TRY AGAIN

About

TRY AGAIN is a single player platformer game with thriller and comedy themes. It was developed by the Rejects and was released on July 14, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

Benny has long been trapped in this unfinished game by a mysterious figure called, The Designer. But thankfully for Benny, the new build is due tomorrow which means it’s his last day as a test character. Beat The Designer at her own game, and get Benny out of the facility once and for all. A student game developed at USC Games, featuring Nolan North and Stephanie Kerbis.

+10

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 693 reviews

story93 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

Engaging and creative storyline with excellent voice acting, featuring Nolan North and Stephanie Kerbis that brings the characters to life.
Fun, fast-paced, and smooth parkour gameplay with interesting mechanics and unique camera angle transitions between 2D and 3D views.
Polished visuals and music that enhances the overall atmosphere; well-designed levels and satisfying challenges despite its short length.

Extremely short playtime, with most players completing it in about 10-20 minutes, leaving a desire for more content or a full-length version.
Performance and optimization issues on some systems, including stuttering, lag, and bugs that affect controls and gameplay experience.
Some clunky or imprecise movement mechanics, particularly with wall jumping and swinging, occasionally interfering with game flow.

story
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
34%
3%
The story is widely praised for its engaging, clever, and well-crafted narrative delivered in a brief playtime of about 10-30 minutes, often drawing favorable comparisons to games like Portal and The Stanley Parable. Despite its short length, the story features strong voice acting, character development, and a meta commentary on game development that resonates with players. Many reviewers express a desire for a sequel or expanded story, indicating that the narrative feels like a compelling episode with great potential for further exploration.
- “The story is incredible, literally very well crafted for just about half an hour of gameplay.”
- “The story is very interesting, a meta-concept about an in-game beta testing character dummy named Benny who is facing the prospect of being rendered obsolete due to the developer wanting to cater to the producer's wishes, and he struggles to prove himself as a worthy addition to the final game.”
- “The story is surprisingly engaging, to the point that I honestly feel a bit disappointed that two years later, there’s still no news of a possible sequel.”
- “Short, buggy, little to no story; has some interesting mechanics and solid music though, so kinda mid. For half an hour, it's alright, like 5.5/10.”
- “The game tries to emulate the humor and cleverness of titles like Portal or The Stanley Parable, but it falls flat.”
- “The story goes by way too fast.”
gameplay
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
3%
The gameplay is widely praised for its smooth, engaging parkour mechanics, clever integration of humor, and polished transitions between 2D and 3D perspectives. However, many note its very short length (around 15-30 minutes), occasional bugs, and lack of deeper challenge or innovation, leaving players wanting a fuller, more developed experience. Overall, it’s a fun, refined demo that shows strong potential but feels more like a tech showcase than a complete game.
- “The mechanics, presentation, and overall design all come together in a way that’s both refreshing and memorable.”
- “It’s a comedy-focused experience that doesn’t just rely on cheap jokes, the humor is actually clever, well-timed, and built into the gameplay itself.”
- “The idea is very creative and the gameplay is top notch!!”
- “Extremely basic mechanics with minimal challenge make the game feel dull.”
- “While it’s an interesting idea to combine 2D and 3D gameplay, the 3D sections are poorly executed and feel worse compared to the already mediocre 2D parts.”
- “At about 5 minutes of gameplay, when the camera is placed behind the character's back, the controls break.”
graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
49%
8%
The game's graphics are generally well-received, praised for their professional quality, unique art style, and fitting atmosphere that enhances the experience despite sometimes being simple or not top-tier. Some users note performance issues on lower-end hardware, and while the visuals may not be spectacular, lighting and animations effectively complement the gameplay and narrative. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its quality.
- “The graphics, build, and narrative of this game are very professional quality... in fact the only major problem with it apart from the somewhat obsolete gameplay is that it's incredibly short, more of a tech demo.”
- “Try Again blends fast-paced 2.5D platforming with clever puzzles, a witty narrative, and striking visuals that keep every moment exciting.”
- “Professional voice acting, decent scriptwriting, excellent graphics, the only flaw in the gameplay for me is the yellow swing-bars are a bit too 'sticky' for me.”
- “The graphics in this game are passable, but could be better.”
- “[graphics:] Visually, the game looks unfinished.”
- “Also a problem on my end is that the game was simply too high end, and needed a feature to turn down the graphics.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers clever, well-timed humor that is deeply integrated into the gameplay and dialogue, often compared to titles like Portal and The Stanley Parable. Despite its short length, players consistently praise its witty, meta-humor, quirky characters, and amusing storytelling, making for an enjoyable and memorable comedic experience.
- “It’s a comedy-focused experience that doesn’t just rely on cheap jokes; the humor is actually clever, well-timed, and built into the gameplay itself.”
- “The game is just perfect because of the quirky funny dialogue that is said throughout the game.”
- “A quick and simple game full of good meta-humor.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
37%
19%
The game's music is generally praised for being well-chosen, adaptive, and fitting the visuals and gameplay, often described as a highlight or "banger." However, some find the soundtrack forgettable and believe it could be improved. Overall, the music complements the experience well and adds to the game's appeal.
- “The music in the game is really well chosen and programmed.”
- “The music adapts very well to the situations you find yourself in, and it’s definitely not bad at all.”
- “Changing between 2D gameplay and some sequences with a more typical runner-esque perspective, we run, jump, and slide through ~15-20 minutes of surprisingly polished and fluid platformer gameplay with a really exhilarating and fitting soundtrack and voice acting that works perfectly fine for the few lines that are uttered.”
- “The soundtrack is forgettable and could have been much better.”
- “The soundtrack also didn't need to go this hard.”
- “Short, buggy, little to no story, has some interesting mechanics and solid music though, so kinda mid; for half an hour it's alright, like 5.5/10.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The game offers enjoyable gameplay and strong performances but suffers from optimization issues, including stuttering and poor performance on low-end devices. While some users report smooth running, many suggest the developers need to improve overall performance to enhance the experience.
- “This game is really good and enjoyable, but it's clearly unoptimized for low-end devices.”
- “With some performance updates, this could be a gem.”
- “However, the game is not well-optimized.”
- “The developers have done a great job with the gameplay and concept, but they should really work on optimizing performance.”
- “Constant stuttering, controls are wonky, and the constant camera shift made me sick.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably affected by frequent bugs, especially during wall jumping sequences and transitions between 2D and 3D gameplay, causing frustrating gameplay interruptions. While some glitches and camera issues occur, they tend to lessen on subsequent playthroughs, and despite lag spikes and occasional teleporting, the experience remains enjoyable for many. Overall, stability is a mixed aspect, with bugs impacting smooth play but not entirely detracting from the game's appeal.
- “Game asks me to wall jump in the very beginning but the action is so buggy I literally can't execute it smoothly.”
- “It was fun, I ended dying a lot from huge lag spikes and quite a bit of glitches where Benny would refuse to grab onto things or teleport around but altogether it was enjoyable.”
- “During the chase scene where you wall jump up to a ledge, I fell and the camera panned away; WASD moved the camera until the previous test characters caught me and Benny respawned at the previous checkpoint.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for fitting its theme perfectly, creating an engaging and immersive experience despite simple graphics. While not particularly innovative compared to similar titles, the ambiance effectively enhances the game's tone, supported by well-crafted character interactions and motion mechanics.
- “The graphics, while simple, fit the atmosphere perfectly and manage to convey the right tone for the kind of experience being offered.”
- “It has a great concept and the atmosphere fits the theme just as well.”
- “I love the atmosphere of the game; the developer seems like a more human version of GLaDOS (from Portal), and Benny makes you care about him.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a powerful emotional impact through its thought-provoking themes and well-developed characters, creating a strong connection to Benny's struggles. The engaging voice acting, humorous yet heartfelt dialogue, and immersive storytelling further enhance the experience, leaving players eager for a sequel. Overall, it resonates deeply by portraying the challenges of game development in a touching and relatable way.
- “The game’s thought-provoking themes and emotional weight create a deeper connection to Benny’s plight, making for a gripping experience.”
- “I really loved this game; it shows what game developers really go through, as the ending was touching.”
- “I knew that voice sounded familiar, having Nolan North (aka Uncharted's main character Drake) as the main character's voice was a good choice. It actually made me feel bad for him, worth the little time it took to pass.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding is notably time-consuming and challenging, often requiring significant effort or additional resources to progress effectively.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Replayability is seen as having potential for improvement, particularly through the addition of time trials and hidden paths to encourage multiple playthroughs.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praised the game for its compelling story and well-developed characters, highlighting strong character development as a key strength.