Nobody - The Turnaround Review Summary

Last updated: 2025-09-23
  • Strong foundation and high potential
  • High-quality audiovisuals
  • Realistic life simulation with diverse jobs
  • Game abandoned by developers
  • Unfinished and incomplete content
  • Protagonist's mood system flawed
Nobody - The Turnaround header

Emotions

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

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Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

Strong Foundation & High Potential: Players overwhelmingly praise the game's core concept, creative gameplay, and overall quality, even in its unfinished state. Many see it as a breakthrough work with significant potential for future development and content, highlighting the developers' dedication.

High-Quality Audiovisuals: Players appreciate the game's good graphics, pleasant music, and sound effects, noting that the visuals are well-themed and contribute positively to the overall mood and immersion.

Strong Chinese Indie Game: The game is recognized as one of the best domestic indie games, with some reviewers considering it the 'light of Chinese games' and a significant representation of the Chinese working class experience.

Realistic Life Simulation: The game is highly lauded for its realistic portrayal of life, particularly the struggles of ordinary people and the working class. Its unique theme and detailed simulation of daily challenges resonate deeply with players, offering a novel and often poignant experience.

Educational & Inspiring: Reviewers find the game to have significant educational value, teaching life insights and illustrating how adversity can lead to growth. It inspires players and motivates them to reflect on real-life situations, making it more than just entertainment.

Common complaints

Game Abandoned by Developers: Players widely report that the game has been abandoned by its developers, with no updates or communication for an extended period, leading to its delisting shortly after release. This has caused significant frustration and a sense of betrayal among the player base.

Developer Misconduct and Betrayal: Many players feel scammed and betrayed by the developers, citing broken promises, lack of communication, and suspicious actions like deleting chat groups and moving to new projects. This has severely damaged trust and the reputation of Chinese games for some.

Unfinished and Incomplete Content: The game is perceived as unfinished, with many planned features, stories, and gameplay elements left unimplemented. Players feel the current content is incomplete and does not match the developer's initial descriptions or the quality of the demo.

Protagonist's Mood System Flawed: The protagonist's mood system is a major point of contention, with players finding the character overly sensitive, frequently depressed, and prone to emotional breakdowns over minor issues. This unrealistic portrayal hinders empathy and makes gameplay frustrating.

Repetitive and Unrewarding Gameplay: Players find the gameplay repetitive, especially in later stages, with daily routines becoming a chore. The lack of varied content and poor progression systems diminish interest, making the game feel unrewarding and not worth its price.

Gameplay and performance

Diverse Job System: Players engage in various jobs, from day labor and trash collection to running businesses like restaurants and online stores. Many jobs are presented as mini-games, offering different ways to earn money and progress, though some progression speeds are noted as unrealistic.

Realistic Life Simulation: The game offers a highly realistic life simulation experience, mirroring the struggles of ordinary people in a big city, including debt, low-wage jobs, and managing basic needs. It's often compared to a 'Chinese Sims' due to its detailed portrayal of daily life challenges.

Multiple Game Modes: The game features a story mode with specific objectives, such as paying off debt or supporting a sibling, and a sandbox mode that removes time pressure, allowing players to explore professions and achieve long-term goals like buying a house or car.

Mood and Needs Management: A core gameplay element involves managing the protagonist's mood and basic needs like food and cleanliness. Players must balance work with leisure activities to maintain mental health, which is crucial for avoiding failure in story modes.

Acceptable Core Gameplay: Players generally find the core gameplay interesting and well-made, consisting of a string of mini-games and side activities. While the overall gameplay is considered acceptable, some aspects like repetitive late-game content are noted.

Recommendations

Uncertain Future Development: Many players express strong desires for continued game development, especially for future story chapters and content updates. There's a mix of hope for the original developers to return, a company to take over, or at least for the remaining content to be released, even if unfinished. Some players are holding onto the game in anticipation of updates, while others have sought refunds due to the perceived abandonment.

Caution Against Incomplete Games: Several players advise caution when purchasing games that are not fully developed or have uncertain update schedules. This sentiment is particularly strong among those who feel let down by the game's current state and perceived abandonment, leading some to regret their purchase or even seek refunds.

Recommendation for Specific Modes: Some players suggest trying challenge and sandbox modes for a more relaxed or different experience, indicating these modes might offer more enjoyment or replayability compared to the main game. This feedback points to potential strengths in these alternative gameplay options.

Planned Female Character Content: It is noted that while the game currently features only a male protagonist, there are plans for female characters with their own distinct storylines. This information could be important for players interested in character diversity and narrative options.

Support for Domestic Games: One reviewer expresses support for the domestic game and hopes for improvements, indicating a desire to see local game development succeed despite current issues. This suggests a segment of the player base is rooting for the game's success.

Other review notes

Game Abandoned, Players Want Revival: Many players express deep disappointment over the game's abandonment, with some waiting years for updates. There's a strong desire for the original developers or another studio to resume development and complete the game, even if it means repurchasing it. Players are willing to support its revival due to its unique realistic theme and artistic style.

Delisting and Purchase History: The game was delisted shortly after its release, causing confusion and difficulty for players who had purchased it or were anticipating it. Many bought the game on release day to support Chinese indie titles, and some speculate the delisting was due to political or censorship reasons related to its portrayal of the Chinese working class.

Refunds and Access Issues: A refund channel was opened for players, with tutorials available on how to contact customer service. However, players who purchased CDKeys were not eligible for refunds. There are also concerns about losing access to the game if uninstalled, highlighting ongoing access issues post-delisting.

Game's Realistic Themes: The game's title 'Most People' resonates with players, reflecting its alignment with common lifestyles. However, some question if the developers truly experienced the lives of 'most people' or if the player base itself represents 'the majority.' The game's narrative includes realistic struggles like avoiding scams and difficult work conditions.

Minor Feedback and Observations: Miscellaneous feedback includes a request for interface translation, a link to the developer's business registration, and a dismissal of criticisms regarding the Chinese chess minigame. Some players also share personal aspirations or general observations about game development.