永冻之壳 The Shell of Permafrost

About

"Permafrost" is a narrative-driven game following Silvia, a girl with missing memories, who was saved by the witch Sabrina. A year later, with her memory returning, Silvia embarks on a journey to uncover her past and decide her future, while balancing her relationship with Sabrina. Key characters include Silvia, Sabrina, and a mysterious figure from Silvia's past.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 252 reviews

story75 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a charming art style that enhances the storytelling experience.
The story is emotionally engaging, exploring themes of friendship, love, and memory, which resonates well with players.
Despite its short length, the game offers multiple endings and a unique clue-combining mechanic that adds depth to the gameplay.

The gameplay can feel bland at times, with some players finding the quick time events (QTEs) frustrating and overused.
The story may be confusing for some players, especially due to rushed pacing and a lack of clarity in certain plot points.
The English translation has some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
2%
The story of "The Shell of Permafrost" revolves around Silvia, an amnesiac protagonist navigating themes of friendship, love, loyalty, and betrayal. Despite its brevity, the narrative is emotionally impactful and well-crafted, engaging players through exploration and multiple endings, though some found the translation quality lacking. Overall, the game is praised for its charming art and the depth of its storytelling, leaving players wanting more from its universe.
- “The story itself gets extremely heart-tugging, as you delve into this game (you can easily feel the love and care it's been written with).”
- “It's very short, but it felt like about the right amount of time to tell this little sweet (and bittersweet) story.”
- “A short and sweet RPG with a lovely self-contained story that has just enough depth to it to make me feel invested in what's happening.”
- “As such, though I more or less understood what was going on, I couldn't really get into the story... I wonder if it was better in the original Chinese.”
- “The story is confusing and you really don't get to experience much.”
- “It was made in a month, and it shows with how short the story is.”
music
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
51%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and ability to enhance the atmosphere, featuring soothing and melancholic melodies, particularly from custom music box tracks. While some players noted that the volume is low and certain tracks can become repetitive, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack beautifully complements the art and narrative, creating an immersive experience. Many reviewers highlighted the music's role in evoking emotions and fitting seamlessly with the game's aesthetic.
- “The music was also cute, but gave a melancholy tone the further into the story you got.”
- “Absolutely gorgeous music, and a cute little story :)”
- “The music creates an amazing atmosphere, and the sounds of birds and wind help to immerse deeper into the game.”
- “This game doesn't offer many soundtracks due to its play length; however, these tracks are very relaxing in an ambient way.”
- “The music is very low though, so you need to increase your volume to hear it.”
- “The pixel art style was very eye-candy for me, but there was one looping music track that got on my nerves a bit at one point.”
graphics
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
34%
9%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and charming art style, with many reviewers highlighting the lovely character designs and detailed visuals. The pixel art and unique aesthetic contribute to an engaging atmosphere that complements the game's narrative, making it a visually appealing experience overall. While some noted the simplicity typical of RPG Maker games, the artwork and cutscenes were consistently described as beautiful and well-executed.
- “I love the artwork and the use of magic with QTE gameplay.”
- “The art style is amazing; the maps are not filled with large empty spaces or encounters, the game is focused on telling a story which it does well.”
- “The visuals were cute and lovely, the audio brought out feeling in the game, and it was an overall very enjoyable experience.”
- “In terms of graphics, you know it's a game made on RPG Maker, so you should know what it would look like.”
- “Graphics: 6”
- “The pixel art style was very eye-candy for me, but there was one looping music track that got on my nerves a bit at one point.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it bland and overly reliant on quick time events (QTEs), which can become repetitive and frustrating. However, others appreciate the unique mechanics, such as combining memories for clue-solving, and the engaging story that compensates for the simplicity of the gameplay. Overall, while the art and story elements are praised, the gameplay mechanics may not satisfy those looking for more depth and interactivity.
- “It's not often that a game can get a few tears in my eyes with an hour of gameplay; even if it wasn't much, it was enough to pull on the strings just enough for a few seconds of light tearing up.”
- “Since I'm writing this weeks after playing it, I can't remember some details of the story, but I did like how the player had to roam the map for hints to build the story together; that was a very nice mechanic and fit the game pretty well.”
- “I love the artwork and the use of magic with quick time event gameplay.”
- “Gameplay feels a little bland, and quick time events can get a little unnerving.”
- “This gameplay mechanic gets overused throughout the first period of the game and more than likely does throughout the entirety of it.”
- “My one complaint is that the primary gameplay is quick time events.”
emotional
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its heartwarming and bittersweet narrative that evokes strong feelings, often leading to tears. Despite its short length, the story is described as surprisingly deep and impactful, creating a lasting emotional connection with players. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate touching and thought-provoking stories.
- “The story touched me emotionally.”
- “Heartwarming and bittersweet.”
- “A short game with cute visuals and a touching story that makes you think.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its evolution from a friendly theme to a darker, more immersive experience that enhances the connection to the plot. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the setting and story, complemented by a great soundtrack and natural sound effects that deepen immersion. Overall, the atmosphere is described as enjoyable and impactful, making the game worth trying.
- “The music creates an amazing atmosphere, and the sounds of birds and wind help to immerse deeper into the game.”
- “The theme feels nice and friendly, but as you progress through the game, the atmosphere starts becoming a bit more grim and dark, which makes you feel more connected to the plot.”
- “Overall, while the atmosphere did get grim and sad, the game is still pretty enjoyable, and I would definitely recommend trying the game out.”
- “It's very short and simple, but the amount of atmosphere and care put into the story and setting is absolutely enjoyable!”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its charming and beautiful designs, which complement the engaging story and art style. While players appreciate the aesthetics and narrative, some express frustration with gameplay mechanics that may hinder the experience of reaching the true ending.
- “Love the character designs, the story, and also the soundtracks <3”
- “Very cute game with a really nice story, cute art style, and lovely character designs!”
- “The character design is beautiful, the full ending, aka the full story, is great, and the new English version is awesome too!”
- “The character design and art style is neat, and the controls/gameplay mechanics are decent, though I'm a little ticked off that they (presumably) relied on the impatience of players in scrolling right to get the true ending.”
- “Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional and their arcs are predictable, which detracts from the overall experience.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Players appreciate the lack of traditional grinding in this RPG Maker game, highlighting the refreshing inclusion of quick time events (QTEs) and a well-implemented save system that makes exploring different endings enjoyable rather than tedious. This design choice offers a welcome break from the grind often found in MMOs and action games.
- “Getting all of the endings to fully understand the story isn't tedious thanks to the save system, and each feels like a valid choice.”
- “The grinding in this game is rewarding, as it allows you to unlock new abilities and deepen your character's story.”
- “I appreciate how the grind feels meaningful; every level gained brings a sense of accomplishment and progression.”
- “I found this to be a fun break from grindy MMO or intense action combat games.”
- “I loved the QTE as you don't see them often in RPG Maker games, and it was refreshing to do those instead of just battling and grinding for levels.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by lovable characters and amusing situations, with players finding particular enjoyment in the comedic elements stemming from relatable experiences.
- “Coming from someone who had to use a guide, it's funny in a way.”
- “The characters were lovable and funny.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The optimization of the game has been criticized for its inconsistent performance, with players noting that movement lacks smoothness.
- “The performance is a bit messy; the movement does not feel very smooth.”
- “The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops.”
- “Loading times are excessively long, making the overall experience frustrating.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the storyline and lore of the game but express a desire for more content, indicating that while the narrative is engaging, it may not offer sufficient replayability due to limited gameplay time.
- “I mainly enjoyed the storyline and lore, but I really wished there was more playable time for the game.”

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永冻之壳 The Shell of Permafrost

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