STAY

 PlayStation 4
STAY Image
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7 Ratings

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  • Summary: When Quinn wakes up alone in a locked room with nothing of note save for a computer hooked up to an internet chat room in which you’re present, you become his single ray of hope.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. Washington Post
    Oct 1, 2018
    90
    Quinn’s story is a reminder of how, at any moment, chaos may erupt into our lives. By focusing on his troubles and dramatizing our efforts to help him, “Stay” ties itself to a tradition of existentialist artwork.
  2. Worth Playing
    Mar 22, 2019
    85
    By creating a timer feature that tracks how much time we're away from Quinn, Stay extends its memorable experience beyond our gaming monitor and asks us how long we're willing to stay away when it has negative consequences. With great narrative and relatable content, the title falters in creating far too complex puzzles that transform the game from Stay into Stuck. However, Quinn's story (and our story) create solid and thoughtful gameplay that keeps us coming back for more. If one can overlook the puzzling mishaps, Stay is a title that reaches out to all of us and creates a worthwhile experience.
  3. VideoGamer
    Sep 11, 2018
    70
    Stay’s compelling lead character and gripping dialogue ensures you’ll want to see Quinn’s journey through to the end. It’s just a shame it spends a bit too much time testing your patience with irksome puzzles and some needless waffling.
  4. The Digital Fix
    Sep 20, 2018
    70
    STAY has an interesting storyline that is very relatable and can teach individuals about emotional intelligence, human psychology and mental health. The puzzles are quite frustrating at times but this can be simply overlooked once completed and you continue with the original storyline. The soundtrack of the game leaves areas for improvement and the pixel art could have been created at a better quality however this is my personal preference as I set the bar quite high due to the other pixel artists.
  5. God is a Geek
    Sep 18, 2018
    60
    Stay has so much promise, and initially gripped me in a very personal way. As the story goes on though, ridiculous puzzles and multiple restarts will frustrate you, souring the overall experience.
  6. TheSixthAxis
    Oct 5, 2018
    40
    STAY can’t be faulted for its aspirations and the attempt to make a believable character in Quinn, to create an individual that the player will want to help. However, the result is a near endless stream of lacklustre dialogue that made it incredibly difficult to stay to the end.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 2 out of 3
  1. AlkrEvans
    Nov 6, 2018
    10
    Stay is an indie game created with all the affection and dedication of its developers Appnormals. At first look, it looks like a storytellingStay is an indie game created with all the affection and dedication of its developers Appnormals. At first look, it looks like a storytelling game where you can take decisions in specific moments, but the truth is that this game goes deeper than that.

    The story starts with Quinn, the main character, being in a dangerous situation and he desperately ask for help using a text chat in a computer. In this moment is when you, the player, receive his help message and you will become his only contact in the world and his last ray of hope.

    Afterwards, Quinn will tell you what happened to him, which is his story and will ask for advice to know what to do in certain situations. However, is not like he will do exactly what you tell him to do. Quinn is a person and, even if you are the only person he can talk, he won’t trust you to tell you his secrets from start. You will have to gain Quinn’s confidence with your actions, just as the game advances. First, you will be strangers to each other, but slowly you will turn into acquaintances and even friends. Just what happens when you meet a person in real life.

    The game doesn’t consist only in read text and take decisions. While you are talking with Quinn you can see him in a corner of the screen with a beautiful pixel art as if he was using a webcam. Using this feature you will see his reactions when you give him advices and even when he is lying to you.

    Quinn is in a dangerous situation and he won’t be talking with you all the time. He will decide if he needs time to stay alone or if he is going to investigate the place where he is trying to find some clues. In this part is where the great pixel art of Stay really shines showing us Quinn’s movements when he is not using the computer and the world that surrounds him. Due to it you can see Quinn’s suffering and his attempts trying to face the different situations he is in. That really makes you want to help him even more.

    In specific moments, while Quinn is investigating, will find something or objects that take his interest and become a puzzle that you will have to solve so he can continue the adventure. In my opinion, I love the way that puzzles are introduced in the game. You look at it and you will have to know how to solve it without any extra help. When you solve them it’s really gratifying, but it is true that some puzzles that you find later in the story are really hard without any hint.

    I want to highlight the gorgeous OST. I really loved it. It makes you feel Quinn’s loneliness and his efforts to survive. It is difficult to explain all this sensations with words, so I recommend that when people play it they must use headphones. In that moment they will understand what I’m trying to say.

    Taking all that into account is how yours and Quinn’s adventure pass while you are enjoying the pixel art and the OST together with the humanity of its main character. All these features make that you really go deep into the game and that you think even about your own life.

    Every person had been in a hard situation in their lives. In one hand, there are those people that were lucky and they had someone who could help them. On the other hand, there are the people that hadn’t someone to talk about the situation and, even if they can’t do it, they scream from their insides “Help!”. Quinn would be in the second group of people, isolated from the world and asking for help in a text chat without even knowing if he will receive an answer.

    In my opinion, I really enjoyed the game and I hope that lots of people answers his help message. I answered and I started this adventure with Quinn in the mysterious story of Stay. An adventure I will never forget and that I will play it again for sure. The saddest thing is that he will forget about me and our adventure together.

    My friend Quinn, I won’t forget.    … Expand
  2. Tritonio
    Nov 7, 2020
    4
    This could have been much better if the puzzles didn't exist as some of them just don't work for me. The one with the compass is justThis could have been much better if the puzzles didn't exist as some of them just don't work for me. The one with the compass is just unpredictable, the same solution sometimes works sometimes it doesn't and it's not clear why. And overall few of them were enjoyable. BTW I never played much beyond the compass puzzle as the game basically asks you to throw a coin to make a decision, and I died and had to replay the whole chapter including the buggy compass puzzle. No, thank you, I have other things to play.

    It was good while it lasted.    … Expand
  4. UltimateRich
    Mar 2, 2021
    1
    The main character is annoying and childish, even though they are supposed to be a psychiatrist. The puzzles range from idiotically easy toThe main character is annoying and childish, even though they are supposed to be a psychiatrist. The puzzles range from idiotically easy to completely obtuse. The controls for the puzzles aren't explained either. Terrible both as a puzzle game and a visual novel.… Expand