Trackless

I'm a game developer, and the person that made this game is a good friend of mine, just to be clear. That being said, it's easy for me to be complimentary to the game, because it's good. Which is a relief, because lying to a friend of yours about how good their game is difficult. But I played this through in a single session, which is not something I do often as a game developer with two small children. TRACKLESS is a brilliantly modern take on classic adventure gaming, one that I can recommend pretty unequivocally. You move around with WASD+Mouse, but to interact with objects, you get a text parser interface. The twist is that you only ever put in one word at a time, only verbs, and the game grades you on your input. This solves a lot of the design issues and frustration that come with text parser interfaces in the past. Learning what syntax or phrases the game will recognize, whether or not to include articles like "the" and so on--all the kind of stuff that typically has you fighting the interface of the game rather than enjoying it with games like Zork and many older text adventures. What I can't emphasize enough is that TRACKLESS is a really relaxing, atmospheric game that is perfectly balanced for minimizing the frustration that tends to come with adventure games. We've all been there, even playing our favorite classic adventure games: you can't solve a puzzle and the game just stops cold. You can't progress. Not only does the single-word parser system of TRACKLESS eliminate a lot of the potential confusion, there are multiple verbs that can be used to solve a given puzzle. Which totally avoids the common frustration of the genre. Say for example you know you have to interact with a book. The most basic word you can think of relating to it, like "open," the game will hint is an "OK" word (i.e. it will pass the puzzle), but it won't get you the most points. So what I found is that once I understood that I had a word that would allow me to progress (the source of frustration is not being able to move forward in a puzzle game), I was no longer in a hurry, and I liked the challenge of really thinking about the more accurate, higher scoring word to use. The pressure was totally off. Which is the main thing about this game. It's all about vibe, atmosphere. There's not any conflict or angsty interpersonal conflict. You're basically yourself, taking a trip on a train to a tourist site. That's it. "That's it?" you might ask, incredulous, but I think it's an elusive sort of alchemy for a game to capture the particular emotional arc of taking a really good trip. After finishing the game I had questions I kept turning over in my head but I felt very satisfied. Peaceful, even. Anyone who has traveled to a foreign country, and dawdled in a public square, looked at statues and wondered should enjoy this game. Due in no small part to Makeup and Vanity Set's really wonderful soundtrack. (Full disclosure: we worked with him on our game, too, so I'm not going to pretend like I'm not biased to really enjoy his music). The graphics too are quite unusual, TRACKLESS looks like nothing else out there. Like wandering through a little paper world. It's 3d, but also kind of 2d. hard to describe. But I thought it was very evocative, home spun charm. Like someone made a little diorama that you bend over to look into, but suddenly you're inside that world. RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who prizes atmosphere, great music, ambience, setting, sense of place, light puzzling or relaxing games. Anyone that enjoys indie games with a strong vision of a single person. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: If you have no patience for mechanically light games or games not driven by combat.

Trackless is a strange blend of first person exploration and text-based puzzles on a wonderfully mysterious sci-fi world. It's structured around the pilgrimage to see a sacred "object", and most of the game is about getting through various obstructions and trials on the way. Exploration is richly rewarded with snippets of information, some optional challenges and a score system that can be used to buy different skins for your phone (which sometimes give it new, unexplained abilities). As you wander around, you can explore at your leisure and interact with objects in the environment. Most of them will give you some flavor text, but a few are marked as interactive; if you right click on them, a text box appears. So, for example you might find a machete next to some vines, and type "hack" into the textbox that appears when you interact with the machete. All puzzles are self-contained like that, though there are several that chain actions as you complete them. The game also rewards you with more score if you don't reuse words, and if you use a word that's not just functional but one that works better in context; for example, on that machete puzzle you could get away with just typing "cut", but it would give you fewer points. It's a pretty unique mechanic that's pretty satisfying when it works. As with any text-based game, it has some "guess the verb" issues, but since figuring out the intention of the interaction is part of the fun it doesn't grate too much. Its limited vocabulary is a bit more of a problem, since quite a few entries I tried didn't work (at one point throwing me off-track for a puzzle). In any case, once you get into the spirit of things there's nothing too hard in there, which keeps things pacey. It also helps that the phone you carry around in front of you all the time points you in the direction of any objects in the vicinity, both interactive and not. The world is beautifully realized with a wonderful soundtrack and a great, euro-comic style aesthetic, making exploration a joy. The writing does a great job of explaining just enough to keep you interested, with lots of little details building up to a very well realized sense of place. There's nothing else out there quite like Trackless, and I enjoyed my time with it thoroughly.

[b]Trackless[/b] is hard to describe: Stylistically, a sketchy Euro comic, thematically, a pilgrimage, and structurally, a first-person adventure game. Inspect everything, and interact with objects using right click and typing verbs. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M06HLYjkjRM][h1][u][Watch a Longplay here][/u][/h1][/url] [h1]Pros[/h1] + Complete immersion. The art and music synergize for a captivating experience. Great soundtrack. + Puzzles that are only limited by your vocabulary, no pixel hunting + Voice acting (not by default, enable with number 0) + Your phone features skins, some of which grant extra perks + None of the achievements are difficult but some are missable. It is possible to 100% in one run, but blind playthrough will likely require replay (you can lock yourself out of one ending). [h1]Cons[/h1] - 2-3 hours from start to finish assuming you don't have to restart or chase missables. <1 hour if you know what you're doing. - Limited vocabulary. I was able to think of a good number of logical actions but the game didn't recognize them. Although the game penalizes you for repeating words with less points, it doesn't count for much, so you will probably just use the same commands repeatedly. - To get the fullest grasp of the lore, you have to be willing to hunt down the achievements because nothing is really explained. Tiny details come from possible to miss conversations and NPCs. - If you like closure, the endings may disappoint you. This game is more or less experience driven, and the endings are essentially rolling credits. - Good luck figuring out what the phone skins do. Short of experimentation, you may never know. Most have no added perk. As an indie effort [i]Trackless[/i] deserves honorable mention in adventure gaming. It doesn't outstay its welcome and has a peculiar quality of intrigue. But in the end you may find yourself with more questions than answers, not really knowing what the purpose of your journey was. If you enjoy games that allow you to explore and stay for the experience, it's worth playing. [u]Achievement Seekers[/u]: Three endings, one is obvious (end at the shop), second requires footwork (go to the bunker and follow instructions), the third is missable (view the object directly, do not enter the bunker). I had to repeat the game thanks to the limitation of the latter. It's also possible to miss animal lover because two of them need to be inspected during rides. Make sure to use Temple skin, which appears to increase interactive distance. And remember, some objects do not show up on the phone's radar, so you have to inspect everything yourself. Happy hunting. [code][b]This review was commissioned by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33779114-pcgameit/]the PCGame!t Curator[/url], updated daily![/b][/code]

Просто отличная вещь! И как всё истинно талантливое, несправедливо обделена вниманием. Более всего мне напомнила великолепную Californium. Но в плане визуального ряда, музыки и озвучки Trackless немного отстаёт. Зато в плане игрового процесса - превосходит . Туристическое путешествие [с покупками сувениров и фотографированием достопримечательностей] или паломничество к святым местам - решать игроку. [у меня к сожалению получилось туристическое паломничество - буду проходить еще, концовок несколько] Игровой процесс - эдакая смесь "симулятора ходьбы" и "текстового квеста. [если бы я был "native speaker", думаю мне было бы проще, но и все удовольствие собственно пропало бы... а так, текст не сложный / не утомительный и его не много - и в этом смысле Trackless отличный повод подтянуть англицкий и ликвидировать свою неграмотность [за длинные и нетривиальные слова нас поощряют большим количеством "кредитов"] Визуально - просто песня... Ретро-футуризм а-ля комиксы Jean Giraud [Moebius] сменяется неоготическими мотивами и классицизмом. Только пожалуй темы для смартфона нарисованы как то наскоро и слабо. Зелёно-чёрный колорит просто великолепен. Прием со спрайтами в 3х мерном окружении крайне уважаю. Проект создан при финансовой поддержке народных масс на христарадной [краудфандинговой] платформе Тима Шейфера с пессимистическим названием Fig. Диспозиция такова: в условиях крайнего разгула эстетических прелестей подтягиваем английский. [URL=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34966048/]куратор[/URL]

Part walking simulator, part text adventure. Most of the game is spent wandering around, exploring - the other half of it is inputting simple verbs through a text interface to interact with objects, solve puzzles, and progress in the game. It's a pretty fantastic little game, short, sweet, and meditative. I don't know that it necessarily comes all together at the end, but it left me thinking for awhile, and that's always a sign of a game doing something right.

Trackless is another game I bought on a whim a while back after seeing some of the screenshots and such. Plus, I love a good walking simulator/adventure type game. So, was it worth it? [h1]Story[/h1] Honestly, the story in Trackless is pretty basic on it surface, and the story variants tend to veer away from the product page description in favor of pursuing a more conspiracy oriented story. That said, you are still a seeker as has been described on the product page, trying to complete a set of vague trials that will allow you to witness "The Object". The Object was kind of a let down, and the story, while fun and quirky, ended up with this seeming world cult and the object they worship being nothing more than a trip to a convoluted amusement park. 5/10 [h1]Gameplay[/h1] The gameplay in Trackless consists mostly of wandering around, interacting with objects and people, and solving minor puzzles. However, one very cool wrinkle is that ll your decisions are text based, meaning, you need to type in key words, which will generally be obvious, but not always. You can type anything in, but those particular puzzles will only be solved by guessing a word that is exact or close to what is appropriate for the circumstance. Some easy examples might include "open" to open a door or "insert" to watch a VHS tape, but they do get at least a little more complex than that. I thought it was a pretty neat game mechanic that helped add a little spice to the gameplay. Beyond that though, it was pretty basic walking simulator material throughout. Two further notes for those just getting started with Trackless. There are apparently three different endings based on your gameplay decisions, and standing under a lightpost functions as the checkpoint system in the game. 8/10 [h1]Graphics[/h1] There was a game that came out on the original Xbox a long time back called XIII, which was possibly the first cel-shaded game out there (definitely the first I remember). Although XIII had more of a comic book presentation, I think it is the closest analogy for what Trackless looks like. It is just really, really cool looking, in a lite cyperpunk-esque fashion. The graphics aren't the most awe inspiring, but they do look very cool. 7.5/10 [h1]Audio[/h1] The audio in Trackless is what I would call fun. There is a lot to hear and experience in the game overall, and while I wouldn't call any of it distinct, it was nice. 7.5/10 [h1]Verdict[/h1] I was honestly underwhelmed by Trackless overall outside of my initial impressions of the graphics and the fun soundtrack. I had a bit of a flat feel despite being a solid game, and while I had fun while playing it, the thought of going back to play through the remaining endings doesn't seem all that appealing to me. That said, as a one off, you will almost certainly enjoy this game. This one deserves a straight 7 Ravers/EDM Fanatics wandering around on Ecstasy out of 10 possible. [code]If you found this review helpful and would be interested in supporting my Curator group, it would be appreciated. Cheers. https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32549618/[/code]

This game is very challenging and enjoyable. If you are a fan of classic puzzle games like Myst or Loom then you will like this. It has a really awesoe soundtrack that creates the perfect backdrop for the sci-fi world that you adventure through. It is definitely worth playing.

[quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/9686972/]Follow our curator page "[b]First Person Exploration and Puzzle Games[/b]" for more games like this![/url][/quote] Have you ever played a text-based adventure game (aka "interactive fiction")? This game feels like one of those games, except it's 3D and you can walk around. When you want to interact with something, a prompt appears and you need to guess the verb. Pros: • Aesthetic is extremely unique • Just like in many interactive fiction games, you score points by completing actions in each area. You have a phone that tells you when you've completed an area, so you know when to/not to keep looking. Neutral: • Storyline is just ok. There's barely any conflict, and the road to the resolution is very straight and narrow. • There's no inventory • There are only a handful of actual puzzles; mostly you just need to find things to click on and guess the right verb. Pure-exploration games are fine, but this shouldn't be billed as a puzzle game. • The worst part of interactive fiction - having to guess what verb to type - is brought over. On the one hand, it does feel really cool/novel having to type what you want happen for every puzzle. On the other hand, it means literally every puzzle devolves into a "guess the verb" game. Many completely sensible verbs are not accepted. Also, you're judged on how well you read the developer's mind - if you picked a synonym he didn't like, you get less points. Finally, nearly every puzzle is painfully simple because every object only has one action associated with it, so you just need to guess what that action is. Cons: • Map design is extremely basic. It doesn't feel repetitive, but it does feel extremely empty and lifeless. • The settings menu is annoying and poorly designed Overall, this game deserves a "neutral" rating. However, since that's not an option, and since it's kept me entertained for longer than most crappy walking simulators, I narrowly swung over to a "positive" rating.

If you're looking for a chill game without all the mindless violence, yet one that still requires you to think, look no further. The thing I like about Trackless is that it lets you progress by solving puzzles using verbs. It requires you to stop and think, yet its not difficult to come up with answers. Also, if you just want to explore and not worry about high score then you can actually reuse old verbs when applicable. Otherwise there are multiple answers that are expected to interact with the environment. Overall it was a treat to see an old premise get revived in this way. In the end the game was very enjoyable to play through. When it comes to sound, it also was excellent and the ost essentially added to the atmosphere. I`ll definately check out the artist. The voice overs were meh, but they did not detract from the gameplay. It was a good choice to leave them in so you can use multiple senses while exploring. The only cons that come to mind are slow movment speed for the first 3/4 quarters of the game and the fact that I enjoyed it so much that I wish it was longer with greater interactions. I`ll look forward to what the dev has to offer in the future.

Walking simulator + text puzzle with unusual art style and weird futuristic setting. Puzzles are not very diffucult, you must guess one of several proper verbs. Some puzzles are optional.