State of Mind
Berlin, 2048 – The world is on the brink. Lack of resources, illnesses caused by polluted air and water, crime on the rise, war. Governments and companies promise remedies through technological progress. Drones and humanoid robots replace humans in the public sector, everything is interconnected, surveillance has become omnipresent. Richard Nolan is one of the few journalists openly criticizing this development. When he wakes up in hospital after an explosion and finds that his wife and son have mysteriously vanished, Richard realizes: he and his family have become more than just bystanders in a storm of rivaling ideas pertaining humankind’s salvation between dystopian reality and digital utopia. Instead, they find themselves right at the center of it.
Game Discussion
Steam User 17
State of Mind won’t appeal to everyone, but when it plays to its strengths, it’s fantastic. The game delivers a strong story, striking visuals, a fascinating world, and memorable characters. Where it stumbles is in its puzzles. Daedalic Entertainment is best known for its 2D point and click adventures, and State of Mind is one of their first attempts at a fully 3D, third-person title. While most of the puzzles aren’t bad or even particularly difficult some feel tedious rather than engaging. Thankfully, they’re few and far between, so they don’t weigh down the overall experience too much. The story, however, is the game’s true strength. You piece together your past while searching for your family, and it’s both compelling and unsettling. Richard Nolan, the protagonist, is one of the most unlikable leads I’ve ever played. I’ve role played characters who slit throats for coin and still found more to like about them than Richard. He’s childish, selfish, and treats others poorly, rarely showing humility unless the player forces it through dialogue choices. If that dislike was intentional, then the developers succeeded brilliantly he’s a fascinatingly flawed character.
The supporting cast is much more engaging. Lydia, in particular, stood out to me thanks to a disturbing VR cam girl sequence that remains one of the creepiest moments I’ve experienced in a game. Across the board, the characters are well written, the dialogue is sharp, and the choices feel meaningful, giving the player a sense of control over the story’s direction. Visually, State of Mind strikes a unique balance between celshading and realism. Characters and clothing lean toward a stylized look, while the environments embrace detail and atmosphere. The result is a striking aesthetic, whether it’s a lived in apartment or the rain soaked sidewalks of Queens, New York. The world feels alive, and the voice acting adds weight to the narrative.
Steam User 8
I bought this game a few years ago—probably around the time I got really into interactive movie-style games after playing The Walking Dead and Detroit: Become Human.
Due to personal circumstances, I hadn’t been able to play it until now. Originally, I planned to play for about an hour a day and finish it in 10 days to 2 weeks. But I got so drawn into the story that I ended up finishing it over the weekend. (I’m the type who likes to explore everything thoroughly, so my total playtime was around 15 hours.)
It exceeded my expectations—the story was incredibly engaging. At first, I didn’t like the polygon-style graphics, but they ended up fitting the mood of the game perfectly.
There were a few downsides though. (I played it on Steam Deck.)
1. The character movement felt a bit clunky.
2. The game froze (soft-locked) about 4 or 5 times before I reached the ending. I had to quit and restart the game each time. Since there’s no manual save system, I had to replay some parts. Fortunately, the sections were fairly short, so I didn’t lose much progress.
3. Some of the puzzle-solving or interactive mini-game sections were awkward to control—possibly due to the Steam Deck's controller. There were no issues with regular gameplay, though.
4. The achievements felt a bit uninspired. For example, staying in a certain area for over 25 minutes, or rejecting every request from a particular character. As much as I enjoyed the game itself, I didn’t feel motivated to 100% the achievements.
As some of users have mentioned in the comments, this game is definitely underrated. I was surprised to see how few people have played it. I really hope more people give this game a chance.
Steam User 17
All happy virtual realities are alike; each unhappy reality is unhappy in its own way.
Steam User 6
Its worth a play if heavily discounted.
Basically movie-style game (like Detroit/heavy rain etc) but gameplay is below average with some very questionable mini quests.
The world, voice acting and music are really good and overall the story was interesting (despite a lot of plotholes)
A generous 6/10- I'm glad I played it through once but never would be inclined to play again.
Steam User 7
Game creators seem to really enjoy exploring the questions of what makes a person human and what makes an identity. This game explores both.
You play as two seemingly disparate people living two separate lives but the two existences begin to show more and more overlap.
An engaging mystery.
Steam User 2
Even though i haven't played the whole game just yet I adore it so much, it will make you cry sometimes it will make you question your reality, and it will haunt you but it will all in all make you a better person and will make you hold your loved ones tight . ( UPDATE) THIS GAME MADE ME CRY LIKE A BIZNICH, IT WAS SO GOOD, I WANT TO SEE A PART TWO OF THIS.
Steam User 3
Final Review (13 hours played)
State of Mind is a game I had a complicated relationship with; one that ultimately paid off, but only after a VERY slow start (6 hours'ish). Visually, this game is striking. The polygon art style works beautifully, giving the world a distinctive look that I genuinely enjoyed throughout. The panoramic cityscapes and environmental vistas are often stunning, and the music and sound design complement the atmosphere perfectly. From an audio-visual standpoint, this is a confident, well-crafted sci-fi experience. Where the game struggles is pace and interaction. The world looks amazing, but it often feels static; there’s very little you can interact with, and NPC engagement is minimal. The story itself is strong: a dark, dystopian sci-fi narrative with interesting themes and ideas. However, the pacing is extremely slow, particularly in the first half. It took around six hours before the story truly became engaging, which is a big ask. Once it does get going, it’s rewarding. Gameplay is light and sometimes repetitive. The mini-games are simplistic and overused, with too many drone-based sections that feel like padding. This reinforces the feeling that State of Mind is less of a game and more of an interactive sci-fi series Almost a box set that only finds its stride several episodes in! Technical support is a noticeable weak point. I had to rely on Steam discussion threads to get the game running properly on my GTX 4060, and even then I was unable to use high textures due to well-known issues that haven’t been addressed by the developer. That’s disappointing, especially given the game’s age and PC focus.
Scores:
Graphic Style: 9/10 the polygon artwork is distinctive and very effective
Game World: 7/10 looks fantastic, but limited interaction
Music: 9/10 excellent atmosphere throughout
Art Direction: 8/10 beautiful panoramic scenes with a few odd quirks
Game Support: 4/10 unresolved, well-known PC issues
Story: 8/10 strong sci-fi concepts, held back by very slow pacing
Mini-Games: 4/10 simple, repetitive, and too many drone missions
If you’re patient and enjoy VERY slow-burn sci-fi narratives, State of Mind is worth seeing through to the end. Just don’t expect a fast-moving or highly interactive experience; this is more of a mood-driven sci-fi box set than a traditional game.
OVERALL: 6/10