User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 150 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 150
  2. Negative: 13 out of 150
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  1. Aug 18, 2023
    8
    Great game for a day or two (finished in 3 to 5 hours). It is a walking simulator without a lot of gameplay or gameplay variation, but the dialogs and story are pretty great. The music and atmosphere are awesome and got me really immersed into this Sci-Fi story that is ultimately about friendship and family.

    It has a few flaws in loading times and the rather slow pacing, but for me it
    Great game for a day or two (finished in 3 to 5 hours). It is a walking simulator without a lot of gameplay or gameplay variation, but the dialogs and story are pretty great. The music and atmosphere are awesome and got me really immersed into this Sci-Fi story that is ultimately about friendship and family.

    It has a few flaws in loading times and the rather slow pacing, but for me it was really worth it. I got it for 1€ in a sale, not knowing anything about the game, and it surprised me. The story stuck with me for a while. Easy recommendation for an emotional rollercoaster of an afternoon (or two).
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  2. Jul 16, 2023
    8
    After Oxenfree was sitting in my backlog for few years and started playing it only because the second game came out and I missed a lot. The game is fricking amazing. It's dark and someway depressing, but awesome storytelling.
  3. Jul 14, 2023
    10
    Easily one of my favourite games of all time. Expert storytelling and probably the best voice acting in any game I've played. Just finished the sequel and the pair of them are so well done. Could not recommend this game more and I can't wait to see what Nightschool does next.
  4. Apr 10, 2023
    5
    Calling this an adventure game is a really big overstatement because that implies using your brain to solve puzzles. The only "puzzle-solving" you'll be doing in Oxenfree is fiddling with a radio knob to sweep frequencies until you find the one that lets you progress, or maybe the trial-and-error of playing the game multiple times to get to see the different endings (although theCalling this an adventure game is a really big overstatement because that implies using your brain to solve puzzles. The only "puzzle-solving" you'll be doing in Oxenfree is fiddling with a radio knob to sweep frequencies until you find the one that lets you progress, or maybe the trial-and-error of playing the game multiple times to get to see the different endings (although the difference between them isn't really that profound). This is really more of a visual novel than anything else and the narrative is definitely its main attraction. It's a little spooky but I wasn't really scared, maybe because of the style of presentation that makes it hard to really relate to the characters, which another review already mentioned. And, yeah, I also have to agree with the other points, traversing the map is extremely tedious and boring, and the load times are really terrible. A game with such simple graphics shouldn't have 20 second load times between each area, especially not if it's trying to build a dense and creepy atmosphere, since there are few things as immersion-breaking as a loading screen to remind you that you're actually in the safety of your home, on the couch, just playing a video game.

    I would've also thought that your choices and actions mattered a bit more in terms of the ending you get, but it mostly just influences the relationships between characters and a bit of flavour text at the end. I guess if you're into that sort of thing, there's quite a lot of replay value, but I'm not going to go through a 5-hour-long visual novel that I already know the story of all over again just to see a slightly different ending. What I also don't like is a flaw that unfortunately many games have, which is that you can miss out on dialogue because it simply cuts off when you walk past a certain point or you click on an object.

    So, yeah, I'd say this is worth a play-through if you're into visual novels, just don't expect too much from it, and maybe get it on another platform that has shorter load times.
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  5. Jul 19, 2022
    6
    қатты ұнамады. вау сәттері бар бірақ. ойынның жалпы хайпымен келіспеймін!
  6. Jun 27, 2022
    6
    I think this game just didn't work for me - characters are moving very slow, they talk all the time. Yes, dialogs are written great and all the characters have individuality, but still - I can't focus on a game when I need 1. Move 2. Listen all the dialogs 3. Read my options to answer (there is a timer) 4. Choose the right one. I know, that in that flow everything should go smooth like aI think this game just didn't work for me - characters are moving very slow, they talk all the time. Yes, dialogs are written great and all the characters have individuality, but still - I can't focus on a game when I need 1. Move 2. Listen all the dialogs 3. Read my options to answer (there is a timer) 4. Choose the right one. I know, that in that flow everything should go smooth like a real talk, but I was annoyed by that. The main plot is great if you will go dipper, but I didn't read all the letters and for me it was just OK. Idk, I just wasn't super excited playing that game Expand
  7. Apr 19, 2022
    10
    It is a fantastic game!!
    Oxenfree is a horror thriller that draws you right into the action after introducing you to its fabulous and diverse characters! I enjoyed watching the characters and their interactions, happy to have favourites and also some enemies, with the game's unique design!
    The plot is also the main drive for you to continue playing - to go on an adventure with Alex to
    It is a fantastic game!!
    Oxenfree is a horror thriller that draws you right into the action after introducing you to its fabulous and diverse characters! I enjoyed watching the characters and their interactions, happy to have favourites and also some enemies, with the game's unique design!
    The plot is also the main drive for you to continue playing - to go on an adventure with Alex to solve the mysteries of Edwards Island with its one recently deceased inhabitant...it is just too good! It allows you to feel for the characters when they're placed in certain doom, with every choice mattering to either pull or tear apart relationships, as well impacting the ending!! If every choice matters, then it's already the clear starting grounds for an amazing game!
    Additionally, the gameplay is sweet and I liked the design and the adventure of the map, with the dialogue feeling real as well as the music being pleasing for a horror - ooh, I especially enjoyed the little time jumps implemented for Alex's journey!
    10/10!
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  8. Jan 30, 2022
    7
    Oxenfree is an interesting adventure with very good technical values. The graphics, music and voice acting are very convincing and draw you into an interesting story. Unfortunately we have some ups and downs in exploration that make the experience unnecessarily long. You'll be able to beat it in about four hours, but it'll give you a lot more if you want to get the extra endings or ifOxenfree is an interesting adventure with very good technical values. The graphics, music and voice acting are very convincing and draw you into an interesting story. Unfortunately we have some ups and downs in exploration that make the experience unnecessarily long. You'll be able to beat it in about four hours, but it'll give you a lot more if you want to get the extra endings or if you're interested in discovering some special sequences. Expand
  9. Jan 6, 2022
    3
    Although there were some elements I liked, I cannot recommend this game. Moving around the island, sitting through long loading times, and having so few moments where it felt like my choices mattered, made the experience a drag overall.

    To get the "full" story you have to go around the island to find bonus things (weirdly phrased to not spoil?) and although I really wanted to know more,
    Although there were some elements I liked, I cannot recommend this game. Moving around the island, sitting through long loading times, and having so few moments where it felt like my choices mattered, made the experience a drag overall.

    To get the "full" story you have to go around the island to find bonus things (weirdly phrased to not spoil?) and although I really wanted to know more, I could not get myself to slowly (really slowly) walk and climb around the island again to get to these locations. Not to mention sit through long loading times every time you leave a location.

    The coolest part of the game is the radio mechanic, and I liked using that whenever I could, but a lot of the other 'gameplay' moments feel decontextualized and out of the blue. They don't do much to establish the stakes of what you are doing in some of these sequences, and I also wasn't sure how my actions in them mattered once they were finished.

    The story is intriguing at some parts and infuriating at others. Some of the characters are so annoying, that I was shocked when something would happen that would make it seem like I was supposed to care about them.

    I would normally want to replay a game like this to explore other paths, but the loading screens and super slow traversal guarantee I won't pick it up again.
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  10. Jan 4, 2022
    8
    My wish is add to this game Russian Language. Other points made well. Good work for first game.
  11. Jan 1, 2022
    0
    This isn't a game. It's an interactive story. Folks wanting to play a game will be disappointed. Some thoughts:

    1) The experience presents a lot of meaningless choices. The selections you make about what to say don't matter much. In fact, you can not respond at all and the conversation just continues as if you weren't there. The game cares so little about the player, that it hardly
    This isn't a game. It's an interactive story. Folks wanting to play a game will be disappointed. Some thoughts:

    1) The experience presents a lot of meaningless choices. The selections you make about what to say don't matter much. In fact, you can not respond at all and the conversation just continues as if you weren't there. The game cares so little about the player, that it hardly seems to notice that I'm trying to play.

    2) Often characters in the story are having angsty dialog while you're trying to go somewhere, when that happens, you walk very slowly around a large scene. It's the worst kind of walking simulator. It makes walking a joyless drudge.

    3) The load times on the switch are unbearable. No one should release content like this.

    There is a certain kind of person that doesn't like video games. And these people tend to want experiences that aren't like video games. Oxenfree is that kind of experience. It's a slow-moving story that unfolds largely without your interaction or enjoyment. If you've ever enjoyed a video game, you will probably not like Oxenfree.
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  12. Dec 29, 2021
    8
    Got it for $1.99 on sale on eShop today, 12/29/21. Highly recommended for the art and music for that price. Also, it's a good time kill.
  13. Dec 21, 2021
    7
    I got this game for €0.99 and I think for that price anyone should try it out.

    The game is different to anything I've ever played; it's creepy and the story is interesting. It has Stranger Things vibes and also "The Other Mother" from Coraline level of creepy vibes. The game is replayable because there are different endings depending on what you choose. The characters form opinions on
    I got this game for €0.99 and I think for that price anyone should try it out.

    The game is different to anything I've ever played; it's creepy and the story is interesting. It has Stranger Things vibes and also "The Other Mother" from Coraline level of creepy vibes. The game is replayable because there are different endings depending on what you choose. The characters form opinions on you depending on what you say to them. The visuals are great and the voice acting is too, kind of like a movie within a game.

    My only complaints are that the music is a bit obnoxious sometimes and way too loud compared with the speech of the characters so I had to turn on the subtitles eventually, and the loading screens are really long. Throughout the game you use a radio to tune into different frequencies to unlock doors and other things, and this can be a bit repetitive.
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  14. Dec 18, 2021
    7
    A group of friends meet up on a small holiday island just off the coast of their home town, but whilst investigating the caves they unwittingly open a rift that allows ghosts to come into their world.

    Aside from the odd (very simple) puzzle, Oxenfree contains little ‘traditional’ gameplay and much of the 4-5 hour run time involves wandering around the island whilst choosing how to
    A group of friends meet up on a small holiday island just off the coast of their home town, but whilst investigating the caves they unwittingly open a rift that allows ghosts to come into their world.

    Aside from the odd (very simple) puzzle, Oxenfree contains little ‘traditional’ gameplay and much of the 4-5 hour run time involves wandering around the island whilst choosing how to respond to the other members of your group. I appreciate that this description will instantly put off many gamers, but for those that enjoy this type of game the story is interesting enough that you’ll want to see it through to the end. The fact that your dialogue choices throughout the game effects how the game ends will also encourage repeat plays.
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  15. Oct 27, 2021
    9
    This game is an absolute joy. For the first ten minutes or so I thought I had made a mistake as I wasn't liking the characters much, but I soon got into it as the plot was so good. The story is amazing, the music is amazing, the voice acting is great, and the art style is nice. Minor criticisms would include the music being slightly too loud and the dialogue slightly too quiet, and theThis game is an absolute joy. For the first ten minutes or so I thought I had made a mistake as I wasn't liking the characters much, but I soon got into it as the plot was so good. The story is amazing, the music is amazing, the voice acting is great, and the art style is nice. Minor criticisms would include the music being slightly too loud and the dialogue slightly too quiet, and the speed at which the character moves being very slow. But everything else in the game more than makes up for it. I got this on offer and feel like I got a bargain. Expand
  16. May 22, 2021
    7
    So, after I saw the trailer for the Oxenfree 2 I thought that it is the time to play Oxenfree. I went in deep. I played it twice for a better understanding and I have to say that it's a great LINEAR game. You have options to pick while talking with other characters and wrong choices might reach a worse ending, but all in all I couldn't get rid of Jonas. For me he was really annoying, evenSo, after I saw the trailer for the Oxenfree 2 I thought that it is the time to play Oxenfree. I went in deep. I played it twice for a better understanding and I have to say that it's a great LINEAR game. You have options to pick while talking with other characters and wrong choices might reach a worse ending, but all in all I couldn't get rid of Jonas. For me he was really annoying, even more than Clarissa. It might be the fact that he is nearly everywhere, when I had the opportunity I always ditched him for Nona (I liked her and Alex). I adore the radio waves mechanic, it's new and simple I would prefer a few more radio stations but all in all it's a cool one session game, which gave me some goosebumps (that was new for me). I cannot wait for the sequel! Expand
  17. Dec 25, 2020
    8
    I liked everything from AV, atmosphere and a little Stranger Things vibe. The only thing that I didn't like was too much of a silly dialog, which destroys the whole secret aura. Auto save could work better too, I had to repeat like 20 minutes section with a lot of unskippable dialog because of checkpoint issue.
  18. Sep 16, 2020
    8
    Oxenfree comienza como un thriller cliché adolescente con un cast arquetípico cuyas relaciones y personalidades se van desarrollando conforme avanza la trama. La toma de decisiones es rica y variada aunque hay veces que hay que elegir antes de terminar de escuchar o leer el diálogo de los personajes.El ambiente construido, la isla, el escenario, la música, es sin duda de los mejoresOxenfree comienza como un thriller cliché adolescente con un cast arquetípico cuyas relaciones y personalidades se van desarrollando conforme avanza la trama. La toma de decisiones es rica y variada aunque hay veces que hay que elegir antes de terminar de escuchar o leer el diálogo de los personajes.El ambiente construido, la isla, el escenario, la música, es sin duda de los mejores aspectos de todo el juego.

    Por el otro lado, el ritmo del storytelling es inconsistente, lento en algunas partes, donde las conversaciones se sienten vacías y en, otras, la información que se te presenta puede llegar a ahogarte.

    Oxenfree no es un juego perfecto ni mucho menos, tiene varios aspectos que mejorar como por ejemplo las pantallas de carga que duran demasiado. Con todo eso puedo decir que Oxenfree es un juego que recomiendo jugar a personas que disfrutan de narrativas ramificadas y un buen thriller.
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  19. Jul 6, 2020
    4
    I really wanted to like this one but many things weighed it down.

    Negatives 1) The camera is so zoomed out making it really difficult to see the characters in any sort of detail. This made it feel less intimate to me. 2) The speech bubbles pop up and disappear so fast giving you barely enough time to read, consider, and select a response before it's too late. I have read that people
    I really wanted to like this one but many things weighed it down.

    Negatives
    1) The camera is so zoomed out making it really difficult to see the characters in any sort of detail. This made it feel less intimate to me.

    2) The speech bubbles pop up and disappear so fast giving you barely enough time to read, consider, and select a response before it's too late. I have read that people play it either "mean" or "nice" or "strong silent type" which I'm guessing means you are selecting the same type of response (same exact button selection) for each choice. I didn't want to play it just one way and wanted more time to consider what I was going to say but it felt very rushed to me.

    3) There was a glitch while walking that persisted throughout the entire game and that got annoying.

    4) Walking across the map was a chore.

    5) The time loop thing was kind of cool at first but got old pretty quickly.

    6) Most importantly I didn't really like the story all that much and I never really connected with the characters.

    Positives
    1) The voice acting was pretty good

    2) The radio was pretty cool.

    3) Graphics are very nice

    4) Atmosphere was cool

    Conclusion
    People seem to love this game and I am happy for them, but for me I just never really cared about the characters all that much. At a certain point in the game I honestly couldn't wait for it to be over. I have only played one other "Story driven" game... and that was 'Night in the Woods" and I absolutely loved it. I mean it was not without its faults but I feel it is a far superior game with deeper characters and a more meaningful story. Like i said...this game seems to be very beloved and maybe you will love it too but for me it was nothing special.
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  20. Jun 7, 2020
    9
    What a fantastic game. Uncomfortably brilliant writing and the best voice acting I've ever seen in a game.

    The long load screens sometimes take you out of the immersion, but wow, the rest of it, is just amazing.
  21. Dec 16, 2019
    9
    Overall, I think Oxenfree is a brilliant game, and I think it works well on Switch (just be careful about playing it alone in the dark, it might get, you know, a little scary!). It has a brilliant narrative, things you actually take from it in the end, and the dialog system feels very lively, not like other games where you can wait for ages before replying. The only thing that bugs me andOverall, I think Oxenfree is a brilliant game, and I think it works well on Switch (just be careful about playing it alone in the dark, it might get, you know, a little scary!). It has a brilliant narrative, things you actually take from it in the end, and the dialog system feels very lively, not like other games where you can wait for ages before replying. The only thing that bugs me and the only reason why I'm putting 9 are the loading times. I totally realize Switch version is port, and I just wish it was a better one. Expand
  22. Nov 8, 2019
    4
    Cast: 7/10
    Story: 6/10
    Fun: 3/10
    Gameplay: 2/10

    Recommended
    ----------------------
  23. Nov 1, 2019
    9
    Oxenfree is a fantastic piece of creative fiction, a wonderful experience as a gamer and an all round gripping and thrilling game to play. Multiple playthroughs are required to experience it anywhere near fully and it doesn't feel like a chore to do so. The only thing that makes it fall shart of a perfect experience is the lack of a wholesome ending.. but then again maybe these stories areOxenfree is a fantastic piece of creative fiction, a wonderful experience as a gamer and an all round gripping and thrilling game to play. Multiple playthroughs are required to experience it anywhere near fully and it doesn't feel like a chore to do so. The only thing that makes it fall shart of a perfect experience is the lack of a wholesome ending.. but then again maybe these stories are better that way. Nothing short of excellence! Expand
  24. Oct 28, 2019
    6
    the good: The backdrops are beautiful, the artwork is gorgeous, cool creepy island atmosphere, the music sets the scene perfectly, and the glitchy graphic effect is used very nicely in the scary parts. There were moments that gave me goosebumps as far as eerieness. I'm glad I played this around Halloween.

    the bad: Loading times are ridiculously LONG! To the point where I wasn't sure if
    the good: The backdrops are beautiful, the artwork is gorgeous, cool creepy island atmosphere, the music sets the scene perfectly, and the glitchy graphic effect is used very nicely in the scary parts. There were moments that gave me goosebumps as far as eerieness. I'm glad I played this around Halloween.

    the bad: Loading times are ridiculously LONG! To the point where I wasn't sure if I should have been pressing buttons to proceed to the next screen. And there's a LOT of loading in this game. Made me lose interest very quickly. Also, the constant dialogue got really annoying after the first couple of hours, and for someone who doesn't like to interrupt people in conversation, I feel like that was encouraged in this game, when in real life, I wouldn't have felt a need to respond to certain comments. I was happy to enjoy the non-speaking parts when they finally came.

    I give it a 6 out of 10, it's a cool spooky experience, but after the first hour or so, I just wanted to get through it quickly because of the slow pacing of everything.
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  25. Jun 21, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. oxenfree is a beautifully haunting experience of a game. the music perfectly blends with the chilled game play while constantly keeping you tense. when you finish your first play through you come to a brutally horrifying realization, you didn't stop the loop. so you play through again, and you stop it again. you play again and again until the story finally reaches a boiling point and you break the loop, at a cost.
    you never meet nona and nether dose ren, your brother is still dead and you never build your relationship with johnas. oxenfree is a truly amazing game and as I've said before, a must have for the switch.
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  26. Mar 20, 2019
    6
    The best parts of this game are the graphics and the voice acting. Otherwise, the game has very simple mechanics, a slightly interesting but somewhat confusing story, and plays a little slow. I just wish there had been more to do within the game. I also wish there was a better way of playing without the sound on but the subtitles alongside the game mechanics were difficult to follow. IfThe best parts of this game are the graphics and the voice acting. Otherwise, the game has very simple mechanics, a slightly interesting but somewhat confusing story, and plays a little slow. I just wish there had been more to do within the game. I also wish there was a better way of playing without the sound on but the subtitles alongside the game mechanics were difficult to follow. If you are looking for a slightly spooky game that plays more like reading a book then Oxenfree is a good choice for you. Expand
  27. Mar 10, 2019
    4
    The dialog and story are great, and I am completely fine with walking simulators that tell a good story. However, the following things killed the experience for me:

    1.) Slow pacing and movement speed The game is 4 - 5 hours long, but feels like it could have easily been 3 or less if the movement speed wasn't an absolute crawl all the time. Short games are fine, but drawn out games
    The dialog and story are great, and I am completely fine with walking simulators that tell a good story. However, the following things killed the experience for me:

    1.) Slow pacing and movement speed
    The game is 4 - 5 hours long, but feels like it could have easily been 3 or less if the movement speed wasn't an absolute crawl all the time. Short games are fine, but drawn out games are not.

    2.) The zoomed out perspective
    While some of the backdrops are beautiful, I had a very hard time making out what things were a lot of the time. There are handy little bubbles that let you know what you can interact with, but they felt like an absolute necessity at times rather than a nicety. Also, I had a very hard time empathizing with a cast of characters that I saw as little more then a bunch of ants throughout the whole game. I feel the game would have been much better if the perspective had been zoomed in by 2x or even 3x, or even if it had zoomed in and out based on context.

    3.) The ABSURDLY long loading times.
    They are seriously on the order of 30 seconds or more between areas on switch. What the hell is this game loading!? Each area is little more than a static background, dialogue, and a few simple 3D models. They pulled me out of the experience completely to the point where I would leave, go do something, and come back to avoid staring at a mostly black screen for so long.

    In summary, the core part of the game is great. If you can put up with the flawed presentation and long load times, the story is well worth it. Unfortunately I found myself being pulled out of the experience too often to really enjoy it.
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  28. Jan 24, 2019
    7
    The first game I played on the Switch. I had some fun, but at times it seemed to me a little boring. Sometimes the story did not captivate me. However, it is worth trying for the price.
  29. Dec 22, 2018
    9
    A walking simulator I absolutely loved. Art style was cool, story was an excellent mix of creepy/mysterious but not obtuse and the character interaction and dialogue deserves all the praise it can get. If you're looking for a straight up horror this probable isnt for you, rather than jump scares and gore the game relies predominately on atmosphere to create a genuinely creepy story. TheA walking simulator I absolutely loved. Art style was cool, story was an excellent mix of creepy/mysterious but not obtuse and the character interaction and dialogue deserves all the praise it can get. If you're looking for a straight up horror this probable isnt for you, rather than jump scares and gore the game relies predominately on atmosphere to create a genuinely creepy story. The game boast multiple endings although even a strong lover of the game I found its pacing was slow enough that I wouldn't really consider adding any game time padding due to those multiple endings. This game is more of my favorite book that I'd be happy to re-read every now and then. People who want games to play actually probably should pass on this game, but if you're a story driven gamer looking for an excellent new story I couldnt recommend it more. Takes about 4 hours to play? Expand
  30. Oct 28, 2018
    8
    Captivating story, beautiful visuals, fantastic voice acting and a short but lovely ride. Can recommend this for anyone looking for a story-driven game. 4.99 on the e-shop during most sales - a bargain for what you get.
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. May 19, 2018
    85
    Oxenfree is a good game. With amazing history, music and dubbing, anyone who likes the "walking simulator" genre will enjoy the game.
  2. Nov 13, 2017
    80
    Thanks to its remarkable character development, well written dialogue and overall quality of the plot, Oxenfree is certain to strike a chord with fans of story-driven games, even if its length is rather short but that ends up being minimal when faced with the game's surprising developments.
  3. Oct 30, 2017
    70
    It’s an intriguing story, and one I feel is worthwhile experiencing so long as you’re not put off by a lack of moment to moment game-like elements. It’s just a shame that Oxenfree’s design genius is at odds with its pacing.