Once Upon A Puppet
Once Upon A Puppet
Game
Game2024
Selfloss
Developer Goodwin Games
Selfloss is an emotional exploration game filled with rich lore, set in a whale-worshipping, Slavic-inspired world. Embark on the journey of the healer, Kazimir, and his magical staff as he fights a mysterious Miasma in search of a ritual to cure his wounded soul. From the Steam store page
139 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Oct 17, 2026 · last updated Oct 18, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
80
LovedLoved
78 positive · 20 negative
95% range 71–86%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 78 | 20 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 8 | 1 | 21 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 5 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
84 of 105 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
79% recommend · 79 yes, 21 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 100 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (244 of 312 positive).
Players praise the game's beautiful art, music, and atmosphere. [1][2][3] Many find the controls clunky and movement too slow. [4][5][6] Some reviewers note bugs and uneven gameplay. [7][8][9]
Representative posts
- [5]
Charming game held back by very frustrating and clunky controls, lack of settings, miscellaneous bugs and odd colliders. Cutscenes endings are very abrupt and often just cut the music instantly, making it difficult to enjoy the atmosphere. Lots of very bright flashes, odd camera movements, half of attacks don't register. It's a shame, because the music and visuals are wonderful, but the writing doesn't match it …
- [10]
I must confess that i did not enjoy selfloss as much as i would have liked. It certainly is artistic and unique but the slow movement paired with the amount of back and forth you have to do really did grind this game down to a snail's pace. It's nice to go through these beautiful environments don't get me wrong but doing it again and again feels a bit... boring? I had hoped to be pulled in by this experience as the …
- [3]
Selfloss immediately immersed me in its atmosphere. Right from the start, I could feel the old man's inner pain and a sense of lingering sadness amplified by the soundtrack. The world, where people worship whales, struck me as incredibly unique — it's not the typical fantasy I'm used to. Every element, from the landscape to the sound design, feels crafted to heighten the sense of ancient magic and solitude. What I …
- [7]
Haunting, beautiful narrative adventure that unfortunately includes much uneven puzzling, some bad platforming, and a lot of bad combat. Too many genres in this very short game, most ruined by lack of polish and bad design. Wonky collision detection, sloppy controls, unplayable fixed camera angles, and nearly gamebreaking bugs. Do you like your character getting stuck on random patches of ground? Walking through the …
- [1]
+ great visuals and audio + wonderful atmosphere + nice multi-step puzzles + i'm a fan of boats, the river section is fun + good, stable perfomance + well-polished + plays well either with a controller or keyboard&mouse - aiming with light needs a bit of aim assist - writing is a bit wordy, really needs an editor to make it more consice (i played in russian, not sure about the english version) A nice game with a …
Summarised from 34 of the 147 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Selfloss sits at 80% positive across 98 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 139 · most liked firstFinished Selfloss. Tedious gameplay but powerful narrative.
neutral · AI labelView post →Charming game held back by very frustrating and clunky controls, lack of settings, miscellaneous bugs and odd colliders. Cutscenes endings are very abrupt and often just cut the music instantly, making it difficult to enjoy the atmosphere. Lots of very bright flashes, odd camera movements, half of attacks don't register. It's a shame, because the music and visuals are wonderful, but the writing doesn't match it either.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I must confess that i did not enjoy selfloss as much as i would have liked. It certainly is artistic and unique but the slow movement paired with the amount of back and forth you have to do really did grind this game down to a snail's pace. It's nice to go through these beautiful environments don't get me wrong but doing it again and again feels a bit... boring? I had hoped to be pulled in by this experience as the world is very intriguing thanks to its darker tone, something that's not all too…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss' art blew me away. What a gorgeous game. Thanks to everyone who showed up and to @goshjoshgames.bsky.social & @cynetrunner.bsky.social for the raids. You guys are the best.
positive · AI labelView post →This game has been the biggest disappointment in recent memory for me. It's clear the devs are passionate about the story, but there's no way to sugarcoat the fact that the gameplay is really, really unenjoyable. Pros The art style is fantastic. The soundtrack is atmospheric and beautiful. Cons Movement is slow, unintuitive, and clunky. I understand this may be a stylistic choice given that Kazimir is an old man and this isn't the type of game to rush through, but it's so slow to the point…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Positive: Great atmosphere Nice graphics Negative: Its slow, very slow. If you think the beggining is slow it has alot of parts that are even slower. Its a test of patience all the way. The puzzles are way too easy. The controlls are clunky and often hard to use. Lots of bad programming where you have to stand 100% correct to be able to push a button. Boring story. I usually enjoy some slow phased games, but I don't think I have the patience to finish this game. If you like…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →+ great visuals and audio + wonderful atmosphere + nice multi-step puzzles + i'm a fan of boats, the river section is fun + good, stable perfomance + well-polished + plays well either with a controller or keyboard&mouse - aiming with light needs a bit of aim assist - writing is a bit wordy, really needs an editor to make it more consice (i played in russian, not sure about the english version) A nice game with a soul. In some ways, more Death Stranding than Death Stranding itself.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have mixed feelings about this game. The story (and storytelling), puzzles, exploration, lore, environment, music, art & style of the game are all awesome and what kept me playing until the end, it really is a beautiful game. The dev really has done a great job creating something novel and you can tell they've poured their heart and soul into it. However, I almost quit playing the game several times because the controls are infuriating and ruin what would have otherwise been an absolutely…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss' world is beautiful to stare at. The story is poignant and delivered cleverly, making you connect the dots as you move along the game. A decent example of show, don't tell. I can certainly appreciate the artistic vision that went into it. Sadly, that concludes the positives I found in it. The gameplay is far too slow, the inputs imprecise, the crashes and glitches more frequent than acceptable. At one point during the final boss fight the main character was randomly thrown into…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I truly enjoy these types of games. The graphic style and music are beautiful and haunting. I've read the negative reviews and I can understand some of the comments. Yes, he walks a bit slow (he is an old man). The combat is a bit clunky but most enemies are not that strong and fairly easy to beat. You are given a generous amount of healing herbs (I never ran out). The checkpoints are almost always not too far back if you do die or need to quit. You will see a swirling symbol on the bottom left…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Happy New Year! Our first episode of 2025 releases on Thursday, January 9! We are so excited for y’all to hear about Selfloss, a mythical adventure game and IGA Emotional Impact nominee, by Goodwin Games.
neutral · AI labelView post →Selfloss immediately immersed me in its atmosphere. Right from the start, I could feel the old man's inner pain and a sense of lingering sadness amplified by the soundtrack. The world, where people worship whales, struck me as incredibly unique — it's not the typical fantasy I'm used to. Every element, from the landscape to the sound design, feels crafted to heighten the sense of ancient magic and solitude. What I especially liked is how Selfloss manages to balance a calm pace of exploration…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Been looking forward to playing Selfloss for a long time now. Streaming it in its entirety at 8PM EST. See you there! Twitch.tv/andresplays93
neutral · AI labelView post →I'd have liked a mixed option for this one. On the one hand, it's a lovely little game, it's beautiful, the story is good, the world is interesting and the atmosphere is great. But on the other hand, it's so slow, like you move slowly, sprint has a very long cooldown and only last a couple of second, a lot of running back and forth. Which wouldn't be to bad if it wasn't so slow and controlled like sack of potatoes. The combat is kind of lacking, there's a decent variety of enemies for a game of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →beautiful game it has puzzle elements, combat / enemies, amazing boss battles. not too long, I beat it in 7.2 hours, missed 1 collectible and 1 rune stone. it is a little bit glitchy but I still enjoyed it and I could beat the game. the ending is wtf lol.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Episode 38 is officially in the books! We had a great (and surprisingly funny) time talking about Selfloss, by Goodwin Games 🐋❄️ Listen wherever you get your podcasts Spotify- open.spotify.com/episode/1TJk... Apple- podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e... NSG site- nosmallgames.com/2025/01/ep-3...
neutral · AI labelView post →It's a really good art project. For such a small dev team it is really great! Voting for you guys with my money and positive review. As a really good art director Alex have nailed the style. Everything looks coherent, beautiful. It reminded me of Death's Door but with slavic roots. It really lacks interesting gameplay for me and the controls are uncomfortable. The main character has too much weight in his movement, also camera is a bit off. Level design wise I suppose it could be more…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss - Play Demo Now (Steam). Really love the look of this. Hopefully the gameplay is okay
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is beautiful first of all. The areas I have discovered have all been unique and with their own flavour. You can get immersed in the game easily due to atmosphere. The controls are good, bit icy when in the boat but I expect that when i'm swimming. Water does push against you after all. I like the story and the world, its basic but still enjoyable. The puzzle aspect of the game is not too challenging which goes well with the calm atmosphere. However I do feel like this game could…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This sort of linear, story-driven, puzzle-heavy action/adventure is right up my alley when executed well, and the Slavic setting and art direction are appealing despite some overuse of chromatic aberration, but Selfloss really needed more general playtesting and polish, suffering from frequently unclear objectives, tedious trial-and-error sequences, cheap deaths, and checkpoints that are just a tad too far apart. Would only recommend on deep discount.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I would recommend this game... when it's on sale. It's too short, which is a shame because the lore and atmosphere are very cool. The gameplay is sometimes clunky; the camera movement can be awkward and I got stuck in a couple walls. Lastly, some of the puzzles were frustrating rather than rewarding. The vague clues made them more of a guessing game than a brain puzzle, and some had solutions so simple I kept running right past them. Overall I did enjoy playing through Selfloss, but it was not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The dull gameplay with awkwardly controlling character, annoying dynamic camera which makes areas disorienting, does not add much to the game other than distract from it actually not having a whole lot to say. Normally I'd go back to collect the bits and pieces of collectibles missed after finishing the game, but I dread moseying around the areas again, where I was thankful to move on and get closer to wrapping up every time.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Haunting, beautiful narrative adventure that unfortunately includes much uneven puzzling, some bad platforming, and a lot of bad combat. Too many genres in this very short game, most ruined by lack of polish and bad design. Wonky collision detection, sloppy controls, unplayable fixed camera angles, and nearly gamebreaking bugs. Do you like your character getting stuck on random patches of ground? Walking through the air while trying to drop off a ledge? Dying from falling the same height as…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just got through the game, the visuals are great, the story is riveting. On the gameplay itself, there are rough edges, small bugs present so far, but the whole game is 100% worth playing. Highly recommend it, it was an enjoyable experience!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While i found myself very intrigued by the art style and story, to the point i even bought a controller to see if that would help with the game play, i just found the combat too frustrating to get past chapter 1.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A weird, quirky game with often awkward gameplay. It controls as well as trying to paint with your elbows. If you are looking for a hidden gem, along the lines of Hob or The Last Campfire, I would say keep looking. Barely a Thumbs Up based on my experience. It had just enough of a story to keep me engaged but was more frustrating than fun to actually play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss is a relatively short atmospheric game. The art direction and sound design is beautiful and unique. This game is a slow burn as the pacing in terms of game play is quite sluggish. However, the story as well as the simple yet satisfying puzzles make Selfloss worth playing. Especially if it's on sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss is a gorgeous game I want to love, because it can be heartwarming and enjoyable - but it can be frustrating just as much. the visuals, sound and overall atmosphere is everything I wanted. the artstyle is great and the minimalistic sound and use of music is on point. the story has been great so far and I like the themes they tackle and the way it goes about it. it sadly is just disappointing in the gameplay. most sessions I quit being frustrated. I feel like some more external testing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#WoTSkies Introduce yourself with: (not including any WoT stuff because that seems too easy) One book: umm uh I can’t choose! Romance! One movie: Finding Nemo One album: Greatest Hits of Earth, Wind & Fire One tv show: One Piece One game: Selfloss
neutral · AI labelView post →The game is definitely beautiful and has interesting lore that you'll want to find out more about through the scrolls you collect and the runestones you find. The story is nice and the game doesn't overstay it's welcome. Overall it's a good game and I want to recommend it, but it's not without flaws. Most of the issues can be patched, and hopefully they will be fixed soon. First of all, the combat is pretty bad, at least when it comes to bosses. The regular combat against regular enemies is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's pretty. I like the theme and the story, but it would be a real struggle to recommend. The gameplay is just dull, the puzzles are really basic and the controls are tedious and clunky.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you are experiencing issues playing on the Steam Deck try changing to proton experimental.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss - Play Demo Now (Steam). cross-posted from: https://feddit.de/post/12891134 > Really love the look of this. Hopefully the gameplay is okay
neutral · AI labelView post →The gameplay is really slow and boring. Weird controls just make the game awkward. Do not recommend this game unless you want something slow and dull.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The sound design and music of this game stand out to me the most but overall what an incredible story, artistic direction, and game play. I loved this game and actually shed a tear a couple of moments. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A hidden gem. It's unfortunately very unpolished and rough around the edges, but the vibes are strong and it has a lot of soul.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A cool, atmospheric, not too tense and addictive game with an interesting and mysterious plot
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember watching Inuyasha when I was a kid, they were always afraid of the Miasma. What if, instead of complaining about it all the time, you did something about it? With a magical light staff, at the behest of giant flying whale gods?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss is a true work of art, and its creator, Alex Goodwin, has every reason to be proud of leaving such a masterpiece in the gaming world. This is an incredible universe, and while there are some bugs and rough edges, knowing the story behind the game's development only deepens my admiration. The theme of the chthonic world, loss, and the ritual of selfloss resonates deeply with me. The individual stories we uncover along the journey are profoundly moving, often bringing tears to my eyes.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss is an absolute gem of an adventure game that delivers a deeply emotional experience. Its story is beautifully crafted, blending Slavic mythology with themes of healing and loss. You play as Kazimir, a healer navigating a world inspired by ancient myths, using a magical staff to battle mysterious forces. The game’s atmosphere is stunning, with its visually striking world and hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, which together create an immersive and meditative experience. The puzzles are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just finished the game. Most of my play time came from being confused on what to do but in a good way rather than I have no clue what to do. Didn't need a guide or what not. Plan on getting all achievements and it is worth every penny. The good If you know what to do and where to go, the game easily can be done in about 4 hours (maybe more maybe less). The combat is light, no pun intended. The world itself was interesting. I can say Chapter 2 was my favorite. The story goes deeper than I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss is truly a gorgeous and atmospheric game, with moody environments, beautiful background music, and a phenomenal artistic direction. It's unfortunate that it is mired down by poor controls and zero accessibility features. There are no accommodations for motion sickness or for adjusting the finicky controls (you can however change the buttons, so points for that), but it is very difficult to get the inputs to register half the time. I followed this game for a long time before release,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic art direction and atmosphere but some jank movement and combat. Selfloss is a solid title about dealing with death and loss, and also fish.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful game, charming worldbuilding, beautiful music - and yet the game itself is unfortunately (nearly) unplayable. A puzzle broke when I died, couldn't progress it, then I couldn't access previous checkpoints because this game autosaves, so I had to reset my progress - luckily only 80 min. in. I'll give it another shot soon, but that was more than enough to deter me from experiencing the game. And well, there are other issues too: - no way to rebind controler (really frustrating because…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gorgeous world and lore and music held back by tepid gameplay. It ranges from boring to clunky, to just plain frustrating. Melee attacks can miss because of the ridiculously tiny hitbox - but the combat itself is also so easy it borders on sleep inducing. The character has stamina but no stamina bar- all it really serves is make it so you can't run (and you only run about 20 percent faster than your very slow walk speed) 6/10 - don't expect a thrilling game - it's a glorified walking sim with…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Back at it with another emotional, story driven game, Selfloss. 🫶🏻 Come hang out this morning! www.twitch.tv/rogue_crossing
neutral · AI labelView post →Such a pretty and atmospheric game. I just finished chapter 1 and really enjoys it. Riddles are creative, combat not so hard not so easy too, I really like sailing. And there was dog! DOG! Best game 10/10 But more seriously, I didn't have problem with controls even when I play on keyboard, I also doesn't mind pace. It's not super slow and it allows to let's appreciate the game design and locations.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ ? / 10 }--- ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ 6 ☐ 7 ☑ 8 ☐ 9 ☐ 10 ---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☑ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☑ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☑ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Interesting lore, and good narrative paired with beautiful graphical style and music, are the reasons I recommend getting the game. Haven't finished yet, but have been enjoying every minute of it, even the short platforming bits, which can be a bit irritating.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →>What have you been playing My usual games: Tetris Effect, Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 (openRCT2), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe But also a few other games: Selfloss, Trans Neurotica and GTA V. Allthough my Steam Deck will be out of service for a few days, I found a "spicy pillow" in my deck, have to wait for a replacement battery to show up :(
neutral · AI labelView post →Hello everyone, happy Wednesday! After too big of a needed break we will start out week with a new game, will be playing Selfloss and appreciating the journey. twitch.tv/monadart #indiegamer #indiegames #twitchstreamer #streamer #gamerwomen
neutral · AI labelView post →it's impossible to run, you press shift like 5 times to run only for the old man to stop 2 seconds after, it's bearable because of the type of game this is otherwise insta refund. i also wish the scrolls were voiced like the books in bramble game is very slow, boring many times. especially fighting. Bosses are designs are good, but too passive, hence way too easy. they could've made them fun and relaxing by making their attacks more active and do less damage. anyway i liked a lot the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game captures you with its stunning visuals and atmospheric world. The areas I've explored so far feel distinct, each with its own flavor that makes exploration enjoyable. Kazimir's story is intriguing and I'eager to delve in deeper. The game world pulls you in easily, especially with the combination of art and music. The controls are solid, though navigating the boat can feel a bit slippery and the combat could profit from aim assist since the aiming can sometimes feel a bit clunky. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A beautiful and handcrafted experience with intuitive puzzle and combat mechanics. Its a little rough around the edges, a few bugs in the beginning, but aside from that is nothing but a delight through and through.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is truly a special adventure you don't want to miss out on.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has a very refreshing style compared to other good games within the genre. Combat with the light staff is a nice spin and it keeps the risk of engaging tougher enemies & bosses throughout the game. The puzzles are thoughtful and less of the same zeldaesque and more about remembering things you read and saw in the areas you traverse. The music is wonderful and the art is captivating. The dev sharing bits of their country's culture through this game made reading and interacting with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gorgeously-looking slow-paced adventure game with some combat. Stunning visuals and beautiful music. Has some rough edges, but overall I quite liked it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Selfloss (2024, Switch) Rating: 6.5/10 I loved about 90% of this game and was going to rate it much higher, but after wasting 2+ hours trying to beat the final boss, I gave up, and it left me feeling bitter. Did they even play test the last boss? Has nice atmosphere and some lovely music. But, ugh.
neutral · AI labelView post →Be careful with the sale of Steam cards in this game since several have inflated the price of Selfloss Creation. It really is worth 0.05 cents, don't be fooled. ;)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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