Oneshot is a 2D pixelated puzzle-adventure game where the player takes control of a main character. It is a game that utilizes 4th wall breaks to blur the line between the player and the protagonist. Puzzle solving and exploration is the main gameplay aspect, with certain puzzles requiring the player to interact with the game files. This makes it a very unique, story-driven experience.

Story

Meet many unique NPCs

Oneshot is a narrative driven game where players take on the role of a protagonist named Niko, who finds themself mysteriously waking up in a dark, foreign world. 

It is important to note that even though you would be playing as Niko, both Niko and the player are treated as separate individuals in the game, with the player making decisions and guiding Niko to complete the ultimate goal of the game. This creates a meta fictional aspect in the game where the player is addressed directly at certain points in the story, which plays a big part in fostering a deep, meaningful connection between the player and the central protagonist.

The game features moral dilemmas, thought provoking themes and a lot of emotional moments. It does a very good job at making the player care and sympathize with the various characters in the story. The characters are believable and well written, with a lot of care gone into fleshing them out and making each character interesting and unique. 

This game would be a perfect fit for anyone who wants a story rich experience.

Worldbuilding

A merchant selling their wares

For any fantasy media, worldbuilding is an important aspect for making the setting feel believable and immersive. This is one of the biggest strengths that Oneshot has in its arsenal.

The world of Oneshot is beautifully crafted with great attention to detail. It is a post apocalyptic setting with surreal and atmospheric elements. This world is full of mystery and wonder, with each environment having their own history and unique characteristics. Scattered throughout the game is a vast assortment of clues, notes and objects that give additional context and insight into the history of the world and its citizens. 

Characters have their own backstories that fit into the narrative of the story. Players are encouraged to interact with all these characters in order to uncover the hidden layers of lore and secrets. The dialogue is cleverly written, and each conversation serves as a piece of the puzzle in figuring out the events that took place previously in the world that led to its current state.

Graphics and visuals

Atmospheric forest biome

The art style of Oneshot is very charming. It is a 2D pixelated game. The environments in the game are beautifully crafted, each with their own themes and atmosphere. The levels range from vibrant and colorful landscapes to desolate and abandoned areas, enhancing the emotional impact of every point of the story. Oneshot incorporates a lot of particle effects and visual flourishes which make the game surreal and visually engaging.

The character designs are very unique and endearing, especially that of the main character Niko. The character sprites are expressive and convey emotions very effectively, which is vital for a story driven game.

Overall, OneShot is a visually stimulating experience with its expertly crafted pixel art, atmospheric environments, and expressive character sprites. The graphics effectively complement the game's storytelling, making it a very aesthetically pleasing experience.

Music and sound design

Soundtrack available for purchase on Steam

Sound design is yet another strong aspect of the game and helps in making the journey a captivating and memorable experience. 

The soundtrack is dynamic and adapts accordingly to the game’s events and scenes. It seems to transition seamlessly from soothing, atmospheric melodies to emotionally charged tracks, all based on specific locations and key events. The soundtrack has been crafted masterfully to evoke certain feelings from the player and enhance the emotional impact of the story beats. Most environments have their own special tracks, giving them a unique feel.

From the soft rustling of leaves in a quiet forest to the sound of footsteps on a metal grating, the use of ambient sounds in Oneshot gives depth and personality to the game’s environments, making exploration even more compelling and immersive.

Exploration

A beautiful neon city

Exploration is a fundamental aspect of the game. Players are required to explore the different environments in order to progress through the story.

With such a wide array of diverse environments, exploration never gets tedious or boring. There is a wide variety of locations, from desolate ruins to lush forests and swamps. Each area is gifted with its own theme and atmosphere. In addition to captivating landscapes, the game rewards the player with secrets and hidden discoveries the more you explore your surroundings. Players are free to explore at their own pace, and are given the freedom to explore various regions of the level in any order that they choose.

As players explore the world, they are going to have various interactions with not only the NPCs but also with the main character. As previously mentioned, both the player and the main protagonist are treated as separate individuals, and these interactions help the player form a bond with the main protagonist of the story. This makes exploration an emotionally resonant experience. You never feel like you are doing it alone.

Puzzle solving

Wrack your brains and think hard!

Puzzle solving is the main core of the game. It is the primary way for players to progress through the game’s narrative. Puzzles range from logic-based problems to environmental challenges, requiring players to think critically and creatively.

The difficulty is increased gradually across the game, giving players the opportunity to adapt to the gameplay mechanics. Thanks to this, puzzles in Oneshot are seldom overwhelming or frustrating to the player. The puzzles are designed to be thought-provoking, and often requires the player to think outside the box in order to come up with the solution. Solving the puzzles feels extremely rewarding and satisfying.

Puzzle solving has an emotional aspect to it as well. The main character looks up to the player for guidance, even starting conversations from time to time. The player is tasked with guiding the main character, and it is easy to get emotionally invested in the character’s journey, making puzzle solving a bonding experience.

Length and pacing

The main character known as NIko

Unfortunately, compared to most other games in the same genre, Oneshot is relatively short, taking only 4-6 hours to complete a single run, depending on the player’s exploration and puzzle solving speed. There is very little filler content and side quests.

As for pacing, Oneshot does an excellent job at maintaining the player’s attention and keeping them engaged throughout the whole experience. Gameplay transitions smoothly from moments of exploration and puzzle solving to narrative driven interactions and sequences, providing a balanced experience. The exploration is very free form, allowing the player to explore different regions however they see fit. Puzzle solving segments are integrated into the level design and narrative, with certain puzzles giving interesting titbits regarding the story.

Overall, despite the short length of the game, the pacing maintains player engagement and emotional investment which makes it an extremely memorable experience for a lot of players.

Replayability

An NPC vital for a certain achievement

One noteworthy aspect of the game is that it encourages players to revisit the game and finish multiple playthroughs. First of all, there are multiple endings in the game based on choices that the player makes. There are certain secret endings and outcomes that cannot be achieved on the first playthrough. This is a good incentive for players to replay the game.

There are also special achievements and challenges that the player can undertake. These achievements may require multiple playthroughs and are very rewarding to completionist players.

Admittedly, even with all these built in mechanics that allow for replayability, Oneshot is still mostly a story driven game. Therefore, there is not a lot of room for replayability after 3 or more runs. Some players may choose to come back due to having forged an emotional attachment to certain characters while others may come back in order to find more secrets and hidden lore scattered throughout the game.

Community

Discuss lore with other fans of the game!

Oneshot has a very active community and certain players might find some level of enjoyment in discussing theories and lore with other fans of the game. The open-ended nature of the story leaves some room for speculation, which sparks a lot of debates and discussions regarding hidden narratives. The community also comes together when it comes to creating works of art, with different people sharing their own interpretations of the characters and the game world. Interacting with these communities add an extra layer of richness to the game.

In addition to fan art, there are also mods and fan made games to enjoy, for those who want a little bit more content. 

Overall fun factor – 86/100

A mysterious NPC from the starting biome

In conclusion, Oneshot is a captivating story rich indie game with emotional moments scattered throughout the journey. The art style is aesthetically pleasing and complemented by the amazing sound design and music, drawing players deep into the game. The storytelling is very well done, with subtle bits of information spread across the world for attentive players to find. This leaves a lot of room for discussions and speculation, creating a passionate fanbase for the game.

The puzzles never feel out of place as they are well designed and integrated into the setting and story. It offers challenges that bring out the player’s problem-solving skills without being overly complicated or frustrating. The game breaks the 4th wall continuously, which plays a role in forging a deep and emotional connection between the player and the main character Niko. 

Despite its short length, the game keeps the players engaged and invested throughout the story. There is some amount of replayability as well, driven by secret endings and hidden lore.

All in all, I would highly recommend Oneshot for players who appreciate thoughtful storytelling and puzzle solving.