looK INside - Chapter 1

I enjoyed this one and the second one, but I wish there was some sort of "hint" button for when I was stuck.

I found it rather boring, kind of. Yes it's quite pretty, the voice actor has a nice voice, and i get the idea about making a genealogy with some books you found on the attic. But somehow it just didnt get to mee, some of it didn't make any sense and the genealogy tree looks weird...

looK INside, developed and published by Unexpected, is an indie narrative puzzle game that invites players into the intimate world of a French family through the lens of a scrapbook. Released on January 22, 2020, the game offers a unique blend of storytelling and interactive puzzles, allowing players to explore personal histories and uncover family secrets. The gameplay centers around Manon, who discovers a scrapbook in her attic that chronicles the lives of her ancestors. Each page of the scrapbook presents a vignette filled with photographs, letters, and objects that players can interact with to piece together the family's history. The puzzles are not traditional in the sense of complex mechanics but are more about observation and empathy, encouraging players to connect emotionally with the artifacts and the stories they tell. The art style of looK INside is minimalist yet expressive, with hand-drawn illustrations that convey warmth and nostalgia. The color palette is soft and earthy, enhancing the intimate atmosphere of the game. Each page of the scrapbook is meticulously designed, with attention to detail that makes the exploration feel personal and meaningful. Musically, the game features a subtle and evocative soundtrack that complements its tone. The music is unobtrusive, allowing players to immerse themselves in the narrative without distraction. The sound design also plays a crucial role in enhancing the emotional depth of the experience, with ambient sounds that bring the scrapbook to life. While the game offers a heartfelt and engaging experience, it is relatively short, with gameplay lasting around two to three hours. Some players may find the lack of traditional gameplay elements such as combat or complex puzzles limiting. However, for those who appreciate narrative-driven experiences and the exploration of personal histories, looK INside offers a poignant and memorable journey. In conclusion, looK INside is a beautifully crafted game that combines storytelling, art, and music to create an immersive experience. Its focus on empathy and personal connection sets it apart from other puzzle games, offering players a chance to reflect on the past and the stories that shape our lives. Despite its brevity, the game leaves a lasting impression and is a testament to the power of interactive storytelling. Rating: 8/10

Played through the game once, well 1.5 times since I had to reset because of bugs. Got 10/15 achievements organically. The idea is amazing and the execution is mostly great. But there are those pesky bugs. Mainly for me, key items kept glitching out or straight up disappearing. Sometimes reloading the game didn't fix it, thus the restart. Overall, still a really cool game. Not really a puzzle game, but something like that. I'm really happy that there is a sequel.

Extremely frustrating game

a lil tiresome but a cute concept

[h2] Overall: [/h2] It is not a bad game at all - I just personally didn't enjoy it. I did have issues with bugs & mechanics which decreased my "fun" and increased my "frustration" as I was playing. This is what tipped it from being neutral to no I don't want to play again (even though I did for achievements). I didn't feel engaged with the puzzles (due to bugs happening so I couldn't complete them) or the story (the characters I found most interesting weren't gone into in depth, instead the ones I was less interested in were the focus of the game). [b] Deeper dive into my experience is below. Review is spoiler free. [/b] [h3] Story wise: [/h3] [b] Story is fine, but feels incomplete at the end [/b] - [u] which makes sense as it's only Chapter 1 and you need to get the other games to continue the chapters [/u]. I didn't realise this when buying the game, so it's on me. I didn't end the game with a massive amount of curiosity for things that were hinted at so I probably won't get the next games. Most characters were interesting, but I struggled to connect story points/information together so was confused at times. [h3] Mechanics wise: [/h3] [b] Main issue with the mechanics I had was with volume/audio. Disclaimer: (?) I have sensory issues, so audio controls are really important for me to be able to play games. [/b] [u] Whenever you click something that you can't do anything with/is incompatible with something, there's a thud sound. [/u] I ended up having to play the game without headphones/volume because I couldn't tweak this sound and get rid of it with the volume sliders without turning all audio down to 0 as the volume controls were Main/Music/Voiceover and this seemed tied to the Main volume control. [b] An option to turn the thud off would've been really appreciated. [/b] There were a couple of bugs, which weren't game breaking but did stop me from getting achievements so I ended up looking up a guide and starting a new game to complete the achievements (which goes into my play time). I like games that let you have multiple saves. This game doesn't, which I only found an issue due to the bugs happening and restarting wipes all your progress. I didn't find the fact that the game doesn't have a "save" feature an issue as it appeared to complete auto-saves regularly so I didn't have problems when exiting and reloading the game (which I did multiple times for some bugs, like the game blocking you from placing "things" into/on "another thing").

Ich würde dieses Spiel am liebsten neutral bewerten. Es hat mich nicht wirklich gecatched, aber ich will ihm auch keine schlechte Bewertung geben, da die Rätsel ganz charmant sind.