Encodya

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Encodya
Developer(s)Chaosmonger Studio
Publisher(s)Assemble Entertainment
Engine
Platform(s)Windows, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Android, iOS
ReleaseWindows, Mac, Linux
  • WW: 26 January 2021
Xbox, PS4, Switch
  • WW: 5 November 2021
iOS
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)

Encodya is a 2021 point-and-click graphic adventure game developed by Chaosmonger Studio and published by Assemble Entertainment. The player assumes the role of a young homeless girl, Tina, and her robot, SAM-53, as they explore the cyberpunk city of Neo-Berlin. The game was the first to be created by the studio's lead developer, filmmaker and animator Nicola Piovesan, who based the game on an animation, Robot Will Protect You. Upon release, the game received average reviews.

Gameplay

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Encodya is a 3D adventure game played from a third-person perspective. Using a point and click interface, the player interacts with the environment by selecting from a series of verbs, such as "look", "take", "talk" or "pull". Players can switch between the two characters, Tina and SAM-53, with dialog options differing depending on the selected character. The game features two difficulty modes: easy and hard, with the easier mode providing hints and a button to highlight some interactable items.[1]

Plot

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In the city of Neo-Berlin, the players assume the role of a young homeless girl, Tina and her robot SAM-53. The city's mayor, Mr. Rumph, aims to hunt down SAM-53 for its memory, implanted by Tina's missing father. Players investigate the city of Neo-Berlin, working to avoid Mr. Rumph's henchmen and uncover clues to the password that unlocks what was hidden inside SAM-53.

Development and release

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Encodya was developed by Chaosmonger Studio, a development team led by Italian artist, animator and writer Nicola Piovesan, based in Bologna.[2][3] Piovesan founded the studio in the 2000s as a collective of freelancers to work on film and animation projects.[2] Encodya followed the creation of an animation, Attack of the Cyber Octopuses, a cyberpunk science-fiction themed animation released in 2017,[3] with Piovesan expressing interest in creating a "bigger project" focused on a "cyberpunk universe".[4] In line with this objective, Encodya was created concurrently alongside an animated short, Robot Will Protect You, released in December 2018, with the game pitched as a stretch goal for the Kickstarter campaign for the animation.[5][2][3] Piovesan, who largely programmed the game on his own,[2] used his own non-photorealistic rendering technique in the animation of the short as well as in the game to achieve a hand-drawn look with the environments.[4] A game demo was released in June 2019.[3][6]

Reception

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According to review aggregator Metacritic, Encodya received "mixed or average" reviews.[7][12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Reviews for ENCODYA". Adventure Gamers. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Nesterenko, Oleg (18 February 2021). "chaosmonger's Nicola Piovesan on old school sci-fi, avoiding moon logic puzzles, and breaking the fourth wall". Game Developer. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Chalk, Andy (22 June 2019). "Try a demo for Encodya, a point-and-click adventure about a girl and her robot". PC Gamer. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  4. ^ a b Parijat, Shubhankar (15 July 2020). "Encodya Interview – Story, Setting, Art Style, and More". GamingBolt. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  5. ^ Watanuki, Sam (6 March 2021). "The Origins Of Encodya Featurette Reveals The Cyberpunk Game's Inspiration". TheGamer. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  6. ^ Castello, Jay (23 June 2019). "Encodya demo brings point and click puzzling, robots with feelings". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Encodya". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  8. ^ Dellosa, Catherine (10 February 2022). "ENCODYA mobile review - "Pure eye candy and lots of heart, if you can get through the controls"". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  9. ^ Logan, Jonathan (16 February 2021). "Encodya Review". RPGFan. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  10. ^ Erskine, Donovan (27 January 2021). "Encodya review: A bleak future". Shacknews. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  11. ^ Kirchner-Wilson, Sandy (27 February 2021). "Encodya Review". Cubed3. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  12. ^ Stockdale, Henry (9 February 2021). "Encodya review: A flawed cyberpunk adventure". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
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