Vidar

About

"Vidar" is a single-player Role Playing game, where players must navigate through challenging environmental puzzles in a community on the brink of death. With a unique randomized story mechanic, the order of villager deaths and resulting quests changes with each playthrough. To prevent the killings, players must enter puzzle dungeons, using tools and environment to navigate and ultimately, uncover the truth behind Vidar's curse.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 65 reviews

story26 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

Vidar offers a unique and engaging narrative where each playthrough is different due to the randomized deaths of villagers, creating high replay value.
The game features well-crafted puzzles that are both challenging and rewarding, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
The art style and music are beautifully designed, contributing to the immersive atmosphere of the game.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences and loss of progress.
The save system is unreliable, with auto-saves not functioning properly, forcing players to redo significant portions of the game.
Character movement can be slow and cumbersome, and the dialogue can become repetitive, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

story
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
75%
3%
The story of "Vidar" is praised for its unique and immersive narrative, which evolves with each playthrough due to the random deaths of characters, creating a dynamic and replayable experience. Players engage in quests that are influenced by the survival of villagers, adding tension and depth to the gameplay. However, some reviewers noted inconsistencies and a lack of guidance in questing, which can lead to frustration when objectives become unattainable due to character deaths.
- “The overall story takes place in the town of Vidar, with a violent snowstorm engulfing it.”
- “I think one of the cooler parts of the game is that the story randomizes, and each night a different person (or more) dies, which changes trigger points, dependencies, and alters the storyline, providing replayability you don't normally see in an RPG.”
- “Vidar treats its characters like people and has them reacting to the things that occur around them in a story that is far more about individuals and their tales than of the arcing plot of the beast that provides the driving motivation.”
- “Storyline inconsistencies and lack of polish.”
- “The bad: in the most recent version I played, there's a lot of no guidance in questing or consistency in how you can access/complete quests - for example, I've been given a quest to locate 'x' but the quest-giver died before I was able to unlock the area of the game to complete the quest.”
- “Villagers issuing quests are often ambiguous in their descriptions.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
30%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty and ability to set the mood, enhancing the overall immersive experience. Reviewers highlight its nostalgic quality, likening it to classic titles, while also noting its effectiveness in conveying themes of grief and tension. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a well-crafted element that complements the game's art and narrative, creating a cohesive and engaging atmosphere.
- “There’s a nostalgic consistency throughout the game, from the gorgeous pixel sprites, to the haunting music, to the wonderful environments that makes the world feel like something you explored in a game you played growing up, yet at the same time entirely fresh and new.”
- “Combined with fantastic musical and art direction, Vidar may be the game where everyone dies, but it sure makes you feel alive.”
- “Here, there is almost no division between the art, the music, the narration and the story - it already is a perfectly balanced mix of each of these elements, and the game feels deeply immersive thanks to that.”
- “Fortunately, the novel premise, the music, the setting, the characters, and the retro Chrono Trigger-esque graphics almost make up for this colossal annoyance.”
- “The music is very calming to counter the [spoiler] satanic devilspawn the world knows as snow [/spoiler] and the sense of dread the town has.”
- “Here, there is almost no division between the art, the music, the narration, and the story - it already is a perfectly balanced mix of each of these elements, and the game feels deeply immersive thanks to that.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The gameplay in Vidar is characterized by its unique mechanics, including a time-sensitive environment and random character deaths that enhance replayability and create a sense of pressure. While the puzzles and overall design are praised for their creativity and engagement, some players find the lack of shortcut keys a frustrating oversight. The absence of combat and the focus on solving puzzles within a dynamic narrative framework contribute to a distinctive and immersive experience, though it may challenge completionists.
- “This would be an interesting mechanic in any game, but Vidar goes one step further by putting just about everything you do that affects the world on a time limit.”
- “While some might balk at the randomness of the deaths, it’s that very mechanic that makes Vidar such a special experience and imbues it with intrinsic replayability.”
- “Thanks to the new take on the game's mechanics, this game is designed where you cannot know what is about to happen next (even if you've played through before) since puzzles change on each playthrough and since character deaths are completely random, which fit perfectly well within the game's plot.”
- “The lack of shortcut keys for these functions is a significant oversight that detracts from the overall gameplay experience.”
- “This ties into that 'good' section above about the pressure that the random death mechanic adds - but when it works against you, especially if you're a completionist or a collector-type, it gets frustrating.”
- “There is no combat, but death is a core mechanic.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The graphics of *Vidar* are widely praised for their beautiful art style and nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic, reminiscent of classic JRPGs like *Chrono Trigger*. Reviewers highlight the game's superb artwork and graphical variety, which enhance the overall experience despite some repetitive environments. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's charm and appeal.
- “One quick final note on the art style of this game, which is beautiful.”
- “Aesthetically, Vidar is superb.”
- “Fortunately, the novel premise, the music, the setting, the characters, and the retro Chrono Trigger-esque graphics almost make up for this colossal annoyance.”
- “It may be wrapped in the graphics of a JRPG from 1994, but Vidar isn't a game from your childhood.”
- “The graphics are nostalgia personified.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
39%
17%
The game offers significant replayability due to its unique mechanics where character deaths and quest availability are randomized, leading to different experiences in each playthrough. Players appreciate the tension of completing quests within a limited timeframe, as well as the unpredictability of the storyline, which changes with each session. Overall, the combination of random events and diverse quests ensures that no two playthroughs are alike, providing a fresh experience every time.
- “Each playthrough is different because some quests only become available when certain characters are alive or dead (and the order of deaths is random), so there is theoretically a lot of replay value.”
- “I think one of the cooler parts of the game is that the game story randomizes, and each night a different person (or more) dies, which changes trigger points, dependencies, and alters the storyline, providing replayability you don't normally see in an RPG (or at least I haven't).”
- “While some might balk at the randomness of the deaths, it’s that very mechanic that makes Vidar such a special experience and imbues it with intrinsic replayability.”
- “I think one of the cooler parts of the game is that the story randomizes, and each night a different person (or more) dies, which changes trigger points, dependencies, and alters the storyline, providing replayability you don't normally see in an RPG (or at least I haven't).”
- “The replayability is limitless because you can never expect what's coming next.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the characters in the game, describing it as an emotional roller coaster that fosters deep investment and engagement. The narrative and experiences within the game evoke powerful feelings, making it difficult for players to detach from the story and its outcomes.
- “I realized that I was emotionally invested.”
- “It left me with so much more, an emotional investment where I couldn't let go, where I wanted to do more.”
- “This game is, to me, best described as an emotional roller coaster whose main attraction is death-a-day.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, particularly on Linux, with numerous bugs and glitches reported. While some minor technical problems exist, they generally do not hinder gameplay or progression. Overall, the experience is marred by these stability concerns.
- “Apparently this game is too buggy to play at the moment.”
- “It is fairly buggy on Linux at least.”
- “There are a few minor bugs/glitches - such as the wrong gender being mentioned, etc.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious, with many expressing frustration over repetitive tasks and dialogue that detracts from the overall experience. Despite investing significant time, the monotony has led some to lose interest in reaching the game's conclusion.
- “I genuinely wanted to get to the ending (if you look at my time, I've logged about 40 hours on this) but it's become too tedious.”
- “The characters themselves suffer from repetitive dialogue that quickly becomes tedious, such as one character repeatedly saying 'flies on horse sh*t.'”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game creates a unique and haunting atmosphere, immersing players in a snow-covered town that evokes feelings of helplessness and stagnation. The realistic performances of the townsfolk enhance this ambiance, making their emotions resonate deeply with the player.
- “But the game has its own fresh, haunting atmosphere that gives it a life of its own.”
- “Although stuck in a snow-covered town, with an atmosphere of being frozen in place and feeling helpless, the performances of the townsfolk felt incredibly real, whether they felt fearless or helpless alongside you.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game effectively enhances the immersive experience, with realistic performances from the townsfolk that convey a strong sense of emotion and atmosphere, despite the setting being a frozen, snow-covered town.
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviews indicate a common sentiment that the game lacks sufficient character development, with multiple users expressing a desire for deeper exploration and growth of the characters throughout the story.
- “My only gripe is that there could've been more character development.”

76%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Vidar Review - KeenGamer
Keengamer.com
76%

Buy Vidar

Videos

94%3.4kreviews

Heartbound

2018

Role Playing

This game contains adult content

85%2.6kreviews

The Pale Beyond

2023

Survival Role Playing

89%541reviews

Cabernet

2025

Role Playing

$Major\Minor Image$

79%358reviews

Major\Minor

2015

Role Playing

This game contains adult content

83%2.4kreviews

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

2023

Role Playing

This game contains adult content

68%308reviews

Claire

2014

Action Adventure

70%656reviews

Master Reboot

2013

Action Adventure

This game contains adult content

93%2.7kreviews

Death Trash

2021

Open World Role Playing

84%2.7kreviews

Primordia

2012

Arcade Role Playing

This game contains adult content

68%13.3kreviews

We Happy Few Deluxe Edition

2018

Open World Role Playing Shooter

Vidar

Platforms

About

Vidar Review - KeenGamer

Buy Vidar

Vidar

Vidar

Videos

Games Like Vidar

Heartbound

The Pale Beyond

Cabernet

Major\Minor

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

Claire

Master Reboot

Death Trash

Primordia

We Happy Few Deluxe Edition