Shivah

I start at three stars before I play a game and the game determines which way I go. It quickly goes to one star if you just give up on a game while you are making it and this what these guys did. This is a low graphics throw back style…… or is it… after playing the game I think they just don’t know how to make a better graphics game judging by everything else. There are only a total of 11 locations in this game. Each location has between 2 and 15 actionable items that you can see if you long press the screen. However, not one of the items you can touch or view has programming. Everything else is just looking at them. The 2 items that do work are the two computers in 2 different areas. In those you can log in and search databases. In the entire game those are the only two items that have reactions when you access them. For example, in the first major scene, a detective comes in to interrogate the main character and he asks him if he’s read the paper lately. The main character says no. Ok, he hasn’t, but there are papers on his table in that room and there are boxes on the back left in that room. When the detective leaves, you would think the main character would want to read a newspaper to find out what the detective was talking about and here is the first opportunity to program in some reactions from the 15 viewable things in the room. But no, you look in the boxes and the game responds that there is nothing to see in them. You look at the papers on the table and the game replies that they are just some papers/bills that have nothing to see. So when you enter a room and long press the screen to see all the things you can touch, all those things have nothing to add to the game. In the entire game there is only one item that has anything to figure out or add to the game and that’s a photograph in one of the synagogues which gives you a hint to the full name of one of the characters. And THATS IT!. This is a sign that management at tWadjet Eye Gamews LLC said, “hey, what’s going on with the press of that Jewish game you’re working on?…. Well its taking to long…. Release it as is and lets start making money off it… we have other projects and I don’t care about that one!” So they laid out all the rooms and scenes and all the items that you can touch and look at and then they didn’t add any programming to all those items throughout the game to make it a full encompassing experience. All the items in every room are absolutely useless and contribute nothing to the story line and are not required for any objectives in the game. More evidence that these guys just gave up mid programming and released it. There should be objectives and each objective should require at least a few items from all these areas/rooms/scenes to complete each task. Like the newspaper in the beginning. THE CHARACTERS: There are only 8 total characters/actors in this game and two of them leave and are gone after the second room never to be seen again… so left with six. Two of those six won’t even acknowledge you (the bar). After cussing the detective out and kicking him out of your office he never returns in the game… not even at the end to arrest anyone… yes this game is that bad…. You should be able to engage the detective and have him help you if you choose to go that route. Instead you have no choice; are rude to him; and he’s gone forever. Halfway through the game in the bar there is a woman over to the left. She is mumbling things out loud but she is clean cut. This lead me to believe that she may have been an undercover detective and might show up later to bail me out of being killed or something…. NOPE! She is just a character that was never developed… ok, over to the bartender. Let’s see what a great bartender conversation looks like… NOPE! He won’t even talk to you! …. Yes its really this bad. So two more characters that don’t contribute a single thing…. Let’s see… that leaves only FOUR characters in this game who interact and contribute to the actions of the game. Four. Then the final insult… the salt.. not even kosher salt… in the wound is the laborious, illogical, long, repetitive fist fight between the main character and the villain. You have to say a few sentences to him, punch him, say the same sentences to him… at least two of them evidently and punch him… going left and right on the balcony, over and over, for probably 15 minutes… and finally you knock him out and the game quickly wraps up….. but wait!… that wasn’t the final insult! They add audio “bloopers” of them during voice recording… laughing it up and having a great time… which shows the party that was going on at this company when they were supposed to be programming responses from objects; character development; and plot development. Summary: They were partying as they programmed this. They didn't’ get anything done on a daily basis while programming. They added nothing to the active items in each room. They added no character involvement except for four characters out of the 8 total characters. There is even a scene where you walk in to the wife of the deceased and her back bedroom is ransacked….. but they didn’t even have time to generate a room with clues in it. They just went to lunch instead (or the local bar… if they weren’t drinking in the studio). This is my current worst video game that I’ve ever played… and to get on that list you must first have high potential. And that high potential must be intentionally destroyed, which is exactly what this company did with this failure.

Vega51Sun, Dec 10, 2023

United States

Compelling if illogical story with great music and Yiddishkeit themes. A nice addition to your Israelite games library.

CBUS XpressSun, Jan 30, 2022

United States

This little title goes so far. It brings out the best in what video games have to offer in how they mix gameplay and story with faith. The mobile port isn’t half bad either, and the story and characters drive it above all. Totally worth the quick 2hr play through, and inspiring for where games and culture can overlap. 5/5!

BlinksTaleSat, Feb 8, 2020

United States

I played all the Blackwell games and enjoyed them, but this one was disappointing... it's dull.... the music is repetitive and annoying.... and the solutions in places are so specific that it becomes a frustrating chore to play rather than fun. There are more things I could kvetch about but I think you get the idea. Go ahead and spend your money if you must... it's only $1.99.... but it only gets two stars in my book.

SuzshoSun, May 27, 2018

United States

Not sure how a company that released good games allowed themselves to release this one. I guess someone came with the idea that Jewish theme will attract many Jewish people which is a good market. Looks like the company gave the development of this game to some newbies when the others were working on a different game. Looks like the developers had no experience with point and click games for the next reasons: 1. It’s a short game but I never had to check the walkthrough so many times. Things do not make sense like trying to find the user/password of different people 2. There is no inventory. The “inventory” includes 3 items which can not be used in the game 3. When you talk to people you wrote notes. They had an idea you can combine notes to get different conclusions. It was supposed for maybe 2 combinations only. Idea by someone that didn’t work and they decided to go with what they already written. 4. Only few characters - very basic movement. Poor graphics 5. The way to “win” to game is almost impossible. When you see the walkthrough you will understand. It makes no sense so don’t waste your time and go to the walkthrough. Sad that such a company produces such a low quality product.

Amirn1969Wed, Jan 24, 2018

United States

I'm psyched that this came to iOS. I'm a big fan.

YaelleGMon, Jul 17, 2017

United States

The game is on the short side and occasionally a little scripted, but it is definitely novel, unique and enjoyable.

forgetineerThu, Jul 13, 2017

United States