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TurnOn

TurnOn is an enjoyable and heartwarming little game. With electrical wires instead of platforms, it offers gameplay that feels fresh, piquing your interest at every turn with whatever new adventure or obstacle you’ll face next.
76%Game Brain Score
music, graphics
stability, grinding
80% User Score Based on 218 reviews
Critic Score 70%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SWindowsWindowsMac OSMac OSXbox OneXbox One
Buy Nowfrom $2.51
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About

"TurnOn" is a single-player kids' platformer game with splendid graphics and fantastic music. As a living electric spark, you must restore electricity to a darkened city, solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles in a visually-told story with a charming art style and soothing soundtrack. Experience the magic of a world that depends on electricity and help its citizens regain their safe and carefree lives.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
TurnOn screenshot
+16

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 225 reviews
music105 positive mentions
stability13 negative mentions
  • Charming graphics and art style that create a colorful and engaging atmosphere.
  • Relaxing soundtrack that complements the gameplay and enhances the overall experience.
  • Simple controls and enjoyable platforming mechanics that make it accessible for casual gamers.
  • Unresponsive controls during chase sequences and some frustrating auto-scrolling levels.
  • Presence of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as floating midair or inconsistent hitboxes.
  • Uneven difficulty spikes, with some levels being too easy while others can be frustratingly hard.
  • music
    225 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its relaxing and atmospheric qualities, which enhance the overall experience. However, some tracks are noted to be repetitive or generic, occasionally resembling stock music, and certain sound effects can be irritating. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack's variety and its ability to complement gameplay, especially during rhythm-based segments, contribute positively to the game's charm.

    • “The music in this game is beautiful, and is necessary considering there's no dialogue or text moving along the story, but when I'm scaling the heights of a building and the piano concerto starts to pick up, I understand the urgency and pressure behind my ascent.”
    • “The soundtrack of the game is also very well done, setting a nice tone for each of its stages while following the game's motif.”
    • “Turnon is a really sweet, fun side-scrolling platformer that is beautifully done and has equally beautiful music to go with it.”
    • “It's pretty clear that the creators just picked songs they thought fit, but it's a shame so many of them sound like YouTube Creator Studio stock music when it has a nice mix of styles otherwise.”
    • “Sometimes the music breaks on some of the rhythm-minecart type segments, and sometimes it will reset your electricity counter or start you back at the wrong checkpoint during them.”
    • “The music is mostly mediocre but can be fairly good in places, especially during the nice ending level.”
  • graphics
    127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many users praising the cute and colorful art style, charming animations, and well-designed levels. The 2.5D aesthetic and comic book presentation contribute to a visually appealing experience, although some reviewers noted that the graphics may not be groundbreaking. Overall, the visuals are described as lovely and engaging, enhancing the game's relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere.

    • “The graphics are simple, but cute - I love how the little spark has its eyes move and squish as it moves along the wires, and I love the papery aesthetic done in 2.5D.”
    • “This was simply put a beautiful and lovingly crafted game from a graphics standpoint.”
    • “The graphics are incredibly well done, in a heavy battle for supremacy with the audio soundtrack.”
    • “The music is okay, the graphics aren't impressive, and the gameplay is pretty boring.”
    • “The graphics are nothing to write home about, but graphics are never my first concern.”
    • “The 'cut scene' graphics are 2D drawings which are somewhat ugly.”
  • gameplay
    120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of casual platforming and runner mechanics, featuring a unique two-dimensional control scheme in a quasi-three-dimensional environment. While some players appreciate the charming atmosphere and simple mechanics, others find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in challenge, with inconsistent controls and a short playtime. Overall, the experience is described as relaxing and visually appealing, though it may not satisfy those seeking depth or complexity in gameplay.

    • “Overall, the visual story coupled with the intuitive gameplay where the entire level becomes your playing field makes for a very casual game.”
    • “Child-friendly gameplay, cute aesthetics, and visual storytelling elements make this game a truly relaxing ride through Electro City.”
    • “With electrical wires instead of platforms, it offers gameplay that feels fresh, piquing your interest at every turn with whatever new adventure or obstacle you’ll face next.”
    • “New gameplay elements occasionally come into play with no introduction or explanation of those elements whatsoever.”
    • “The music is okay, the graphics aren't impressive, and the gameplay is pretty boring.”
    • “This is a very unreliable, very inconsistent mechanic for a sidescrolling platformer.”
  • story
    111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Turnon" is conveyed through engaging visual storytelling and comic-style cutscenes, focusing on a charming narrative where players control an electric alien on a quest to restore energy to a darkened city. While the overarching plot is simple and somewhat nonsensical, each level features light, implied story elements that enhance the gameplay experience, making it a relaxing and enjoyable journey. Overall, the narrative is well-received for its creativity and visual appeal, despite being light on depth and dialogue.

    • “The cutscenes resemble a graphic novel and you as the player can put the pieces together as the story unfolds.”
    • “Each beautifully crafted level tells a different story that unfolds in a series of sequences triggered by your little ball of electricity solving puzzles along various wires!”
    • “The leisurely way you roam the levels and interact with things to see the effect you have on them and watch a small story unfold - it's relaxing and fun.”
    • “Every few levels tells a bit of story about what you have to do and who you're helping, but story elements, while touching at points, are very light and non-consequential to gameplay.”
    • “Unlike the normal levels, there's no story, no exploration in these levels.”
    • “There’s a kind of understated plot behind it all, dealing with aliens made of electricity, but it’s all kind of nonsensical.”
  • atmosphere
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful piano music and a unique, colorful design reminiscent of Tim Burton's style. Reviewers highlight that the game's focus on atmosphere over gameplay creates a cozy and delightful experience, allowing players to escape reality and enjoy the stunning graphics and varied levels. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.

    • “The developers definitely hit the mark with creating a great atmosphere for their game with the music.”
    • “The unique design and style, stunning graphics, atmospheric music, and a variety of levels make you forget about reality and relax.”
    • “Turnon is one of these games that don't focus specifically on gameplay alone, but rather on the atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is colorful and Tim Burton-esque and delightfully gloomy.”
    • “Another area where Turnon excels is its atmosphere.”
  • stability
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is marred by frequent glitches, including buggy save points and invisible platforms, which contribute to frustrating difficulty spikes, particularly in the runner levels. Additionally, users have reported issues with Xbox controller compatibility on Windows 10, leading to unintended constant movement. While the game is enjoyable overall, these stability issues detract from the overall experience.

    • “Add to this frustratingly placed and occasionally glitchy savepoints, the very precise movements and foresight required for good scores, and the occasional buggy invisible platform, and the runner levels bring a very annoying difficulty spike at the end of each section.”
    • “There is an issue with using an Xbox controller on Windows 10 (constant movement to the left), which is noted as a known issue in the troubleshooting discussion.”
    • “A joy to play, for the most part, but some glitches and dull levels later in the game hold it back from greatness.”
  • emotional
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by light yet touching storytelling that unfolds through levels, providing a heartwarming experience without significantly impacting gameplay. While the narrative elements are minimal, they effectively evoke emotion, particularly during cutscenes, contributing to an overall enjoyable atmosphere. The game's mechanics, such as respawning without penalties, further enhance the emotional engagement by allowing players to focus on the journey rather than the setbacks.

    • “Even the most touching cutscenes elicit just the right amount of emotion.”
    • “Turnon is an enjoyable and heartwarming little game.”
    • “Every few levels tells a bit of story about what you have to do and who you're helping, but story elements, while touching at points, are very light and non-consequential to gameplay.”
  • humor
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its charming and calming humor, featuring a funny and cute story that enhances the overall relaxing experience. Players appreciate the witty dialogue and amusing character sounds, which contribute to a delightful gameplay atmosphere. Overall, it is described as a casual platformer that successfully combines humor with enjoyable visuals and sound.

    • “This one is a casual platformer with humor and wit.”
    • “[*][b]Charming, calming, and hilarious gameplay experience[/b] - summarizing the gameplay experience that I felt as I played through the game, it was very calming, charming, and fun experience that I would proudly say that I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
    • “This game is perfect to take it easy after a long day of work/school/gaming hard/pretty much anything... it is a very relaxing game, nice music, easy controls, funny-cute story, good graphics/art/animations, the sounds of some characters/objects made me smile a lot!”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its fast loading times and smooth performance, with users reporting zero crashes or stuttering. However, some players have noted that performance issues may arise due to individual hardware limitations rather than flaws in the game's optimization itself.

    • “Game loadings are fast and have awesome optimization.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in time-based and music levels where the lengthy respawn animation and checkpoint system can disrupt the flow of gameplay. Despite the lack of punishment for failure, the repetitive nature of these sections detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Despite there being no punishment for jumping to your death, this does make this part of the game incredibly tedious, especially for the 4-5 second respawn animation and it teleporting you back to the last checkpoint.”
    • “But, the levels racing against the clock/music-based levels can get tedious and frustrating.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is criticized for having no replay value, with multiple users expressing that it lacks elements that would encourage them to play it again.

    • “No replay value as a result.”
    • “No replay value as a result.”

70%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews

Buy TurnOn

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
5-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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