The Forgotten City

The game starts slow and boring but at some point it becomes quite engaging. Very interesting loop and dialogue systems. Overall, an interesting experience.

Beautiful journey. Play without looking any clues online. After reaching at any ending make sure you finish remaining endings too.

Amazing mystery game. Doesn't overstay its welcome, and delivers on all fronts!

Every lover of stories, especially those that involve European-originated mythologies, should treat themselves to a wonderful dozen hours of an unforgettable experience that's The Forgotten City.

I hope to one day make a game inspired by this one.

Lots of fun! Made the historian in me happy with little tidbits of historical authenticity.

Interesting story, nice gameplay loop. I had to look up a few details but had a meaningful experience on the first go.

Fun and engaging. It's a pretty game and it's interesting that is has multiple endings depending on your choices.

This game is actually really good. Great story, great use of the groundhog day effect. It's everything I love in this kind of game. No real combat, unfortunately. But for what it is everything is awesome and works. The ending gets kinda weird though, but other than that I Love it. 9/10.

I loved it! Have been playing the mod in Skyrim and that's why i bought this game. It was better than I imagened. I wish I could forget the game so I can play it again

Enjoyed the writing for the most part. Kind of annoying they had to slip in some modern ideology into characters that were supposed to be 2000 years ago. It was also annoying when a certain character criticized me for being too absolutist, but the only way to get what I needed from him was to choose one philosophy. Regardless the writing was otherwise engaging. The combat parts we kind of janky, but thankfully short. I appreciate that they accounted for many different dialogue options based on what I discovered, though there were a few small errors.

This is a kickass story game. I was very impressed with the beats and the way the game handled time looping, both mechanically and narratively.

The Forgotten City is a gem. Although a bit short, it keeps you intrigued the entire time. It has some jankyness to it with some of the animations and long load times, but the story that you uncover is what keeps you moving forward. For being a game you can complete in under 10 hours, it manages to pack in an interesting story filled with twists and reveals that felt satisfying to discover. Although a majority of the game is just walking around and talking to people, learning about what is going on, why it's going on, and the individuals stories of everyone you meet is truly special. Multiple endings. Enjoyable characters. A satisfying conclusion. Really enjoyable the whole way through.

What a game! Big thumbs up from me. This game had me intrigued from the very beginning. A completely original idea for a game that just kept me glued to get to the bottom of the mystery. Highly recommend giving this a shot, WITHOUT looking up a video of it first. Lots to spoil. I really cant see anyone being disappointed with their purchase. 5*

Great storytelling, unique setting, fun characters. And you'll also learn something about ancient mythologies on the way.

Great detective-style puzzle game, with an interesting story and unique time loop mechanic

I like it a lot, great mystery and story.

Whoever likes puzzles and doesn't get confused with time loops should definitely play this. I loved it from start to finish! Took a while longer to get the most of it but I loved every once of it. Kudos to the devs!

Fabulous. A real joy to play and explore. Wonderful depth of story and mystery. I actually learned things.. Beautifully presented. Thank you!

Only two criticisms really, too short and too easy! 11 hours to complete (which is of course still very good value / bang for your buck) but as with all good things it leaves you wanting more! Difficulty wise I only really go stuck and had to look something up once or twice.. All the other puzzles were perhaps just a bit too straightforward - the next level of difficulty to tease the brain would have probably doubled or trebled the play time and enjoyment.

Bravo.

Getting past repetitive nature of time warp games and janky character models of an older era is all that is required to dig down to this gem of a storyline. Also I must say the historical and philosophical nature of this game was particularly fun for me.

Super fun little indie game. Great storytelling, and fun exploration. I would have like it to be a bit longer, if I'm honest.

Definitely recommend.

Pretty enjoyable mystery that kept getting better as the focus changed. It is refreshing to play a game with a goal that is not to kill everything with a gun. Great little mystery would definitely go through the loop again.

It's a very fun game that is centered around a pretty forgiving looping mechanic. I enjoyed getting to know some of the characters, and grew to despise others. I loved all the mythological and historical references in it. I highly recommend it.

Brilliant game. Gorgeous world, interesting characters, philosophical debates, and non-finger-wavy messages... with the open-world mystery/exploration (similar to Outer Wilds and Paradise Killer). This was among the best in the genre.

Always a displeasure to be sh*tting on someone's passion project but I have to keep it real, this game was seriously underwhelming. It's as if the claims made about it on the store page are purposefully misleading.

No, it's not open world, and you could only describe the story as 'non-linear' as a technicality.
Richly detailed? Deeply interactive??? The characters are almost as one dimensional as it gets. What moral dilemmas are you talking about? It's all cut and dry, and you're gonna have to do it anyways. (If you're keen on progressing the game, at least.)

Worst of all, the time loop mechanic is BARELY utilised and not in any clever way whatsoever. It's mostly just a convenience for you and nothing else!

So much for the mystery, as well. I will not spoil it, of course, but I'll just describe it as 'the usual'. Deeply disappointing, but not surprising.

I'll also mention it since it seems to be obligatory when reviewing this game. If you played through both of 'The Forgotten City' and 'Outer Wilds' and you think that they're even REMOTELY similar just because they share a time loop mechanic you need to take a long deep look into the mirror and figure some things out within yourself.

I had forgotten about this game until a recent Gameranx review brought it back to the forefront. Decided to purchase and give it a go, and I have to say it was worth the time. While not the most engaging of gameplays the story and narrative makes this worth while. With few characters and a limited world to traverse everything feels tightly woven together and never frustrating. Anyone is capable of making their way through the mystery surrounding the city and why people are here. The ending definitely surprised me and made the experience all the better. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to try something a little different.

Great story, very unpredictable
Good game by a small Aussie development team

A clear passion project. Well delivered and generally well designed. I never felt lost and it kept me feeling clever even when some parts of the puzzle were on rails. The ending I got was surprising and poignant. In a weird way I haven't had a game make me feel more directly heroic. Its short, but I played over three chunky sessions on consecutive days and it was the most ideal way to play (keeping characters and plotlines in mind). I personally would have loved a slightly deeper philosophical bent to the core concern of the game, as it promises debate and ethical discussion but only sometimes delivers on that promise to an insightful extent - but I also understand that it is not what people will play the game for. Excellent experience, slight graphical jank but immediately forgiveable, keen for what happens next for these developers.

This game is just as fantastic as the mod that predated it. I loved the skyrim mod and highly recommend that just as much, its been years since I played but some of the twists and story lines clicked in my memory and reminded me of the fun with the mod. I bought this game shortly after it came out but only just finally got to playing it. Such a unique game concept and so much fun. So many twists and little details to discover you can so easily miss

I can't say much about this game without spoiling its mysteries, so I won't. Except that you should play it, when you get the chance.

This game is an absolute gem—a gripping narrative adventure that masterfully blends mystery, mythology, and time-loop mechanics. The writing is top-notch, with well-developed characters and morally complex choices that truly matter. Exploring the beautifully crafted ancient city and uncovering its secrets is a constant thrill, and the way the story unfolds keeps you hooked until the very end. Smart, immersive, and unforgettable, this is one of the best narrative-driven games in years.

It's been a very long time since I've encountered a game with such engaging story telling and problem solving as this one. It also had something even rarer than a good story, beautiful environment, and engaging game play. It had a satisfying ending. Like the end of Scrubs season 8, before they rebooted it for an awkward season 9. I highly recommend.

had this game in my wishlist for a long time but never quite knew what to expect, so I didn't buy it. So let me tell you: it is kind of like Outer Wilds - a mystery game that you solve over many smaller playthroughs.

Played this when it was a mod and played it when it came out. Crazy how far its come

Great adventure, mysterious and captivating mechanic. Trully enjoyed it and recommend.

Loved it. Its based on a Skyrim mod if you don't know, of the same name. If you really feel uncertain I'd recommend trying the mod first. I hope this crew makes another game, one set in this universe again could be fun.

Starts off as a 7 out of 10 first-person adventure. Intriguing and enjoyable discovery process. Great design and characters. Voice acting is excellent.
About halfway through you notice the story take an alarming turn for the worse. But you're not sure, yet... Until, toward the end, it's a full-on reddit cringe fest. I would say the first half is genuine gameplay enjoyment. The last half was mostly driven but the thought, "oh, man, how will they spin this?" Had a hearty laugh 3 or 4 times.
Surprisingly smooth and unbroken experience in v1.3, aside from the times when geometry clipping and invisible walls start to rear the low budge's ugly head. I would say, the limited resources were spent wisely.
Got it for free but wouldn't feel ripped off, had I spent $5 on the game.

I had my eye on this game for a while and finally saw it as part of a bundle and picked it up. While I have to give kudos to the four developers for making this game, ultimately I cannot recommend it. The praise that it gets for being intelligent or a mystery really feel heavy-handed compared to what you actually receive. The dialogue is challenging, at best, to read and enjoy especially when coupled with your character's Fallout 4 level of response choices. There is a fun time gimic in the game that suddenly gets dropped partway through and there are so many weird character tropes that show up.

Honestly, the thing that really killed the game for me was the forced, unskippable combat you have to slog through twice. You are told at the beginning that you can't use force to win the game, but you absolutely have to fight monotous drone enemies in order to return it back to being a mystery game again. By the time I realized I was in a late game combat scenario yet again, I dipped out permanently.

Good effort from a small dev team, but ultimately I wouldn't recommend it.

I really enjoyed this game! I wouldn't say it's so much of a mystery game (like, you're not looking for clues) as it is a story-rich game. You go through a time loop and experience stories multiple times while you look for solutions and ways to help. I did have to look up a guide to piece together the final ending, but there are multiple endings and I was very close to the "best" ending on my own.

I very much enjoyed this game, it was fun seeing all the endings and figuring out all the different achievements.

There are a few graphical things that could be better, misaligned textures and what not.
Overall this is a solid recommend from me if you enjoy story based puzzle games.

VERY FUN GAME, LASTED ME ABOUT 9 HOURS. i COMPLETED ALL THE ENDINGS. got a little motionsick but was very very good. loved the story and the history.

Outer Wilds / Obra Dinn-esque game with a quite interesting narrative. Bit janky at times but very much worth it.

I had so much fun playing this game and figuring it out. It's the perfect game for a history lover and if you like being a bit of a detective.

Only issue I've had is finding another game like it now that I have completed it.

The Forgotten City is one of the best-written games I’ve played in a while. What starts as a simple mystery quickly unfolds into a deeply engaging narrative filled with intrigue, moral dilemmas, and clever twists. The way the game weaves philosophy, history, and time loop mechanics together is done very well, creating a story that constantly keeps you thinking.

The writing is sharp, with good characters who all have their own motivations and secrets to uncover. Dialogue choices feel meaningful, and the way your knowledge from previous loops lets you manipulate events is very satisfying. If you enjoy narrative driven games or a well crafted mystery, The Forgotten City is an absolute must-play.
8/10 (Great)

I like the game, but man am I just clueless currently. Just been walking past everything I can think of. It does seem the story is interesting. Just a tidy bit annoyed I am stuck at this impasse.

Great game. I wasn't sure if it would interest me because of the historical setting, and the 'golden rule' sounded like it might be too restrictive for fun play. Happy to say there was no need for concern. This is a fun, thoughtful, well crafted game with an engaging unfolding story. The atmosphere is great, and provides a perfect backdrop to explore the historical and philosophical ideas of the game in an interesting and often funny way.
Gameplay is mostly exploration and dialogue to solve the mysteries of the city. Some combat, but that's definitely not the focus. The voice acting is great (and most lines are skippable if you're impatient).
Would especially recommend for fans of Return of the Obra Dinn, and Groundhog Day!

A game not to be forgotten!

Absolute blast to play. Fully voice acted, which was a pleasant surprise! Loved the esthetic, giving a glimpse of how the ancient world could have looked. A diverse cast from all over the Roman Empire, as it should be. Even some life lessions. Big thumbs up from me!

An absolute gem of a game.

Genre: mystery/puzzle
Dialogue heavy, but exceptional writing.
A shining example of developers considering quality of life- many QOL features.
When you think you've figured out the plot- you haven't.

It's a good game, though not great.

The premise and setting are fantastic, and the game is at its best when it slowly reveals how people can be cruel to one another without breaking the Golden rule. The story is captivating and most of the endings pay off well.

There are some problems though: The game doesn't seem to do enough background checks to see if the player knows something, and this causes some headaches when you and your character both know what to do but cannot select the option to do that. This issue caused the following:
- I could not reach ending 3, the option to speak to Galerius did not appear at all.
- Talking to Sentia about Sentilla without going to Sentius results in you not being able to talk about what happened to Sentilla.
- Getting Galerius to become a candidate is impossible unless a very narrow set of checks are met. I had every bit of knowledge and even got Malleolus to drop out, yet I still had to restart the loop. Restarting a loop is not a problem after figuring out how to make Malleolus drop out, but before that, every restart costs 2000 denaris, so you want to avoid doing that.
- Starting the election sometimes soft locks the game when a character gets stuck. In my case it was Ulpius, who got stuck near the central diagonal bridge, on slum side.
- I got stuck trying to get to Claudia because I did not see the key next to the front door. In my head the problem was that Malleolus would (logically) hold the key, and I would have to lure him out of the villa and then make contact with Claudia through the door, but no.

Other problems:
- Too much is explained.
- There really, really should be a map available somewhere. Just make it an in-game item that you have to open manually, with none of the hidden places, because it took me a LOT of hours to learn, for example, where Shrine of Apollo is. I still don't know if middle villa and central villa are the same place or not.
- The game tells you that getting the Golden bow is not required but it's virtually required anyway.
- The combat is completely unnecessary, but done OK.
- I think the game doesn't convince the player why these people would believe the golden rule exists in the first place. It's such a rough rule that there would have to be some kind of indisputable evidence, though that would mess with the core themes of the story. This is a minor issue though.
- Finally, a tiny tiny thing, but the way the statues turn their heads towards the player is done in poor taste. Once you catch one doing it, the effect wears off completely. A much better way would be having them turn their face when the player isn't looking (see Angel statues in Doctor Who for reference).

A very entertaining and beautifully made mystery adventure game. Exciting, yet sufficiently laid-back with emphasis on storytelling to get me hooked on a Sunday afternoon. Though the level of philosophy is nowhere near the level of triggering an existential crisis, as some have jokingly suggested, it does explore some moral questions that should be considered when engaging in the dialogues and exploring the ancient world. Finally, the game also opens for some reflection on past lives and people before us, connecting our present and modern perception of history to “real” people and artefacts from the past. Whether the creators truly succeed in this is up to you to judge, should you decide to pick it up (as I think you should), but I appreciate the effort. If playing games can make us contemplate the grander scale of time and humanity, it is perhaps not just killing time. Free tip: I kept thinking of Stephen Saylor’s Roma sub rosa book series and Gordianus the detective while playing – perhaps something the developers should consider adapting as a mystery game in the future?

Would only recommend to people who are into storytelling - this part is on average and above. On a technical level this game is not exactly a state of art. Aside numerous glitches, the faces are lifeless and poorly animated; hand-holding would make a babysitter blush; invisible walls gave my character a severe concussion, so many times I managed to run into them.

Salvage, friend.
55 / 100

Short but beautiful and tought-provoking game. I love the Roman/history setting as well as how the characters were written. The game does a great job at logically constructing the world which I really like. Highly recommend.