Unrest

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 205 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Unrest Game Cover
The Game has excellent writing, but fails to live up to its full potential. Lack of serious long term consequences and a disappointing ending hold back the game from greatness.
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"Unrest is a single-player Historical Role Playing game set in ancient India, featuring stunning story and sensational graphics. Play as five ordinary people from diverse backgrounds facing hardships and making tough choices in a reactive storyline, often with consequences that impact other characters' lives. With no heroes or mystical quests, Unrest offers a grounded, real-world narrative."

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 205 reviews
story70 positive mentions
gameplay4 negative mentions
  • The game offers a compelling narrative experience with well-written dialogue and complex moral dilemmas.
  • The setting and worldbuilding are intriguing, providing a unique perspective on social issues.
  • The character interactions and choices create a sense of immersion, making players think critically about their decisions.
  • The game is very short, with many players completing it in under three hours, leading to a feeling of abruptness and lack of closure.
  • Choices often feel inconsequential, with little impact on the overall narrative or character arcs.
  • The pacing is slow, and the mechanics can feel underdeveloped, making it more of a visual novel than a traditional RPG.
  • story214 mentions

    The story of Unrest is intriguing and thought-provoking, featuring multiple characters whose perspectives contribute to a complex narrative about rebellion and survival in a unique setting. However, many players feel that the choices offered are superficial, with minimal impact on the overall plot, leading to a lack of satisfying conclusions and abrupt endings. While the writing is praised, the game's short length and linearity leave some players wanting more depth and resolution.

    • “It's a good story that felt a little Shakespearean in its power struggles and attention to fate and fortune.”
    • “The story does an excellent job of demonstrating the complexity of morality and choice.”
    • “Unrest offers a gripping story about hope, failure, action and inaction, fear and security, which feels more like an interactive visual novel than an actual game.”
    • “Characters can acquire traits that reflect your actions, but they don’t do anything and have no effect on the story later on.”
    • “The overall story was not really compelling at all, and it built up to a conflict that just kind of simmered and ended without providing any satisfaction from any of the decisions I've made.”
    • “The story just cuts off out of nowhere and you see the credits rolling, leaving you in confusion like, '... wait, what? Did my game glitch?' because there are so many loose ends and uncompleted story arcs that it didn't even feel like a completed game.”
  • graphics63 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful hand-drawn environments and unique art style, while others criticize the simplistic and rudimentary visuals. Despite the aesthetic appeal, many players note performance issues and a lack of graphical options, leading to a perception that the graphics do not meet modern standards. Overall, while the artwork is appreciated, it is often overshadowed by gameplay and narrative concerns.

    • “The graphics are just beautiful.”
    • “Graphics certainly deserve praise here; all locations are meticulously drawn and character animations are well done. The music is great, blending seamlessly with the atmosphere.”
    • “Graphically, Unrest boasts simple but beautiful hand-drawn environments that evoke an Indian setting.”
    • “So after seeing the simple 2D graphics and fulfilling the minimum requirements on my laptop, I was very confused to see this game has atrocious performance.”
    • “I can play games with much better graphics at 60 fps on this PC.”
    • “As for flaws, I would say that the graphics and animations are pretty rudimentary, and that the main story is short - I think I took 4 hours in my first playthrough (though there are lots of branches that I would like to explore).”
  • gameplay44 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is largely criticized for its minimal interaction, often feeling more like an overglorified visual novel than a traditional game, with limited mechanics and a lack of clarity in dialogue choices. While the narrative and character development are praised, many players express a desire for improved mechanics, animations, and overall depth, indicating that the game falls short in delivering a satisfying gameplay experience. Despite its affordable price and engaging story, the gameplay's superficiality and ambiguity leave players wanting more.

    • “In this game, you play as multiple characters, all of whom are involved with and affected by the events of the game and your choices within it; in other words, your choices matter and affect your gameplay.”
    • “If you're a fan of worldbuilding, dialogue-driven gameplay, non-western fantasy settings, realistic moral choices outside of the facile 'paragon/renegade' binary... I can't recommend Unrest enough.”
    • “I got this game because I was looking for an RPG that did not use fighting or collecting loot as a mechanic, and that is what this is.”
    • “There's little to no gameplay, to the point that it feels like an overglorified visual novel, so if you're the sort to say 'it's not a game if there's no fail state or if there isn't enough gameplay' or whatever, then you definitely will find it lacking.”
    • “Simply put: the game mechanics were very poorly done.”
    • “Overall, the style and background to this choose-your-own-adventure game is praiseworthy, but the gameplay itself is very limited and the actual conclusion to the game leaves me wanting.”
  • music32 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its beauty and ability to enhance immersion, effectively setting the tone for the narrative. However, many reviewers noted that it can be repetitive and lacks variation, with some mentioning issues with looping. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, it could benefit from more diversity to elevate the experience further.

    • “The music is beautiful and lends itself to the immersion of the game.”
    • “Graphics certainly deserve praise here, all locations are meticulously drawn and character animations are well done; music is great, it blends seamlessly with the atmosphere and is nice to listen to.”
    • “The music on this game is actually one of my favorite things, although it follows the same style throughout the game, it never gets tedious and is actually really nice to listen to whilst you are playing.”
    • “The music can get jarring at times, and the art isn't incredible, but it gets the job done.”
    • “Literally the only things I disliked were the soundtrack (music looped in a monotonous way) and actual game time was short, but these are minor issues.”
    • “Achieving the thematic goal has come with a cost of elegance in art and audio; tailored animations and looping music would have elevated the game.”
  • replayability12 mentions

    The game offers a mix of opinions on replayability; while some players appreciate the numerous choices and potential outcomes that enhance replay value, others find the short length and abrupt endings unsatisfying, leading to a lack of motivation to replay. Overall, the game is considered to have moderate replayability, but individual experiences vary significantly.

    • “Because there are so many choices to make and consequences as a result of every choice, the game - though short - has significant replay value.”
    • “- many options / high replay value”
    • “It may have some replayability, but I never bothered after finishing a playthrough.”
    • “Replayability - 0/10.”
    • “It's about 2-3 hours long, but the decisions that you can make give it some replayability.”
  • emotional9 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while it effectively balances lighthearted moments with tension, creating an engaging emotional experience, the lack of distinct endings diminishes the impact of player choices, leading to a sense of emotional detachment. Despite this, the game is praised for its depth and realistic characters, which contribute to a meaningful emotional connection. Overall, it offers a compelling emotional journey, though some players may feel limited in their investment due to the narrative structure.

    • “It's light and happy when it needs to be, but it is equally tense and suspenseful when required, providing the perfect backdrop for the emotional rollercoaster that you are riding.”
    • “In summary, Unrest is a truly outstanding game, holding a huge appeal with its depth and emotional attachment. It doesn't suck you in with cheap gimmicks; it has true substance.”
    • “[Emotionally broken, realistic characters, unconventional conversation system.]”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Unrest" is characterized by its pleasant and exotic setting in an imaginary ancient Indian kingdom, enhanced by meticulously drawn graphics and well-executed character animations. The game's music is a standout feature, blending seamlessly with the environment to create an immersive experience, despite the graphics being somewhat dated by modern standards. Overall, the combination of visual and auditory elements contributes significantly to the game's engaging atmosphere.

    • “Set in ancient India in an imaginary kingdom, Unrest can boast good music and has a pleasant and exotic atmosphere.”
    • “Graphics certainly deserve praise here; all locations are meticulously drawn and character animations are well done. The music is great, blending seamlessly with the atmosphere and is nice to listen to.”
    • “On today's standards, the graphics are dated, which is without question for an indie game, but they are well presented and contribute to a good atmosphere in the game.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted for its initial promise but ultimately falls short, as it fails to significantly impact the story progression or provide meaningful growth for both the playable and non-playable characters. While there are moments that alter character reactions, they do not translate into substantial development.

    • “Great music and character development.”
    • “This, however, is where character development grinds to a halt.”
    • “While these sometimes change the reactions of characters, they never actually change how the story progresses, and don't really provide character development for the playable character or the non-player characters.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game's stability on macOS has been criticized, with users reporting persistent graphical glitches and lag issues even after two years since its release. While some glitches are considered minor, the overall experience is marred by bugs that detract from gameplay.

    • “The game is marketed as one supporting macOS, however it's been more than 2 years since it was released and I still cannot play it on my iMac without graphical glitches.”
    • “Game is buggy, lags, and is just boring.”
    • “There remains the odd graphical glitches when the main characters are walking, but these are minor.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players expressing confusion over its poor performance despite simple 2D graphics and meeting minimum system requirements. Many feel that such performance issues are unacceptable, regardless of the game's indie status.

    • “So after seeing the simple 2D graphics and fulfilling the minimum requirements on my laptop, I was very confused to see this game has atrocious performance.”
    • “Indie or not, this level of performance is not acceptable in any way.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    The reviews do not provide any information about the aspect of "grinding." Instead, they focus on the game's music, highlighting its enjoyable and consistent style that remains engaging throughout gameplay.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

54% average critic score

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Play time

7hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
7-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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