Encodya

Encodya doesn’t bring anything new to the point-and-click genre, but that’s not really what it’s going for. It’s a coming-of-age tale set in a dystopian world that, honestly, doesn’t seem too far off from where we as a society might be headed. Chaosmonger Studio does well to ground Tina in reality, despite living in a world full of superficial facades and virtual dangers - all with the help of her lumbering, lovable companion SAM-53. (Great name, by the way.)

As a massive fan of Blade Runner, Studio Ghibli, and Monkey Island, I was let down by the derivative nature of Encodya. What’s most disappointing is that it’s obvious how much care and love went into its development. The visuals look spectacular, the central character relationship is touching, and the developers’ affection for the source material is evident. Unfortunately, the game not only fails to rise to its inspirations but seems to pull from them without an understanding of why they worked in the first place. That said, if you’re looking for a heartwarming story to scratch an old-school adventure game itch, then Encodya might be a good match! Just try not to expect anything overly original.

Excellent aesthetics cyberpunk point 'n' click adventure, with a nice story and beautiful characters, which leaves a bittersweet taste in the end.

You can’t help but love the robot and the orphan. Unfortunately neither the simple point&click mechanics nor the simple story are above average.

I wish the devs from Chaosmonger Studio could decide whether they’re making a funny and cute game or a dark and depressing one. Encodya tries to be both and is not great at it, as it pulls its punches when it has a chance to tell something more meaningful, only to bestow some cheap wisdom a bit later. Apart from that, it overwhelmed me with the amount of useless junk you hoard in your inventory (I didn’t use most of the items even once), and disappointed me with uninteresting puzzles. [04/2021, p.55]

An interesting world full of cool ideas sadly hampered by its story and gameplay pacing. Encodya has a great variety of content and puzzles to baffle and test players of all skill levels that make the game worth the price of admission. If point and click adventures are of interest, then this title should be on a wish list as it presents a unique experience and story that would have benefitted from a little bit more feedback and a patch.

Encodya truly has some neat aspects going for it. Endearing characters, beautiful art design, solid quality of life features. However, none of those are enough to overcome a heavy-handed narrative and some messy gameplay mechanics. Encodya is a sometimes passable, middling take on Cyberpunk, and an average point-and-click adventure.

Encodya is a disappointing attempt at reviving the point-and-click genre. It has none of the charm or challenge of the greats of the past and offers nothing new.