What could make the world a better place? How can you make moral choices? What makes us human? Deconstructeam explores these ideas in The Red Strings Club, a point-and-click adventure game with a compelling story set in a dystopian cyberpunk future. Follow the two protagonists: Donovan and Brandeis as they rebel against a society that is under the control of corporations and “upgraded” humans.  

About The Red Strings Club

This visual novel, published by Devolver Digital and developed by Deconstructeam, appeared on the surface of the internet in 2018 with high expectations. Deconstructeam were known for their hit game, Gods Will Be Watching in 2014, and the fans of the previous game were excited for the new title release. Even though it has over 6000 Very Positive reviews on Steam, The Red Strings Club had mixed opinions from the players because of the heavy socio-political issues that are often discussed in the game.

The Red Strings Club’s Story

Cozy cyberpunk vibes?

Since The Red Strings Club is mainly a visual novel, its narrative and thought-provoking dialogue are the strongest selling points. The story focuses on three main characters. First, we have Donovan who is a bartender that is in love with human emotions and enjoys playing with his patrons’ subconscious using drinks. Then we have Donovan’s partner, Brandeis, a cynical hacker that wants to overthrow the corporations that run the city. And lastly, we have Akara, who is an android whose job is to empathize with humans and give them the best “upgrades” that could benefit their lives. The plot’s focal point is uncovering the mystery behind a shady mega-corporation and collecting information by talking to the patrons of the bar. The Red Strings Club is a game about talking, manipulating, and reading through lines. While it takes around four hours to finish the game, the dialogue can get convoluted, and it feels like you must be very present, otherwise, you might miss important details, which is also why it took me three times to play the game to fully catch on subtleties.  

Game Mechanics

The Red Strings Club (Full Game, No Commentary)

A bartending game wouldn’t be a bartending game without some… bartending. The main game mechanic, that also sets the game apart, is making drinks that can manipulate the client’s emotion. Depending on the desired dialogue, you can serve a drink that could make the patron guilty and direct the conversation into a more vulnerable route or make a drink that makes your patron full of pride and guide the conversation so they could slip some information. The other game mechanics are making pottery, and phone calls while impersonating other people (basically the ultimate prank call but make it cyberpunk espionage).

Graphics

The pixel art details are just... chef's kiss

The Red Strings Club has a clean 16-bit style, but what distinguishes it from other pixel art games is the intricacy and fluidity of the animation that really add to the charm of the game. There are some scenes where the pixel art looks very detailed and pleasing to the eye, and the synth-wave soundtrack adds to the dystopian atmosphere.

Price

The Red Strings Club costs 14.99 $ and can be bought on Steam or GOG on PC and Nintendo E Shop on Nintendo Switch. The platforms you can play the game on are Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Classic Mac OS.

FINAL VERDICT: 7.5/10

Pros

• Engaging plot with fascinating characters
• Unique game mechanics that distinguish this game from other bartending games
• Great visuals and soundtrack
• Thought-provoking dialogue

Cons

• Not a lot of playtime for your money
• Many complained about the game pushing a political agenda
• Dialogue can get convoluted, and details can be missed if not played a second time
• The game autosaves so you can’t go back to a saving point

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