Tribal Pass
- August 26, 2016
- Stas Shostak
- 1h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Tribal Pass," players navigate a procedurally generated world as a member of a tribe, facing challenges such as hostile enemies and harsh environments. Gather resources, craft tools, and build shelter to ensure your tribe's survival. With permadeath and a focus on realism, each playthrough presents a unique and immersive experience.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Unique concept that combines tactical decision-making with a runner format.
- Addictive gameplay with a decent bit of challenge, making it enjoyable for short sessions.
- Visually appealing pixel art style and a fun atmosphere that captures the prehistoric theme.
- Repetitive gameplay that can become boring quickly, lacking depth and variety.
- Poor tutorial and unclear mechanics lead to confusion and frustration for players.
- Short game length and minimal content make it feel less valuable at full price.
- gameplay57 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a tactical runner that combines simple mechanics with a unique tribal theme, requiring players to learn through trial and error. While the controls are straightforward, the game lacks sufficient guidance, which can lead to frustration for some players. Overall, it offers a challenging and engaging experience with well-crafted visuals and humor, appealing to those who enjoy figuring out mechanics on their own.
“Welcome to Tribal Run: a tactical runner with its own unique gameplay.”
“The gameplay is simple but well developed.”
“The art is pure eye candy and the gameplay is addicting as hell!”
“Although the mechanics are sort of well thought out, the game does not do a good job of telling you what to do in different situations.”
“But your tribe will die fast until you understand how all the gameplay layers work.”
“But there's a bit of a difference here as the game features a couple of different mechanics... which, while novel, don't actually improve anything in the old, dead formula.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the well-done pixel art and retro visuals that enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize the simplistic and uninspired 2D art style. Although the graphics are described as decent and fitting for the game's theme, there are complaints about the lack of substantial graphical improvements and the overall quality being lackluster. Overall, the visuals are seen as charming by some, but ultimately fall short of contemporary standards.
“With well-done pixel graphics, great sound effects and unique gameplay, for the asking price it is a nice little indie title to add to one's library.”
“I really liked the graphics and the historical environment, and also the changes from night to day and the different challenges with torches and so on, lighting up around you or scaring enemies and such.”
“A fun, non-standard runner with neat graphics and cool well-polished mechanics.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
“Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- story27 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for its simplicity and lack of depth, with many players noting that it revolves around basic survival tasks without a compelling plot or significant achievements. While some find the narrative to have a moral lesson about perseverance, others feel it becomes repetitive and lacks engaging content, leading to a generally unfavorable reception. Overall, the story is seen as minimal and not a strong point of the game.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“This game is so simple but has an interesting story (it's the shortest game story that I have ever passed), along with engaging gameplay and humor.”
“The world is unique and the story is simple but also deep; you should give it a try.”
“Complete enough days and you unlock another campaign 'story' (not that there's any real story beyond 'we run that direction to survive, follow the shaman').”
“The lack of a proper plot and, more than all, real trophies and accomplishments to obtain is something that goes against this title - it's just endless, without a real ending or even bosses.”
“Well, that's what the first and only 30-second 'cut-picture' will tell you about anything related to a 'story'.”
- music14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as atmospheric and fitting for the prehistoric setting, but overall it is considered underwhelming, with a very limited soundtrack of only about 15 minutes. Many users feel that the cost of the soundtrack and artwork is not justified, especially since the music does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience. While some found it relaxing, the general consensus leans towards disappointment in the quality and quantity of the music.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“+ atmospheric music”
“Graphics are decent, the music is on point and that damn rhino takes a lot of effort to bring down for just 60 food...”
“The soundtrack matches the prehistorical environment, but it's not that great. The 2€/$ for the OST and the artwork aren't well spent if you don't get them as a gift or in bundles, since they include only a few musical tracks (extremely short, 15 minutes in total or even less) and all the game artwork, which is good in-game but has little use outside of it.”
“The soundtrack matches the prehistorical environment, but it's not that great. The 2€/$ for the OST and the artwork aren't well spent if you don't get them as a gift or in bundles, since they include only a few musical tracks (extremely short, 15 minutes in total or even less) and all the game artwork, which is good in-game but has little use outside of it.”
“[b][u] Music - ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ [/u][/b]”
- humor13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, featuring funny details and amusing achievements that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of simple gameplay with a quirky story, as well as the challenge of discovering mechanics on their own, all set against cozy visuals. Notable moments, like the "mass bathing" achievement, highlight the game's comedic elements.
“The game is full of funny details and challenging mechanics, which it won't spoonfeed to you in order not to spoil your pleasure of figuring out yourself how to eat, hunt, fight, avoid traps, etc.”
“Cozy neat visuals and funny gameplay!”
“Fed some fishes with half of the tribe in the first level - got the 'mass bathing' achievement - funny as hell!”
- replayability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game offers medium replayability, primarily due to its indie nature and relatively short length, which limits exploration and variety after the initial playthrough. Players note that the absence of upgrades and bonuses further diminishes replay value, though some still find the experience enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.
“Simplicity and great replayability.”
“The lack of upgrades/bonuses doesn't help for the replayability issue, but still it's worth it in my opinion.”
“The main issue of such a game of course relies in its replayability - being an indie title, it's not that long and when you have explored every part of the game (the environments, the enemies, your actions, the night/day system, the point system after each day, etc.) you're basically done.”
“The lack of upgrades/bonuses too doesn't help for the replayability issue, but still it's worth it in my opinion.”
“There is a medium replayability for the title.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by high-quality, detailed art that enhances the immersive experience, complemented by a unique interpretation of runner mechanics set in a captivating prehistoric environment.
“High detailed art, interesting interpretation of runner mechanics, atmospheric prehistoric setting.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“Grinding takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
