Refind Self: The Personality Test Game Review

First impressions are an integral part of the gaming experience, and I feel it is fair to say that Playism and Lizardry’s new adventure game Refind Self: The Personality Test Game threw me off a bit. It was mainly the title and description of the game that did it.

“An adventure game and personality test rolled into one” huh? Sounds like they might be trying to do a bit much there. However, I am pleased to say that I was very wrong, and the game broke my expectations in the best way possible.

Beauty in Simplicity 

I at least went into Refind Self expecting a game that was pretty to look at. The trailers and screenshots had an appealing art style, and the character design was simple yet unique. 

It gave the initial impression of one of those “choose your own path” types of games. Here, your decisions directly impact the story or the ending. A big aspect of adventure games is the story and the world, so my expectations were high. 

The beginning of the game was very much in line with that expectation. Starting with an android standing before the grave of its creator, the game gives you the choice to go anywhere you want.  Familiar stuff here for games with a similar premise. 

But I came to find that as I made these decisions, from as small as how long I sat on a bench to what job I got, my personality was being analyzed by the game itself. The game breaks down each decision you make to both develop the story as you play and put together a clear image of your personality type, bit by bit.

This is a beautiful trap for someone like me. The world is so simple and limited in its presentation that I found myself wanting to squeeze out every little bit of it I could. The game’s structure makes it dangerous for this sort of curiosity as it is impeccably short, only about an hour’s worth of gameplay, requiring multiple playthroughs. 

 With each revisit to its world, I not only found out more about it and the story, but more about myself. You would think you know yourself very well, but even I was surprised by some of the things I came to learn about myself. 

It reminded me – pun intended – that every decision we make, big or small, reflects who we truly are. 

At the end of it all, the game gives you an ID of your personality that you can even share with others, enhancing the experience even more. 

Art and Music

Of course, by design, the world of Refind Self is both simple and pretty to look at. It is filled with all sorts of little distractions that exist as a test in disguise. A test of your character and your personality. 

The pixel art is very clean and makes each character distinct, and each location different from the last. The soundtrack also elevates the moments of calm and the moments of intrigue in the narrative. This helps make you truly feel every moment and put yourself even more in the shoes of your avatar, as a game should.

The Low Points

No game is perfect, and Refind Self is no different. However, even the game’s issues are not a hindrance to its message and narrative goals. 

At times, the world feels a little too simple. It can make what you need to do a little unclear at times. The length, while encouraging the replayability, also gave me the feeling of ‘Wait, it’s over already?’ It was only the most jarring the first time, but it still left me a bit disappointed. 

The game also has no native controller support on either iPhone or Steam. Touchscreen controls mostly feel fine apart from a few moments of unresponsiveness. 

Final Verdict

Despite its small flaws, Refind Self: The Personality Test Game is a pleasant surprise and a hidden gem of the mobile library this year. If you enjoy introspective games, this may be exactly what you are looking for. This is only Lizardry’s second title and I am already excited to see what else they have in store.  You can download the game on Google Play or Steam right now. 

Score: 4.5/5