Info about Simon the Sorcerer Origins:

Official game description:
Launch Offer
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Buy **S_imon the Sorcerer Origins_** now and grab the **_PONY DLC_ for free!**
For a limited time only!
About the Game
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**A New Journey Begins!**
Thirty years after his first appearance on the screen, Simon is drawn into a foreign world by an ancient prophecy that will reveal his origins. This world is populated by powerful yet mostly useless wizards and strange creatures. On his journey, Simon must solve a series of tricky puzzles, operate alchemical devices, and learn powerful spells. And yes, he also has to taste a few disgusting stews!
**Puzzles, Magic, and Simon’s Humor** 
Whether you're visiting the Magical World for the first time or returning once again – Simon is back, along with his unique sense of humor and a completely new graphic style. _Simon the Sorcerer Origins_ brings the charm of the original saga back in a completely hand-drawn graphic style, blending classic gameplay mechanics with a fresh, new world of magic.
**Your Adventure, Your Puzzles** 
Solve loads of tricky puzzles, test your wits, and face a variety of absurd situations and quirky characters. Combine items and clues to unravel the big mystery and become the legendary wizard you were always meant to be. 
*   **Official Prequel to the Simon the Sorcerer Series**
    Find out what happened just a few weeks before the first legendary adventure in the 90s!
*   **An intense story**  
    A loving mother, a lively teenager, a forced move, and a prophecy. Experience an adventure between emotions and discovery.
*   **New Hand-Drawn Art Style**
    Discover the Magical World in a completely hand-drawn 90s art style! 
*   **Featuring the Original Voice Actor**
    Enjoy Simon’s legendary sarcastic remarks once again with the voice of the original voice actor, Chris Barrie, who brought the character to life with humor in parts I and II.
*   **An adventure between Modern and Point-and-Click Puzzles**
    Solve challenging puzzles, activate ancient mechanisms, reveal age-old secrets, discover mysterious objects, and discuss with unusual characters.
*   **Absurdly Humorous Dialogues**
    Enjoy Simon’s unique sarcasm and sharp wit.
*   **Magical World Full of Quirky Creatures**
    Meet strange wizards and even stranger beings on your journey.
*   **Alchemical Devices and Spells**
    Master powerful spells and experiment with secret alchemy recipes.

Release date: 27 Oct, 2025

Categories: Point-and-click Adventure, Puzzle Solving, Single-player Story, Magic System, Alchemy System, Exploration


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Highly enjoyable game experience (weight 0.99): Players found the game to be very fun, entertaining, and well-made, often recommending it and expressing satisfaction with their purchase. Many were positively surprised by the quality and enjoyed the overall journey, feeling it was worth the money spent.
- Authentic Simon revival (weight 0.69): The game successfully brings Simon back, maintaining the character's charm, humor, and the series' core spirit, often with original voice actors. It provides a strong sense of nostalgia for long-time fans while feeling like a true return to the roots of the series, especially as a prequel.
- Charming hand-drawn visuals (weight 0.45): The game's hand-drawn graphics and art style are consistently praised for being beautiful, charming, and a fitting homage to 90s adventures. The visuals are considered presentable, pleasing to the eye, and contribute significantly to the game's atmosphere while offering a fresh, modernized look.
- Sharp humor and witty writing (weight 0.4): The game's humor, including dark humor, British wit, and Simon's characteristic sarcasm, is highly appreciated. Dialogues are described as funny, polished, full of personality, and often break the fourth wall, making the story engaging and entertaining.
- Gripping and fresh story (weight 0.17): The game's story is described as cool, interesting, and gripping, successfully delivering a fresh narrative while staying true to the series' core. It allows for deeper exploration of characters and keeps players engaged, offering an engaging plot that can interest.
- Beautiful and consistent music (weight 0.13): Players enjoyed the game's soundtrack, describing it as beautiful, excellent, and a nice homage to the original series. The music flows well between areas, is consistent, and adds to the overall experience and presentation.
- Well-implemented magic system (weight 0.1): The addition of a new playable spell system is noted as a nice and fun feature, fitting fantastically within the game world. The school of magic itself is well-designed and enjoyable to explore, providing a pleasant addition to the gameplay.
- Enjoyable 'PONY' DLC (weight 0.09): The free 'PONY' DLC is noted as a nice bonus, with its music player providing a particularly strong nostalgic experience. It's described as a real 'earworm' and is appreciated by players as a fun, added element.

Common complaints:
- Confusing and Unintuitive Puzzles (weight 0.77): Many players found the puzzle design to be illogical, unintuitive, and often frustrating, leading to reliance on trial-and-error or external walkthroughs. Issues included unclear telegraphing, a lack of hints, and arbitrary solutions, which made progression difficult and often removed the enjoyment.
- Poor Voice Acting and Character Disconnect (weight 0.37): Simon's voice actor is often perceived as too old for the character, creating a jarring disconnect. Additionally, the German voice acting suffers from inconsistent volume levels, flat delivery, and general poor quality across NPCs, affecting overall immersion.
- Limited NPC Interaction and Dialogue (weight 0.27): There are few interactive NPCs, and dialogue options are sparse and often limited, with choices sometimes disappearing prematurely. This contributes to a sense of a less engaging world and makes progression unclear without enough social interaction.
- Overpriced for Content Offered (weight 0.09): Many players feel the game is too expensive for the amount of content and value it provides, especially when compared to other adventure games on the market. This led to a perception that the price does not reflect the game's quality or length.
- Poor Steam Deck Performance (weight 0.07): The game experiences significant issues on the Steam Deck, including non-functional controls and noticeable blurriness. This negatively impacts the playability and overall experience for users on this specific platform.

Gameplay feedback:
- Classic Point-and-Click with Spellcasting (weight 0.14): Adhering to classic point-and-click adventure mechanics, the game primarily uses the left mouse button for control. A central gameplay element involves learning and casting three specific spells, which are crucial for solving puzzles and progressing, particularly during the multi-round ending sequence.
- Prequel Story and Series Connection (weight 0.14): The game functions as a prequel, exploring the origins of the story and its setting in 1993, prior to the events of the first game. It serves as both a standalone adventure and a narrative bridge, featuring familiar characters from the original series.
- Indirect NPC Assistance (weight 0.03): Some non-player characters provide help that is not always direct or obvious, requiring players to interpret their hints or actions to progress. This adds a layer of subtle interaction to the puzzle-solving.
- Includes Fast Travel (weight 0.03): The game incorporates fast-travel points, which helps streamline movement and reduce backtracking between its various locations, enhancing player convenience.
- Limited Locations (weight 0.03): The game features a relatively compact world, with its story and puzzles unfolding across only three distinct locations. This focused design might appeal to players who prefer less expansive environments.

Performance notes:
- Missing Vsync Option (weight 0.03): Players have observed that the game lacks a Vsync option in its settings. The absence of this feature can result in screen tearing, negatively affecting visual quality for many users.
- Unrealistic FPS Reported (weight 0.02): One player reported an exceptionally high FPS of 2400. This highly improbable number suggests a potential bug in the game's FPS counter or an extreme exaggeration, providing little reliable information about actual game performance.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for genre fans (weight 0.42): Players strongly recommend this game, especially to fans of classic and modern point-and-click adventure games. It is praised for its humor, ingenious puzzles, and nostalgic feel, making it suitable for both long-time genre enthusiasts and new players.
- Mixed appeal for series fans (weight 0.26): While many series fans are encouraged to play and express hope for future installments, some older fans note potential disappointment or suggest that new players might be let down. A common suggestion for fans is to consider purchasing on sale, possibly with a walkthrough ready.
- Suggests waiting for discount (weight 0.1): Several players recommend waiting for the game to be discounted before purchasing. One reviewer specifically suggests that a price point around €5 would be acceptable for the content offered.
- Steam Deck Proton fix (weight 0.03): For players on Steam Deck, it is recommended to switch to Proton. This suggests potential compatibility or performance issues when not using Proton.
- Avoid Pony DLC (weight 0.03): One reviewer specifically recommends against purchasing the Pony-DLC, implying it does not add significant value or is not worth the cost.
- Lacks French dubbing (weight 0.03): The game is noted to lack French dubbing. This could be a deterrent for players who prefer or require games to be localized with French voice acting.
- British humor specific (weight 0.03): The game's British humor might not appeal to all players. This indicates that it is a taste-specific element that could deter some individuals.

Other player notes:
- Strong Series Legacy & Fan Anticipation (weight 0.31): Many players have deep nostalgic ties to the original Simon games, having played them in childhood. This led to high expectations, significant pre-release anticipation from the demo, and a strong desire for remakes or re-releases of older titles in the series.
- Relatively Short Playtime (weight 0.15): Players generally report the game to be on the shorter side, with a first playthrough often completed in well under 10 hours. This is a consistent observation regarding the overall game length.
- Accessible for Newcomers, Solvable for Veterans (weight 0.1): The game effectively caters to both new players, who won't feel lost despite series references, and experienced adventure game veterans, who find the puzzles satisfyingly solvable. It marks a good entry point for those new to point-and-click adventures.
- Long, Challenging Development (weight 0.05): The game experienced a prolonged and reportedly difficult development cycle, marked by changes in developers and publishers, and represents a new type of game for the team.
- Speculated Tight Budget (weight 0.04): Some players humorously speculated about the game potentially having a tight development budget, attributing a significant portion to the intro song. This is based on player conjecture rather than factual evidence.
- Request Pausing During Dialogues (weight 0.03): A specific quality-of-life improvement requested by players is the ability to pause the game at any moment, including during dialogue sequences, for better player control.
- Positive Polish Localization (weight 0.03): Polish-speaking players have expressed satisfaction with the high quality and accuracy of the game's localized text, indicating a successful translation effort for that region.
- Suggests External Mouse/Controller (weight 0.03): For optimal gameplay, some players recommend using a physical mouse or a dedicated controller, suggesting that a laptop trackpad might not offer the best input experience.
- Responsive Developer Support (weight 0.03): The development team showed good engagement by providing specific achievement hints to players who requested assistance, indicating helpful customer support.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.24): Players experienced satisfaction from the game's high overall quality, including its engaging story, charming characters, and excellent visuals and audio, especially the art style and voice acting. Many appreciated the successful blend of nostalgic elements with fresh, challenging yet fair puzzle design and humorous writing, feeling it was a worthy successor or prequel that delivered a relaxing and enjoyable point-and-click adventure.
- Frustration (weight 0.17): Frustration stemmed primarily from the game's puzzle design, which was often described as too difficult, unintuitive, or requiring excessive trial-and-error due to a lack of hints or clear objectives. Players also reported technical issues such as poor Steam Deck performance and frustrating interface/inventory mechanics, alongside general difficulty spikes and a tedious finale that diminished the overall experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Disappointment arose from the game failing to meet expectations, particularly for fans of the original series. Players found the humor, story, characters, and world to be less engaging or charming, and the puzzle design often felt uninspired or meaningless compared to previous titles. Concerns also included visual inconsistencies, perceived lack of depth, and a feeling that the game lacked originality or sufficient quality to justify its price or status as a "Simon the Sorcerer" entry.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.12): Enjoyment stemmed from a positive overall game experience, often highlighting the charming hand-drawn graphics, engaging story, and witty humor. Players found satisfaction in solving creative puzzles, exploring an immersive magical world, and appreciated the well-designed adventure, which for many, evoked pleasant childhood memories or provided a surprisingly fun and enchanting experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.08): Nostalgia was heavily driven by the game's ability to evoke fond memories of the original "Simon the Sorcerer" series, particularly "Simon 1 and 2." This was reinforced by the return of original voice actors, familiar art style elements, iconic dialogues and scenery, and the overall experience of returning to Simon's magical world and the classic point-and-click adventure genre.
- Joy (weight 0.08): Joy was primarily associated with the game's charming and humorous elements, particularly its British humor, fun animations, and comic timing. Players expressed joy over the overall pleasant and fun experience, finding the game to be a "gem" with high quality and appealing to fans, especially with the addition of free DLC and enjoyable Easter eggs.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement was generated by the successful revival and modernization of the "Simon the Sorcerer" cult series, leading to anticipation for future installments. Players were particularly excited by the re-engagement of original voice actors, the game's gripping story and humor, and the overall high quality that captured the classic charm of the series.
- Ambivalence (weight 0.01): Ambivalence stemmed from a mixed perception of the game's overall appeal and quality when compared to other titles. Players felt conflicted about certain aspects, such as the humor and puzzle logic, finding them neither entirely positive nor negative.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arose from the game's departure from the established themes and humor of the "Simon the Sorcerer" series, which felt inconsistent to some players. Additionally, inconsistent voice acting tones and an "off-putting" art style contributed to this sense of bewilderment.
- Lack of excitement (weight 0.01): A lack of excitement was primarily due to the game's perceived absence of a unique selling point, meaning it didn't offer anything distinctive or compelling to capture the player's interest or stand out from other games.
- Embarrassment (weight 0.01): Embarrassment was experienced by players who felt the need to consult external help or walkthroughs to solve the game's puzzles, suggesting a personal challenge with the puzzle design.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm was generated by the game's high overall quality across multiple elements, including its compelling story, engaging characters, witty humor, and solid gameplay. Players were highly positive about the complete package.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement was derived from the game's effective use of humor, particularly through Simon's expressive reactions and the overall comedic writing and situations.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation was felt for playing previous installments of the "Simon the Sorcerer" series after experiencing the current game, suggesting that the new game sparked an interest in the franchise's history.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise was elicited by the unexpectedly high quality of the sequel, indicating that players had lower initial expectations but were pleasantly impressed by the game's execution and polish.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game developed almost instantly upon playing, indicating a strong positive emotional connection and deep enjoyment from the very beginning of the experience.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness stemmed from the inclusion of the original voice actors for both German and English (UK) dubbings, which greatly enhanced the authentic and nostalgic appeal of the game for many players.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration was directed towards the game's high artistic quality, specifically highlighting the impressive intro song and the overall aesthetic presentation.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger arose from the frustrating puzzle design, which often lacked sufficient clues, forcing players to consult walkthroughs to progress, thus disrupting the natural flow of the game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation was shown for the developers' efforts in providing early access, ensuring robust DualSense controller support, and delivering a high-quality translation, all of which enhanced the player experience.}