Info about Eastshade:

Official game description:
Try Out Our New Game!
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About the Game
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You are a traveling painter, exploring the island of Eastshade. Capture the world on canvas using your artist’s easel. Talk to the inhabitants to learn about their lives. Make friends and help those in need. Discover mysteries and uncover secrets about the land. Surmount natural impasses to reach forgotten places. Experience how your actions impact the world around you.
Features
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*   A peaceful open-world exploration-adventure full of character  
*   Compose paintings anywhere in the world and offer them to the locals to unlock secrets and gain items  
*   Acquire crafting materials and schematics to surmount obstacles and solve quests  
*   Make friends along the way through fully-voiced dynamic conversations and unlockable topics

Release date: Feb 13, 2019

Categories: Exploration, NPC Interaction, Painting Mechanics, Crafting, Quest-based Progression, First-Person Perspective, Relaxing Gameplay, Narrative-driven Gameplay

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game demonstrates excellent compatibility with the Steam Deck, suggesting a smooth experience on Proton/Linux without notable issues.
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Playable with Minor Issues; summary: The game runs perfectly on the Steam Deck, providing a seamless experience. However, it has some minor issues related to its age, such as lack of cloud saves and other quirks. A severe bug causing crashes and progress loss is also noted, which significantly impacts the user experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $6.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The selected evidence indicates that many users find the game worth its full price, suggesting a positive sentiment towards the base game's value. However, there are also mentions of purchasing the game on sale, which implies that while the full price is considered fair, a discounted price is also seen as a good deal. This dual perspective suggests that the community finds the game valuable but also appreciates the opportunity to buy it at a lower price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 21.0h
  - Story completion: 14.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides multiple direct references to playtime for 'Eastshade'. The first quote mentions a playtime of 33 hours, indicating a thorough exploration of the game. The second quote, while emotional, supports the idea of a significant investment in the game. The third quote provides a specific completion time of about 21 hours, which aligns with a detailed exploration playthrough. The fourth quote suggests a more casual playthrough spanning 10-14 hours. These quotes collectively support the extracted playtime metrics.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts with initial restrictions but becomes fun as players progress and unlock new areas and abilities.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Unlocking new areas and abilities
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Initial limitations such as extreme cold; Restricted travel capabilities; Linear progression locked behind gates/tolls/rafts
  - Unlock drivers: Learning and improving skills; Buying new equipment; Completing quests and tasks
  - Conditions: Exploration mindset; Patience for gradual progression; Appreciation for narrative and aesthetics
- Player Archetypes:
  - Chill Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and exploration
    - Playstyle: Casual, slow-paced exploration
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Explorer; Casual Gamer
    - Reference games: Skyrim; Dear Esther; Gone Home
  - Completionist Achiever (sale)
    - Motivation: Achievement completion and replayability
    - Playstyle: Goal-oriented, completionist
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Achievement Hunter; Completionist
    - Reference games: Skyrim; The Witness
  - Open-World RPG Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Familiar open-world RPG experience with a relaxed twist
    - Playstyle: Exploration and questing
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: RPG Fan; Open-World Enthusiast
    - Reference games: Skyrim; Elder Scrolls Oblivion


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:
- Stunning Visual Landscapes (weight 0.37): The game features breathtakingly beautiful and picturesque landscapes, scenery, and vistas that players find visually stunning and enjoyable.
- Relaxing and Calm Atmosphere (weight 0.35): Players appreciate the relaxing, calm, and cozy atmosphere that provides a meditative and soothing experience.
- Exploration and Discovery (weight 0.27): Players enjoy the freedom to explore and discover new places, with a world full of detail and life.
- Engaging Characters (weight 0.22): The game includes well-written, memorable, and engaging characters with believable dialogues and stories.
- Satisfying Puzzles (weight 0.16): The game includes satisfying puzzles and mini-puzzles that players enjoy solving.
- Great Music and Audio (weight 0.15): The game's music and audio are praised for being beautiful, excellent, and enhancing the overall experience.
- Fun and Engaging Quests (weight 0.14): The game offers a variety of interesting and engaging quests, including side quests that players find fun and multifaceted.
- Enjoyable Gameplay Experience (weight 0.13): Players find the gameplay experience enjoyable, relaxing, and engaging, with a mix of nostalgia and fun.
- Interesting Storyline (weight 0.11): The game features a compelling and interesting storyline with well-developed characters and engaging narratives.
- Variety of Activities (weight 0.1): The game offers a variety of activities and mechanics, providing players with plenty to do and explore.
- No Combat (weight 0.08): The game lacks combat and PvP elements, focusing instead on relaxation and exploration.
- Enjoyable Painting Mechanics (weight 0.07): Players find the painting mechanics in the game enjoyable and satisfying.
- Easy-Going Pace (weight 0.06): The game features a slow-paced and easy-going gameplay experience, perfect for relaxation.

Common complaints:
- Frequent bugs and glitches (weight 0.31): Players report encountering numerous small bugs and glitches throughout the game. These issues range from minor imperfections to more frustrating experiences that can disrupt gameplay.
- Save system issues (weight 0.22): The game lacks manual save options and has an unreliable save system. Players have reported issues with corrupted saves and the absence of multiple save slots or cloud save support.
- Unclear quest objectives (weight 0.12): Many players have noted that the quests in the game lack clear objectives and direction. This can lead to confusion and a lack of straightforward gameplay.
- Invisible walls problems (weight 0.09): There are numerous complaints about invisible walls in the game. Players find these walls frustrating and overly thick, which can hinder movement and exploration.
- NPC behavior issues (weight 0.07): NPCs in the game exhibit unnatural and rigid movements. They can also get stuck, which detracts from the overall gaming experience.
- Frame rate drops (weight 0.06): Players have reported severe FPS drops and performance issues, which can significantly impact the gaming experience.
- Motion sickness issues (weight 0.05): Some players experience motion sickness, particularly related to boat movements in the game. This can be a significant issue for those sensitive to such effects.
- Occasional jankiness (weight 0.05): The game can feel a little janky at times, with some players noting occasional inconsistencies and minor issues that affect the overall smoothness of the gameplay.
- Font issues (weight 0.05): There are font issues in the game, particularly with complex characters like Chinese fonts. Inconsistent font sizes have also been reported.
- Task-driven gameplay (weight 0.05): The game's task-driven gameplay and lack of traditional elements like puzzles or battles may not appeal to everyone. This can make the game feel repetitive and less engaging.

Gameplay feedback:
- Exploration-focused gameplay (weight 0.3): The game emphasizes first-person exploration, allowing players to freely explore an island and its environment. This includes various transportation methods and the discovery of different biomes.
- Character interactions and development (weight 0.21): The game features interactions with NPCs, including dialogue, solving NPC problems, and helping local characters. These interactions contribute to character development and storyline progression.
- Quest-based activities (weight 0.21): Players engage in simple quests, commissions, and chores that drive the gameplay. These quests often involve observation and dialogue with NPCs, and some quests are voice-acted.
- Crafting and progression system (weight 0.13): A crafting progression system is in place, where players gather resources and craft items. This system is integrated with quests and exploration.
- Painting and scenery (weight 0.12): Players can paint stunning views and landscapes, taking in the scenery as they explore. The game includes an inspiration system for painting.
- Relaxing and casual gameplay (weight 0.12): The game offers a relaxing and casual exploration experience with engaging quests, character interactions, and secrets to uncover. It is described as a relaxing exploration game.
- Mystery and puzzle solving (weight 0.1): The game involves solving mysteries, finding secrets, and puzzle-like gameplay. This adds an element of challenge and intrigue to the exploration.
- Narrative and walking simulator (weight 0.08): The game is described as a narrative walking simulator, focusing on exploration and storytelling without combat.
- Movement and travel mechanics (weight 0.06): The game includes various movement mechanics, such as fast travel and the ability to buy and use a bicycle.
- Similar to Skyrim without combat (weight 0.06): The game is compared to Skyrim but without combat, offering an open-world adventure with exploration and quests.
- First-person perspective (weight 0.05): The game is played from a first-person perspective, enhancing the immersion in the exploration and interactions.
- Story and lore exploration (weight 0.04): Players explore and discover stories and lore within the game world, adding depth to the exploration experience.
- Dynamic environment (weight 0.04): The game features a day-night cycle with timed events and dynamic weather, enhancing the immersion in the open world.
- Goofy side quests (weight 0.03): The game includes goofy side quests, adding a humorous and light-hearted element to the gameplay.

Performance notes:
- Various bugs and glitches (weight 0.29): Players encounter numerous minor bugs, glitches, and occasional visual issues. These range from minor annoyances to more significant problems that require game restarts.
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.26): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to lag, frame drops, and inconsistent performance even on powerful PCs. Some players report smooth performance on specific hardware like the Steam Deck.
- Frequent crashes and freezes (weight 0.22): The game experiences random crashes, freezes, and game-breaking bugs that can disrupt gameplay. These issues are widespread and significantly impact the player experience.
- Graphical and animation issues (weight 0.07): The game has rough graphics, stiff character animations, and various graphical glitches. These issues detract from the overall visual experience.
- Motion sickness triggers (weight 0.04): Some players experience motion sickness while playing the game, which can be a significant issue for those affected.
- Quest and progression bugs (weight 0.02): There are specific bugs related to quests and progression, such as a final quest bug preventing completion, which can hinder the player's ability to finish the game.

Recommendations:
- Great for exploration and relaxation (weight 0.21): The game is recommended for those who enjoy exploration, beautiful scenery, and a relaxing, thoughtful experience.
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.15): Many players strongly recommend the game to everyone, highlighting its appeal and enjoyment.
- Non-violent and contemplative (weight 0.08): This game is ideal for players interested in non-violent, relaxing, and contemplative gameplay.
- Technical recommendations for gameplay (weight 0.06): Suggestions include turning on crosshairs to reduce motion sickness and using specific controls for better movement.
- Consider purchasing on sale (weight 0.06): Some players suggest buying the game on sale, especially if bugs are a concern.
- Desire for more content (weight 0.04): Players express a desire for more commission paintings and hope for future DLCs and new worlds.
- Beautiful and memorable experience (weight 0.03): The game is praised for being a beautiful and memorable adventure.
- Will play again (weight 0.02): Players indicate that they will play the game again, suggesting high replay value.
- Recommended for fans of 'Lake' (weight 0.02): Players who enjoyed the game 'Lake' are likely to enjoy this game as well.
- Play Leaving Lyndow first (weight 0.02): Some players recommend playing Leaving Lyndow before this game.

Other player notes:
- Translation instructions needed (weight 0.03): There is a need for translation instructions for non-English speakers. This suggests that the game could improve its accessibility by providing better support for different languages.
- Small game size (weight 0.02): Players have noted that the game has a relatively small size. This could be beneficial for those with limited storage space.

Emotions:
- Joy (weight 0.3): Players experience joy primarily from exploring the game's open world, discovering secrets, and engaging with its beautiful scenery and characters. The relaxing gameplay, combined with the lack of combat and the variety of engaging activities such as painting and solving mysteries, contributes significantly to this positive emotion.
- Frustration (weight 0.18): Frustration stems from encountering numerous bugs, performance issues, and game crashes that disrupt gameplay. Players also express annoyance with game mechanics, such as slow movement speed, lack of guidance, and difficult controls, which hinder their overall experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment arises from the game not meeting expectations, with players citing various gameplay issues, bugs, and poor performance. Some players also mention motion sickness and the lack of certain features, such as control remapping and Russian voice acting, as contributing factors.
- Relaxation (weight 0.06): The game's relaxing atmosphere, lack of combat, and beautiful nature contribute to a sense of relaxation. Players appreciate the meditative and calming gameplay experience, which allows them to unwind and enjoy the game's peaceful environment.
- Love (weight 0.05): Players express love for the game due to its beautiful design, relaxing exploration, and detailed world. The emotional impact of the game, combined with its unique and enchanting atmosphere, fosters a deep appreciation and affection among players.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Enjoyment comes from the game's calm and poetic atmosphere, as well as the relaxing and fun gameplay. Players appreciate the exploration, painting mechanics, and engaging quests, which contribute to an overall enjoyable experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Satisfaction is derived from the game's relaxing and creative aspects, as well as the smooth performance and unique atmosphere. Players also feel a sense of accomplishment from completing quests and exploring the game's landscapes and mechanics.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Nostalgia is evoked by the memorable characters, stories, and the overall atmosphere of the game. Players miss the feeling and memories associated with the game, comparing it to other nostalgic experiences like Skyrim and The Joy of Painting.
- Sadness (weight 0.03): Sadness arises from finishing the game and missing the game world and its characters. The emotional depth and warmth of the game's story and atmosphere leave players with a sense of loss and longing after completing the game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the clear effort and love put into the game, as well as its artistic concept and setting. The beautiful graphics, engaging story, and relaxing experience contribute to a sense of gratitude and admiration for the game.
- Relaxed (weight 0.02): The game's meditative and atmospheric nature makes it perfect for unwinding and relaxing. Players find the game's chill and relaxing gameplay to be an ideal way to de-stress and enjoy a calming experience.
- Positive (weight 0.02): Players have a positive experience due to the game's beautiful graphics, engaging quests, and relaxing atmosphere. The enjoyable gameplay mechanics, such as exploration, puzzles, and dialogue choices, contribute to an overall positive sentiment.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is generated by the game's adventurous spirit, beautiful scenery, and unique character interactions. Players look forward to more from the studio and are eager to explore the game's unique gameplay elements and choices.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration comes from the impressive achievement by the small studio and the artistic vision of the game. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the game's design and the variety of features that contribute to its unique atmosphere.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is caused by frustration with the game's incomplete state, poor design, and misleading demo. Players express anger over progress loss, repeated quests, and the inability to refund the game.
- Enchantment (weight 0.01): Enchantment is evoked by the game's overall experience, charming and beautiful game world, and enchanting audio and visuals. Players are captivated by the game's unique atmosphere and engaging gameplay.
- Attachment (weight 0.01): Attachment is formed through emotional connections with the game's characters and their development. Players become emotionally invested in the game's story and world, leading to a sense of attachment.
- Calm (weight 0.01): The game offers a calming gaming experience, allowing players to relax and unwind. The peaceful atmosphere and lack of combat contribute to a sense of calm and tranquility.}