Centum

I don't usually post serious reviews. I could have just written "Every why has a wherefore" (a direct quote from the game) and call it a day. But, considering that - even among its niche - Centum isn't an easy recommendation, I wanted to point out my thoughts. For the record, I've just finished the game once. In short: bemusing and curious, in a good yet extravagant way. Let's start with the easy pros. First, its atmosphere is amazing. I love the pixelated artstyle when in point and click mode; it's surreal, breathtaking and beautiful. It reminds me of Norco, its style of which I praise as well. There is another artstyle though; minimalist monocolor pixelart, akin to a kid's drawing, animated as a fusion of images that go from warm and familial to disturbing and gory, with descriptions filling in the gaps. Wonderful visuals overall. Secondly, its music and sound effects are eerie and very fitting to the general feel. Right from the menu soundtrack, you can almost hear a creature humming by the music. At night, music matches the visuals and reinforces the mystical and scary setting. Gameplay is very standard (point and click most of the times). There are some mini games too, which are important for the story. Which brings us to the main part of my review. I have mixed feelings about the story. Its prose is very vibrant and haunting. Its narrative is perplexing, mixing multiple perspectives, personas and events. Its story is multilayered and overwhelming, maybe too much for my tastes. It's definitely not an easy-to-digest journey and even though I've finished it, I still can't explain half - if not more - of the overall plot. I still don't know what the aelle was about; or the ship text file; or a handful of dead ends in my playthrough. There are many symbols and parallelisms. There are wordplays. There are fourth wall breaks. I love what they've tried to do in general, but it feels a bit overengineered, which is why some people may opt to call it out as pretentious or edgy. Such accusations may hold some truth in my opinion, but I can't deny how much I appreciated reading through it all. It's not just flowery text; in the last act (but also throughout the game), there are philosophical takes and questions that took me some time to consider. Considering that I'm still baffled at what the story fully is, I find it easier to get back to it when accompanied by such strong writing. So my final verdict: it's a bit rough around the edges, but it's still a gem of a point and click game.

This game doesn't make a lick of sense but it's got amazing art and an over-intellectualized, philosophy-major-drunk-in-a-coffee-shop vibe that I kind of ♥♥♥♥ with. I'd probably have to play this game about eight more times to start to develop a minor understanding of what it rambles about. I don't really know what I took away from the experience, but I do know that it was cool. Centum truly is a bizarre experience. It doesn't explain itself to you, it doesn't lay out its' rules or lore in a proper fashion. It is a discombobulated, unnatural, and mind-bending experience. It is a game designed to pull you away from typical brain-rot and demand your attention. It'll make you reflect on yourself, your destination, the road traveled. It's weird and unique, but know that it is much like coffee and will not be to everyone's taste. Playing it is like reading a book that doesn't make sense, and will likely require multiple playthroughs to piece together. If a cryptic narrative that you need to slowly digest is your cup of tea, try Centum out this spooky season.

What can I say about this game? It's really hard to synthesize. Every why has a wherefore? It's quite the absurdist visual novel with a pretty satisfying denouement. This is very much a work of art. It won't be for everyone. It's like if Samuel Beckett made a dark video game. It also made me think of House of Leaves. I think my only complaint is that it's more a visual novel than it is a point and click game, but that's just because I'm not a big fan of visual novels, but this was interesting and engaging enough to keep me going. There are also a handful of mini games to break things up and keep it interactive. The second act, however, was a bit of a slog, as it was just going through dialog trees with no real gameplay or decision making, but it was interesting nonetheless, just definitely a visual novel and not a point and click adventure/puzzle. The game seems to suggest it provides some sort of personality assessment based on your decisions, but I really can't tell if it was based on my decisions or not, since in most cases, you can try ever single dialog option. So if there is some interactivity there, it's based on a very small amount of decisions (as far as I can tell). Lastly, somewhat ironic...this game was recommended to me by ChatGPT, lol. I'm embarrased to say I went asking AI for video game recommendations, but I was having a hard time finding something new and fresh to play. Well, this is definitely fresh, and it's scarily appropriate that this game was recommended to me by AI.

Centum is an incredibly imaginative, strange and deeply compelling game. It is a game with abundant choices and many, many mysteries. I really enjoyed playing this very audacious game and will enjoy playing it once more. If you enjoy games with daring narratives, then you will really enjoy Centum.

Centum attempts to explore the theme of artificial intelligence, with its fascination and risks, and with a horror tone very well captured by its pixel art. On the narrative side, one must admit the story can be disorienting and perplexing. Still worth a try. This medium needs developers willing to take risks and experiment.

Got baited by the tags. I thought it would have more puzzles but its just a stylized VN that didnt grab my interest.

I really enjoyed Centum for what it is, it's imaginitive and very strange but perhaps be a bit too obtuse for some.

0. 언어 먼저 한국인분들께, 현재 영어 번역이 없는 상태인데, 등장하는 어휘 수준이 조금 있으며, 글이 많으며 그 내용들이 이야기의 흐름을 만들어가는 편입니다. 제 경우에는 토익 900 이상이었지만 이 게임을 100퍼센트 이해했다고 하지는 못하겠습니다. 1. 게임 진행. 전체적으로 게임은 대화의 형식으로 진행되며, 포인트 앤 클릭과 특유의 심플한 가상 컴퓨터 ui를 사용하는 점이 개성이라고 느껴졌습니다. 다만 엄청 자유로운 느낌은 아니며, 초반은 특히 공략 없이는 다소 헷갈렸습니다. 2. 스토리, 분위기 등 저는 스토리 게임을 선호하고, 전체적인 게임의 분위기를 중요하게 생각하는데요, 분위기는 초반부터 제대로 잡혀 있고 후반까지 꽤나 풍부한 세계 속에 있는 듯한 느낌을 받았습니다. 다만 이 게임은 전혀 친절하지 않기 때문에, 이야기의 흐름을 잡으려면 플레이어가 열심히 들쑤시고 다녀야 하며, 사실 결국 완전한 퍼즐을 완성하는 것이 게임의 목적이라는 생각은 들지 않습니다. 결론을 스포일러 없이 말하자면, 이 게임은 상당히 추상적입니다. 평면적인 이야기 흐름이 절대 아니며, 추상적인 전개에 긍정적인 시각을 가지고 있는 저도 적지 않은 피로감을 느꼈습니다. 하지만 결론적으로 그 피로감과 흐름이 게임 플레이를 후회할 정도는 아니었습니다. 이 게임의 상점 페이지에서 확인할 수 있는 게임의 분위기가 흥미롭게 느껴진다면, 그것만으로도 한번쯤은 시도해 볼 만한 게임이라고 생각됩니다.

Centum, developed by Hack The Publisher and published by Serenity Forge, is a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure that immerses players in a disorienting and enigmatic world where reality is constantly in flux. Released in 2025, the game challenges players to navigate a series of surreal environments and cryptic scenarios while piecing together the story of an unreliable narrator whose intentions are never fully clear. By blending psychological intrigue with interactive exploration, Centum creates a hauntingly immersive experience that keeps players questioning what is real and what is imagined. The gameplay revolves around exploration, environmental interaction, and puzzle-solving. Players must collect and manipulate objects, engage in dialogue, and make decisions that shape the unfolding narrative. Many items lack descriptions, and guidance is intentionally vague, compelling players to observe, experiment, and infer the correct course of action. This ambiguity reinforces the game’s atmosphere of uncertainty, encouraging careful thought and attention to detail. The challenge lies not only in solving puzzles but in interpreting a world where appearances can be deceptive and the rules are not always consistent. A defining feature of Centum is its use of an unreliable narrator. Throughout the game, players are given hints and instructions that may be contradictory, misleading, or outright false. This narrative device forces players to critically evaluate information and make decisions without knowing the full consequences. The game’s structure, which frequently shifts perspectives and introduces ambiguous objectives, amplifies the sense of unpredictability and psychological tension, keeping players engaged and constantly reassessing their understanding of the story. Visually, Centum embraces a minimalist art style that complements its unsettling themes. Sparse environments and simple character designs serve to focus attention on the narrative and the choices players must make, rather than overwhelming them with detailed graphics. This visual simplicity is paired with an atmospheric soundscape that uses subtle audio cues to heighten tension and draw players deeper into the game’s eerie world. The combination of minimalist visuals and immersive audio reinforces the game’s psychological impact, making each interaction feel significant. The pacing of Centum is deliberate and contemplative, allowing tension and mystery to build gradually. Players are encouraged to reflect on their actions, the implications of the narrator’s guidance, and the possible outcomes of their decisions. While the methodical pace may feel slow to some, it effectively enhances the game’s psychological and narrative depth, creating a sense of immersion that rewards careful observation and thoughtful decision-making. Centum also features multiple endings, each influenced by the choices players make throughout the game. This branching structure encourages replayability, inviting players to explore different paths and uncover new narrative layers. The emphasis on consequence and player agency ensures that each playthrough feels unique, further drawing players into the game’s enigmatic world. In conclusion, Centum is a deeply engaging and introspective adventure that challenges players to navigate a world of uncertainty and deception. Its combination of minimalist design, psychological storytelling, and choice-driven mechanics delivers an experience that is both thought-provoking and immersive. While its abstract narrative and deliberate pacing may not appeal to everyone, players who enjoy unconventional storytelling, ethical dilemmas, and cerebral puzzles will find Centum to be a compelling and memorable journey that lingers long after the game ends. Rating: 7/10

the art is very cool, and at first i thought the gameplay was interesting! but the plot was a mess, maybe i'm not "psychologically intelligent" enough cause by the end i had no clue what the story was even about