Rumu

 PC
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Apr 12, 2018
    90
    For a story starring a robot vacuum cleaner and a smart home A.I., the short but sweet Rumu showcases a wide spectrum of human emotions, which is a feat that not even many people-centric dramas achieve.
  2. DarkZero
    Feb 6, 2018
    90
    There may be much of Rumu’s narrative that is not wholly original, but the story excels as it engages modern human sensibilities. It sometimes falls into sci-fi genre tropes, but never wallows in them. It is futuristic at times, but never out of reach. Always careful to remain relatable, accessible, and grounded. The lovable vacuum cleaner that is Rumu never forgets how to love, but as a game Rumu always strives to highlight compassion – an element crucial to molding an engaging story.
  3. Hooked Gamers
    Dec 18, 2017
    83
    I have to admit, I haven’t been this invested in a sentient device since I watched Wall-E. Although the game has us following the journey of Rumu, it is the story that is going on around him that kept me engaged throughout. The puzzles are not overly difficult, allowing for the story to flow wonderfully well. The interaction between Rumu and Sabrina allow for the perfect blend of robotic and human emotions which become more human-like as the story unfolds. And the voice acting of Sabrina perfectly complements the dramatic nature of the narrative. Hints of humour also sneak into the game to lighten the mood in the game that provides some wonderful insights into family and getting a work/life balance evenly proportioned.
  5. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 16, 2018
    80
    A sci-fi story, stunning at sight, condenses a good story in its two hours, far deeper than it would seem from a banal premise. [Issue#282]
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  6. PC PowerPlay
    Dec 13, 2017
    80
    A compelling narrative experience, structured like a classic science fiction short story in which you can drive a sentient vacuum cleaner around.
  7. Everyeye.it
    Feb 25, 2018
    75
    This is an interesting product, which the most curious players, looking for unusual titles, should hold in high esteem.

Awards & Rankings

86
#86 Best PC Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. TitaniumDragon
    Jun 28, 2019
    6
    RUMU is a simple little walking simulator about a sentient Roomba and a smarthouse AI. You are Rumu, a little vacuum cleaner. Your purpose isRUMU is a simple little walking simulator about a sentient Roomba and a smarthouse AI. You are Rumu, a little vacuum cleaner. Your purpose is to clean… and to love. You are assured that the humans who own you, Cecily and David, love you, but, alas, you don’t get to see them – instead, you vacuum the house while they’re away, and then go into sleep mode when they’re home.

    Or do you?

    This is a very simple game; it has extremely simple puzzles, and its primary appeal is the unfolding narrative, told via a combination of conversations with Sabrina, the smart house AI, and environmental storytelling. It’s obvious from the very beginning that something is right – that there’s some REASON why it is that you can’t see your human family, who you are programmed to love, despite having never seen them – and the whole of the game is spent trying to find out why it is that you never see them, what it is that Sabrina is trying to keep away from you, and the life and family drama surrounding the humans who made you.

    The actual gameplay here is nothing to write home about – you drive around, you click on stuff to interact with it, you drive over stuff on the floor to clean it up/pick it up. The main attraction here is the story, and the mystery of why it is you’re not seeing the humans who you’re supposed to be cleaning up after, and why the smart house AI is keeping you out of various parts of the house.

    And in that regard, the game succeeds reasonably well. I spent the first half of the game speculating about what had happened, and as the game went on, the possibilities got narrowed down until I finally learned what happened towards the end of the game.

    I’d say the biggest knock against the game is in the pacing; the first half of the game is reasonably paced, but as you get towards the end, the mystery is resolved but the game acts as if it is not. This results in a disconnect between the player and the game, because it feels like the game is belaboring the point – we want to move on to the consequences and fallout, but the game is instead stretching out “the reveal” well past the point where we know what happened.

    Overall, though, I liked this game. I spent a fair bit of the first half of it laughing about it and talking about it with a friend, then focused on finishing it after they went to bed. It’s not very long – about three hours if you’re just playing it through – but I got it on sale for under $3, so it’s hard to argue that I somehow didn’t get good value. The game was entertaining, gave me fun things to think about and talk about, and made me smile, and in the end, what more can you really ask for?

    If you’re into narrative-focused games, then this game might be worth taking a shot at – it’s presently on sale for under $3 USD, and for a few hours of my time, I got something that I’ll remember. If you are primarily focused on games that focus on gameplay, however, you’d best steer clear.    … Full Review »
  2. Rrichard
    Dec 18, 2017
    7
    An interesting niche experience. For $20, I was hoping for something a bit more though. There was a moment when the lights when out, and IAn interesting niche experience. For $20, I was hoping for something a bit more though. There was a moment when the lights when out, and I thought, 'hell yeh, time for some thrills!', but... that was it.

    Really its the kind of game we should be seeing on iPad, if the iOS market was not completely broken and allowing only F2P games an audience.

    The puzzles are very limited. Pick it up on sale when its 50% off or below.    … Full Review »
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