The Red Strings Club

I played this game and my boyfriend died 10/10

excellent UI, worldbuilding and dialog.
puzzles are interesting too

No one will choose the truth. I promise

chill game with a dose of humanity and a splash existential crisis

Play it

On the surface, it appears to be an existential crisis, but deep down it is a story about humanity.

The Club only serves Long Islands.

Seriously, the game is good, but a bit brief. It reminds me of Gods Will Be Watching but whereas that game was intentionally focused around different episode-style mini-games. Red Strings Club feels less balanced. The lathe and social engineering sections are short and not revisited. The bar tending is interesting in that it makes you wonder how things could have gone differently, but I'm not sure the game moves quickly enough for me to replay repeatedly to get all the content. I don't regret buying the game, but I wouldn't give it the screaming 10/10 reviews others have. It feels like the first part, or an abbreviated part, of something that could have been much bigger and more powerful. It's a small game that's competently executed but will leave you wanting. And the "leaving you wanting" part does diminish it somewhat. The philosophy would be more interesting if there was more substance to back it up.

I really enjoyed the setting and characters of the game however, I do wish some of the themes were more discussed that might be a personal preference because I love when games or shows touch on hard topics. The pouring the drinks were fun I did enjoy that a lot and how different drinks were different emotions that's an interesting thing to me since I never seen/ played a game that thought of emotions like that. I also love the replay ability to this game I always find myself playing a game one time then never again but I love the interactions between the characters it feels like they had history before we opened the game and we just build on that.

good game

After 10 hours of game play I would say the storyline is really well-written, and not only did it delve into the depth of the consequences of AI development, but there are dialogues that also propheticly created fictional moral dilemmas which left room for gamers to reflect on many other profound issues in our society.But in the end I just can't......Why should every string I pull leads to Brandeis' s death :`( There must be someone like me who chose to confide Brandeis' love for Donovan rather than telling him the ultimate dark truth...

very nice game love human yall

For me, this is a 10/10.

It’s one of those rare games that doesn’t just entertain—it sticks with you. If you love deep storytelling, cyberpunk aesthetics, or games that challenge your perspective on the world, The Red Strings Club is absolutely worth playing.

i love existentialist dread game with queer subplot 10/10

Wonderful story game, compelling characters in an interesting world. This is one of those games that's almost more akin to a movie, which I really enjoy - but might not be for everyone. If you're a fan of that style game though, definitely give this one a try!

It made me reconsider my profession, I want to be a bartender now.

This is game i so fcking amazing, even more now that AI is like in everything and we have dopamine all the time,

got this game recommended to me by a classmate. He has good taste in games.

shot of existentialism

ⁱ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ᵗʰⁱˢ ᵍᵃᵐᵉ

This game is perfect. I got to throw bio-pottery on a wheel to sick beats, hack a corporation, and manipulate people with psychicocktails. Lots of games steal the slick aesthetic, but there are few other games that get at the philosophies and pathos that are core to the cyberpunk genre. The writing is just fantastic and I love the interesting game mechanics and puzzles. They're not hard, but that's not the point. They encourage creativity and trial and error to see what changing a single variable might will do (which really reinforces the overarching plot with the AI hive mind). The love story is so good and is also a fucking punch in the gut. You know what's going to happen because it's what the game opens with, but I still held out hope for Brandeis till the end. The music is also great and it's good for working to.

the best 4 Hours I've had in a few months

Story was fine, a little convoluted. I checked out toward the end. Felt more or less like cheap philosophical dialogue. It's also a political game if anyone wasn't aware.

I did however enjoy the end minigames as someone who works in IT. A little futuristic social engineering was cool.

In all, wouldn't have finished if I wasn't drinking while playing

beautiful, unique, nice story *****

What a touching and lovely story.

this game reminded me about people saying how indie games always hit different

great short game 3-4 hours longs, played & finished in one sitting
awesome near future cyberpunk world
fun minigames to keep it interactive while most of the game is point and click dialogue
good story & dialogue, never felt disinterested
multiple choices all along the way, multiple outcomes for the story, good twist at the end
lgbt aspects aren't shoved down your throat, they're just there, kind of irrelevant if anything
great themes in the story, regarding fate, consciousness, free will, ethics, etc
overall great little game for $5

Excellent!

the red strings club is a 2018 narrative adventure game where you try to stop a corporate conspiracy. there is a diverse cast of characters, all of which have a heavy focus on their dialogue which is extremely well-written. the story, while being the classic "corporation bad, hackers good" is still great, as is the soundtrack & overall aesthetic. the gameplay with the bartending, pottery, etc. isn't the BEST, but it's a short enough game where it never feels like it's overstaying it's welcome. it's definitely one of those games where you might plan on beating it in a couple sessions, but it hooks you and you play through the entire game in one sitting.

the worst this game has to offer is far outweighed by the good-to-great things on offer here, and for a cheap price (especially when discounted), i cannot recommend this game enough! devolver digital publishes nothing but bangers, i swear.

Visuals were awesome! There is definitely a strong and coherent color scheme to this game that contributes to the styles and themes throughout. Especially in a pixel art style, color takes the wheel a lot, and it yields an incredible experience to the player.

The music was awesome. Daunting at times, fun at others, always fitting like a perfect puzzle piece.

The game play is mostly visual novel, which is certainly not a bad thing as the story is complex, chilling, and violently compelling. The bartending mechanic and the Akara implant decision mechanic "minigames" were so much fun though, I could play those for hours.

Finally, the biggest W in this game by far: the story. The writer made sweet love to this story. Not often in games are you presented with a choice and you lean back in your chair, thinking "oh shit." That happened a lot. Rather than stop at the surface level of sci-fi, cyberpunk tropes, the narrative quickly dives into the people in this world and tells us about how they modify themselves with futuristic technology, but then swings the right hand around and hits us with all the ways they modify themselves to be different, more optimized human beings, constantly defending themselves from other people, their boss, their vices, and most horrifyingly, their own minds.

This game asked me questions I wasn't ready to answer, and it will stick with me for quite some time.

"Love. People." -Donovan

11/10

Fun

you know a game is good when it gets you thinking. even though some of the questions seem really simple they make you ponder on the topic of what makes us human. i got so focused on the made up by me vision of world in this game that i completely didn't expect the ending (besides the falling part obviously). very well made game!

Masterpiece

beautiful

Oh, it turns out to be a masterpiece.

As good as disco elysium, that's how good it can get.

Ambitious Ideas, but Ultimately Falls Flat

The Red Strings Club is a game with big ambitions, tackling thought-provoking themes like free will, ethics, and corporate control. However, despite its intriguing premise and stylish presentation, the execution leaves a lot to be desired, making the game feel more like a missed opportunity than a cohesive experience.

The storytelling is the game’s primary focus, but it’s often heavy-handed and clumsy. While the philosophical questions it raises are interesting, the writing tends to feel preachy and one-sided, leaving little room for genuine player interpretation. The dialogue is long-winded, and the game’s attempts to be profound often come across as pretentious rather than meaningful.

The gameplay, unfortunately, doesn’t do much to complement the story. The core mechanics—mixing drinks, crafting implants, and making dialogue choices—are novel at first but quickly become repetitive and shallow. The drink-mixing mechanic, in particular, feels more like a gimmick than a fully fleshed-out system, and it doesn’t evolve in a way that keeps it engaging. Similarly, the implant design mini-game feels underdeveloped and lacks any real depth or challenge.

While the game promises to offer choices that matter, the illusion of choice becomes apparent as you progress. Many decisions feel inconsequential, and the branching paths are limited. This undermines the sense of agency that the game seems to be striving for, making the experience feel more linear than it should.

Visually, The Red Strings Club has a strong pixel art style, but it doesn’t stand out compared to other indie games in the same vein. The environments are static and lack interactivity, which makes the world feel less immersive. The soundtrack, while atmospheric, is forgettable and doesn’t do much to elevate the game’s emotional beats.

While The Red Strings Club deserves credit for tackling complex themes and trying to push the boundaries of what a narrative game can be, the execution leaves much to be desired. Between the lackluster gameplay, heavy-handed writing, and limited player agency, it’s hard to stay invested. It’s a game with big ideas but struggles to deliver on its promise, leaving it feeling more style than substance.

The topics in this game are so heavy and deep that it got me staring at my screen for a good while after finishing it. This is a masterpiece of a game that I will think about for a long time.
If you have a few free hours and you wanna think about the world and the human nature, I cannot recommend this game enough!

this game feels like a warm cup of milk on a stormy night

This game is an amazing little mindf*ck. It was so enjoyable with the music and dialogue, but the actual plot and premise of the game is so worth a play through or two. I really enjoyed the choice making part of it, and the way it makes you think and search for an answer.

Akira's first mission task left me speechless... How can you let a "social media commentator" sell their computer???? Here we call it "break one's only bowl" This game better doing it better in the following content.

One-evening game (but, pretty good evening)

Before buying this game, I should warn you about a problem with Linux version of this game.
Linux version don't support achievements. So, if you love to collect achievements - Windows version is your choice.

So, let's go to the review.

In my opinion, plot isn't a strong side of this game. There is a typical plot about dangerous shit from big corporation in cyberpunk world. Also, if you once completed this game, you won't be able to complete it again with the same strong feelings and interest (this game has an unexpected plot twist at the end). Couple of similar games (VA-11 HALL-a, for example, or Coffee Talk) can be completed twice without losing feelings.

But, the biggest advantages of this game are dialogues and vibe.

This game has excellent soundtrack, unique vibe and art style with their own charisma. Characters have well-written dialogues (and also good translation into Russian).

If you wanna play something in evening and you don't hate that kind of games - you can buy it. It's cheap game, so, you may lose only your time.

incredible writings

I have never cried my eyes out harder, THIS GAME IS WORTH EVERY CENT

l

Не очень понравилось быть секретарем в конце :(

banger

Must play

It was really fun. The story is fun and engaging. I wish there could be a way to try different endings without starting the game all over again. I will play again in the future to try and get other achievements. I'm not a huge fan of cyberpunk worlds but playing this game made it work.

WTF. is my initial reaction after playing red strings club. I dont want to delve into this deeply but if you ponder about big questions in life. your place in the world and the implications that can have, I would highly recommend going into this blind and its only a couple bucks when its on sale

10/10 would play again

Em um determinado questionário, comecei respondendo da maneira que eu acharia mais correta pra não afetarem a liberdade de escolha e individualidade ser humano , mas a medida que ia respondendo fui me sentindo cada vez mais hipócrita. Bem reflexivo.

A trilha sonora é bem agradável e a arte é bem bonita, mas infelizmente não dá pra tirar screenshots :[

An incredible story. Simple graphics, a variety of mechanics. One of the best indie games I've played. Highly recommend.