Penrose

I was so excited to find this on Steam for my sister, and then came to check back in on the app. To my horror, my star rating for an older, broken version had never updated. Allow me to resolve this by reviewing in both places, because Penrose is one of my favorite games in the world. I’m about to sound really pretentious, so I have to emphasize upfront that Penrose has something for anyone who loves stories. It’s very accessible without being shallow. This game deserves to be so much more widely known. For a very simple, largely text-based interface, the graphic design is immaculate, allowing for quiet immersion in the story and excellent sound design. This might sound silly, but as a person with ADHD sensory issues, I have to point out the actually-for-once perfect dark mode color choices. On that same note, this is the only game I will never play without the background music on. It’s mournful and mysterious and never grating, setting a perfect ambience to the story. The writing is clean and economical while remaining engaging and lovely. Purpose-driven yet immersive. Some may respond negatively to the mystery and the requisite imagination the story demands, but in the age of Content, Penrose is a work of artisanal craft and a standout journey. Exploration is so hard to blend with narrative even in a fully rendered 3D environment, and yet this interactive novella manages to inspire a sense of cohesion and discovery with an elegance one almost never encounters in interactive media. It’s an experience that has stayed with me for years and always will.

This is my prime example of video games being used as an artform. This game is, and I will absolutely not exaggerate this, beautiful. Doublespeak, I first found you playing stacklands online. Please, never stop creating your games; they're incredible.

I genuinely cannot think of a game that has affected me this deeply in a long time. It is an experience that can only exist as a game and I think that makes it even more beautiful and profound. It had me feeling at times like a genius and at other times a monster.

The writing is overall great, the story is captivating and the puzzles are fun to solve. My only issue is at some points the grammar of the writing feels as though I'm reading something that has been directly translated from another language. I continued assuming it was a style choice that I was missing, but after thinking it through I really don't think it is. The errors are small but they shine out in a story with verbose vocabulary and correct usage of semicolons. I'm more puzzled than upset by it.

I was a little annoyed that the browser version was just the demo but you know what. If it wasn’t for that I might’ve never played this game. The mechanics are extremely simple but the writing is incredible. It’s a bit of a hidden gem but I’d honestly be willing to pay more than I did for that experience.

I started playing on my browser without realizing it was just a demo, but didn’t hesitate to get the app because the story had sucked me in. The only drawback is that once you “finish” the game, it locks you into the title screen and you can’t go back to read the story or see which paths you missed. Would 100% be 5+ stars if you didn’t get locked out of a game you paid for :\

This is a game I’ve spent more time than I’d usually admit thinking about. Best played slowly, thoroughly, and defiantly more than one. The music really makes it, and left me staring into space more as I realized what it was telling me. You’ll want to be a part of it

I stumbled on this after playing A Dark Room for the first time. Really a fantastic developer. This is an exceptionally gripping story. The kind that will leave you processing for days. If you finish and want more of an explanation. Search for Continuities on Reddit.

This game is incredibly well done and put together. It honestly makes me sad how little recognition there is for it. Legitimately one of the best games I’ve ever played, though it even makes me question what is even considered a game. I can only hope that one day this game gets the recognition and praise it deserves. 10/10 flawless. A masterpiece

I am quite honestly blown away. I’ve played most of the other games made by Doublespeak and they were a lot of fun; seeing the price on this one and the fact that it was an app and not a website gave me high expectations, and the game delivered. The story is presented at just the right pace, unraveling itself slowly and keeping the reader guessing. The interactivity is super original and super unique; I found myself putting off an hour of my time to just keep going. The music is really nice and sets the mood and theme of the story. I did not expect the complexity and intricacy put into this game. This was worth the dollar I spent and much more.