ENCODYA

[b]Сюжет.[/b] Это детская игра. Буквально. Чем дальше развивается сюжет, тем более детским и наивным он становится. Он не плохой, но рассчитан на маленьких детей. [b]Геймплей.[/b] Стандартная игра в жанре Point & Click с соответствующим геймплеем. В основном всё логично и понятно, абсурдных моментов почти нет. Но с учётом того, что это детская игра, некоторые моменты вызывают вопросы. Например, головоломки, связанные с «телефонной книгой» и эхом, могут вызвать у детей серьёзные сложности. В целом ближе к концу игры у авторов, похоже, иссякла фантазия, и проходить её становится менее интересно. Также в игре есть бесполезные предметы, которые просто лежат в инвентаре и нигде не используются. [b]Художественный аспект.[/b] Задники отрисованы отлично. Визуально киберпанк соответствует жанру. По ним и не скажешь, что они создавались для детской игры. А вот 3D-модели персонажей выглядят значительно хуже, хотя для маленьких детей вполне сойдут. [b]Итог.[/b] Если вы взрослый человек, то эта игра не для вас. А вот детям она хорошо подойдёт. [b]P.S.[/b] В профиле игры в особенностях написано: "Некоторые головоломки идут в случайном порядке, чтобы каждое прохождение было уникальным". Это неправда. В игре такого нет.

I really wanted to like this game, but I have to be honest: I played through it from beginning to end and I just didn't enjoy it very much. Halfway through I took a hiatus of three months or so and almost didn't muster the motivation to get back to it. When I picked it back up, I kept playing more out of a sense of obligation to finish what I start than because I actually cared about what happened next. The problem is the game just has very little to recommend it. The puzzles weren't clever, the characters weren't deep or engaging, the dialogue wasn't witty or funny, the parody of Trump was tedious (and I say this as someone who doesn't support Trump even a little bit), the climax wasn't very believable, and the ending was disappointing. It feels like everything good about this game was done better 30 years ago or more. If you do play it, I recommend playing it on the easy mode. I played it on the hard mode, and too often I spent ages searching for the tiniest objects, not knowing what in particular I was looking for. You can't turn the hard mode off, either; you have to start the game over, and I wasn't about to do that when I was halfway through. I did get through the whole game without cheating, but I could have done it in a few hours less if I'd picked the easier mode and I wouldn't have had a less pleasant time.

To put it plainly, the game is dull and drags too long for its own good. I needed to complete Broken Sword 1 for shorter amount of time, and yet that game had way more substance in terms of gameplay and story, for its amount of playtime. The gameplay starts out relatively promising, inventory puzzles are mostly logical(although its mostly just inventory puzzles, I think the first proper puzzle appears in Encodya almost more then halfway through the game completion), and while the story doesn't offer much in chapter 1, it at least leaves potential for exploring certain narrative themes later down the line. But then it slowly gets worse. The Neo Berlin gets dark and rainy at chapter 2 onward, so its harder to spot items sometimes, and the game adds more locations into the city(not as many locations as steam page advertises though, there's not even remotely 100+ locations, especially when many in the first half of the game are just Neo Berlin day/night versions), so what ends up happening is that you constantly run around town, while nothing major happens story vise, and you keep wasting your time. The very first quest you do in the game, grocery shopping list, becomes a reoccuring cliche, where either one or more characters ask you to find x amount of items. At one point, old patron at sushi shop, asks you to deface 5 portraits of German politician, and it requires you to waste time visiting every single location. Way later in the story, one major character literally asks you to find food for picnic. Then there are frustrating objectives like finding clerks boyfriend, when you shouldve guesses that his virtual reality nickname is his name shortened, and find it in glitchy phone book. And when you enter Encodya, the game also adds hard to see items, its not as bad as old school pixel hunting, but still can bee frustrating. The second major flaw of the game is the story, or lack of it. For most part of the game, you jsut try to find something, grocery shopping list, info about your dad, etc and barely any story happens. Theres german politician guy whos the big bad guy, but hes neither funny as a bad guy, nor menacing. He's also a huge meta joke on real world, and theres a decent amount of meta jokes, referencing real life, or breaking 4th wall, I dont like those jokes but Im sure there are others who dont like them either. Lastly, just like with gameplay, it just feels like story, and gameplay drag their feet during those 14 hours. And then there are small issues with the game, they are small but they do add up to worsen the experience. For example, there's extreme lack of additional dialogue or "fluff" text, you know when you use wrong item on someone/something but character either gives you a joke, adds world building, showcases their character? Well the game doesnt have that, almost at all. Most of the objects on screen arent even interactable, and those that are that arent required for your quest? They rarely have any interesting lines from two main characters. Both Tina and Sam dryly explain a thing, no flair, no jokes, no expansion of their characters, they barely feel like two distinct people! Sam couldve been cold or calculative explained of objects while Tina couldve had a personal view on things/life, to bounce off of Sam personality. Other issues are lack of interesting side characters, which is kinda bad since the game reuses Neo Berlin locations, a ton, so a ton of characters are also reused. Overall, I just cant recommend a game that wastes player's time, while giving you so little. There are far too many box standard Point and Click Adventures, which spend less time then Encodya but provide richer experience, from engaging gameplay, well developer characters, captivating story taking you on an adventure throughout multiple locations, and just overall good writing in general, from main story to "fluff" dialogue.

Идея и сюжет хорошие, трогающие за сердце - девочка-сирота пытается выжить в киберпанк-городе со своим большим другом-няней-роботом. Графика тоже весьма симпатичная. Геймплей же, реализация этого всего, мне не понравилось. Во-первых, есть баги - реплики о некоторых сюжетных предметах у меня в диалогах появлялись тогда, когда я предмет уже нашел и использовал. Кажется, тестировали только какой-то happy path. Во-вторых, я зачем-то начал не на "сюжетном" режиме и пострадал от этого. Игра в лучших традициях квестов 20-летней давности - надо тщательно искать предметы, пытаться комбинировать их почти вслепую. В итоге, пару часов искал что делать с искрящими проводами, в итоге выяснилось что нужен был предмет, который я не нашел, хотя локацию где он лежит я обшаривал несколько раз. Практически пиксель-хантинг. Далее, как-то сложно с моралью и логикой. Робот заявляет нам что он не будет портить публичную собственность, причинять вред и.т.д. При этом он никак не мешает и не комментирует даже девочкино воровство. А потом сам еще и сбивает другого летающего дроида намеренно. Девочка ради своего квеста обещает хулиганам что будет им должна что угодно, и они говорят, ок, когда нам понадобиться раб, мы тебя позовем. Далее, зачем-то сделали кучу комнат в отелях и апартаментах, промежуточные галереи, в которых ничего нет, во многих локациях. Отели и апартаменты напоминают "бесконечный" коридор в NeverHood, только как-то это скучно и без изюминки и повторяется как минимум два раза. Вещи, которые я собрал в первом акте, не помещались в экран, поэтому когда я застрял, я пытался их скомбинировать и применять все ко всем активным точкам на экране. С учетом того что у нас еще и два действующих персонажа, получается комбинаторный взрыв. В общем, играть в эту игру неудобно и некомфортно. Вероятно, нужно выбирать легкий режим ради истории, где можно получать подсветку вещей и советы от робота.

评分：4/5 优点： - 美术、音乐不错 - 剧情虽然有点低龄向，但整体氛围、人物刻画都不错。 - 双角色互动，可在两种视角下观察物品，有趣。 - 解谜本身尚可。 缺点： - 反人类的物品寻找，部分物品非常细小或和背景融为一体，极难发现。制作组可能是故意为之，特意提供简单模式支持高亮提示，但没部分成就，纯属恶意了。

This was a great game.

This game is a masterpiece. It has a beautiful story of humanity, and the environment is very reminiscent of the original Blade Runner. I especially liked the music. Vangelis would have been proud of it. P.S. use a walkthrough if needed to finish the game, it's worth it

ENCODYA is a genuinely fun point-and-click adventure that really stands out thanks to its charm and atmosphere. The characters are well written and memorable, and the story is engaging from start to finish, pulling you into its dystopian world with ease. One of the highlights is the ability to control two characters, which adds variety to the gameplay and keeps things feeling dynamic. The setting itself feels almost cinematic, like stepping into an animated sci-fi film, and it’s brought to life beautifully through the game’s visuals and soundtrack, both of which are easily among its strongest aspects. If there’s a downside, it’s that the puzzles may feel a bit too easy for experienced players, especially toward the end. Still, this doesn’t take away much from the overall enjoyment. All in all, this is a point-and-click adventure I’d definitely recommend, and one that’s absolutely worth playing.

Encodya, developed by Chaosmonger Studio and published by Assemble Entertainment, is a thoughtful homage to classic point-and-click adventures, wrapped in a melancholic cyberpunk shell. Set in a neon-drenched Neo-Berlin in 2062, the world immediately introduces itself as broken, commercialized, and spiritually numb—a future where corporate messaging dictates thought and technology has become both lifeline and prison. Into this setting steps Tina, a nine-year-old orphan surviving in a makeshift rooftop shelter with her assigned robot guardian, SAM-53. Their companionship forms the emotional core of the story, and much of the game’s heart lies in how these two interact with the world and with each other. Tina’s resilience and SAM’s literal-minded but devoted protectiveness create an endearing dynamic that makes the journey feel personal rather than merely dystopian. Encodya’s artistic identity is undeniably one of its greatest strengths. The environments are painted with cinematic lighting, layered cityscapes, and an attention to visual storytelling that conveys socioeconomic disparity without lengthy exposition. Streets are cluttered with VR addicts escaping reality, corporate propaganda screens blare from every surface, and rain slicks the metal architecture until the city looks like it’s slowly dissolving. Each area feels handcrafted, with details tucked into alleys, storefronts, and interior rooms that reward curiosity. Character designs, especially Tina and SAM-53, strike a balance between stylized charm and believable presence, ensuring that even secondary NPCs have a distinct silhouette or personality trait. The soundscape complements this aesthetic beautifully, blending moody ambient music with subdued mechanical hums, urban echoes, and subtle emotional cues. Gameplay adheres closely to traditional adventure design—inventory puzzles, environmental interaction, dialogue branching, and exploration across multiple urban districts. You alternate between controlling Tina and SAM-53, a mechanical choice that adds variety to puzzle-solving since each character has different strengths and social abilities. Sometimes only Tina can connect with certain characters, while SAM’s strength or database knowledge becomes essential elsewhere. The pacing is leisurely, encouraging players to observe, experiment, and speak to everyone rather than rush through objectives. For longtime fans of the genre, this familiarity can feel comforting, like an intentional throwback to the LucasArts era of adventure games. However, with that nostalgia comes some inherited drawbacks. Puzzle design can occasionally slip into guesswork, requiring unusual item combinations or environmental interactions that feel unintuitive. Certain objects blend into backgrounds too well, encouraging pixel hunting rather than problem-solving. There are moments where the narrative momentum stalls because the next action isn’t clearly telegraphed, pushing players toward trial and error instead of deductive discovery. While this won’t deter genre purists who expect a bit of friction, new or casual players may feel the pacing slow unnecessarily. The story also leans on familiar cyberpunk commentary—corporate oppression, media manipulation, tech addiction—and while it raises meaningful points, it doesn’t always explore them with fresh insight. Despite these issues, Encodya remains emotionally compelling, largely due to its protagonists. Watching Tina’s determination grow as she uncovers secrets about her parents and her city gives the narrative a gentle coming-of-age arc. SAM-53’s robotic literalism slowly softens into something resembling empathy, creating humorous and touching moments that break up the bleakness of the setting. Side characters, though sometimes archetypal, help flesh out Neo-Berlin’s societal decay and serve as mirrors to Tina’s innocence and SAM’s unwavering loyalty. By the time the story turns more introspective and surreal—particularly during its journey into consciousness and memory—the emotional investment feels earned. As a complete package, Encodya offers a curated, self-contained adventure rather than an expansive open-world experience, and its roughly eight-hour length suits that intention. It knows when to conclude rather than stretching its mystery for the sake of length. Players seeking a relaxing but atmospheric experience, something to sink into rather than conquer, will likely appreciate its pacing and tone. It’s also technically accessible, running smoothly on modest hardware, making it welcoming to players who don’t have high-end systems but still crave a visually rich adventure. Encodya succeeds not because it reinvents the point-and-click genre, but because it treats its world and characters with sincerity. It asks the player to slow down, absorb the city’s sadness and beauty, and care about the small bond at the heart of it all. Its flaws—occasional puzzle opacity, restrained thematic depth, familiar genre conventions—never overshadow its sense of atmosphere, warmth, and visual identity. For fans of narrative-driven indie games, classic adventure formats, or melancholic sci-fi worlds, Encodya offers a memorable, gentle, and surprisingly human journey through a future that has forgotten how to feel. Rating: 7/10

[h2]Review after 100% :[/h2] Since Encodya is a point & click adventure game, i'll only talk about the puzzle and the narrative aspect of the game. [h3] Gameplay [/h3] - Too much backtracking required, way more than all P&C genre game i've played. - There's no object size consistency nor lining on interactable object, and some of the object are so small that you need to pixel-hunt it. - Solution mostly bog into trial & error/using hint/ using someone guide at later chapters, instead of common sense like good P&C game. - Chapter 1-3 puzzles are hit and miss. Some logical, while a handful of them are "moon-logic" coded. - Chapter 4-5 are straight up diabolical, especially ch 4 being mostly pure pixel hunting. (damn those 3 pixel raspberries, it was so bad that you will still suffer even if you use written guide.) It can be summed up that the gameplay is kinda cursed due to those points. [h3] Narrative [/h3] In my opinion, narrative in these kind of game can redeem those that has a bad or mediocre gameplay. But sadly, this game isnt one of those. The story is shallow at best, and straight up not making sense at the end. [spoiler] Actually its pretty bad. While i do understand what the writer trying to aim here, they obviously botched it on the delivery. Not only that the general idea is too whimsical, at the ending it was revealed that the father actually still alive the whole time and has someone that actually helping him, this basically makes you wonder what even is the point of the whole journey. If he was still alive the whole time and has someone else that can help him hide, what even is the point of dragging his 9 years old kid (he plan this years ago even when she was still 2 btw), when he and his friend could just complete the project by themselves??? Other than the writer's desire to have tina and SAM being the MC, that is. Literally no logical reason whatsoever, perfectly mirroring most of the puzzle in this game. Even without that one scene, the story would be very shallow as the "rebellion" doesn't do anything meaningful and realistically wont change anything. Encodya project is basically just a glorified digital firework.[/spoiler] [h2] Conclusion [/h2] Both the puzzles and the narratives are not worth your time and effort. Its start okay but get worse with each chapters. Unless you get it free or heavily discounted, Dont, just dont. Save your money, time, and sanity from this game's later chapters. And if you want to play this to get somewhat quick 100% achievement, i recommend you to use written guide, as you will still struggle to find where the object that the guide mentioned, due to how bad the puzzle are in this game. Also speaking of achievement, who even think that its a good idea to have "afk in one spot for 15 min" achievement while having "speedrun the whole game in less than 3,5h" achievement? This bs forced me to do multiple runs and suffer through ch 4 several times.