Mosaic (video game)

Last updated

Mosaic
App icon of Mosaic, Krillbrite Studio, 2019.webp
App icon
Developer(s) Krillbite Studio
Publisher(s) Raw Fury
Platform(s) iOS, tvOS, Linux, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Release
  • iOS, tvOS
  • November 1, 2019 [1]
  • Linux, Windows
  • December 5, 2019 [1]
  • Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
  • January 23, 2020 [2]
  • PlayStation 4
  • February 11, 2020 [3]
Genre(s) Adventure, art
Mode(s) Single-player

Mosaic is an adventure arcade game developed by Krillbite Studio and published by Raw Fury. It was originally released on iOS and tvOS through Apple Arcade, with releases for Windows and Linux in 2019 and Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2020. The game serves as social commentary on modern life; the main character is an isolated office worker who lacks human contact and spends a large amount of time on his smartphone, seeing the world only in dull colors. He gradually starts encountering moments of beauty and realizing he should escape the daily grind. It received mixed reviews from critics, who thought the gameplay was overly dull and the message too simplistic, though they enjoyed some moments in it.

Contents

Reception

Mosaic has a "mixed or average" Metacritic rating, [4] and on OpenCritic, it received a "fair" approval rating of 48%. [5]

Alex Spencer of PC Gamer gave the game a mixed review, describing the entire game as "housing" for a message about modern life that never "cuts any deeper than Daniel Ortberg's withering Black Mirror synopsis, 'what if phones but too much'." He said that it lacked meaningful gameplay, though he called its occasional bright spots rewarding. While calling it occasionally fascinating, he said that it was trying too hard to remind the player it was art. [7]

Sergio Velasquez of TouchArcade was also mixed on the game, saying that despite being boring, it was an "experience" that showcases the problems with modern isolation. However, he called it "slow and frustrating" for non-introspective players who are simply seeking fun gameplay, calling its controls the worst part. While describing its story as "short and predictable", he summed it up as rewarding in the end. [8]

Lloyd Coombes of Nintendo Life rated the game negatively, calling it intentionally mundane and comparing it to Limbo and Inside . However, he said it lacked a meaningful message besides the negative effects of technology on people's lives, and that it compared unfavorably to other commentary along those lines, such as Black Mirror. Saying that the game had a "vital message" that it couldn't enunciate, he summed it up as ultimately unfulfilling and depressing. [6]

Mosaic: BlipBlop

A clicker game called Mosaic: BlipBlop was released independently for iOS and Android in 2019. It is also featured in Mosaic as a minigame the protagonist can play, commenting on the vapid nature of mobile games. [9] The standalone version functions as marketing for the full Mosaic game, showing the player fake ads for in-universe apps. [10]

Related Research Articles

Super Monkey Ball is a series of arcade platform video games initially developed by Amusement Vision and published by Sega. The series debuted in 2001 with the arcade game Monkey Ball, which was ported to GameCube as Super Monkey Ball later that year. Several sequels and ports have been released.

Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is a video game developed by Taito for WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade. It is the latest installment in the Rainbow Islands series. The game was released in Japan on March 3, 2009, in the PAL regions on May 8, and in North America on June 15. The Xbox Live Arcade version was released on October 28 the same year.

<i>Badland</i> (video game) 2013 mobile video game

Badland is a video game developed and published by Frogmind. It was first released on iOS and Android in 2013. It was released on Windows Phone 8 in June 2014. There is also a Game of the Year Edition that was released in May 2015 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Wii U and Steam for Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X, and in August 2021 for Nintendo Switch by Untold Tales.

<i>Whispering Willows</i> 2014 video game

Whispering Willows is an indie adventure horror video game developed by independent developer Night Light Interactive for Ouya in May 2014.

<i>Quest of Dungeons</i> 2014 video game

Quest of Dungeons is a roguelike video game released on March 25, 2014 by Portuguese developer Upfall Studios. The game has graphics resembling 16-bit game consoles. It was initially released for Windows, Mac, and iOS, then for Xbox One via ID@Xbox on September 7, 2015. In February 2016, it was announced that the game was being developed for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS and was released on September 29, 2016. It was later released for PlayStation 4 on January 17, 2017. On August 2, 2017, it was announced that it would be coming to the Nintendo Switch.

<i>Beholder</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Beholder is an adventure video game about life in a totalitarian police state. The game was developed by Warm Lamp Games and published by Alawar Entertainment on November 9, 2016. The game is supported on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

<i>CrossCode</i> 2018 video game

CrossCode is a 2018 action role-playing game developed by Radical Fish Games and published by Deck13. Players control Lea, a player in a fictional MMORPG called CrossWorlds who wakes up with no memory and is unable to speak. Gameplay involves the player employing both ranged and melee shots to solve puzzles and defeat enemies, with differing elemental modes granting different powers used in combat and exploring.

<i>Knights of Pen & Paper 2</i> 2015 role-playing video game

Knights of Pen & Paper 2, stylized as Knights of Pen & Paper II, is a role-playing video game developed by Kyy Games and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released on May 13, 2015, for iOS and Android, and on October 20, 2015, for Windows, OS X and Linux through the download service Steam. Versions for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One were released in December 2018 under the name Knights of Pen & Paper 2: Deluxiest Edition. It is the sequel to Knights of Pen & Paper.

<i>Please, Dont Touch Anything</i> Puzzle video game

Please, Don't Touch Anything, later re-released as Please, Don't Touch Anything: Classic on the Nintendo Switch in Europe and North America, is a puzzle video game developed by Russian indie studio Four Quarters and published by Bulkypix and Plug In Digital. It was released on March 26, 2015 on Steam for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, and on October 21, 2015 for iOS. It received a remake with virtual reality support, Please, Don't Touch Anything 3D, that was co-developed with Escalation Studios and released on December 7, 2016 on Steam for Windows and Mac OS X. An enhanced port of Please, Don't Touch Anything was released for Nintendo Switch on November 22, 2018 with updated graphics and more solutions.

<i>OneShot</i> 2016 video game

OneShot is a puzzle-adventure game developed by the indie studio Future Cat and published by Degica. Based on a free version made in 2014, it was released for Windows on December 8, 2016. A console adaptation, OneShot: World Machine Edition, was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on September 22, 2022.

<i>Wheels of Aurelia</i> 2016 visual novel by Santa Regione

Wheels of Aurelia is a 2016 visual novel and adventure video game that was developed and published by Italian studio Santa Ragione. It was released worldwide in September 2016 for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and OS X; in October 2016 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One; October 2017 on iOS and Android; and November 2017 for the Nintendo Switch. Its story is set in 1978 Italy and tells the story of Lella who drives along the Italian motorway Via Aurelia alongside one or many companions; commenting on issues such as single parenthood, fascism, and the Mafia.

<i>Horizon Chase - World Tour</i> 2015 racing video game

Horizon Chase is a racing video game developed and published by Brazilian company Aquiris Game Studio. It was released on August 20, 2015, for iOS and Android platforms. It is a 3D game inspired by 2D, 16-bit titles like Top Gear. Its soundtrack has Nintendocore influences.

<i>Neversong</i> 2020 video game

Neversong, formerly Once Upon a Coma, is a psychological adventure game developed by American indie studios Atmos Games and Serenity Forge. The game is a sequel to Thomas Brush's flash game Coma, and was initially aimed for release on Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch in September 2018, and for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in early 2019. However, creator Thomas Brush pushed back both dates to 2019 so he could perfect the game to meet expectations after Pinstripe.

A roguelike deck-building game is a hybrid genre of video games that combines the nature of deck-building card games with procedural-generated randomness from roguelike games.

<i>Forager</i> (video game) Open world adventure game

Forager is an open-world adventure game developed by Argentine studio HopFrog and published by Humble Bundle. The game was officially released for Microsoft Windows in April 2019, and later became available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, and Android.

<i>A Short Hike</i> 2019 video game

A Short Hike is an adventure video game by Canadian indie game designer Adam Robinson-Yu. It is an open world exploration game in which the player is tasked with reaching the summit of a mountain to get cellphone reception. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in July 2019, for Nintendo Switch in August 2020, and for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2021.

<i>Little Orpheus</i> 2020 adventure-platform game

Little Orpheus is a 2020 adventure-platform game developed by The Chinese Room and published by Sumo Digital. The game was released on Apple Arcade on 12 June 2020 for iOS, macOS, and tvOS. Ports for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S were released by subsidiary label Secret Mode on 13 September 2022.

<i>Felix the Reaper</i> 2019 video game

Felix the Reaper is a 2019 puzzle game developed by Kong Orange and published by Daedalic Entertainment. In each of the game's levels, players must navigate player character Felix through a series of spatial puzzles without coming into contact with the light of the sun, which requires players to manipulate the environment using various gameplay mechanics to provide pathways for Felix to reach the end of the level and fulfill his duties. Felix's goal in each scenario is to instigate deadly and often contrived accidents to claim a non-player character's life using elements within the level's environments.

<i>Steven Universe: Unleash the Light</i> 2019 video game

Steven Universe: Unleash the Light is a role-playing video game developed by Grumpyface Studios and published by Cartoon Network Games. It is based on, and taking place after, the Steven Universe animated series. The game is the third and final game in the Light trilogy, after Attack the Light and Save the Light. The storyline was written by Rebecca Sugar and features voices by the show's original cast.

<i>Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion</i> 2021 video game

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a 2021 action-adventure video game developed by Snoozy Kazoo and published by Graffiti Games. It was released for Linux, macOS, Windows, and Nintendo Switch in April 2021. The game was also released for Xbox One in April 2022, for iOS and Android in May 2022, and for PlayStation 4 in December 2022. The player is placed in the role of an anthropomorphic turnip who evades taxes in an effort to fight a corrupt vegetable government. A sequel, titled Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, was released for Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows and Xbox One on January 18, 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 Dawe, Liam (November 1, 2019). "Dark surrealistic and atmospheric adventure game Mosaic launches for Linux in December". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  2. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 9, 2020). "Mosaic for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch launches January 23". Gematsu. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  3. ↑ Massongill, Juston (February 7, 2020). "The Drop: New PlayStation Games for February 11, 2020". PlayStation Blog . Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Mosaic". Metacritic . Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Mosaic". OpenCritic . Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Coombes, Lloyd (February 1, 2020). "Review: Mosaic - Biting Social Commentary Masquerading As A Video Game". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Spencer, Alex (December 5, 2019). "Mosaic review". PC Gamer . Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Velasquez, Sergio (December 2, 2019). "Apple Arcade: 'The Mosaic' Review – The dread of the average person". TouchArcade . Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ Tekaia, Pascal (June 24, 2019). "E3 2019 round-up". Adventure Gamers . Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Mosaic: BlipBlop". App Store. June 9, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.