Info about We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip:

Official game description:
Think you and your bestie can take on any challenge together? We’d like to see you try! This new bite-sized standalone _We Were Here_ experience will really put your friend_ship_ to the test. To prove that your friend_ship_ can overcome anything, you will need to take on several puzzling challenges.  
It’s all about **Communication**, **Teamwork**… and **Trust**. Talk together, work together, and most of all, believe in your friend.  
The two of you are alone at sea when pursuing a distress call leads you to a deserted island, where you encounter a mysterious boat ride in an abandoned amusement park. This is a voyage you won’t forget, with puzzles that take two to solve. The state of your friendship will directly affect the state of your friend-ship!  
Be aware, this is an actual test as you’ll be graded on how well you solve these puzzles! Will friendship truly last forever? Or is this friend-_ship_ sinking to the bottom of the ocean?  
We Were Here ‘Expedition’ Series
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From the makers of the renowned We Were Here Series comes the bite-sized We Were Here Expeditions! The perfect chance for new Explorers to get a taste of our flavour of co-op puzzle fun - while longtime fans can try to achieve the perfect score. Everything's better together with a friend, and crossplay is supported so if your friends use a different platform you can still board the friend-ship!  
Playing with your friend and communicating well is key to the series: asymmetrical puzzles give players different perspectives and can only be solved together. But don’t worry, your walkie-talkies will let you keep in touch. Over and out!  
**NOTE: This game is co-op only. It requires both players to have a working PC-compatible microphone and an internet connection.**

Release date: 14 Sep, 2023

Categories: Cooperative Multiplayer, Puzzle Solving, Asymmetrical Co-op, Linear Progression, High Score Chasing


- 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:
- Excellent Cooperative Experience (weight 0.85): The game excels as a cooperative experience, fostering communication, teamwork, and strengthening bonds between players. Many reviews highlight the fun, laughter, and memorable moments shared with friends or partners.
- Good Value & Visuals (weight 0.57): The game offers good value for its price, with pleasant graphics, an engaging atmosphere, and a suitable length for a short, enjoyable session. Reviewers often mention its affordability and visual appeal.
- Clever & Engaging Puzzles (weight 0.4): The puzzles are consistently praised for being well-designed, varied, and challenging yet enjoyable. Many reviewers highlight specific puzzles (especially the second and third) as creative and engaging, offering a good balance of difficulty and fun.
- Strong Series Entry (weight 0.19): The game is considered a strong entry in the 'We Were Here' series, often cited as one of the best or a great introduction. It maintains the franchise's core appeal while offering a fresh, lighter experience.
- Tests Communication & Trust (weight 0.17): The game effectively tests and enhances communication, listening, and trust between players. The puzzles are designed to require constant verbal interaction, leading to both challenging and humorous moments.
- High Replayability (weight 0.09): The game offers good replayability, particularly through its mini-game format and the incentive to achieve higher scores (gold tickets) and all achievements. Players enjoy replaying levels to improve performance.
- Highly Enjoyable & Satisfying (weight 0.09): Players frequently express high satisfaction and enjoyment, often mentioning laughter, fun, and a sense of accomplishment from completing challenges and achieving goals like gold tickets.
- Engaging Atmosphere & Audio (weight 0.04): The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for being engaging, mysterious, and charming, enhanced by good music and sound effects. The visual design contributes to an immersive and unique world.

Common complaints:
- Very Short Game Length (weight 0.61): The game is consistently criticized for its extremely short playtime, often cited as 1-3 hours, and limited content, with only 3-5 puzzles/levels. This brevity leads to a feeling of incompleteness and poor value for money, especially compared to previous titles in the series.
- Inconsistent Puzzle Design (weight 0.29): The puzzles are a major point of contention, with feedback ranging from being too easy and lacking depth to being overly difficult, confusing, or relying on luck (RNG). Many players also reported a lack of clear instructions, making puzzles frustrating to understand and solve.
- Frustrating Co-op Experience (weight 0.27): Many players found the game frustrating and poorly designed, leading to arguments and negative experiences with co-op partners. This sentiment is often expressed with strong emotional language, indicating a significant impact on player enjoyment and relationships.
- Severe Connection Issues (weight 0.18): Frequent and severe technical issues, including server instability, disconnections, and inability to connect or launch the game, significantly hinder the multiplayer experience. These problems often make the game unplayable or severely disrupt gameplay flow.
- Poor Platforming & Controls (weight 0.13): The game's platforming and movement mechanics, particularly in the third level, are heavily criticized for being clunky, buggy, and frustrating. This includes issues with colliders, invisible gaps, and a lack of checkpoints, leading to repetitive failures and a negative gameplay experience.
- Prevalent Game Bugs (weight 0.1): The game is plagued by numerous bugs, such as players falling through platforms, getting stuck in textures, and puzzles not registering correct solutions. These bugs directly impact gameplay, causing frustration and preventing progress or achievement completion.
- Frustrating Achievement System (weight 0.07): The system for obtaining gold tickets and achievements is criticized for being tedious, time-consuming, and often reliant on luck rather than skill. Bugs related to ticket collection and accidental destruction further exacerbate this frustration, making 100% completion a chore.
- Flawed Scoring System (weight 0.03): The in-game scoring and feedback system is flawed, with players reporting receiving low scores or negative feedback despite achieving gold tickets. This undermines player effort and can be demotivating, especially when coupled with the game's reliance on co-op communication.

Gameplay feedback:
- Co-op Focus & Friendship Test (weight 0.24): The game is exclusively a two-player cooperative experience, emphasizing communication, teamwork, and trust to solve puzzles. It's designed to test and potentially strengthen or strain friendships.
- Three Core Puzzles (weight 0.21): The game features three main puzzles or trials, with an optional warm-up. These challenges vary in difficulty and often require players to re-attempt them to achieve higher scores.
- Ticket Scoring & Replayability (weight 0.12): The game incorporates a bronze, silver, and gold ticket scoring system for each puzzle, which determines the final appearance of the 'FriendShip'. Achieving gold tickets adds replayability and requires higher performance and coordination.
- Challenging Puzzles & Retries (weight 0.1): Certain puzzles, particularly the second and third, can be challenging enough to cause tension and arguments between players, especially when aiming for gold tickets. Achieving all gold tickets often requires multiple attempts and significant effort.
- Moderate Difficulty Curve (weight 0.09): The overall difficulty is moderate, with some puzzles being more challenging than others, particularly the second and last levels. While easy to learn, mastering the game and achieving gold scores can be difficult.

Performance notes:
- Varying Performance Issues (weight 0.03): There's conflicting feedback on system requirements and performance. While some claim the game runs on low-end PCs, others report unstable frame rates even on capable hardware, and specific issues like flashlight-induced FPS drops.
- Clipping Bugs (weight 0.01): Some players observed minor visual glitches, specifically clipping textures, which can detract from the game's visual fidelity.
- Reset Issue (weight 0.01): One specific bug involved the game not resetting properly during a challenge, though players noted it was easily fixable.
- Action Selection Bug (weight 0.01): A bug was reported where selecting actions led to inexplicable failures, suggesting an issue with the game's input or action processing system.
- Lag Impacts Scores (weight 0.01): Lag was identified as a factor preventing players from achieving high scores in certain levels, indicating performance issues affecting competitive play.
- Poor Signposting (weight 0.01): Some parts of the game lacked clear signposting, potentially leading to player confusion or difficulty in navigating objectives.
- Accelerator Needed (weight 0.01): A player suggested that an accelerator, specifically set to the Japan region with routing mode acceleration, was needed to improve connectivity.
- High Latency on Asia Servers (weight 0.01): Players experienced high latency, specifically 400ms, on Asia servers, indicating significant regional connectivity problems.
- Inactive Servers (weight 0): A few players reported that the game's servers were inactive or 

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Game (weight 0.39): Many reviewers recommend the game, often highlighting its value, especially when on sale, and its appeal to fans of the series or those new to co-op puzzle games. Some also express interest in playing other games in the series.
- Part of We Were Here Series (weight 0.09): Many players recommend the game as part of the 'We Were Here' series, often suggesting playing other titles in the franchise or expressing a desire to do so.
- Best Played with a Friend (weight 0.09): A significant number of reviews emphasize that the game is best played with a friend, partner, or close acquaintance, often noting it as a great way to test communication and friendship.
- High Numerical Ratings (weight 0.05): Reviewers frequently provide high numerical ratings for the game, with many scores falling in the 8/10 to 10/10 range, indicating strong positive reception.
- Worth Buying on Sale (weight 0.03): Several reviews suggest that the game is a worthwhile purchase, particularly when it is available at a discounted price.
- Challenge for Gold Difficulty (weight 0.02): Some players recommend aiming for the 'gold difficulty' or 100% completion of challenges for a more engaging experience, though it may require patience.
- Good if Free (weight 0.02): A few reviewers note that the game is acceptable or recommended if obtained for free, suggesting its value proposition is higher at no cost.
- Specific Challenge Feedback (weight 0.02): Some feedback indicates specific challenges or puzzles within the game are particularly enjoyable or, conversely, detract from the experience.

Other player notes:
- Often Free to Play (weight 0.05): A significant number of players obtained the game for free, either through promotions or giveaways. This free access often served as an introduction to the series, encouraging them to explore other games by the developers.
- Affordable Price Point (weight 0.04): The game's price point was a recurring topic, with many reviewers mentioning its affordability, typically around $2-5. This accessible price often influenced their perception of the game's value despite its short length.
- Suitable for All Ages (weight 0.02): The game is widely considered suitable for a broad age range, including children, teenagers, and adults. This indicates its content and gameplay are accessible and enjoyable across different demographics.
- Need for Ukrainian Localization (weight 0.01): There is a clear demand for Ukrainian localization, with players expressing that its inclusion would significantly enhance their and their friends' gaming experience. The existence of an amateur localization highlights this need.
- Relies on Directional Communication (weight 0.01): The game heavily relies on precise directional communication, which can be particularly challenging for players with dyslexia or those who struggle with verbal descriptions. This aspect can lead to frustration and communication breakdowns.
- Similar to 'It Takes Two' (weight 0.01): The game is frequently compared to 'It Takes Two' due to its co-op nature, though it's noted as a smaller-scale experience. A key difference highlighted is that both players need to purchase the game, unlike 'It Takes Two'.
- Motion Sickness Concerns (weight 0.01): A few players reported experiencing 3D motion sickness or having a poor sense of direction, which impacted their gameplay experience. This suggests potential accessibility concerns for some users.
- Refund Window Exploit (weight 0.01): Some players noted the game's short length makes it possible to complete within the refund window, potentially allowing them to play and then return it. This point is less constructive as it focuses on exploiting refund policies.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.28): Players felt satisfied due to the game's overall quality, engaging co-op experience, and well-designed puzzles. The ability to successfully complete challenges, especially with a friend, and the game's value for money contributed significantly to this positive emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Disappointment stemmed primarily from the game's short length and perceived lack of content relative to its price. Comparisons to other entries in the series, technical issues like bugs, and a lack of challenge in puzzles also contributed to this feeling.
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Frustration was frequently caused by technical issues such as game crashes, server problems, and bugs that hindered progress or achievement completion. Difficult, confusing, or poorly explained puzzles, along with communication challenges in co-op, also led to significant player frustration.
- Joy (weight 0.13): Joy was a prevalent emotion, largely driven by the fun and laughter experienced while playing cooperatively with friends or partners. Successfully solving puzzles together, the game's humor, and the overall engaging co-op gameplay contributed to this positive feeling.
- Amusement (weight 0.06): Amusement arose from the humorous interactions and communication challenges encountered during co-op gameplay, often leading to funny mistakes or lighthearted arguments with friends. The game's ability to test friendships in an entertaining way was a key cause.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Players experienced enjoyment from the game's engaging puzzles, cooperative mechanics, and overall pleasant experience when playing with friends. The challenging yet fun gameplay and well-designed trials were frequently cited as causes.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement was generated by the game's challenging puzzles, engaging co-op mechanics, and overall high quality, often leading to a desire to play more games in the series. The thrill of achieving goals like golden tickets and the anticipation of future content also contributed.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Anger was primarily caused by game-breaking bugs, severe technical issues, and perceived poor game design or value for money. The inability to play the game or progress due to these issues, along with feelings of being scammed, fueled this emotion.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion often arose from unclear puzzle instructions, ambiguous game mechanics, or a lack of understanding regarding the game's purpose or narrative. Unexpected outcomes or technical issues also contributed to this feeling.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players expressed appreciation for the game's price (especially when free), consistent atmosphere, and effective communication-focused co-op design. The developers' effort in creating detailed locations and a quality experience within the series was also valued.
- Challenge (weight 0.01): The emotion of challenge was directly linked to the game's puzzles, particularly their complexity and the skills required to solve them. Achieving difficult objectives like gold tickets or 100% completion also contributed to this feeling.
- Desire (weight 0.01): Desire was primarily driven by a wish for more game content, including additional puzzles or levels. The objective of collecting in-game items like gold tickets and the motivation to improve scores also fueled this emotion.
- Admiration (weight 0): Admiration stemmed from the game's high quality as a co-op title and the overall excellence of the game series. Players admired the developers' design choices, the completion system, and the game's ability to foster teamwork and mental engagement.
- Boredom (weight 0): Boredom was reported due to repetitive tasks, a lack of engagement with the puzzle genre, or insufficient content. Some players found certain parts of the game or the single-player experience uninteresting.
- Stress (weight 0): Stress was caused by challenging puzzles, the pressure of replaying sections, and the potential for relationship strain during intense co-op moments. The difficulty of certain levels also contributed to this feeling.
- Surprise (weight 0): Surprise was experienced when the game ended unexpectedly, when players enjoyed a game outside their usual genre, or when they discovered unexpected replay value. The game's non-horror nature also surprised some players.
- Approval (weight 0): Approval was given for the game's suitability for new players, its value for money, and its effectiveness as a promotional tool for the series. The game's focus on puzzles over story and its overall concept also received positive recognition.
- Engagement (weight 0): Engagement was driven by the game's ingenious puzzles, deep co-op interaction, and overall replayability. The challenging nature of the gameplay and the cooperative elements kept players actively involved.
- Anticipation (weight 0): Anticipation was felt by players looking forward to future content from the studio or eager to play more games in the series. The game's unique 'friendship test' aspect also generated excitement for what was to come.
- Neutral (weight 0): Neutral sentiment was expressed when reviewers provided objective observations about the game's general impression, overall quality, or specific gameplay mechanics without strong positive or negative emotional attachment.}