Bellatia
Bellatia
Game
Game2018
The Red Strings Club
Developer Deconstructeam
The Red Strings Club is a 2018 adventure game developed by Deconstructeam and published by Devolver Digital. It was originally released on Windows, macOS and Linux in January 2018, with a Nintendo Switch version released in March 2019. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
257 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
81
LovedLoved
148 positive · 35 negative
95% range 75–86%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 148 | 35 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 25 | 2 | 38 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 0 | 7 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
3,257 of 3,582 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
82% recommend · 154 yes, 33 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 187 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (13,400 of 14,345 positive).
Players praise the game's deep philosophical themes and emotional impact. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note the game is short but meaningful. [4][5][6] A few players criticize the narrative for being preachy or disjointed. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
Unfortunately despite my best efforts to like this game, I have found myself having mixed feelings about it. The music is fantastic, the pixel art is glorious and fits the mood perfectly, the story starts off really well and you are quickly hooked as the game tries to explore many deep themes, if the quality of the first half stayed in the second, I would be looking at a solid 8/10 experience. Sadly, the second half …
- [1]
I recently replayed this game to 100% it and while I remember liking it a lot, I was taken aback by how much it affected me even on a second playthrough. My only complaint about this game is that I wish it was longer. Not because the story felt incomplete or left me hanging, but because I really enjoyed my time with it and wanted more of the characters and world. It made me feel things and become attached to the …
- [2]
"let us need each other. let us beg for help." oh man. incredible dialogue, distinct characters, compelling narrative, beautiful atmosphere. easily one of my favorites. makes you feel a bleak confusion regarding what makes us human, and yet also gives you a burning appreciation for it. despite it all, to the end, there was love.
- [5]
Short and complex. Sweet and sour. Simple and deep. For the lenght of a feature-lenght movie, this game proposes fun mini-games, great dialogues and enthralling mechanics, all boiling down to a great narrative about the hard problem of consciousness, the weight of choices, the desire to love and have it shared, technology and its use under capitalism, and much more. Best played with a glass of whatever beverage that …
- [3]
This was a phenomenal game and story with a lot of very deep ideas and introspective questions. I spent a long time debating in my head about the benefits and dangers of the SWP project and when Akana asked me how I'd improve upon upon I had to really wrestle with what makes up free will and human nature. Loved all the gay and trans characters as well.
Summarised from 34 of the 260 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
The Red Strings Club sits at 81% positive across 183 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The Red Strings Club received "generally favorable" reviews from critics according to review aggregator Metacritic. The Spanish edition of Edge magazine gave it a 9/10. One of the characters Donovan encounters at The Red Strings Club is a marketing director named Larissa. During Brandeis' section, Larissa is revealed as transgender by her password, which is her "deadname" (name given at birth). Danielle Riendeau of Vice considered it offensive to use a deadname as a clue and criticized making someone's gender identity a plot twist. Paula Ruiz, a developer of The Red Strings Club who is transgender, said it is important to denounce deadnaming but that "it's also a part of trans people's…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 257 · most liked firstIn case you needed another reason to play The Red Strings Club.
neutral · AI labelView post →MinnMax is a great show I've been listening to the past few years and Deconstructeam is a team I've loved since I found their game The Red Strings Club. I can't wait to play their newest one. I am not in game dev but I think this video is relevant to anyone who creates art of any kind. Check it out!
neutral · AI labelView post →In about an hour, @rexiconjesse.bsky.social and I will be checking out The Red Strings Club, a game I've been meaning to play for a loooooooooong time but haven't gotten around to yet. Hey, that's what HME is for... right?
neutral · AI labelView post →By the way, along with all the stuff from The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood's 3rd Anniversary we snuck up a The Red Strings Club shirt 👕 in our new Official Merch Store! 🍸 This game is over 8 years old now, phew. shop.deconstructeam.com/product/the-...
neutral · AI labelView post →Unfortunately despite my best efforts to like this game, I have found myself having mixed feelings about it. The music is fantastic, the pixel art is glorious and fits the mood perfectly, the story starts off really well and you are quickly hooked as the game tries to explore many deep themes, if the quality of the first half stayed in the second, I would be looking at a solid 8/10 experience. Sadly, the second half ♥♥♥♥♥ the bed more than a drunk truck driver. The second half throws away…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Deeply saddened to say that I don't recommend this game. Played it with my brother on my birthday and we had a really fun time until the end. We both love philosophy, so we enjoyed weighing all of the options we had and we did our best to be strategic in hopes we could give a happy ending to our main characters. Although we expected a plot twist, we really sincerely hoped we would be able to find some sort of clever solution to give some hope for our main characters, who we had become…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1. Jazzpunk https://store.steampowered.com/app/250260/Jazzpunk_Directors_Cut/ - Everyone should play Jazzpunk. Watch the trailer, and read no other reviews, just play it. 2. Far: Lone Sails https://store.steampowered.com/app/609320/FAR_Lone_Sails/ - a gorgeous art piece, a good story that develops through the gameplay, worth your time. 3. Void War https://store.steampowered.com/app/2853590/Void_War/ - Void War is FTL crossed with Warhammer 40k, but it's not just a reskin. If you ever wanted…
neutral · AI labelView post →I recently replayed this game to 100% it and while I remember liking it a lot, I was taken aback by how much it affected me even on a second playthrough. My only complaint about this game is that I wish it was longer. Not because the story felt incomplete or left me hanging, but because I really enjoyed my time with it and wanted more of the characters and world. It made me feel things and become attached to the characters in the short time I spent with this game. It also lead me to seriously…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played this game for the first time in 2021. Didn't think about the story that much back at that time. I replayed this game when it's almost 2026 and everything felt so relevant... I started to actually worry about the deep questions raised by this game, which feels like the new REALITY. I'm quite impressed and realized how art can hit differently depending on the time you experience it. Highly recommended if you like heavy moral topics or you just enjoy making chilly cocktails :) wonderful…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game 31 of 2025: The Red Strings Club. Cyberpunk genre is my fav because it'll ask: "What is a human?" "What is identity?" "What is free will?" Good cyberpunk media forces the person to pause and introspect. Red Strings Club does all this, and is now one of my top cyberpunk games of all time.
positive · AI labelView post →[Game] The Red Strings Club. > The Red Strings Club is a cyberpunk narrative experience about fate and happiness featuring the extensive use of pottery, bartending and impersonating people on the phone. Tried it because of the theme and pixel art, but the story is more interesting than it seems at a casual glance. Mechanically, the game is not hard. Art is subjective, but the game looks vibrant and captivating. Characters, though, are the stand-out for me. Have you tried it?
positive · AI labelView post →There's not a single thing I would change in this game. Excellent story, philosophical discussions, twists and gameplay. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Humble] The Red Strings Club ($2.99 / 80% off). Steam Key Or get the DRM-free version on [GOG](https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_red_strings_club) for $0.75 more
neutral · AI labelView post →The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood - Release Date Trailer - Nintendo Switch. Coming August 16 Looks interesting. Has anyone here played their previous game The Red Strings Club? How is it?
neutral · AI labelView post →this is my first time i played such kind of a game. Ngl it's pretty short, but I recommend to play it in the middle of the night. Dialogues are indeed interesting, the plot at some point is emotional. I'm glad i decided to play it at some random night.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game really said 'have a drink and question capitalism.'
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →art and music are good, and i like the setting, but the narrative is very all over the place and not really trying to tell anything. also the AI robot literally "thinks youre stupid" if you question it about saying women are repressed, after every corporate higher up that walked into the bar was female. there was otherwise nothing being told about what womens lives are like in this universe, so it made sense to question. that felt incredibly preachy and out of character for a supposedly and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"let us need each other. let us beg for help." oh man. incredible dialogue, distinct characters, compelling narrative, beautiful atmosphere. easily one of my favorites. makes you feel a bleak confusion regarding what makes us human, and yet also gives you a burning appreciation for it. despite it all, to the end, there was love.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty captivating the first few hours, despite the janky and repetitive mini-games. Then the game lost me with his blatant virtue-signaling discourse, a mix of wokeness and globalism. If it was written in a more subtle and less biased way I wouldn't mind those kinds of subjects being present, but not shoved down the player's throat.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game where choices matter, although the only wrong answer is lying to yourself.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short and complex. Sweet and sour. Simple and deep. For the lenght of a feature-lenght movie, this game proposes fun mini-games, great dialogues and enthralling mechanics, all boiling down to a great narrative about the hard problem of consciousness, the weight of choices, the desire to love and have it shared, technology and its use under capitalism, and much more. Best played with a glass of whatever beverage that suits you, a rainy night and a desire to feel something.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It’s like real life. you go to a bar, and someone starts telling you cool stories and asking about life dilemmas. and it's stupid, pretentious, boring drunk talk, and you can’t leave, so you just sit there and nod. but it have a cameo of Gost.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game touchs upon many themes, the 2 broadest theme i'd say are (1) artificial inteligence's benefits and possible threats to society and (2) loneliness and human-connection in an urban/city perspective. Gameplay is quite like a visual novel, with heavy dialogues.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really liked the representation, music, and art, but I already felt exhausted after fixing drinks for the first guest. The pottery crafting and drink-pouring are overwhelming and torturous for people with spatial processing disorders like me. Now I'm praying for an update that lets players skip all those mini-games because I'm not going to open this game again. I wish I hadn't had such high expectations for this game and waited until my holiday to play it, thinking I would have more…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was a phenomenal game and story with a lot of very deep ideas and introspective questions. I spent a long time debating in my head about the benefits and dangers of the SWP project and when Akana asked me how I'd improve upon upon I had to really wrestle with what makes up free will and human nature. Loved all the gay and trans characters as well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honored to finally meet @jordidepaco.bsky.social of @deconstructeam.bsky.social. The Red Strings Club changed my life and The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood changed it again. Got my game signed and also got a ton of gifts 😭 Breakfast at Scopely. Saw some of our games too ❤️ Amazing first day at SAGA BCN!
positive · AI labelView post →after trying to play Grim Fandango out of historical curiosity and bouncing due to it's obtuseness and game breaking bugs I went looking for another adventure game to play and landed on The Red Strings Club (Destructeam, 2018) and mostly really liked it
positive · AI labelView post →A cheesy story with slow text display speed. Pros -The mini games are fun and a bit challenging -The choices actually mater, you often only have a few questions you can ask, and you want to make sure you ask them at the correct time, or you won't get the info. Cons -The political messages are a bit simple/obvious. -The story comes off as cheesy but I don't think it's meant to be. -The reason I didn't finish it is because the text display speed is slow, you cannot click to instantly show the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: -Pixel art was gorgeous. The use of colours was cohesive and impactful. Every character looked distinct. -Story. Made me tear up at the end. I was freaked out at the ending plot twist. I cared for each individual that we were introduced to. Wasn't bored once. -Themes. I'm not that into having existential crises while debating my own free will, unlike I used to be a few years back... But this was art, the way it impacted me, regardless. I enjoyed it. The themes could also just be an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →“The Red Strings Club” (Devolver Digital, bsky.app/profile/devo...) is different in all the best ways. I’ve never played a game that combines such a great story and characters, takes a stand, and remains so relevant. It’s going to leave a mark. #IndieGames #NintendoSwitch
positive · AI labelView post →Signalis Antichamber Cave Story The Beginner’s Guide Uplink Hypnospace Outlaw Exit Fate The Red Strings Club Oolite LocoRoco (not an indie gem but forgotten)
neutral · AI labelView post →I played blind after hearing it's somewhat similar to VA-11 and Coffee Talk. I didn't expect it to be one of the very few games where my choices truly matter, accompanied by some philosophical discussions that may help uncover the moral ambiguity of choices that might otherwise seem "obvious". Both the visuals and the music are good, although they aren't exactly outstanding compared to some other story-rich pixel-art games. I quite liked the cocktail-mixing mini-game, but the pottery one…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful sountrack and game. Would recommend, would have liked it even more if there was some kind of endless mode where you serve customers drinks while enjoying the music.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We got a peek at the Red Strings Club from the tarot-making game Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood- today we delve into the conspiracy-unraveling game that Red Strings Club, mixing drinks to loosen tongues along the way💖💫 www.twitch.tv/luci_ferrous...
neutral · AI labelView post →I really wanted to love it. But, its too repetive for my own taste. Making the drink and the sculpting is just a ragequit event (its not even cozy at this point). At least the narrative is good... but i cry everytimes i see a mini game approching... -Not really playable on steamdeck! but great on pc
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super political content and messaging. Cool ideas, but it forces you into one opinion only and there's a lack of nuance.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you're a sci-fi veteran (veteran = having read a few short story anthologies) , story is 3/10 on controls during minigames. it is a failure. 0/10 however they have improved their craft dramatically in their Tarot game . Go buy that instead.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- [Ring of Pain](https://store.steampowered.com/app/998740) is a great roguelike. - [Paradise Killer](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1160220/Paradise_Killer/) - Not actually sure how to describe Paradise Killer, but it's one of my favourite games. - [The Red Strings Club](https://store.steampowered.com/app/589780/The_Red_Strings_Club/) - Interesting, short and sweet - [Stephen's Sausage Roll](https://store.steampowered.com/app/353540/Stephens_Sausage_Roll/) - If you _love_ puzzle games…
neutral · AI labelView post →One of the most memorable and meaningful gaming experiences of my life
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →controls are weird on a controller and side games are annoying
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →+ cool concept and very cool music ('marketing director' deserves a bln. plays) + gorgeous art. brandeis' parts are the most interesting. - poor execution/lackluster mechanics, forced auto-save without multiple slots to return to, very few settings (both game-wise and story-wise), bartending is a pain, dialogue/questions sometimes don't make sense/connect well, random glitches if you're speeding through another playthrough (because you can't get all achievements in one go), not being able to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Premise looked interesting but the game is overall garbage. I love sci-fi, cyberpunk, pixel graphics and point-and-click adventure games... and this game is not very good. Graphics: They are nice. Best aspect of the game, except during mini-games when it looks like it was made with MS Paint. Sound: OK Interface: clunky Storyline and characters: They are incredibly cliché, the minigames are repetitive and janky without much purpose. There is also lack of subtlety in the message that it…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game had a really interesting storyline and I absolutely loved the principle of tuning cocktails to people's emotions. The artstyle is so satisfying, it fits the distopian world really well. One thing that bothered me a little bit is that sometimes you would find out a piece of information and then later on be told it again by another character and Donovan (the bartender) would act like it was the first time he had heard it even though he might have been told 2-3 times before. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'd rather play a straight up visual novel than deal with this gameplay.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Starting the game: Cute pixel art! Sci-fi! Lathes! Drinks! Ending the game: Am I a bad person? :(
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →oh ♥♥♥♥...i need a drink after this one
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →9. The Red Strings Club A pixel art cyberpunk bartending game about mixing the right drinks in order to get your customers to spill their guts to you.
neutral · AI labelView post →The story was somehow interesting, mini-games were ok, but the moment I was presented with the "all women are oppressed" question, and later Akara's reply, I just rolled my eyes. It did not only broke the inmersion for me, it made me want to finish the game ASAP. It's a shame I couldn't refund when I got to that point.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really great game. Awesome pixel art that draws you into the world and meaningful conversations that actually do affect the story in dramatic ways.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this team so much. I played this after completing Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and while that game is essentially always going to be my favourite game, this came real close. The characterisation is phenomenal, the mechanics are engaging, and I just love the way these games are put together. I cannot WAIT for the next game they come out with. Devs, thank you so much for making this possible. You put in an incredible amount of work.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Game Bundle] Neon Lights. $5: | Game Name | Steam Link | |----------------------|------------| | Black Future '88 | https://store.steampowered.com/app/751820/Black_Future_88 | | The Red Strings Club | https://store.steampowered.com/app/589780/The_Red_Strings_Club | | Neon Abyss | https://store.steampowered.com/app/788100/Neon_Abyss | $10: All above, plus: | Game Name | Steam Link | |----------------|------------| | Ghostrunner |…
neutral · AI labelView post →The next game from Deconstructeam, the people who brought you The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood and The Red Strings Club, is very, very good: screenrant.com/virtue-and-a...
neutral · AI labelView post →Just wasn't for me. 45 minutes into the game and I just wasn't into either the story, the art style, or the gameplay, which didn't yet seem to give me much autonomy in my actions. I've heard amazing things about this game, so I think if I could endure and make it further the experience would change, I just have no desire to go on. You had 45 minutes to hook me, and you failed to do so.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My dear Red Strings Club: What really slaps about this game, apart from the amazing Cyberpunk atmosphere, is the invitation to think while playing. The way the questions are asked after every encounter made me go to the shower to think through my answers, my analysis of other people, my empathy, and my morals. Amazing writing and a compelling story; this is a must-play, especially if you enjoy cyberpunk visual novels and exploring Technology ethics dilemmas, love, and free will. I felt…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL;DR 5.5/10 Good writing, bad game. For sci-fi interactive fiction aficionados. It's as if Richard Linklater dabbled in cyberpunk. Oh wait, he did! So yeah, it's just like A Scanner Darkly, with all the drug-tinged philosophical (but emotional) dialogue and intrigue-free mystery plot. That movie's better than this, but this isn't bad either. At least, not in the basket where they put all their eggs: the writing and plot. The particulars of the technology, corporate power structure, and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am almost never one to leave negative reviews, but I feel like one is warranted in this case. However, as there is a lot to love about this game, I'll go over those before digging into my cons. First, the game looks great. The pixel art is fantastic, the character design is awesome, and everyone looks unique and has their own unique speech styles, which makes the world feel very alive. You grow to become quite strongly attached to some of the characters within just a few small conversations…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly what a wonderful experience. It is quite a short game(3-4) hours but has more depth and personality than most AAA titles. Really strongly written, fun mechanics and beautiful art style. The game's writing really makes you ponder about ethics and morals of the modern human experience with the rise of mega corps and AI. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Near-perfect story game. Short and sweet, with some lovable and complex characters. The soundtrack absolutely rips, incredible stuff. I need to replay at some point to see the stuff I missed. Would recommend to anyone
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →amazing game. i have now watched a playthrough of it on youtube, played it myself twice and have recommended it to a friend and have watched him finish it. this is a game that manages to tell a truly captivating story with great, simple gameplay. its ending leaves the player on a bittersweet note that makes them think about the actual world around them. also the artstyle, soundtrack and atmosphere are absolutely beautiful.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly can't stand the minigames.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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