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Twin Mirror

Twin Mirror is another compelling DONTNOD experience that is backed by some of its finest gameplay yet
Twin Mirror Game Cover
67%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, character development
74% User Score Based on 708 reviews
Critic Score 61%Based on 30 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCEpic GamesPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
Twin Mirror Game Cover

About Twin Mirror

Twin Mirror is a single player action adventure game with drama, mystery, thriller, violence and others themes. It was developed by DON'T NOD and was released on December 1, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Buy Twin Mirror on PS4. Lose yourself in a rich, intricate storyline anchored in the gritty reality of small-town America.

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Reviews

74%Audience ScoreBased on 708 reviews
story266 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions

  • Engaging narrative with a compelling psychological mystery and investigation mechanics.
  • Beautiful and atmospheric visuals with good voice acting and sound design.
  • Unique 'Mind Palace' mechanic that adds depth to the storytelling and gameplay.
  • The game is quite short with limited replayability and a rushed, unsatisfying ending.
  • Clunky controls, awkward interface, and bugs negatively impact gameplay experience.
  • Characters often feel underdeveloped and dialogue choices have minimal impact on the story.
  • story

    714 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    37% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The story in "Twin Mirror" offers a psychological, mystery-driven narrative with a solid emotional core and intriguing concepts like the mind palace, but it is frequently criticized for being short, rushed, and underdeveloped, leaving characters and plotlines feeling shallow or incomplete. While the narrative engages players initially and features meaningful choices, many find the pacing slow, the plot predictable, and the impact of decisions limited, resulting in a somewhat forgettable experience compared to other Dontnod titles. Fans of story-rich, atmospheric detective games may appreciate it, but those seeking deeper character development and more intricate storytelling might be left wanting.

    • “The story is the true standout here, offering a compelling and intricate plot that keeps you guessing until the very end.”
    • “Twin mirror is a captivating narrative-driven experience that blends stunning visuals, a gripping thriller storyline, and deep psychological exploration.”
    • “The story follows Sam Higgs, a former investigative journalist who returns to his small hometown of Basswood, West Virginia, for the funeral of his best friend. It’s a setting perfectly suited for Dontnod’s signature blend of emotional storytelling and moral introspection. Players move through Basswood, gathering clues, speaking with its inhabitants, and making choices that shape Sam’s relationships and the tone of the story. These elements work together to create a meditative tone that lingers long after the story concludes.”
    • “The story itself is very broken and jumbled with lots of plot holes that don't make any sense. Without knowing all the backstory, which is hardly explained, you feel lost at all times on exactly who is who.”
    • “Simply saying that the final confrontation was underwhelming would be an understatement: it was one of the worst scenes I've ever witnessed in a video game, and definitely by far the most disappointing end to finish a story. Allowing more time for the story to unfold would've definitely helped the game overall, but to fix an ending like this, it wouldn't have been enough.”
    • “Everything feels rushed; a lot of story could've been told better, especially regarding the citizens of Basswood. Rushed characters, rushed story, rushed ending.”
  • gameplay

    206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    26% positive mentions, 64% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions

    Twin Mirror’s gameplay centers on exploration, investigation, and dialogue choices, anchored by the unique “mind palace” mechanic that allows players to reconstruct memories and analyze evidence. While this narrative-driven detective approach offers a refreshing and atmospheric experience, the mechanics are often described as clunky, repetitive, and underdeveloped, limiting player engagement and mechanical depth. Overall, the gameplay is solid but simple, providing a decent but somewhat shallow interactive experience that complements rather than elevates the story.

    • “The standout mechanic is the “mind palace,” where the protagonist reconstructs memories and scenarios to analyse evidence.”
    • “The core loop revolves around piecing together fragmented information and making dialogue choices that influence how scenes unfold, rather than solving systemic puzzles or engaging in mechanical challenge-based gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay also has some nice elements especially during the scenes where you try to form a plan or understand what has happened in a place.”
    • “The investigation and memory reconstruction sequences, which are supposed to be the core gameplay loop, feel repetitive.”
    • “The game honestly could have been 1000x better just by redoing some gameplay mechanics, fleshing out characters and story a bit more.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly lame, the game progresses slowly, the characters are uninteresting, the rooms are always very limited and yet you're running around in circles the whole time and the plot is the uninteresting classic from every police film/series you've seen 100 times already.”
  • graphics

    139 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    53% positive mentions, 41% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their solid, atmospheric art style, detailed environments, and beautiful visuals that effectively support the narrative tone. While not groundbreaking or cutting-edge, the visuals are considered engaging and often described as stunning or gorgeous, though some criticism exists regarding outdated textures, stiff facial animations, and occasional lack of polish. Overall, the game's graphics provide a strong aesthetic foundation, especially for fans of narrative-driven experiences, despite a few technical and stylistic shortcomings.

    • “The visuals were gorgeous, the characters were unique and interesting, and I enjoyed the story even though it wasn't very long.”
    • “Amazing visuals, gorgeous visuals, great atmosphere, and a gripping story.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the voice acting was on point, and the story was very compelling.”
    • “Not even going to talk much about the atrocious animations and graphics in a 2021 game.”
    • “Graphic assets reused constantly like wall paintings, story points reused from a different game.”
    • “Aside from the writing, the graphics are also a downgrade from Tell Me Why, which baffles me because they came out in the same year; TM looks boring and even low-poly at times with some objects.”
  • emotional

    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    94% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    Reviews of the game's emotional aspect highlight its strong atmosphere, psychological nuance, and moments of genuine emotional depth, especially through the protagonist's internal struggles and moral choices. However, many note uneven pacing, shallow character development, and writing flaws that undermine emotional engagement, resulting in a story that often feels restrained, predictable, or lacking the impactful resonance seen in comparable narrative-driven titles. Overall, it offers a thoughtful but imperfect emotional experience that may appeal to players valuing mood and moral introspection over deep character connection.

    • “The characters feel grounded, the mystery unfolds with great pacing, and the emotional choices actually matter.”
    • “Sam Higgs' journey back to his hometown of Basswood is more than just a reluctant visit — it's an emotional reckoning with grief, guilt, and identity.”
    • “The scene where you have to definitively choose between a logical way of thinking/being, and separating yourself from your 'mind palace' partner's emotional side was one of the most incredibly powerful and beautiful scenes I have ever seen in media.”
    • “Great game if you want to go to sleep, I had to launch this game four times on different days to make it to the end. Unbelievably boring story, extremely slow pacing, even the climax of the story was underwhelming.”
    • “Boring story, poorly written characters.”
    • “Too short with a mediocre, occasionally boring story.”
  • atmosphere

    47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    51% positive mentions, 43% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The game excels at creating a strong, immersive atmosphere characterized by a small-town, melancholic, and psychological tone, supported by detailed graphics, well-chosen music, and convincing voice acting. While some find the atmosphere gripping and integral to the narrative experience, others note its drab, subdued nature may not appeal to all players. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as one of the game's most praised and defining features.

    • “The grounded, small-town atmosphere reinforces the tension simmering beneath the surface.”
    • “The game immediately establishes an atmosphere of melancholy and detachment—Basswood feels like a place left behind by time, filled with empty streets, fading friendships, and quiet resentment.”
    • “Every time I entered the mind palace, I felt like I was untangling a knot inside Sam’s psyche—his trauma, memories, fears, and logical reasoning all intertwining in a surreal, almost Lynchian atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is alright and some parts of the game are engaging but it's not worth paying for at all, and as I reached the end I just wanted it to be over.”
    • “Additionally, the game's often drab atmosphere creates an uninviting world that many players simply won't enjoy immersing themselves in.”
    • “Visually, the game's split-mind mechanic has potential, and the atmosphere does try to evoke tension.”
  • music

    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    48% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed feedback, with many praising its good to great quality and effective atmosphere enhancement, while some find it bland or less memorable compared to the studio's previous soundtracks. Overall, the soundtrack supports the mood well and complements the voice acting and visuals, contributing positively to immersion despite occasional criticisms of mediocrity.

    • “The music does an excellent job of supporting the atmosphere, creating drama where appropriate, but never pushing into the foreground.”
    • “Music and sound effects: Twin Mirror offers a fine assortment of good music and tunes which definitely impacts the immersion and re-playability of the game, as the game comes with multiple endings.”
    • “The story is well-paced, if a bit short (at the time of writing I've played 13 hours and gotten 3/4 endings), the main characters are believable even if Sam himself doesn't start off terribly likable, and of course the music and visuals are stunning.”
    • “Music was a bit boring!”
    • “It's just mediocre, with a short, somewhat chaotic story and a boring soundtrack.”
    • “-music: 3/10”
  • optimization

    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    30% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions

    The game is generally well-optimized, running smoothly at stable frame rates on high-end PCs and the Steam Deck with only minor tweaks needed. However, some users report significant performance drops in certain configurations, and the graphics appear dated, indicating room for overall optimization improvements.

    • “Also, I wish most games today had such commendable visual-to-performance ratio.”
    • “Didn't have any stutters, performance issues, or anything here at 1080p at 45fps - and yes, this was maxed-out in its settings; this was butter smooth here.”
    • “Excellent game, well optimized with amazing graphics!”
    • “Finally, there's the performance impact of a game not designed/optimized for super ultrawide (SUW) — we're talking a drop to 10fps average from a 160fps average at 'standard' resolutions.”
    • “Performance is terrible.”
    • “Also, to end this short review, one will note when playing Twin Mirror that the graphics look dated and could use better overall optimization.”
  • replayability

    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    16% positive mentions, 68% neutral mentions, 16% negative mentions

    Replayability in the game is mixed: while it offers multiple endings and some impact from player choices, these differences are mostly limited to the finale and do not significantly alter the overall story, resulting in limited incentive for repeated playthroughs. Additionally, the inability to skip cutscenes and a relatively short playtime further reduce its replay value for many players. However, some appreciate the freedom of choice and consider subsequent playthroughs worthwhile to explore different outcomes.

    • “Important: the game's replayability is excellent, as players can make different choices on subsequent playthroughs, resulting in different outcomes (some don't even reveal the real bad guy).”
    • “I love what this game did, and all in just 2 short sittings making it replayable, for sure.”
    • “There is definitely some replayability to this one since there are a few endings.”
    • “The story itself is decent and has several endings, although replayability is questionable, because none of the cutscenes or dialogues are skippable.”
    • “Also, unlike many other interactive movies by Dontnod, Twin Mirror features four different endings, but they are essentially decided by your decisions at the end of the game, so replayability factor is pretty low.”
    • “Despite having the potential to make more significant choices or diverging paths along the way to promote replayability, the game ultimately opts for a mostly streamlined main story that, no matter the choices, ends up in the same situations.”
  • character development

    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    20% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions

    Character development in the game is generally seen as minimal and underwhelming, with most growth limited to the main character and lacking emotional depth or impactful consequences. While some praise the pacing and design, many find supporting NPCs and overall narrative development insufficient, especially compared to stronger story-driven games in the genre.

    • “In comparison, games like Life is Strange handle narrative pacing, character development, and choice consequences far better, making every decision feel impactful and the story emotionally engaging.”
    • “There's good character development and gameplay mechanics I liked.”
    • “The story, character development, voice-acting, and anything pertaining to that stuff is definitely on point and really good.”
    • “There was zero character development beyond your character deciding to keep his ability to use the mind palace or continue to have his imaginary friend speak to him, and even that aspect isn't built to suggest any emotional consequences for you or the main character.”
    • “Twin Mirror involves your typical cast of characters, but unlike some other games, there's really very little NPC character development.”
    • “Exactly no character development at all, besides the main character, is shown.”
  • grinding

    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 27% neutral mentions, 73% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is generally described as slow, tedious, and uninspired, often making progress feel like a repetitive task rather than engaging gameplay. Some players found the initial grind off-putting but became more invested after a few hours, though the overall sentiment highlights a lack of rewarding or enjoyable mechanics during these segments.

    • “Grinding achievements: no.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It's a tedious task; you basically try different things until you get it right.”
  • stability

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, -1% neutral mentions, 63% negative mentions

    The game generally runs smoothly and looks great, particularly at 4K 60fps, with stable performance on devices like the Steam Deck. While some users experienced minor audio glitches and UI bugs near the end, these issues are infrequent and do not significantly impact overall stability or enjoyment.

    • “Runs great on the current hardware at 4k@60fps.”
    • “Very obvious it's not AAA in many ways, but regardless, the game runs great, looks great, voice acting is good, and story is very good.”
    • “No glitches, bugs, or crashes shall deter you.”
    • “Towards the final act, there were some annoying and frustrating audio glitches such as random crackling that happened for about 15-20 minutes.”
    • “Buggy UI when accessing hotspots.”
    • “Yes, there are visual glitches and some button malfunctions, but it is easily fixable.”
  • humor

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is subtle and thought-provoking, particularly notable in Sam's conversations with his double, though overall it is sparse and not used to lighten the mood much. Characters are exaggerated caricatures, and some gameplay choices carry a dry, almost ironic humor. While the game isn’t heavily comedic, it offers enough wit within its narrative to complement a thoughtful, slow-paced experience.

    • “Sam’s conversations with his double are funny and thought-provoking.”
    • “I half expected him to quote Nietzsche then fall into a puddle of self-pity because someone looked at him funny in the diner.”
    • “If you want a 6 hour mystery game with a good narrative, some good humor, and don't mind taking things slowly, this is absolutely worth a play.”
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Play Times

6h Median play time
6h Average play time
5-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Twin Mirror is a action adventure game with drama, mystery, thriller, violence and others themes. Common tags for Twin Mirror include lgbtq+, psychological, third person, heist, mature and others.

Twin Mirror is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and others.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Twin Mirror.

Twin Mirror was released on December 1, 2021.

Twin Mirror was developed by DON'T NOD.

Twin Mirror has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Twin Mirror for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Twin Mirror is a single player game.

Similar games include Tell Me Why, Nobody Wants to Die, This Bed We Made, Call of Cthulhu, State of Mind and others.