Info about YIIK: A Postmodern RPG:

Official game description:
An unusual error manifests on April 4th, a day that echoes the enigmatic code 404. In a desperate act of innocence, a child relinquishes her name for an invitation to a birthday party, her hope tethered to the faint possibility of finding her brother. Meanwhile, Alex, a recent college graduate, returns home, only to find his reality unspooling like a threadbare tapestry. Guided by a cat which slips through the very fabric of his mind, Alex descends into the depths of his consciousness where he witnesses the impossible: a woman, locked away in an iron maiden, vanishing into thin air. A vision which ignites an undying obsession and threatens to unravel the boundaries of his world.
*   Combat in YIIK I.V is an arcane dance, a turn-based system where players use everyday weapons against bizarre entities, aided by the power of Karta. When players or enemies take damage, they start to bleed, and every action taken while bleeding brings them closer to defeat. It’s a race against time to outlast the enemy and stem the flow of blood.
*   Navigate landscapes that blur the line between reality and dreams. These spaces are filled with intricate puzzles, deadly traps, and odd adversaries that challenge your perception, pushing the boundaries of what you know to be real.
*   The narrative shifts between the perspectives of Alex and the Nameless Child, drawing you into their separate yet intertwined realities, each twist revealing deeper layers of their destinies.
*   The game’s soundtrack features over 200 tracks across a wide range of genres, from drum and bass to progressive rock. Much of the music is performed by live musicians, adding a vibrant and authentic layer to the experience.

Release date: Jan 17, 2019

Categories: Turn-based Combat, Karta-based Gameplay, Postmodern Narrative, Surreal Exploration, Character Progression, Puzzle Solving, Multiple Perspectives, JRPG


- 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:
- Story and themes highly praised (weight 0.93): Players consistently highlight the engaging, surreal, and thought-provoking narrative, along with deep character development and postmodern themes. The story's emotional resonance and layered symbolism are frequently cited as standout features.
- Visually striking and unique art style (weight 0.91): The game's surreal, trippy, and colorful visuals are consistently praised for their creativity and cohesion with the narrative. The art direction, cutscenes, and cinematography are highlighted as key strengths.
- Soundtrack is exceptional and diverse (weight 0.86): The game's music is frequently described as incredible, diverse, and memorable, with standout tracks that enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is often cited as one of the best aspects of the game.
- Combat system is a major improvement (weight 0.77): The revamped battle system, particularly the Karta and card-based mechanics, is widely praised for being fun, strategic, and dynamic. Players appreciate its depth, fluidity, and how it enhances engagement compared to the original version.
- I.V update significantly enhanced the game (weight 0.56): The I.V update is credited with improving the game's story, combat, visuals, and overall accessibility. Players note that the update restructured the narrative, polished mechanics, and elevated the experience to a much higher standard.
- New Game+ adds significant replay value (weight 0.42): The New Game+ mode is praised for expanding the story, adding new content, and providing a fresh experience. Players highlight its meta-narrative exploration and how it subverts expectations.
- Game is a postmodern art piece (weight 0.36): The game is frequently described as a work of art with a unique identity, depth, and emotional resonance. Players appreciate its postmodern themes, surrealism, and how it invites analysis and reflection.
- Developers' post-launch efforts praised (weight 0.26): Players commend the developers for their persistence in improving the game through updates, new content, and addressing feedback. The post-launch support is seen as a major factor in the game's success.
- Mind Dungeon is a fun and unique mechanic (weight 0.15): The Mind Dungeon segments are noted for their creativity, exploration, and role in character progression. Players enjoy the gimmicks and strategic elements tied to these areas.

Common complaints:
- Poor character and story execution (weight 0.99): The game's narrative suffers from underdeveloped, one-dimensional characters and a convoluted, pretentious plot. Players criticize the lack of character growth, unlikable protagonists, and confusing storytelling with unresolved gaps.
- Excessive and awkward cutscenes (weight 0.45): Cutscenes are overly frequent, poorly paced, and often feature long pauses or uncomfortable camera work. Players highlight Alex’s excessive monologues and the lack of agency during gameplay segments.
- Overly abstract and polarizing themes (weight 0.38): The game’s philosophical and abstract themes are divisive, with some players finding them pretentious or incomprehensible. The surreal storytelling may alienate those seeking clarity or conventional narratives.
- Uninspired enemy and world design (weight 0.37): Enemies lack variety and consistency with the game’s setting, feeling random or uninspired. The world design is also criticized for poor dungeon layouts and excessive backtracking.
- Frustrating dialogue and pacing (weight 0.31): Dialogue is described as stilted, cringeworthy, or overly long, with no fast-forward option. Pacing issues, including excessive text and monologues, disrupt the flow and engagement of the story.
- Unlikable and pretentious protagonist (weight 0.26): Alex, the main character, is widely disliked for being unlikable, pretentious, and poorly written. Players find his monologues and behavior insufferable, detracting from immersion.
- Janky and clunky gameplay mechanics (weight 0.25): Gameplay suffers from technical issues like glitches, poor hitboxes, and clunky controls. Platforming and RPG mechanics are described as frustrating or unpolished.
- Inconsistent audio and sound design (weight 0.22): Sound design is tonally inconsistent, with poor voice acting, off-key music, and awkward mixing. The soundtrack is criticized for lacking thematic cohesion and being unpleasant to listen to.
- Frustrating game design choices (weight 0.14): Numerous design decisions, such as lack of customization, poor dungeon layouts, and progression roadblocks, are highlighted as infuriating or poorly thought out.
- Poorly balanced leveling system (weight 0.14): The leveling system is criticized for being tedious, unbalanced, or overly time-consuming. Players report issues with overleveling, underleveling, and enemies being either too weak or too strong.

Gameplay feedback:
- Turn-based combat with Karta system (weight 0.69): The game features a turn-based combat system with a unique Karta mechanic, allowing for stat boosts, barriers, and strategic customization. Players frequently highlight this as a core gameplay element, though some note balance issues.
- Mini-games in combat actions (weight 0.48): Combat often incorporates mini-games for attacks, dodging, or other actions, adding interactivity but potentially disrupting flow. Feedback is mixed on their effectiveness.
- Mother-esque JRPG elements (weight 0.38): The game retains quirky, experimental JRPG mechanics inspired by the *Mother* series, blending surrealism with traditional turn-based combat. Fans appreciate this nostalgic yet fresh approach.
- Mind Dungeon leveling system (weight 0.23): The Mind Dungeon serves as a platforming-based level-up system where players unlock skills and allocate stats. This manual progression system is a standout feature but may involve repetitive gimmicks.
- Character interactions and immersion (weight 0.17): Dialogue and protagonist interactions are noted for their depth, though some players find them overly verbose. Character reactions and lore updates enhance immersion.
- Surreal and layered storytelling (weight 0.17): The narrative employs postmodern, esoteric themes with a puzzle-box structure, blending character-driven storytelling with abstract elements. This polarizes players but adds depth.
- Puzzle mechanics in dungeons (weight 0.11): Dungeons include HM-like puzzles, but some players find them slow, repetitive, or poorly designed. This affects exploration and progression pacing.
- Combat pacing improvements (weight 0.09): Updates introduced options to speed up combat and dialogue, addressing prior complaints about slow pacing. This flexibility is widely appreciated.

Performance notes:
- Glitches and hitbox issues (weight 0.14): Players encounter frequent glitches, including floor clipping, bad hitboxes, and camera issues during combat or in specific areas. These issues affect gameplay fluidity and fairness.
- Frequent crashes and freezes (weight 0.13): Players report consistent game crashes, softlocks, and freezing, particularly during combat or when fleeing fights. This severely disrupts gameplay and immersion.
- Improved load times (weight 0.09): The remastered version has significantly reduced load times on PC, removing sluggish mini-games and slow-loading scenes, which enhances the overall experience.
- Awkward and laggy controls (weight 0.05): Players report awkward controls and a slow, laggy UI, which hinder responsiveness and overall gameplay enjoyment.
- Poor enemy pathfinding (weight 0.03): Enemies exhibit poor pathing, leading to unrealistic or frustrating encounters. This impacts combat difficulty and player engagement.
- Framerate drops in dungeons (weight 0.03): Performance issues, such as framerate drops, are noticeable in dungeons, affecting visual smoothness and gameplay experience.
- Numerous minor bugs (weight 0.03): Players report a variety of minor bugs that, while not game-breaking, collectively degrade the overall experience and polish of the game.
- Slow-motion button malfunction (weight 0.03): The slow-down button occasionally stops working, disrupting combat mechanics and player strategies.
- Proton compatibility success (weight 0.03): The game performs well under Proton, indicating strong compatibility with Linux systems and improving accessibility for those users.
- Audio sync issues in credits (weight 0.03): The credits music plays twice simultaneously and out of sync, creating an unintended and jarring experience.

Recommendations:
- Encourages open-minded playthroughs (weight 0.37): Reviewers frequently advise players to stick with the game despite initial confusion or dislike, emphasizing its transformative potential. Some suggest playing with friends or analyzing its themes to enhance the experience.
- Niche appeal for surreal RPG fans (weight 0.27): The game is recommended for fans of surrealism, abstract visuals, and postmodern RPGs (e.g., Earthbound, Yume Nikki). Its unique themes and style make it a niche experience, not universally appealing but meaningful to specific audiences.
- Highly emotional, challenging story (weight 0.26): The game is praised for its sincerity, emotional depth, and narrative impact, appealing to players who value storytelling over gameplay mechanics. Many reviewers encourage others to approach it with an open mind to experience its true conclusion.
- Polarizing reception, cult following (weight 0.26): The game is described as overhated but memorable, with a cult following that appreciates its flaws as part of its charm. Some reviewers frame it as a cautionary tale or spectacle worth experiencing once.
- Updates improve accessibility (weight 0.19): The game’s updates (e.g., 1.5 or I.V) are highlighted as reasons to revisit or try the game, especially for those disappointed by the original. Newcomers and returning players are encouraged to experience the improvements.
- Buy only on sale (weight 0.13): Due to its divisive nature and niche appeal, many reviewers recommend purchasing the game only during steep discounts (e.g., 50% off). Full price is rarely justified unless the player is certain of their interest.
- Demo recommended before purchase (weight 0.08): The availability of a demo (including the first chapter and Karta system) is noted as a way to test the game’s fit for individual tastes before committing to the full experience.
- Watch instead of play (weight 0.06): For those unsure about the gameplay, reviewers suggest watching a let’s play or playthrough to experience the story and weirdness without investing time in the mechanics.

Other player notes:
- Inspired by films and literature (weight 0.09): The game draws heavily from films like *The Holy Mountain* and *Inherent Vice*, as well as novels by Murakami and *Welcome to the NHK*. These influences shape its surreal and philosophical tone.
- Initial backlash, later appreciation (weight 0.08): The game faced ridicule at launch but was later recognized for its depth and unique vision. Many players who initially dismissed it grew to appreciate its storytelling and gameplay.
- Stylistic similarities to Persona (weight 0.07): Players frequently compare the game to the Persona series, noting its stylistic and thematic influences. This includes narrative structure, character interactions, and aesthetic choices.
- Postmodern storytelling misunderstood (weight 0.05): Critics and players initially struggled with the game's postmodern narrative approach, leading to misinterpretations. Over time, its storytelling was re-evaluated as ambitious and layered.
- Occult and psychedelic themes (weight 0.05): The game incorporates occult concepts like Hermeticism and Alchemy, alongside psychedelic visuals. These elements contribute to its unique atmosphere and narrative depth.
- Low-poly and Unity-like graphics (weight 0.05): The game's visual style is characterized by low-poly aesthetics, which some players describe as resembling a Unity asset flip. This has sparked debates about its artistic merit.
- Personal and emotional connections (weight 0.05): Some players developed a deep personal attachment to the game, such as those who received it as a gift or initially engaged with it ironically before forming a genuine bond.
- Earthbound/Mother series influence (weight 0.03): Players note strong similarities to the Earthbound/Mother series, particularly in tone, humor, and gameplay mechanics. Some describe it as a 'shameless rip-off,' while others see it as a homage.
- Requested gameplay improvements (weight 0.03): Players have suggested enhancements such as better death animations, expanded use of Monster Dens, and improved Karta mechanics. These changes could refine the gameplay experience.
- Described as 'slowburn gem' (weight 0.03): Players often describe the game as a 'slowburn gem' or 'ludokino,' highlighting its gradual reveal of depth and its cinematic qualities despite its flaws.
- Cloud save support needed (weight 0.03): A common request among players is the addition of cloud save functionality, which would improve accessibility and convenience for those playing across multiple devices.
- Developer feedback responsiveness (weight 0.03): Criticism has been directed at the developer for not adequately addressing player feedback or evolving the game based on community input, which has frustrated some players.
- Approximately 20-25 hour playtime (weight 0.03): The game's length is consistently cited as being around 20 to 25 hours, which is seen as a reasonable duration for its narrative and content.
- Memes as a narrative device (weight 0.03): The game incorporates memes as a conceptual element, blending internet culture with its storytelling. This approach adds a layer of relatability and humor for some players.
- Cultural impact on behavior (weight 0.03): A niche but notable point is the game's potential to influence players, particularly children, to adopt less toxic behavior through its themes and messaging.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.16): Players frequently cite the combat system as shallow, unfair, or poorly balanced, with many describing it as tedious, trivial, or unfun. Technical issues like frequent crashing, softlocking, and unpolished mechanics (e.g., unclear Karta/Bleed systems, jarring mix of old/new content) exacerbate frustration, alongside pacing problems like long cutscenes, repetitive gameplay, and information overload.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): The game often fails to meet expectations due to unpolished execution, such as broken battle systems, underwhelming story developments, or lack of meaningful improvements in updates. Players express letdown over wasted potential, anticlimactic endings, and a decline in quality from the original to the remake, particularly in narrative coherence and character development.
- Admiration (weight 0.06): Players admire the game’s artistic vision, including its unique soundtrack, visuals, and ambitious storytelling. The developers’ dedication and passion for refining the game over time—despite criticism—are also praised, with many recognizing it as a cult hit or work of art, particularly for its depth, sincerity, and meta-narrative elements.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): The game’s postmodern themes, engaging narrative, and revamped combat system (e.g., I.V update) generate excitement, especially for players drawn to its thought-provoking or surreal storytelling. Initial trailers, music, and experimental gameplay mechanics (e.g., card-based battles) also spark enthusiasm, particularly when aligned with personal tastes.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Players find satisfaction in the game’s improved mechanics, story delivery, and character arcs (e.g., Alex’s development), particularly after updates like I.V. Completing the narrative, piecing together its complex themes, or enjoying the emotional payoff of the conclusion are common highlights, alongside performance improvements (e.g., PC optimization).
- Amusement (weight 0.06): The game’s absurdity, tonal inconsistencies, and over-the-top writing (e.g., hammy dialogue, surreal cutscenes) provide unintentional comedy, often enjoyed ironically with friends. Players also find humor in the protagonist’s flaws, postmodern meta-humor, and the sheer novelty of its “badness,” turning frustration into entertainment.
- Curiosity (weight 0.06): The game’s cryptic, layered storytelling—filled with anime/video game references, ambiguous symbolism, and postmodern twists—invites replaying to uncover hidden details. Players are intrigued by the developers’ intent, the protagonist’s psyche, and the game’s infamy, often analyzing its chaotic narrative or surreal segments (e.g., ‘Nameless Child’).
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciate the developers’ perseverance in refining the game (e.g., I.V update) and its unique artistic merits, such as the soundtrack, art style, and character growth. The game’s authenticity, cultural commentary, and refusal to conform to generic standards are also praised, alongside its ability to evoke strong emotions despite flaws.
- Confusion (weight 0.04): The game’s abstract storytelling, unclear mechanics (e.g., original combat locked until post-game), and surreal elements (e.g., erasing narrative meaning in the ending) leave players baffled. Unclear references, symbolic ambiguity, and the challenge of distinguishing meta-humor from poor writing contribute to a sense of disorientation.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Despite flaws, players enjoy the game’s engaging themes, music, and community interactions (e.g., laughing with friends). The card-based combat, challenging enemies, and overall presentation provide fun moments, particularly when the game aligns with personal preferences for quirky or experimental experiences.
- Love (weight 0.03): Players develop strong emotional attachments to the game’s art, music, and characters, often citing it as a unique or impactful experience. Its “dumpster fire” charm, oddity, and ability to tick personal boxes (e.g., niche storytelling) foster deep affection, even when acknowledging its flaws.
- Hope (weight 0.02): The game’s themes of optimism and updates (e.g., I.V) inspire hope for improvements, with players anticipating fixes to combat, storytelling, or technical issues. Some believe the developers’ persistence could lead to future works fulfilling the game’s potential, or that the narrative’s hopeful undertones resonate personally.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): The I.V update and its revamped combat system generate enthusiasm, particularly for players who enjoy its blend of mechanics (e.g., comparisons to *Shin Megami Tensei*). Strong recommendations to support the game, excitement about its unique features, and positive experiences with the updated content drive this emotion.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Frustration with the game’s writing, art, or cynical narrative direction (e.g., chapters 5–6) triggers anger, particularly when UI issues, cut content, or perceived lack of improvement exacerbate dissatisfaction. Some players feel the game’s flaws (e.g., narcissistic protagonist) are irredeemable.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Players experience joy from the game’s music (e.g., Alex’s theme permutations), character interactions, and emotional resolutions. The combat system, when engaging, and the overall narrative’s impact—despite flaws—can create moments of genuine happiness or fulfillment.
- Relief (weight 0.02): Completing the game or realizing misinformation about its controversies (e.g., Alex’s character) brings relief. Updates addressing prior issues (e.g., 1.5) or the music’s role in mitigating frustration during long battles also provide a sense of release.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players express gratitude for the developers’ decade-long effort, the game’s authenticity, or personal connections (e.g., receiving it as a gift). The passion behind the project and its cultural commentary are often cited as reasons to appreciate its existence, despite shortcomings.
- Fascination (weight 0.01): The game’s surreal, philosophical narrative—particularly its protagonist and otaku culture themes—fascinates players, leaving them unable to stop thinking about it. Its ability to misstep while remaining intriguing, or its cryptic depth, sparks intellectual engagement and analysis.
- Disgust (weight 0.01): The game’s unlikable protagonist, narrative issues, or overall negative experience evoke disgust, particularly when players feel the writing or design choices are irredeemably flawed or off-putting.
- Awe (weight 0.01): The game’s emotional depth, philosophical themes, and complex ending inspire awe, particularly for its interpretive nature. The soundtrack’s quality and diversity also elicit admiration, elevating the experience beyond typical JRPG expectations.}