Today Is My Birthday
- October 30, 2020
- Wonder Games
Get on SteamIn "Today Is My Birthday," you play as a graduate stuck in a dead-end job, seeking a way out through an unusual opportunity in the tech industry. This narrative-driven game explores themes of ambition, identity, and relationships, as you interact with a diverse cast of characters and make branching choices that shape your story. With stylized art and a unique perspective-shifting mechanic, it offers a memorable experience for players seeking a thoughtful, introspective game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a good B horror movie charm with a visually distinct level design and decent graphics.
- The atmosphere is engaging, with a soundtrack that enhances the creepy experience.
- The picture-taking mechanic adds a fun element to the gameplay, allowing players to document their experiences.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, with bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay and cause frustration.
- The story is janky and lacks coherence, with many plot points left unexplained and an unsatisfying ending.
- Character movement is clunky, and the AI for enemies is lackluster, making encounters less threatening.
- story34 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of "Today is My Birthday" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its B-horror movie charm and engaging notes that expand character backgrounds, while others criticize it for being janky, poorly explained, and filled with clichés. Despite its intriguing elements, many feel the narrative is a mess and lacks coherence, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the story has potential, it suffers from execution issues that leave players disappointed.
“The likes, for the most part the story is pretty good; it has a good B-horror movie charm to it. If you watched old horror movies, you can definitely see the influences from crazy cultists, cannibals, and a deranged doctor, to even killer dolls. It was quite good, although there were some problems with it that I will get to in the dislikes.”
“The notes were good; as you know, I'm a fan of notes in video games, and these expanded some of the characters and story. I especially loved the notes of the hammer guy; I legitimately feel bad for him.”
“Even though the story is goofy and some things don't quite make sense, I feel as though it fits the cheesy 90's slasher horror movie vibe that the game gives off.”
“The story is a mess and the gameplay is janky.”
“The story is pretty meh, and, although the protagonist is actually well voice acted, the rest of the dialogue and audio in general is pretty subpar.”
“From the cons side, I can say that it has quite a few bugs, a partially boring story, and certain puzzles are extremely hard.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the vibrant colors, distinct level designs, and hand-drawn elements, while others criticize them for being outdated, blurry, and poorly optimized, leading to issues like jittery camera movement and frame rate drops. Despite these technical shortcomings, many players appreciate the overall visual atmosphere, though some feel it lacks the intended horror impact. Overall, the graphics are seen as a highlight for some, but a significant drawback for others.
“The graphics were nice with a good use of colors and scenery; the levels were good, each one quite visually distinct from the amusement park to the underground and the forest.”
“Brilliant graphics and excellent color schemes make this game what it is.”
“Mediocre story, but has engaging gameplay, good graphics, and lots of puzzles.”
“The graphics are very outdated and blurry, player movement is clunky and you get stuck on just about everything.”
“Graphically, we get a rundown park and its insides/surrounding areas looking particularly rundown and foreboding.”
“Scary realistic horror game, you can use axes and weapons that you find to survive, I really liked the soundtrack, but the graphics are not very good.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it incredible and immersive, particularly appreciating the eerie sounds and the setting of a half-ruined park. However, others describe it as merely adequate, lacking intensity and genuine scares, with some noting the music's goofy elements detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the atmosphere is praised for its potential, it seems to fall short of being truly frightening for many players.
“The atmosphere is incredible.”
“The atmosphere really is delightful.”
“The atmosphere was okay; it wasn't really intense, nothing to make you jump. Is the game scary? Not really. It can be a bit more disturbing, but I've seen better. It's just adequate.”
“The atmosphere and graphics in the game are decent; however, it is anything but scary. Insane puzzle difficulty and a weak storyline where your main character is constantly making dumb decisions.”
“The oppressive atmosphere and eerie music do their job.”
- music14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is primarily ambient, contributing to the overall atmosphere, though some players found it lacking in memorable melodies. Voice acting received mixed reviews, with standout performances from characters like the doctor and clown, while others were deemed average. The soundtrack includes quirky elements, such as clownish sounds during chases, which some players found amusing, while the sound design effectively enhances the game's eerie and oppressive mood.
“The soundtrack is good, and the sound design is generally pretty nice.”
“The general atmospheric sounds work pretty well, and the music, though goofy and clownish when you're in a chase, is at least something to roll your eyes over with a laugh (I think I heard honking clown noses in the music).”
“The soundtrack was okay, no real music, just ambient sounds which was fine. The voice acting was okay; some voice acting was good, like for the doctor and the clown, while some were just okay, like for Thomas.”
“The oppressive atmosphere and eerie music do their job.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with users reporting significant issues such as jittery camera movements and drastic frame rate drops, often plummeting to the 30s regardless of graphical settings. Many feel that the poor optimization detracts from the overall experience, making it hard to justify its price. Overall, the game is seen as having potential but is hindered by its technical shortcomings.
“The game could be outstanding great!.. but it's not optimized.”
“And what you typically find with poorly optimized Unity games you will find here such as jittery camera movement and massive frame rate drops down into the 30s no matter what graphical setting.”
“The game needs better optimization.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Gameplay is described as engaging with good graphics and a variety of puzzles, but it suffers from janky mechanics and issues with certain features not functioning properly. The stamina system is criticized for its harsh cooldown, which seems designed to compensate for weak enemy AI. Overall, while the gameplay has its strengths, it is marred by inconsistencies and a convoluted story.
“Mediocre story, but has engaging gameplay, good graphics and lots of puzzles.”
“The story is a mess and the gameplay is janky.”
“Certain mechanics do not work properly.”
“I had to watch someone’s gameplay in order to solve it.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a subtle, understated approach, with the protagonist exhibiting a calm yet confused demeanor. However, some players feel that the emotional engagement is hindered by a lackluster story and challenging puzzles, which can detract from the overall experience.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users frequently mentioning that it is very buggy.
“The game is very buggy.”
“The game is very buggy.”
“The game is very buggy.”
