Night in the Woods

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 427 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 294 out of 427
  2. Mixed: 71 out of 427
  3. Negative: 62 out of 427

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  1. JaydenPickens
    Feb 20, 2019
    8
    Loved the story, characters, the town vibe, graphics, soundtrack, but should this be a game? We don't do much except walking and sometimes picking up pizza slices or playing bass etc. Don't get me wrong, I still liked it, but they could've give us more to do. All in all this game was an amazing experience. Pickens approves!
  2. NeoTheFox
    Mar 29, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I liked this game, mostly for its great character development and art style. The soundtrack is really good too, but what I feel is lacking is the story. On the first few days in Possum springs it feels like the game would mostly be about the relationships with other people in town, and about Mae herself, but then the whole cult thing happens, and it feels really rushed. This game builds up a good story, but then falls down to literally explaining everything that was happening through one dialog, meant to put an end to the cult story, however, nothing really gets resolved, the mystery remains, and soon after the game just ends abruptly. I feel like if the whole game would be more like the first part of it, where you are just hanging out with people it would be a much better game.

    Unsatisfied with the ending I went online to check out other people are making out of it, and I found a tweet from the developer, explaining the whole thing as a political statement and nothing more. This made me even more frustrated because that is a really bad thing to do - the game's story should make sense in the context of the game itself, and in that case, we are getting a usual cliche open ending, that is so much common in indie titles that its starting to get old.    … Expand
  3. PublicNuisance
    Mar 2, 2019
    8
    I wouldn’t be surprised if some people found Night in the Woods boring. There is not much “gameplay” to speak of aside from some light platforming. What it does have though is one of the better stories I have come across in recent memory. It’s characters go through very relatable issues and aside from a couple plot twists is grounded in more reality than most games dare to dream of. TheI wouldn’t be surprised if some people found Night in the Woods boring. There is not much “gameplay” to speak of aside from some light platforming. What it does have though is one of the better stories I have come across in recent memory. It’s characters go through very relatable issues and aside from a couple plot twists is grounded in more reality than most games dare to dream of. The game puts you in the shoes of Mae who has just dropped out of college and moved back in with her parents and is trying to reconnect with friends while trying to navigate strange events happening in town.

    I didn’t enjoy the main charcter at times as she is pretty much a screwup who doesn’t realize how childish she is being and is pretty selfish at times. That being said I see it as an authentic character as many people are like this and there is nothing saying I have to like a main character to enjoy a game. The supporting cast of her parents and her home town friends are all interesting in their own ways and I liked learning more about them as the story moved forward. The game consists of exploring around town talking to your friends, townsfolks and your parents. Depending on which friends you talk with will decide whose story you see the most of. Talking with certain townsfolk will shed more light on them as well. When you go to bed each night there is a dream section that is based around platforming sections to find the exit to the dream. The platforming sections are well done aside from the odd time I found them hard to navigate. They have a creepy quality about them and a great soundtrack. In between dealing with friends you can take part in voluntary mini games such as a 2D action game on Mae’s laptop and taking part in band practice with friends. Lukily the band practice can be skipped without consequence because it is like playing Rock Band which I depise. The game’s art direction was well done. It’s got a unique style to it that isn’t quite cell shaded or realistic, somewhere in between the two. There is no voice acting but I didn’t find this to be a bad thing. I will say that, while the overall story was fantastic, the last 15 minutes of the game felt rushed and left certain plot lines unfinished in my eyes. There are a lot of dialogue choices you get to make when talking to people, how much they affect the story I’m unsure of.

    I played Night in the Woods on Linux. It never crashed on me once. I used build 406 from Itch.io. Alt-Tab didn’t work for me. There were no graphics options to speak of to adjust aside from choosing resolution and choosing between full-screen and windowed mode. I get that spectacular graphics were not a high priority for the developers, they weren’t shooting to make the next Crysis, but being able to crank up AA, AF, etc is kind of a standard feature on PC games. It took me just over 6 hours to finish the game. There are no difficulty settings. There were no manual saves allowed. It says that you can “save and quit” at any time but “saving” means dumping you at the last checkpoint and the game doesn’t do a good job of letting you know when those are happening so often I had to repeat little bits. The game never lagged on me at all and was smooth as butter.

    Overall Night in the Woods was a great experience. It had a wonderful story full of great characters, was very stable, had great art and soundtrack. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Those who enjoy games like Oxenfree, Life is Strange, Gone Home and other games that focus on Story will probably love Night in the Woods. I paid $19.99 USD for it and I found it was well worth the price.

    My Score: 8.5/10

    My system:

    AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | 16GB DDR4-3000 CL15 | MSI RX 580 8GB Gaming X | Mesa 18.3.3 | Manjaro Mate | Kernel 4.20.11-1-MANJARO | AOC G2460P @1920*1080 144hz    … Expand
  4. TurtleTurtle
    Jul 3, 2017
    9
    This game is a beautifully written and directed game with a charming art style and touching dialogue. It follows the story of an average 20 year old college drop out while she struggles to grasp the inevitability of becoming an adult in her own quirky way. It perfectly captures the awkwardness of the transitional period between teenager and adult and makes a vibrant and tangible world toThis game is a beautifully written and directed game with a charming art style and touching dialogue. It follows the story of an average 20 year old college drop out while she struggles to grasp the inevitability of becoming an adult in her own quirky way. It perfectly captures the awkwardness of the transitional period between teenager and adult and makes a vibrant and tangible world to explore.

    I did not personally find the pace to be an issue and felt as though everything worked well. It does lack gameplay aspects so if you are looking for an exciting game to test your skills with, look elsewhere, but if you are looking for a game that rewards exploration and has a ton of replay value this is it.

    My one complaint with the game (and the reason that I couldn't give it 10/10) is the ending it feels rushed and out of the blue with some parts being downright confusing. Only after a few playthroughs did I come to a satisfying conclusion regarding the meaning of the ending and how it relates to the story but overall it is a game well worth playing, a personal favorite and one that I solidly recommend.    … Expand
  5. kitto
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    I first heard about NITW when kickstarter for it was up, and decided to give it a go when it would come out.
    During all this long years since announcement I managed to forgot about it entirely. Surprisingly enough, this would be my game of 2017 - maybe NITW is not ideal gameplay-wise, but I really doubt that something comparable by emotional impact would come out in years to come. 10/10,    I first heard about NITW when kickstarter for it was up, and decided to give it a go when it would come out.
    During all this long years since announcement I managed to forgot about it entirely. Surprisingly enough, this would be my game of 2017 - maybe NITW is not ideal gameplay-wise, but I really doubt that something comparable by emotional impact would come out in years to come. 10/10, highly recommend.    … Expand
  6. PunMutt
    Mar 18, 2017
    9
    Admittedly, Night in the Woods has some patches where the game feels slow and tedious, however this is completely out shadowed by the feel of the setting, the charming characters along with their wonderfully written interactions. I wouldn't call Night in the Woods a traditional game, it flows something more like say a Tell-tale game where it focuses on characters and themes such asAdmittedly, Night in the Woods has some patches where the game feels slow and tedious, however this is completely out shadowed by the feel of the setting, the charming characters along with their wonderfully written interactions. I wouldn't call Night in the Woods a traditional game, it flows something more like say a Tell-tale game where it focuses on characters and themes such as anxiety, self-wroth and may more self-reflecting ideas. However, this does come at the cost of the gameplay as there isn't much of it there to be quite honest; if this kind of thing isn't something you enjoy as a player I'd avoid NITWs.

    Otherwise, if you do enjoy charmingly written characters, a memorable soundtrack, loving to search around for little bits of character details or just love being in a plain wonderful setting for a story then Night in the Woods is for you.    … Expand
  7. Hellfire78
    Mar 23, 2017
    10
    NITW is an exquisite game, with rich story, and each character have it's individual background story, plus an awfully nice music to listen while playing. But not everyone like this kind of game for sure, in this recent age, people like fast paced game more, instead seat down and enjoy the story. I played this game for 93 hours and i enjoyed every SECOND of it, even with this much of playNITW is an exquisite game, with rich story, and each character have it's individual background story, plus an awfully nice music to listen while playing. But not everyone like this kind of game for sure, in this recent age, people like fast paced game more, instead seat down and enjoy the story. I played this game for 93 hours and i enjoyed every SECOND of it, even with this much of play time i can still draw more connection between characters. And if you are interested in this game but don't know what to expect, play the game supplement (LOST CONSTELLATION & LONGEST NIGHT) to see what you will get in the NITW.(it's free, so why not?)… Expand
  8. Colton5054
    Mar 18, 2017
    9
    Probably one of my favorite games of 2017 this far. The atmosphere is great, the character design is great, the dialogue is quirky and fun. There is just so much to love and so little to hate about this game, for me at least.
  9. MattFox
    Mar 19, 2017
    10
    They sure made a fantastic story, characters, music, world. Every single character is unique in there own way. For me without a doubt, this game is one of the best indie game of 2017
  10. FromKanga
    Jul 1, 2017
    9
    Night in the woods is a 2D story-driven platformer made by Infinite Fall and Finji.
    I've seen a lot of good reviews for this game which got me interested, so I decided to play it and I loved it.
    Night in the woods has one of the strongest and most mature stories I've seen in quite a long time, it has a lot of different themes that I can really relate to and it does have a good mystery.    Night in the woods is a 2D story-driven platformer made by Infinite Fall and Finji.
    I've seen a lot of good reviews for this game which got me interested, so I decided to play it and I loved it.

    Night in the woods has one of the strongest and most mature stories I've seen in quite a long time, it has a lot of different themes that I can really relate to and it does have a good mystery. The characters are lovable and relatable, the main character is a very flawed person but you do feel sorry for her and you don't want to see her in pain, the other characters are funny, sarcastic and they also have a lot of moments where you do feel for them and near the end I was almost in tears.

    The gameplay has surprisingly a lot of variety, it's mostly walking around and talk to different people but the game has a lot of mini-games, which makes the game a little more unique.
    But the gameplay is probably the weakest part of the game, but that's okay because the story did carry the entire experience and it's refreshing sometimes.

    I do believe it's worth paying 20 bucks to play this game, it took me 8 hours and it does have some replay value so I do recommend it, it's for now my favourite story of 2017.    … Expand
  11. RagingPoet
    Nov 30, 2017
    8
    Night in the Woods got amazing characters, detailed and colorful world, but the gameplay is kinda repetitive - sidescroll movement with almost no platforming or difficulty. You will have to check every location in town everyday to make sure that you won't miss a sidestory. And subplots are great here so you don't wonna miss them)
  12. Castanea
    Feb 23, 2017
    9
    NITW is like someone took parts of Bojack Horseman, Life is Strange, Stranger Things and the better coming-of-age movies and mixed them all together in the rustbelt to create something sincere and unique. ----------------

    What I appreciated the most in my 8 1/2-hour playthrough was how the raw realism in the script, the setting and the narrative (including its main theme) blended so    NITW is like someone took parts of Bojack Horseman, Life is Strange, Stranger Things and the better coming-of-age movies and mixed them all together in the rustbelt to create something sincere and unique. ----------------

    What I appreciated the most in my 8 1/2-hour playthrough was how the raw realism in the script, the setting and the narrative (including its main theme) blended so well with the cute, papercraft-resembling visuals and cozy musical score. ------------------------

    The main character and her little group of friends were far from the cool, faux-witty and jaded hipsters I expected, and soon I wanted to see what would happen next, to see if I could get them to laugh or get a chance to make them feel better. The dialogue sequences were full of cute jokes, funny pastiches on "woke" lingo, flirting and some tense cringey moments that felt natural without being devoid of the writer's personal touch.-----------------------

    This game is strong and has no real substitutes. I wish it was scarier at times and offered a slightly more elaborate ending, but I was satisfied with and slightly shaken by my journey. This game is serious, heavy and topical, but it doesn't *try* to be, and that means it is worth playing a few times to understand how it accomplishes something many game creators fail at.    … Expand
  13. XxX-jesus-XxX
    Feb 28, 2017
    10
    This is amazing indie games of 2017 I have a huge blast playing it. I like the characters in the game. The art is to dead for it so stuck in my head. I give these game a awesome 10/10 best kick starter game!
  14. KyleTheFox
    Jul 16, 2017
    10
    Absolutely amazing game, I'd recommend it to about anyone. The story is very good and the music through the whole game is beautiful, the game is probably the only one I'd want a squeal to.
  15. aralath
    Aug 7, 2018
    8
    Charming story. The world in the game is unique but you feel close. Recommend it.
  16. Fala_fi
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    Don't have worlds to say how much i loved this game, everything about this game is amazing
  17. theowest
    Apr 23, 2020
    8
    Incredibly cozy and full of rich characters in a beautifully realized world. Quirky and random gameplay elements with a comfortable 1 hour per day pacing. Great vibes, sounds, and style all around!

    Overall a fairly simple game, with not much impact or thought-input from the player which is what ultimately brings it down a bit.

    Still, I'm not regretting playing it!
  18. keanex
    Apr 7, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Night in the Woods is a game that explores anxiety, depression, a small town losing the last bit of luster it has, the struggles of death, lack of money, and an interesting group of friends - all within a cartoonish town with anthropomorphic animals. If that doesn't make you want to play, I don't know what will.

    I took my time, completing the game in about 17 hours with 42% of achievements unlocked. I took my time playing this and accepted just about every invitation from town-goers to join them on their excursions or listen to their stories. It seems I'm a bit on the slow side, but Night in the Woods isn't a game to rush, it's a game to enjoy and take in.

    The graphics are cute and quirky and the music fits the mood, at times creating a sense of longing, and other times creating a sense of urgency - and everything in-between. The overarching story follows Mae, but to get a real sense of the town and the struggles of it you must explore, and communicate with the townsfolk daily. Some may find this to be a chore, and while this is somewhat true, I feel that Night in the Woods is paced fairly well, adding new suspense, mini-games, or scenery just as the town is getting long in the tooth.

    A well worthwhile experience, I'm very happy that I played this.

    Edit, 4/8/2021: Rating changed to 10/10. I still think about this game a lot and that counts for something.    … Expand
  19. CurlyJefferson
    Mar 20, 2018
    8
    Very cool and depressing millennial simulator. Three of the four main characters in this game are some of the best written characters in video games.
  20. SebboBastian
    Dec 24, 2018
    8
    One of the best written dialogues for a game, so much love, relationship depth, mental illness and real life vibes. Cockiness that reminds me about the movie Ghost World.

    Love this damn game and yeah, Gregg rulez ok!
  21. sarahlee123
    May 20, 2019
    9
    While you might not expect it from a game with such a cute aesthetic, Night in the Woods isn't afraid to tackle heavy issues, such as mental health, existential dread, and the decay of America's rural towns.

    Some of the game's highlights include its entertainingly witty dialogue, delightful art style, and believable characters. Even if your own background differs from that of the    While you might not expect it from a game with such a cute aesthetic, Night in the Woods isn't afraid to tackle heavy issues, such as mental health, existential dread, and the decay of America's rural towns.

    Some of the game's highlights include its entertainingly witty dialogue, delightful art style, and believable characters. Even if your own background differs from that of the protagonist Mae, you may find yourself relating to her if you've ever struggled with social anxiety or low self-worth, or simply felt lost. Her signature snarkiness is also welcome as it brings some comic relief to some of the game's darker moments.

    Scenes with Mae's colorful cast of friends make for some of Night in the Woods' best moments. It's difficult to choose between wild child Gregg and sarcastic, down-to-earth Bea. If you want to experience all of the scenes with each character, you'll have to go back for a second playthrough.

    For all its charms, Night in the Woods isn't without flaws. For a game with an already slow pace, some of the platforming can get a little tedious, particularly in the dream sequences, which, while beautifully rendered, can start to feel like a bit of a chore, particularly toward the end of the game. Gameplay also involves a lot of wandering around the world. This can feel aimless at times due to the lack of a clear goal or path to take, but does make sense considering the game's story and themes.

    There's also plenty to see in Possom Springs, and completionists will enjoy chatting with the many periphery characters inhabiting the game's world and powering through plentiful mini-games, including the challenging yet strangely addictive game-within-a-game Demon Tower.

    Night in the Woods will take you for an emotional ride, and its anthropomorphic characters can sometimes feel more human than real people. It's one of those games that stays with you long after you've finished playing it.    … Expand
  22. TrieuDuong16870
    Jul 20, 2018
    10
    Incredibly well written. The game portrayed social life through those animal friends perfectly ( and yes i'm talking about the ending also ). It had a great impact on my life after a lot of things i've been through, because this game helped me realize i'm not the only one or in a minority who's being through these problems.
  23. AdaptiveTech
    Jul 5, 2019
    9
    Thoroughly enjoyable character dialogue, nice slow burn / reveal of the main story elements, plenty of secrets to be discovered in multiple replays, and one HELL of a climax. The finale blends macroscopic and microscopic themes into one cohesive narrative, which gives the player one of the most astounding "ah-ha!" moments when everything falls into place.

    There are a few trite /    Thoroughly enjoyable character dialogue, nice slow burn / reveal of the main story elements, plenty of secrets to be discovered in multiple replays, and one HELL of a climax. The finale blends macroscopic and microscopic themes into one cohesive narrative, which gives the player one of the most astounding "ah-ha!" moments when everything falls into place.

    There are a few trite / sophomoric lines here and there, but that can be forgiven in light of the craftsmanship, care, and humor put into the story.    … Expand
  24. enei200
    Apr 30, 2019
    8
    One of my all time favourites. Night In The Woods is an amazing storytelling game with great funny characters and interesting plot. Every person is unique and interesting to come around and talk to. The music is next-level and probably is as amazing as in Undertale (or even better!).
    But, they left a huge plot hole and, as I know, there will be no continuation. This is sad, because the    One of my all time favourites. Night In The Woods is an amazing storytelling game with great funny characters and interesting plot. Every person is unique and interesting to come around and talk to. The music is next-level and probably is as amazing as in Undertale (or even better!).
    But, they left a huge plot hole and, as I know, there will be no continuation. This is sad, because the main story had much potential and it was a little bit ruined.
    In conclusion, if you like relaxing story-telling games, which doesn't focus that much on the gameplay - This is the must-play one for you    … Expand
  25. Predictbot
    Oct 27, 2018
    10
    Probably the only game ( novel ) up to this point described all the problems we have in our society in a perfectly animated art style.
  26. solarstrIker
    Dec 2, 2018
    9
    Beautiful Game. Takes you on a modern coming of age trip (especially through the downs). It's slow, but very calming and the graphic design is a 10. I give NITW a 9, because it´s more like reading a book than gaming, but in the best way possible and the creators didn't miss out on some actually relevant themes in the life of young folks today.
  27. AbaddonMason
    May 1, 2023
    10
    Воу, просто воу, давно такого не было, чтобы я чувствовал страх, что игра скоро закончится. И она закончилась, но это было круто, очень круто.
  28. maeeeeee
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    I honestly don't know where to begin with this game. It's a roller-coaster ride of emotions from start to finish and connected with me on a level that no other game has before.
  29. ArcanaThe4th
    May 25, 2019
    9
    Emotional, mature, and honest, Night In The Woods is an exploration of adulthood, maturity, religion, mental health and personal relationships in a very unique way wrapped around a good light horror and cosmic horror packaging. Scary when it needs to be and emotional all the time, this might have been one of the most touching games I've ever played and I can identify with every character'sEmotional, mature, and honest, Night In The Woods is an exploration of adulthood, maturity, religion, mental health and personal relationships in a very unique way wrapped around a good light horror and cosmic horror packaging. Scary when it needs to be and emotional all the time, this might have been one of the most touching games I've ever played and I can identify with every character's very much human and tri-dimensional struggle because life can be crappy, whether or not you have to deal with ghosts.… Expand
  30. Harv-E
    Oct 22, 2020
    10
    What I think is the greatest fiction and writing and created; held together with perfectly fleshed out and developed characters, gorgeous graphics, masterfully crafted music and every functionality done to perfection
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Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best PC Game of 2017
41
#41 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
93
#93 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. PC PowerPlay
    May 23, 2017
    100
    A warm, moving tale of alienation and redemption in the era of late stage capitalism.
    Read full review
  2. Games Master UK
    May 19, 2017
    85
    A delightfully different narrative experience that offers the perfect blend of serious and silly. [Apr 2017, p.79]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 18, 2017
    100
    Beautifully created adventure game will catch you not only for its visuals, but mainly by the way it observes the problems of young adults. [Issue#273]
See all critic reviews »