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Clubon's PC Puzzle RPG 《Anomie》Demo Review — A Multi-Platform Puzzle RPG with Physical Props
《Anomie》is a PC puzzle RPG made by game design studio Clubon. This post covers the game’s basic mechanics, my impressions from the demo, and several key gameplay elements the demo showcases.
About 《Anomie》
During lockdown I’d been hoping to play escape room games in person, but obviously going anywhere was out of the question T_T
So when Clubon released a PC game version of 《Anomie》, it was — at least in some sense — exactly what I needed to scratch that puzzle-solving itch XD
《Anomie》, image from the crowdfunding page
What I played was the demo they made available on their website (only open until June 29th). For a full introduction to the game, check out their crowdfunding page.
The World
The game’s world consists of four political entities: the Hongyu Federation, the Tasa Republic, the Bafa United Kingdom, and the Iken Covenant Organization.
The current demo follows Li Na, a senior inspector from the Hongyu Federation, who travels to Anomi Island with her teacher Ofi — only to somehow get caught up in a whole mess of trouble.
《Anomie》, image from the crowdfunding page
Gameplay is primarily on PC, but you need to connect your phone as well, and physical props are part of the experience too.
Since it’s an RPG, you control Li Na’s character, interact with the game world, and talk to NPCs.
(The demo’s only physical prop is a single newspaper XD)
《Anomie》, image from the crowdfunding page
Ability Stats
The game has an RPG-style ability stat system that affects how you perform in conversations.
For example, if your Insight stat is high, a dialogue check might have an 80% success rate, making it easy to pass.
But if your Physique is low, that same check might only be 30%, meaning you’ll likely fail and take damage — or just hit a dead end.
Affinity
The game also has an affinity system. Based on the demo, it looks like your choices will affect how the story ends.
Quests
Quests are split into main quests and side quests, and you can check them in your quest log. Like any RPG, side quests can be triggered and resolved at different points throughout the game.
My Impressions of the 《Anomie》Demo
The demo took me about an hour to complete — though that’s because I went for full side quest completion and had one Game Over along the way, so I had to restart XD
If you just blitz through the main quest, it’s probably closer to 30 minutes.
The story’s backstory is a bit complex — seeing so many nations and races right at the start is a lot to keep track of.
But the game gradually fills things in through NPC dialogue, which makes the world feel more coherent as you go.
You also start to pick up on what Clubon is really trying to say through the story.
Story-wise, Li Na used to be quite the ruthless character (?) before her teacher Ofi changed her trajectory and she became an inspector.
Through her conversations with others, you get a clear sense that she’s fiercely patriotic toward the Hongyu Federation — and you also start to see how disadvantaged the other ethnic groups are by comparison.
So you can probably guess where the story is heading.
Li Na’s dialogue choices significantly shape how the plot unfolds, and they can even affect whether you’re able to complete side quests.
That level of narrative branching has me really excited XD
The demo’s only physical prop is a newspaper — and honestly, I just used the digital file to solve everything XD
I’m curious whether the final game will have more interesting props. Hoping for something closer to a real escape room, with more variety.
That said, I genuinely love how they’ve combined the PC game with phone mechanics.
You can use the phone to have conversations and even operate a remote control — it’s a lot of fun, and it really does create a more immersive feel than a standard PC game XD
The phone dialogue is currently just preset options though, so I’m wondering if the full release will open that up.
The demo is short, so the ability stat system often comes down to pure luck — which, as someone with terrible luck, was a little frustrating \_/
That should improve a lot once the full game has a longer story and more opportunities to build up your stats.
The art and music are lovely (aside from the narrator’s voice in the opening feeling a bit flat…) — I really enjoyed them!
Overall, the puzzle difficulty is pretty reasonable (there’s currently only one to solve, and it’s on the easier side — hoping for harder ones later).
Add the affinity system into the mix and it seems like there could be quite a few different endings.
I’m genuinely looking forward to the full release. I haven’t backed the campaign yet, but after playing the demo I’m very tempted :3
《Anomie》Demo Walkthrough (Light Spoilers)
The demo has one main quest and two side quests.
The following gives a general overview of how to complete them — I won’t go into puzzle-solving details.
Main Quest
When you arrive on Anomi Island, you see two people arguing ahead of you.
Li Na wants to intervene, but she doesn’t have her ID on her, so no one believes her — your teacher will give you a hint here ~
After resolving that, your teacher’s luggage gets stolen by the island’s Donghu Gang.
You’ll need to ask various NPCs where the gang has gone.
Once you find them, the door is locked — ask another NPC how to open it.
After getting the door open, you’ll receive the physical prop: a newspaper.
Look it over carefully — something about it seems strangely familiar.
There seems to be a target hidden at a corresponding location, along with some mysterious numbers. What numbers are they, exactly?
Head into the Donghu Gang’s hideout. You can use your higher-level skills to confront them.
Retrieve the luggage, then head to the tea house to meet up with your teacher and watch the final cutscene of the demo.
Note: Once you enter and watch the cutscene, the game ends — finish any side quests before going in.
Side Quest 1: Mifa
Talk to Mifa, and choosing the right dialogue option will start the side quest.
You need to find the merchant Mifa mentions. Your dialogue choices with the merchant determine whether you can continue the quest.
If you get an item from the merchant, go back to talk to Mifa — your choices again affect whether you can proceed.
Return to the merchant once more. Your choices here affect your affinity bonus and whether you can receive a certain item.
Side Quest 2: Officer Lu Hua
After talking to the officer, you need to help him find the culprit.
Go back and speak to all the NPCs. One suspicious character will say something suspicious — you’ll need a skill check to unlock what comes next.
If you succeed, you’ll learn their motive. Head back to Lu Hua and pick the answer you think fits. Your choice affects affinity.
Items
- Commemorative straw hat
- Lighter
- Telescoping baton
- Taser
- Worker’s non-slip shoes (crate)
- Rope (crate)
- Counterfeit necklace (Chen Baobao)
- Dongwan badge (side quest)
- Pistol component (underground passage)
That’s about it! If there’s anything I missed, feel free to let me know XD
Highly recommend grabbing the demo and giving it a try!
Thanks for reading :D
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