Hamlet to places I never thought possible (but always wanted to see).”
    • “I don't know how else to describe it besides 'relentlessly funny', cannot recommend enough!”
    • “This game is hilarious.”
    • “I may be in the minority with this one, but this game is not funny.”
    • “Some people will say it's not funny.”
    • “Unless that was supposed to be funny, which leads me to my next criticism: the humor.”
  • story
    190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a humorous and absurd take on Shakespeare's "Hamlet," allowing players to make wild choices that often lead to unexpected and hilarious outcomes. While it offers a rich variety of branching paths and over 100 endings, some players feel that the narrative can become repetitive and lacks depth in certain areas. Overall, it is praised for its clever writing and engaging storytelling, making it a fun experience for both fans of Shakespeare and newcomers alike.

    • “I feel like this game sees how Shakespeare's work can be genuinely wild sometimes, and then took that to the realistic endpoint of giving the player the choice to make the plot even wilder.”
    • “There's so many ways this story can turn out, and pretty much all of them are hilarious.”
    • “This game is to Hamlet what Galaxy Quest is to Star Trek - it's 100% making fun of Hamlet, but it's also clearly made by people who love the play as much as I do.”
    • “The checkpoints you can use to restart your story don't make any sense.”
    • “The content itself is fine and can be fun, but the whole checkpoints thing is really bad for a 'choose your own adventure' story.”
    • “Adventure games are to make the players engage in the story but this is just a painstaking buffoonery that is hard to follow.”
  • music
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, enhancing the atmosphere and humor, though it is often criticized for being repetitive and too loud, with limited volume control options. While some players appreciate the charming soundtrack and its fitting transitions, others find the lack of adjustable settings frustrating, as it can overshadow the narration. Overall, the music contributes positively to the experience, but its execution leaves room for improvement.

    • “The music is quite good and matches well with the sequence that you are reading whenever it changes.”
    • “Very humorous and enjoyable game, with nice art and a great soundtrack.”
    • “The art is enjoyable, as is the music (my favorite thus far is the 80's montage music for the montage scene).”
    • “The set of songs in the background is far too repetitive.”
    • “The music is louder than the narrator's voice, so you can't really play them both and get the full effect of the game.”
    • “The music and narration volumes cannot be controlled.”
  • graphics
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the engaging art style and the inclusion of pieces from renowned comic artists, while others criticize the overall artwork as sparse and only occasionally impressive. The user interface is noted as easy to navigate, and the clever use of sound and animation enhances the visual experience, despite the limited in-game artwork. Overall, while the graphics may not be the game's strongest aspect, they contribute positively to the overall enjoyment and humor of the experience.

    • “Thoroughly engaging, surprisingly funny, and with stupidly entertaining artwork.”
    • “The artwork is great, the sense of humor is funny, and the user interface is easy to understand.”
    • “It's simplicity and comism mixed with a great soundtrack and beautiful graphics keeps me in a good mood every time I play this fabulous game, and it's definitely worth the amount of money that I paid for it.”
    • “The main art style, layout, font, and restrained color palette is pleasing - I am not sure I fully appreciate the purpose of the unlocking of 'art', presumably it is designed to be a reward/termination of a strand of the story?”
    • “I have to point out that the artworks unlocked by reaching various endings are not present in the game itself, but rather serve as non-useful rewards, so if you were hoping to see a ton of cool art, you're kind of out of luck.”
    • “While the gameplay doesn't have much artwork, like in a visual novel, certain plot elements allow you to unlock pieces of artwork created by a variety of webcomic artists.”
  • replayability
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts high replayability, with numerous choices and branching storylines that ensure each playthrough feels unique, even if some endings overlap. Its humorous take on classic themes and the absence of a definitive winning state contribute to its appeal, making it particularly enjoyable for theater and comedy enthusiasts. Overall, players find it offers a wealth of entertaining experiences, encouraging multiple playthroughs.

    • “There's a very high replayability aspect, and even with a few sets of decisions where you get the same endings in different ways or on a different timeline, every experience is a new one if you choose for it to be!”
    • “It also has great replayability due to the fact that there is no winning state per se, but loads of interesting and funny forks that lead to also interesting and funny endings.”
    • “This game has huge replayability because of the large number of choices and branching storylines.”
  • gameplay
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily text-based, requiring players to click through dialogue and make choices, which may appeal to those who enjoy reading and appreciate Ryan North's humor. While it offers a fun, no-pressure experience suitable for older kids, it lacks features like saving and adjustable narration speed, and some end-game mechanics are not well explained. The game also includes unlockable artwork from webcomic artists, but overall, it may not satisfy those looking for more traditional gameplay elements.

    • “The gameplay is fun, although I wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't enjoy reading or appreciate Ryan North's brand of humor (snarky, sarcastic, and nerdy).”
    • “Very silly, great game for kids (like 10+ probably, some sex/murder jokes), no-pressure gameplay with lots of reading!”
    • “However, you cannot save, you can't change the narration speed, and they do not explain some of the end-game mechanics.”
    • “As such, there's not much 'gameplay' - it's literally just clicking the mouse to advance text boxes and select options.”
    • “While the gameplay doesn't have much artwork, like in a visual novel, certain plot elements allow you to unlock pieces of artwork created by a variety of webcomic artists.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, often feeling forced to repetitively click through choices and skip parts of the story to collect achievements or endings. This repetitive nature detracts from the overall fun, as many players express frustration with the excessive backtracking required to experience all content.

    • “And then if you're like me, you'll tediously click through it for another hour trying to collect all the ending images/achievements, while not having fun.”
    • “Having to skip parts of the story is just as tedious as having to make tons of saves.”
    • “When you're going through every decision trying to get all the endings, it can get a bit tedious to go through so many choices again.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its excellent optimization, with users reporting zero performance issues and shortcomings, likely due to its lightweight nature. Overall, it runs smoothly, enhancing the gaming experience.

    • “Worked perfectly, with zero issues and zero performance shortcomings (it's not a heavy game at all, so no surprise there).”
    • “As both an avid gamer and someone with a few years of professional training in performing Shakespeare (including a few actual performance credits under my belt), I was surprised to learn of this little gem's existence, and eagerly dove in.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game effectively blends humor with emotional depth, showcasing Hamlet's amusingly dramatic teenage perspective while also delivering poignant moments. Players can explore the emotional complexities of characters like the unstable Ophelia and Hamlet's father, adding layers to the narrative experience.

    • “Hamlet's emo teen logic in the game is just too amusing, and somehow the whole thing also manages to have a touching moment or two.”
    • “You can also choose to play as the beautiful, brilliant, emotionally unstable Ophelia or Hamlet's dad!”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in the game is primarily defined by a simplistic pseudo-baroque piano theme that plays throughout, with occasional shifts to enhance either spooky or action-packed moments. However, the limited variety in the soundtrack, lasting only about eight minutes over a two-hour playthrough, may detract from the overall immersive experience.

    • “The simplistic pseudo-baroque piano theme plays for most of Hamlet's run, with occasional shifts to match either a spooky atmosphere or an action-packed scene. The whole length of the soundtrack, in my experience, seemed like 8 minutes in total for at least two hours of playthrough.”
    • “The simplistic pseudo-baroque piano theme plays for most of Hamlet's run, with only two or three occasional shifts to match either a spooky atmosphere or an action-packed scene. The whole length of the soundtrack, in my experience, felt like 8 minutes in total... for at least two hours of playthrough.”
    • “The atmosphere is lacking depth, as the music fails to create a truly immersive experience, repeating the same simplistic theme throughout.”
    • “Despite attempts to evoke a spooky atmosphere, the soundtrack's limited variety detracts from the overall experience, making it feel monotonous.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is marred by slow UI transitions and various bugs, such as unresponsive mouse clicks and issues with the haml-o-meter not functioning properly. Additionally, the lack of a rewind feature after completing a path adds to the overall frustration.

    • “The UI transitions were slow and exacerbated by the useless haml-o-meter and stats. Sometimes it was buggy, with mouse clicks not registering or the haml-o-meter not disappearing. Additionally, rewinding was not available once the path was completed.”
    • “The UI transitions were slow and exacerbated by the useless haml-o-meter and stats. Sometimes it was buggy, with mouse clicks not registering or the haml-o-meter not disappearing. Additionally, rewinding was not available once the path was completed.”

Buy To Be or Not To Be

8h Median play time
11h Average play time
3-28h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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