Journal

 PC
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 4 out of 10

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  1. tvkiki
    Feb 20, 2014
    8
    This isn't a game for masses, not a first person shooter with high quality graphics. It isn't a whole world of role-playing with monsters, weapons and magic. This isn't a strategy game with huge armies to control. If you only play games because of these, then back away slowly from this game. This is just a simple story about a young girl, and how she struggles with some events in her life.This isn't a game for masses, not a first person shooter with high quality graphics. It isn't a whole world of role-playing with monsters, weapons and magic. This isn't a strategy game with huge armies to control. If you only play games because of these, then back away slowly from this game. This is just a simple story about a young girl, and how she struggles with some events in her life.

    With all the Telltale Games (Walking Dead and Wolf Among Us) interactive stories are becoming more and more and more popular. This game is not that great neither with story, neither with gameplay, neither with graphics, but it crawls into your heart. In it's 1-2 hour gameplay, you control a girl and have to rebuild her somehow-erased journal, walking through the sketchy, but beautiful hand-drawn pages of the journal. I have to admit the surroundings and 3D elements could have been made better, but the journal parts were weird in a lovely way and the narrating circus parts were just magnificent.

    I think indie game maker, Richard Perrin, did a great job with this game's story. You are in a fog the whole game, you don't know the most important thing, and it is seldomly mentioned. The game focuses on speaking to other character, and deciding how the girl should behave. There are a couple of bigger decisions, but you can't change the major storyline. Because you are a little girl nobody wants to tell you anything, your parents don't want to tell you why they separated, plus you have troubles at school, struggling with anxiety, and depending on how you behave with your friends will decide how they treat you in the end. Just like in real life. The story deals with these things, which might seem difficult even for an adult, but how these things are even more difficult for a child. Meanwhile there is another storyline with shadow figurines, which at first might seem like it has nothing to do with our young girl, but in the end integrates slowly into her life.

    I highly recommend this game, although as I mentioned it before, not for anyone who can't appreciate a simple but makes-you-think story.    … Expand
  2. hellznrg
    Nov 17, 2014
    10
    This is a game you will either love or hate.. it really depends on YOU. I for one liked this game. Short & sweet, good piano music, good atmosphere, good voices and dialogue. It's basically an interactive story.
  3. hfffoman
    May 4, 2014
    8
    This is more a story than a game though it has freedom of navigation and dialogue choices which are important as the game is basically a dialogue. The story is moving and psychologically mature making it well worth playing, but be warned everything else about the game is very basic and there are some gross programming errors where obsolete dialogue options aren't removed from the menus.This is more a story than a game though it has freedom of navigation and dialogue choices which are important as the game is basically a dialogue. The story is moving and psychologically mature making it well worth playing, but be warned everything else about the game is very basic and there are some gross programming errors where obsolete dialogue options aren't removed from the menus. The developers could fix this in 10 minutes. I also recommend The White Chamber by the same person. In my view it is equally good and was released free 10 years ago.… Expand
  4. richard_lowenth
    Mar 2, 2014
    9
    This is different from everything I have ever played. In spite of being short, I was fascinated by the story and what an ending!

    If you like new gaming experiences, you must try this out! Nice dialogues!

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. CD-Action
    Jun 28, 2014
    75
    One of those finds that makes digging through indie games worthwhile. [05/2014, p.71]
  2. PC Gamer UK
    Apr 29, 2014
    48
    Despite its clumsy handling of some issues, Journal has clever moments. [May 2014, p.91]
  3. Hardcore Gamer
    Mar 2, 2014
    80
    All of this should prove without a doubt that Journal is a video game that will work for some people, while others simply won’t see the point.
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