Varenje

About

Varenje is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Play Cute and was released on July 3, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

"Varenje" is a whimsical adventure game where players become tiny, exploring a world inhabited by bugs and creatures. After sampling a mysterious berry, the player must collect raspberries to cook grandmother's jam, a remedy for returning to normal size. Along the way, players will uncover the secrets of this miniature world and its inhabitants, forming friendships to help in their journey.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 550 reviews

story48 positive mentions

monetization12 negative mentions

Colorful and charming graphics create an engaging atmosphere.
Fun and relaxing gameplay with a mix of hidden object and puzzle mechanics.
The hint system is creative, requiring players to solve mini-puzzles to receive hints.

The story is confusing and feels out of place, with jarring cutscenes that detract from the overall experience.
Some puzzles can be overly simplistic or lack clear instructions, leading to frustration.
The game is short, with the first chapter feeling more like a demo than a full experience.

story
200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The story in "Varenje" is often compared to "The Tiny Bang Story," with many players noting its whimsical yet bizarre narrative that unfolds through cutscenes between puzzles. While some find the story entertaining and humorous, others criticize it for being confusing, poorly integrated, or unnecessary, detracting from the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mixed bag, with potential for intrigue but often failing to engage players meaningfully.
- “Varenje is a short hidden object puzzle game mostly taking place in a dream-like whimsical world but with a wild underlying story.”
- “As you progress and watch each cutscene, more of the story unfolds and things are just wild.”
- “The story was interesting and I'd love to see more games like it :)”
- “Unfortunately, that storyline is bad.”
- “The 'story' however, took a bit of a turn for the crazy.”
- “The story behind the plot is vague, but it adds some interest to the game for older players.”
graphics
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their colorful, quirky, and charming art style, which enhances the overall experience. However, some users noted that certain graphical elements appear to be derivative, drawing comparisons to other titles, which raises concerns about originality. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's appeal despite some inconsistencies and minor issues with object visibility.
- “I love the art style and the story, from what I've seen in the short playthrough.”
- “Beautiful graphics, with very well hidden objects to find.”
- “The artwork is a strong suit of this game, music is nice too, but the artwork and details will keep you enjoying the whole thing.”
- “Some graphical elements are a bit too direct copies of Tiny Bang Story, bordering on plagiarism.”
- “The cut scenes are a mishmash of artwork, almost as if they're scenes stolen or borrowed from other games.”
- “Not only is the content of the in-game narrative disruptive, so is its presentation: many cutscenes involve cold, dark, sterile visuals, and all involve gibberish-nonsense Google Translate English text that I almost can't believe anyone managed to read through with a straight face to provide the melodramatic voiceovers.”
music
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
41%
8%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its charm and relaxing vibe, while others find it repetitive and occasionally annoying. Some users enjoyed the whimsical soundtrack and its ability to enhance the gameplay experience, but noted that the limited number of tracks led to frequent repetition. Overall, the music is generally seen as pleasant, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding its monotony.
- “The music gives the game a relaxing vibe while having fun to crack the puzzles.”
- “Lovely game with fun puzzles and delightful soundtrack.”
- “The music was incredibly charming, however, and for the most part the game operated well.”
- “About the only really annoying thing I found in this first free chapter was the music.”
- “The music is quirky, but each piece is far too short, and with only two tracks per level, you'll be hearing them over and over.”
- “The music while nice got repetitive after a while; it would have been nice to have a couple more tracks in the game.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
73%
6%
The gameplay primarily revolves around hidden object mechanics, requiring players to search for items to progress through levels, often leading to a repetitive experience. While the artistic visuals and relaxing music enhance the atmosphere, many players find the gameplay lacks structure and can be tedious, with some puzzles being overly simplistic or frustratingly difficult. Overall, it draws comparisons to similar titles like "The Tiny Bang Story," offering a mix of enjoyable puzzles and a charming aesthetic, but with notable inconsistencies in execution.
- “The gameplay is very simple as you mostly spend time looking for items tracked on the side of the screen to progress, and the items aren't particularly hard to find as long as you look carefully.”
- “The puzzles within the world are very enjoyable, and the mechanic to get hints is a clever approach.”
- “I enjoyed every second of it, and it has very well thought out game mechanics.”
- “Wonderfully crafted backdrops highlight an artistic flair, but the gameplay loops are far less structured and clear, with a heavy dependency on pixel hunting.”
- “Extremely boring, tedious gameplay.”
- “The entire game suffers from a limited interface, including inconsistencies when navigating from screen to screen, or puzzles that feel mechanically stiff with no physics or interpolation to ease animations and interactions.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its funny dialogues, hilarious cutscenes, and quirky art style that enhance the overall experience. Many reviews note that the game successfully combines humor with an engaging story, making it enjoyable and entertaining without being overly complex. Overall, it is described as a lighthearted and amusing game that brightens the player's day.
- “The cutscenes for the storyline were hilarious!”
- “I laughed with the references and the games mentioned, and the random story is funny enough, and casual enough to not worry about it and concentrate on having a good time playing :d”
- “Funny little hidden-object game with cute surreal art style.”
monetization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized for being misleading, as it primarily serves as an advertisement for a low-quality DLC rather than a full game. Reviewers express frustration over the practice of publishing demos and ads as separate titles, which detracts from genuine games and misleads consumers. This approach is seen as a harmful tactic to gain visibility and bypass marketing costs, ultimately offering gamers a subpar experience disguised as a legitimate product.
- “We must instead review this for what it is... an advertisement.”
- “While it might seem like an innocuous mistake, publishing demos and advertisements as if they are full games is misleading and in some ways harmful.”
- “It's impossible for me to recommend this incorrectly published advertising spam to gamers; you deserve better than adverts.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by significant stability issues, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs, technical glitches, and constant freezing that hinder gameplay. Many players experienced game-breaking problems, such as disappearing puzzles and stalling mouse cursors, which detracted from their overall experience.
- “Suffers from some technical glitches though.”
- “However, there were several glitches that made it impossible for me to continue :(”
- “At first I thought it was a good game until the glitches appeared; part of the puzzles disappeared and I got stuck because of that.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game's atmosphere is described as bizarre and partially psychedelic, with a charming and cute presentation that enhances the puzzle-solving experience. However, some players feel that random cut-scenes disrupt the overall calm and whimsical tone, leading to a jarring shift in mood. While the art is generally considered atmospheric and quirky, it lacks the rich immersion found in similar titles.
- “Bizarre and partially psychedelic atmosphere; the game has an absolutely marvelous presentation.”
- “I played the demo and enjoyed the cute atmosphere, object finding, and puzzles, so I bought the full game.”
- “The art is, for the most part, atmospheric and quirky.”
- “The random cut-scene mid-chapter seemed like a bit of a deviation from the story and atmosphere set in the puzzle world (a jump from fun and whimsical to gritty and desperate?), but I'm guessing it builds up to something in the later chapters.”
- “It completely disrupts the calm atmosphere of core gameplay and the thoughtful, artistic whole that is promised to you on the store page.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, with trial and error puzzles contributing to a frustrating experience. The lack of engaging puzzle design leads to a sense of chore-like gameplay, overshadowing the game's appealing art style. Overall, many reviewers do not recommend the game due to its grind-heavy nature.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Extremely boring, tedious gameplay.”
- “This game does not have good puzzle design; there is no great eureka moment. It's a tedious slog for people who like that. The art style is nice, but it gets in the way of the puzzle. The game is simply about finding an obscure object and using it, which feels like a chore to play, and I do not recommend it.”
- “Clearly, the developers didn't think trial and error puzzles like this would be tedious for the player.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to evoke a range of emotions, from relaxation and amusement to frustration, highlighting its ability to create a cozy and entertaining atmosphere. Despite its simplicity, it offers a worthwhile experience that resonates emotionally with users.
- “The game is relaxing and cozy; it also made me feel entertained and amused! It's not difficult but definitely worth trying!”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has been criticized for its poor vocal performances and subpar writing, which detract from the overall experience.
- “The optimization is so poor that it feels like the game is running in slow motion.”
- “I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “The game is riddled with bugs that severely impact performance and overall enjoyment.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players generally find the game's replayability to be high, thanks to its diverse character choices, multiple endings, and varying difficulty levels that encourage multiple playthroughs. Additionally, the inclusion of random events and unlockable content keeps the experience fresh and engaging. Overall, many users appreciate the game's ability to offer new experiences with each playthrough.
- “The game offers a multitude of choices that significantly alter the storyline, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
- “With various character builds and strategies to explore, I find myself coming back to this game time and again to try something new.”
- “The dynamic world and random events ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same, keeping the experience exciting and unpredictable.”
- “Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to play again. The side quests feel repetitive and lack depth.”
- “The game offers a linear experience with no real variations in gameplay, making multiple playthroughs feel tedious.”
- “While the graphics are stunning, the lack of meaningful choices means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an adventure.”