Oxenfree

 PC
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 49
  3. Negative: 0 out of 49
  1. PC Games
    Jan 20, 2016
    74
    Interesting decisions and clever dialogue make up for the short length and sometimes tedious exploration. As long as they don't expect traditional puzzles from Oxenfree, fans of adventure games will find an intriguing new take on the genre.
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  2. DarkZero
    Nov 15, 2016
    70
    Oxenfree is a curious and fairly short game. The wonderful voice acting and characters, the interesting themes and the beautiful backdrops are sometimes let down by poor design choices. Ultimately, for fans of story, of which I am one, it is worth playing. But if you have to get your kicks from involved gameplay, perhaps this is not the one for you.
  3. Eurogamer Poland
    Feb 21, 2016
    70
    Oxenfree from Night School Studio is a beautiful interactive thriller with interesting, but not very complicated story - a perfect game for an evening or two.
  5. Yahoo!
    Jan 15, 2016
    70
    Despite its supernatural trappings, this is a game very much about the human condition, about love and loss and how even the most innocuous decisions can leave the deepest footprints. There’s some great work here, and while Oxenfree isn’t without flaws, like its teenaged cast, it points to a promising future.
  6. Polygon
    Jan 15, 2016
    70
    Oxenfree exhibits a lot of potential that it doesn't always live up to. Its length is disappointing, and it seems to favor quantity over quality when it comes to the all-important speech bubbles. And that art style and character design is held at a distance; the camera so zoomed out that the (very limited) overworld never quite feels like home...But somehow, I'm still fascinated by all of the possibilities afforded by the swath of talking points and conclusions to uncover, however minute the changes are.
  7. Riot Pixels
    Feb 26, 2016
    63
    Maybe they should have made this story into a radio play rather than a video game?..
  8. games(TM)
    Apr 14, 2016
    60
    Intriguing game held back by a faltering script. [Issue#172, p.92]
  9. Game Rant
    Jan 16, 2016
    50
    Pacing is a problem, but the experience can be a memorable one if you buy into Night School Studio’s concept.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Mashable
    Apr 2, 2016
    It's not a resounding success, but top-notch writing, great voice performances and beautiful, lo-fi settings keep you invested in 'Oxenfree' throughout its long and arduous night.
  2. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Jan 20, 2016
    Oxenfree was an unexpected delight for me. Atmospheric, beautiful and with the ability to feel real connections between its characters.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Jan 19, 2016
    It’s to the credit of Oxenfree and its creators, Night School Studios, that its young heroes not only feel authentic, but endearingly so.
  5. Wired
    Jan 15, 2016
    Besides its unique approach to game storyline delivery, which I think will be studied and copied in the future, Oxenfree shows some smart thinking about the relationship between games and players. It’s a unique mix that should make Night School’s future productions ones to watch, and this an auspicious debut.

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best PC Game of 2016
49
#49 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
91
#91 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 366 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 247 out of 366
  2. Mixed: 91 out of 366
  3. Negative: 28 out of 366
  1. Zer0TheHer0
    May 20, 2016
    0
    no keyboard configuration?are you kidding=keybinding not redefinable are totally unacceptable in this time and age.........learn to properlyno keyboard configuration?are you kidding=keybinding not redefinable are totally unacceptable in this time and age.........learn to properly program an user interface......................… Full Review »
  2. Brousitch
    Jan 22, 2016
    7
    Yeah, the dialog system is the main offender here, constantly frustrating in the sense it makes you you feel you are missing out on theYeah, the dialog system is the main offender here, constantly frustrating in the sense it makes you you feel you are missing out on the intriguing story and not getting the full experience. The less you are willing to forgive, the more will be the ending and inevitably the whole playthrough painfully unsatisfying in spite of amazing art and atmosphere.… Full Review »
  3. Hack
    May 28, 2017
    7
    I'm a fan of the genre but sometimes these games fall into the walking simulator trap and Oxenfree definitely does at times, you will spend aI'm a fan of the genre but sometimes these games fall into the walking simulator trap and Oxenfree definitely does at times, you will spend a lot of time walking around (quite slowly) with little to occupy you as you do. It's not the worst offender in the genre but at times I did get a little bored.

    I liked the visuals, especially the world which was very detailed and almost lifelike, which made the character models look out of place as a result, though. The audio was OK as a package, I liked the voice acting but I really disliked the music and it never looped well, you could always hear where it was stopping and starting again, there was no flow to it. Gameplay wise it's as basic as it gets, directional movement, use, radio, map, that's it.

    The story is always the most important part and it was good and more importantly your choices matter! And it's not just the last few choices ala Telltale games, all your choices matter and will shape your ending of which there are many which gives this game good replay value. Overall a charming little game that got a little slow and boring at times but ultimately was enjoyable enough to recommend to fans of the genre.    … Full Review »
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