Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince

Trine 4 is a love letter to fans, providing a fully-realized puzzle game rife with experimentation, quality-of-life features, and utterly breathtaking visuals, all but guaranteeing a bright and beautiful future for the franchise.

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In Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, players guide three heroes in a 2.5D puzzle platformer, solving physics-based challenges and battling enemies. The game follows the story of Prince Selius, whose nightmares are causing chaos in the world. Players must rescue the prince and restore peace by navigating lush environments, using the characters' unique abilities to progress through the game's 20+ levels.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,670 reviews

graphics393 positive mentions

stability28 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and art style that create a magical atmosphere.
Engaging puzzles that can be solved in multiple ways, encouraging creativity.
Fun co-op gameplay that enhances the experience, making it enjoyable with friends.

Combat sections feel repetitive and are often seen as unnecessary filler.
Some puzzles can be too easy, lacking the challenge found in earlier titles.
Multiplayer connectivity issues can lead to frustrating experiences for players.

graphics
545 mentions
72 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Trine 4" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning beauty and artistic detail, with many reviewers highlighting the game's fairy tale aesthetic and vibrant landscapes. Players appreciate the improved visuals compared to previous entries in the series, noting that the hand-drawn art style enhances the overall experience, making it a visual treat for fans and screenshot enthusiasts alike. While some mention minor technical issues, the overwhelming consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, full of magic and color and detail, making this game a visual feast.”
- “The game's art style is simply breathtaking, with lush, vibrant landscapes and intricate character designs that draw you into its fairy tale world.”
- “Trine 4 is a visually stunning and enchanting puzzle-platformer with beautiful hand-drawn graphics, captivating storyline, and engaging gameplay, offering a truly magical experience.”
- “Game is full of bugs, crashes, and graphics glitches.”
- “It also uses a ridiculous amount of GPU processing for the low level of graphics being displayed.”
- “Graphics are lame and look 1990s.”
story
492 mentions
41 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of Trine 4 is generally described as light-hearted and whimsical, focusing on the quest to save Prince Selius from his nightmares, which adds a charming fairy-tale quality to the game. While some players appreciate the engaging characters and the narrative's ambition, others find it simplistic and lacking depth compared to earlier entries in the series. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, with beautiful visuals and enjoyable puzzles, making it a pleasant experience despite its predictability.
- “The trio embarks on a quest to locate Prince Selius, whose nightmares are manifesting in the waking world, threatening to engulf it in darkness.”
- “The clever puzzles and charming storyline keep you hooked from start to finish, while the lush environments and mesmerizing soundtrack create a truly immersive experience.”
- “Trine 4 is a beautiful combination of challenging puzzles, a nice story that's not trying to be deep but fun to follow, and a well-developed progression system that makes you excited each time you get a new skill.”
- “The story is rather predictable but it didn't matter much and the environments were fun to traverse.”
- “The story is simple, yet the game is about solving puzzles with friends, with each of your characters having various sets of abilities.”
- “The story is forgettable garbage, but really, who cares?”
gameplay
453 mentions
44 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Trine 4" has been widely praised for its return to the 2.5D style reminiscent of the first two games in the series, featuring engaging puzzles and a variety of character abilities that enhance cooperative play. While many players appreciate the introduction of new mechanics and the overall polish, some critiques highlight that combat can feel simplistic and that certain puzzles may be too easy or repetitive. Overall, the game offers a visually stunning experience with enjoyable gameplay, particularly in multiplayer settings.
- “The gameplay in 'Trine 4' is a perfect blend of platforming and puzzle-solving.”
- “With its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and captivating storyline, it offers a truly magical and unforgettable gaming experience.”
- “The puzzles feel natural, interesting, often offering more solutions where you sometimes need to think a bit out of the box and new mechanics are introduced at a steady and comfortable pace.”
- “The gameplay itself was yet again plain, nothing new. It even had some downgrades from the first two games, like Amadeus can only move his stuff in four points and Zoya can grapple only to fixed points.”
- “The slow movement of the characters, high damage and movement speed of enemies, and the overall dump of unexplained mechanics quickly turn every fight into a mire of confusion and frustration.”
- “Fighting mechanics in general are awful; the game would have been much better without fighting.”
music
284 mentions
74 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its enchanting and relaxing qualities that enhance the overall atmosphere. The soundtrack is often described as beautiful and fitting, contributing significantly to the immersive experience of the game. While some players noted that it may not be as memorable as previous installments, the general consensus is that the music remains a standout feature, making it a worthy addition to the series.
- “Same goes for the music, which might just be the best soundtrack this series has had so far.”
- “The environments have never looked so beautiful, and the soundtrack is a pleasure to listen to as always.”
- “The music is once again magnificent, creating a great atmosphere for each level.”
- “The music is sleepy.”
- “Music is a downgrade from Trine 1 and 2 in my opinion.”
- “It's almost the same background music for all levels.”
atmosphere
53 mentions
77 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics, enchanting music, and meticulous world design, creating an immersive and magical experience. Players appreciate the combination of beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtracks that enhance exploration and puzzle-solving. While some note a lack of innovation in gameplay, the overall ambiance remains a highlight, making it a comforting and enjoyable adventure.
- “The attention to detail in the world design, character animations, and lighting effects enhances the magical atmosphere of the game.”
- “Combined with the atmospheric soundtrack, it creates an immersive and enchanting atmosphere that is a joy to explore.”
- “The levels are designed with such creativity and talent that my friends and I often had to stop just to 'take in' the hauntingly beautiful atmosphere of the different checkpoints throughout the game.”
- “The atmosphere of Trine 1 is lacking compared to its sequels.”
- “The atmosphere recreated through music and visuals is as good as the previous games, but there is a serious lack of new ideas and variety in the overall gameplay.”
- “While the graphics are breathtaking and the colors vibrant, the overall atmosphere feels repetitive and lacks innovation.”
humor
48 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its whimsical charm and clever writing, often enhanced by the chaotic interactions that arise during co-op play. Players enjoy the blend of funny dialogues, amusing character antics, and lighthearted moments that accompany the challenging puzzles, making it a delightful experience, especially with friends. While some feel it may not reach the comedic heights of previous installments, the overall consensus is that the game successfully maintains its signature humor throughout.
- “The narrative is whimsical and filled with charm, blending humor with moments of depth as the heroes uncover the mystery behind Selius' troubled mind.”
- “Combining the abilities to skip the intended way of solving some puzzles by just flying across was particularly funny, but the actual puzzles were also a lot of fun.”
- “It was especially fun in co-op, with two or more people causing utter chaos for each other as we try to work together, often leading to accidentally knocking each other into pits, launching each other away with physics, and other hilarious nonsense.”
stability
32 mentions
9 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and graphical glitches, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly on certain platforms and that minor glitches did not significantly detract from their experience, others expressed frustration with connectivity issues and a buggy saving system. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects to the gameplay, the stability issues remain a significant concern for many players.
- “The game runs great out of the box on Linux.”
- “No glitches of any kind.”
- “Very clean experience - runs great on my machine.”
- “Game is full of bugs, crashes, and graphics glitches.”
- “The co-op mode is extremely buggy, with frequent disconnects and crashes.”
- “Game constantly lags, drops players, drops progress, shows glitches (double ropes, etc).”
grinding
22 mentions
14 % positive mentions
23 % neutral mentions
64 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and stretched out, particularly due to repetitive puzzles and combat that lacks challenge. Many reviewers suggest that the game is best enjoyed in shorter sessions to avoid burnout, as the grind can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the puzzle-solving elements, the combat is often criticized for being boring and overly reliant on repetition.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “And the bosses aren't tedious sponges like what is trendy nowadays.”
- “It combines all these together into a lovely mixture of puzzles of all kinds, which are fun to solve but not tedious or too difficult.”
- “The game feels stretched out; around 10 hours of similar puzzles start to get tedious towards the end.”
- “The new puzzle additions often feel more tedious than inspired.”
- “It's very grindy and I think it clashes with the spirit of the game, which is mostly puzzle solving rather than long fights that rely on reflexes.”
character development
18 mentions
39 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the significant growth of characters like Selius and Zoya, who evolve from their previous roles into more complex figures. However, others feel that the overall plot lacks depth, resulting in limited character progression beyond whimsical interactions. While the character designs are appreciated for their charm and visual appeal, the narrative development does not consistently match the game's artistic strengths.
- “I love it because it's the first Trine to have a clear story with real character development.”
- “Characters - 10/10 crazy character development, we finally see Selius brave enough to stand for himself, and Zoya finally becomes less of a thief and more of someone who loves nature and animals.”
- “The character development and bosses were much more in depth than previously.”
- “Unfortunately, you won't find much character development throughout the lackluster plot aside from some whimsical banter and run-of-the-mill humor.”
- “It is nowhere close to the character development in, for example, Trine 2.”
- “In addition, the linear progression of skill trees feigns the belief of character development as skills are ever so conveniently gained to solve a particular puzzle at a particular point in the level.”
replayability
16 mentions
25 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety in puzzle-solving approaches and the potential for different experiences in single-player versus co-op modes, others criticize the lack of challenging content and unique achievements, leading to a perception of limited replay value. Some titles are noted for being infinitely replayable, while others are deemed too short or linear, resulting in a "do and move on" experience.
- “These are often hidden in out of the way locations and usually require solving some very difficult puzzles to actually obtain, which also adds replay value to the game.”
- “Puzzles could be tackled in multiple different ways, which made the game replayable.”
- “I haven't played this game solo yet, but I heard some of the puzzles are also different in singleplayer compared to co-op, so there is replayability in this sense.”
- “So they're 'do and move on', no replayability.”
- “The only real downside of Trine 4, to me, is that it has far less replay value than Nine Parchments.”
- “This game just looks like the first two but has zero replayability and almost all puzzles can be solved only in one way.”
emotional
13 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and heartwarming experience, often evoking feelings of creativity and satisfaction from solving puzzles. Players appreciate the game's forgiving nature and its ability to foster a fun, collaborative environment, making it ideal for playing with friends or partners. While the story is light and not deeply serious, it contributes to an overall enjoyable and calming gameplay experience.
- “Some of these even had me stumped for a while until I found a really clever solution that made me feel good for figuring it out on my own.”
- “It was more than wholesome to get each and every bit of hidden things around the game.”
- “One of the most visually impressive indie games around with amazing physics, multiple ways to solve puzzles, great sound and voice acting, and a kindly heartwarming story!”
optimization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
36 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering and high temperatures on their hardware, particularly with newer graphics cards. While the game is visually stunning and offers great graphics without a high performance cost, it appears to struggle with optimization for both older PCs and multiplayer settings. Overall, while some users report smooth performance, others face challenges that suggest a need for better optimization across various systems.
- “The graphics in this game are very beautiful, a work of art without the high performance cost.”
- “Well-optimized game without any crashes.”
- “The Trine games were by far the most optimized games for 3D gaming while still being great games in their own right.”
- “After playing it for the first time, I launched it again and there were no sound effects, although the performance was poor and the game was stuttering a lot.”
- “I don't know if I'm having a streak of bad luck or if it's becoming common for PC games launched from 2015 until now to be increasingly poorly optimized and full of technical problems.”
- “In addition, it's not optimized for older PCs, like mine.”
monetization
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is praised for its absence of microtransactions, allowing players to purchase the game outright and enjoy it without additional financial pressure. Reviewers appreciate this straightforward approach, highlighting it as a refreshing change in the gaming landscape.
- “First of all, this game in 2019 has zero microtransactions. It's nice just to be able to buy a game and play it without the game trying to beg for more money from the player, which is how a game should be.”
- “The monetization model is refreshing; you pay once and enjoy the full experience without any additional costs or pressure to spend more.”
- “I appreciate that the game respects my time and money by not including any pay-to-win elements or intrusive ads.”