Info about Shadwen:

Official game description:
Shadwen is a 3rd person stealth-action game where the only rule is to remain unseen. Stay hidden - or the ruthless guards will kill you on sight!  
Shadwen, an assassin on a quest to kill the king, has a chance encounter with an orphaned girl, Lily. She follows Shadwen on her dangerous journey, but when the ruthless guards get too close, Shadwen must take action right in front of Lily's eyes.  
Will Shadwen risk the girl's budding trust by resorting to violence, or try and find another way while keeping her real purpose concealed?  
To kill or not to kill - that is the question.
FEATURES
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*   MOVE FREELY - Sneak and explore around the dark and gritty medieval province and use the environment to your advantage - use your rope to grapple onto rooftops, silently drop from ceilings, or veil yourself in the shadows.  
*   STAY HIDDEN - Pick your assassinations carefully. Avoid being seen, heard or getting caught indirectly. Suspicious sights and noises will alert the guards - use it to your benefit.  
*   TIME IS AN ACCOMPLICE - Time stands still when you are not moving Shadwen, allowing you to stop at any point mid-motion. Rewind time to manipulate your past and present actions!  
*   USE PHYSICS - Use physics and a freely attachable rope to drag and topple objects. Make deaths look accidental; let gravity do the grave work.  
*   CREATE TRAPS AND HAZARDS - set up traps and hazards to lure guards towards their untimely demise; discover new ways to eliminate or distract your foes by crafting items into deadly surprises, including poison traps, spike devices, decoy toys and more.  
*   TWO CHARACTERS - Embrace the darkness with Shadwen and her abilities to protect Lily and create a safe passage for her.

Release date: May 17, 2016

Categories: Stealth Gameplay, Time-based Mechanics, Grappling Hook Gameplay, AI Companion System, Crafting, Physics Simulation, Multiple Endings, Puzzle Solving


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $4.00 - $6.00
  - Reasoning: The community reviews consistently indicate that the game is not worth its full price but provides excellent value when discounted to around $5 or less. The game's short length (4-5 hours) and indie feel lead many to recommend waiting for a sale. The fair base price is therefore estimated to be in the low range that would make it a 'no-brainer' for fans, likely between $4 and $6 USD when considering typical sale discounts of 50-75%.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 6.0h
  - Story completion: 6.0h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: 4.0h
  - Reasoning: The first two quotes directly state that a single playthrough (both story and overall game) typically takes 6 hours, establishing game and story completion time. The third quote, describing chapter duration, indicates that each session usually lasts about one hour, defining typical session length. The fourth quote shows that a second playthrough adds 4 hours, and the achievement total of 15 hours implies that post-story content (alternative endings, achievements, reversal levels) extends playtime by roughly 4–5 hours beyond the first campaign, giving the endgame estimate.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Shadwen's fun centers on its time-freeze and grappling hook mechanics, but an initial tutorial and crafting tedium create a barrier; after learning the controls and mastering the hook, the game becomes addictive and satisfying.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After learning the controls and mastering the grapple hook
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: repetitive tutorial with Lily; clunky initial controls and grapple hook aiming; tedious crafting system that gates item usage; lack of early variety in tools and items
  - Unlock drivers: understanding the time-freeze and rewind mechanics; getting used to the grapple hook for traversal and distraction; realizing the hook can latch onto most wooden objects for creative movement
  - Conditions: play as a stealth-oriented puzzle game with time manipulation; enjoy vertical movement and planning through environments; prefer single-player with no co-op; willing to invest an hour to practice the core mechanics
- Player Archetypes:
  - Achievement Completionist (sale)
    - Motivation: Complete all achievements and 100% the game
    - Playstyle: Methodical, uses guides and replays levels to satisfy achievement conditions
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: achievement hunter; completionist
    - Reference games: Dishonored; A Plague Tale: Innocence
  - Casual Stealth Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of a light, entertaining stealth action without high challenge
    - Playstyle: Plays lethally for ease, often killing all guards; uses the rewind mechanic freely and appreciates the lack of strict failure
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: old school stealth fan; casual gamer
    - Reference games: Thief; Superhot; Styx: Master of Shadows
  - Pacifist Challenge Seeker (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking a greater challenge and narrative satisfaction through a no-kill run
    - Playstyle: Patient, observant, uses tools like grappling hook to distract guards and create clear paths for Lily; often replays levels to perfect the route
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: stealth purist; veteran assassin
    - Reference games: Dishonored; Thief; A Plague Tale: Innocence


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:
- Time rewind mechanic is fun and forgiving (weight 0.43): Players consistently praise the time rewind mechanic, noting it is fun to use, encourages experimentation, and eliminates frustration from mistakes by being 100% reliable. This feature is a standout strength that makes the game more enjoyable and forgiving.
- Graphics and sound are high quality (weight 0.28): The graphics and sound are praised as beautiful and decent for this type of game, with good lighting and voice acting that enhance the overall experience. Players note the visuals are good even for a small budget game.
- Stealth gameplay appeals to fans (weight 0.23): The game is well-suited for stealth fans, offering enjoyable stealth action with good graphics and platforming elements. Players appreciate that it is accessible even for those less skilled, making it a pleasant experience for stealth enthusiasts.
- Easy achievement completion (weight 0.06): The achievements are noted as easy to complete without special hard requirements, making the game accessible for players seeking full completion. This adds to its appeal for a broader audience.
- Cute dialogues enhance experience (weight 0.04): The small dialogues during loading screens between the two girls are described as cute, adding emotional depth and charm to the game. This feature is noted as a nice touch.

Common complaints:
- Frustrating companion AI (weight 0.32): Lily's AI is often described as stupid, inconsistent, and refusing to move, causing trial-and-error frustration and making escort sections tedious. This undermines stealth gameplay and puzzle solving.
- Clunky grapple mechanics (weight 0.29): The rope grappling hook is consistently reported as finicky, awkward, and clunky to use, with occasional bugs like getting stuck. This negatively impacts the core traversal and combat flow.
- Repetitive and linear level design (weight 0.28): Levels are criticized for being repetitive, similar-looking, linear, and lacking imagination, with the same alleys and enemies. This contributes to the feeling of monotony.
- Weak and barebones story (weight 0.28): The narrative is consistently described as weak, bland, boring, and having no depth or backstory. Multiple clusters agree it is underdeveloped and unengaging.
- Repetitive and monotonous gameplay (weight 0.2): Players find the core gameplay loop boring, dull, and repetitive after a short time, with many calling it monotonous after just a few missions. This is a major criticism of game design.
- Lack of enemy variety (weight 0.18): Players note there are only two enemy types (light and heavy), which makes combat feel repetitive and limits strategic options. This is a common complaint across clusters.
- Poor AI and guard behavior (weight 0.15): In addition to Lily's AI, guard AI is reported as dumb, deaf, inconsistent, and exploitable, which ruins stealth mechanics and makes the game too easy or illogical.
- Not worth full price (weight 0.11): Due to short length, repetitive content, and lack of polish, many reviewers say the game is not worth a full-price purchase. This is a value-based concern.
- Lack of variety in environments (weight 0.1): Environments are described as lacking variety, with levels feeling identical and no change in scenery. This is a recurring theme with level design.

Gameplay feedback:
- Stealth game with time control (weight 0.61): The game is described as a stealth action title where the player can manipulate time, including rewinding and pausing, similar to Superhot. Time only advances when the player moves, allowing for strategic planning and undoing mistakes.
- Lethal and non-lethal choices (weight 0.38): Players can choose between lethal and non-lethal approaches, with pacifist and lethal playstyles supported. This affects gameplay and endings, offering moral choices in how to handle enemies.
- Time rewind for undoing mistakes (weight 0.32): The time rewind mechanic is unlimited and allows players to redo actions, undo mistakes, or rewind on detection failure. It replaces traditional saves, making it a core part of gameplay.
- Companion Lily AI system (weight 0.27): A companion named Lily must navigate levels without being seen by enemies. She reacts to player violence, such as killing or leaving bodies, and cannot be harmed, adding an escort mission element with AI constraints.
- Grappling hook as core mechanic (weight 0.26): The grappling hook is a central tool for movement, allowing players to climb, swing, and pull objects to create distractions or trigger traps. It can latch to most wooden structures, enhancing sandbox gameplay.
- Time only moves when player moves (weight 0.23): The time system is Superhot-like, where time only progresses when the player moves or presses a key. Time freezes when idle, allowing for planning and strategic pauses during stealth.
- Traps and crafted gadgets (weight 0.19): Players can craft traps, mines, bombs, and other gadgets from blueprints found in chests. These are used for distraction, killing, or environmental interaction, with a physics engine supporting object manipulation.
- Single boss in ending (weight 0.12): The only boss is the king, appearing in the final cutscene. Killing the king always leads to a bad ending, while choices to kill or spare affect dialogue and multiple endings.
- Pacifist runs are possible but difficult (weight 0.11): Players can attempt pacifist runs, but they are challenging due to the companion system and detection mechanics. The game supports both lethal and non-lethal playstyles, with choices between killing or avoiding guards.
- Medieval assassin setting (weight 0.1): The setting is a medieval assassin environment, with stealth-action and backstabbing. It aligns with the game's theme of lethal and non-lethal choices.
- Guard types: light and heavy (weight 0.09): There are two enemy types: light guards and heavy guards. They require different strategies, such as one-shot mechanics or avoidance, affecting how players approach encounters.
- Physics engine for sandbox elements (weight 0.09): The physics engine allows objects to move, break, and cause glitches. It adds sandbox elements, enabling creative use of traps, grappling hooks, and environmental manipulation.
- Stealth with instant game over on detection (weight 0.05): Being seen by enemies results in instant game over, making the game puzzle-oriented. Players must avoid detection while using time control and traps to succeed.
- Loading screen dialogue (weight 0.05): Loading screens feature dialogue between characters, providing narrative context. This is a minor but noted element of the game's presentation.
- Third-person perspective (weight 0.05): The game is played from a third-person perspective, with the time-when-you-move system. This perspective influences how players navigate and interact with the environment.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues reported (weight 0.19): Multiple reviews indicate poor optimization, resulting in low FPS, stuttering, and lag on various systems, especially low-spec PCs and older GPUs like GTX 950m or RX 480.
- Mixed optimization feedback (weight 0.13): Some users report smooth performance with 60 FPS and praise optimization, while others note average or poor performance, suggesting inconsistent experiences across different hardware.

Recommendations:
- Best for stealth fans (weight 0.53): The game is highly recommended for stealth game enthusiasts, especially those who enjoy forgiving or accessible stealth experiences. It appeals to fans of Dishonored, Styx, and similar titles.
- Buy on sale only (weight 0.44): Many reviewers recommend purchasing the game at a discounted price, not at full price. Common suggestions include waiting for sales, buying in bundles, or getting it for under $5.
- Avoid full price (weight 0.4): Multiple reviewers advise against buying the game at full price, recommending discounts or bundles instead. The value is seen as poor at full cost.
- Good for beginners (weight 0.21): The game is recommended for stealth newcomers or those who prefer a forgiving, less challenging experience. It's accessible and easy to pick up.
- Not for everyone (weight 0.15): The game is not recommended for players seeking action, variety, complex stories, or hard challenges. It may disappoint those who want tense or deep experiences.
- Mixed general reception (weight 0.14): Some reviewers find the game decent but not amazing, with mixed opinions on its overall quality. It is seen as a good but not outstanding title.
- Recommended for puzzle fans (weight 0.13): The game appeals to those who enjoy environmental puzzles and moral storytelling, with a focus on non-lethal approaches and rewind mechanics.
- Short length noted (weight 0.12): The game is considered short, offering only a few hours of content. Some see this as a positive for casual play, others as a limitation.

Other player notes:
- Russian localization feedback (weight 0.02): A single mention of the game's Russian localization was noted, suggesting that the translation or language support may be an area of interest for some players.
- Subtitles availability (weight 0.02): One reviewer pointed out the presence of subtitles, which could indicate that the game's accessibility features or language options are being noticed, though no further detail was provided.
- Early access on Steam (weight 0.02): A mention was made regarding the game's early release on Steam, implying that the timing or platform of the launch may be a point of feedback or observation.
- Spoiler about expanding friends (weight 0.02): One piece of feedback contained a spoiler related to expanding friends, which may affect players who wish to avoid plot or mechanic reveals before playing.
- Political dislike for royalty (weight 0.02): A reviewer expressed political dislike towards the concept of royalty, possibly reflecting personal or ideological views rather than gameplay-related criticism.
- Panda reviews noted (weight 0.02): The existence of panda-themed reviews was remarked upon, which may be a unique or humorous reference but does not directly relate to game mechanics or quality.
- Curator page reference (weight 0.02): A reference to the curator page suggests that some feedback may come from or be directed at Steam curator channels, which can influence game visibility and recommendations.
- Demo pricing concept (weight 0.02): A comment on the demo pricing concept was made, indicating that players may be discussing or reviewing the cost structure or value of the game's demo version.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.29): Players experience frustration primarily due to the unreliable and unresponsive AI of the companion character Lily, which causes pathfinding issues, requires trial and error, and necessitates repeated backtracking. Additionally, imprecise controls for the grappling hook, janky mechanics like the time-stop system, and repetitive gameplay with tedious escort missions contribute to a sense of wasted potential due to the game's rough and incomplete execution.
- Disappointment (weight 0.19): Players express disappointment over the weak and underdeveloped story that lacks narrative depth and motivation, leading to a meaningless ending. The repetitive level design with a lack of variety, coupled with missed potential in its mechanics and a feeling that the game is an unfinished tech demo, contributes to the overall sense that the game fails to live up to its expectations as a stealth experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Players find satisfaction in the game's focused and polished experience, particularly from solving environmental puzzles and creative stealth scenarios. The grappling hook and rewind mechanics are highlighted as effective tools that remove frustration, while the game's value is appreciated for its price point and the ability to achieve without frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): Players enjoy the game for its unique and creative stealth mechanics, particularly the time rewind feature that provides a forgiving and flexible experience. The fun is enhanced by overhearing guard conversations that add to the atmosphere, and the freedom to explore different playstyles, such as a lethal approach, making the gameplay engaging and tactical.
- Boredom (weight 0.06): Players report boredom due to monotonous and repetitive environments that look the same across the game, leading to a lack of variety. The gameplay becomes repetitive and short, with a weak narrative, while the stealth playthrough specifically suffers from monotony, making the game feel like a chore.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the cool and enjoyable atmosphere, along with the visuals and graphics that create a lovely aesthetic. The level design, which integrates physics, and the unique twist from the developer's addition of free content and subtle storytelling are also recognized as positive aspects.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Players express excitement over the game's auto-pause for planning, rewind button, and grappling hook that provide fun mobility and options. The time manipulation and inspiration, coupled with a cool kill and physics-based time reversal, as well as multiple endings and new ideas in the stealth genre, particularly the unique mechanic with Lily, are key causes.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Players are annoyed by the unreliable AI that causes unfair situations, and the inventory system that moves items out of recipe slots while popup messages hide items. The tedium of crafting and the illogical placement of bushes in castle indoors, along with grapple hooking and swing controls with time pause, contribute to the annoyance.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Players find amusement from the fun of playing briefly and creatively using physics glitches with the time rewind. Humorous rants about the AI and comparisons to Internet Explorer, as well as wide interactions that create funny situations, are also sources of amusement.
- Fun (weight 0.02): Players have fun with the stealth gameplay and time manipulation, particularly through puzzle-solving and dropping boxes on guards. The lethal play and gameplay with the grappling hook and time mechanic are also highlighted as enjoyable.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Players are surprised to find the game enjoyable despite not being a fan of stealth, and that an entire escort mission remains fun. The game's time mechanic is better than expected, and the first impression is intriguing, leading to a positive surprise.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Players feel curiosity as each area feels like a puzzle to be solved, encouraging exploration. Imagining a replay without rewinds and the intriguing first impression, along with story development, are key causes.
- Cuteness (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the cuteness of the dialogues between the two girls, which are described as cute and contribute to the charm of the game.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Players feel joy from the rewind mechanics that let them fix mistakes, combined with the beautiful atmosphere and graphics. The gameplay and atmosphere together provide a joyful experience.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players show interest due to the game offering two different paths that make it worth replaying, along with different mechanics that keep the experience engaging.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players express anger as the game is labeled trash with no redeeming qualities, with levels taking hours and the story being pathetic with bad mechanics.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players are confused by the odd prop placement, such as ship masts on streets, and the ending logic that is inconsistent with guard killings.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players express love for stealth games and this hybrid, thoroughly enjoying the game.
- Tension (weight 0): Players feel tension from the moral consequences for violent actions, which add meaning to decision-making.
- Emotional engagement (weight 0): Players experience emotional engagement because the relationship with Lily makes their decisions feel meaningful.}