Psychometric tests have always been an enemy of ours. But now, for the first time, we've found one we're rather fond of.
Refind Yourself: The Personality Test Game is by Japanese indie developer Lizardry. We'd class it as a casual adventure game, but one where your in-game actions determine your psychology analysis at the end of it. Lets find out who we are, dammit!
Tales of Rediscovery in Refind Yourself: The Personality Test Game
Refind Yourself is a unique title. It launched in November 2023 and is available on Steam, Android, and iPhone.
There are many games where your antics within the gaming world determine the ending. But rarely do you get a character study for yourself at the end of the experience. As you explore during your playing time, the game analyses your actions.
At the end of the it all, you get your diagnosis. Hurray!
There's a real story to go with that. You take control of an android who's standing by the grave of a scientist who created it. You then explore your environment and uncover memories about you and your doctor.
It's a bit like that unusual N64 game Wonder Project J2 (1996). But here you can be as helpful, or unhelpful, as you please. Here's how it plays out.
As you can see there, it has a very breezy pace to it. The chillout piano music and slow pace allow for a methodical approach to completing tasks.
You can pick up items, speak to characters, and at one point even briefly work in a café (that made us think of the excellent Coffee Talk 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly).
Each game lasts about an hour, then you get your diagnosis.
The game also stores all players' test results in an online database, so your in-game actions are directly compared to what everyone else is doing. For example, whether you decide to help a certain character at any given moment.
We get whacked with a "Researcher" title as someone who likes to discover things about the world, even though the knowledge we gain isn't applicable to any long-term prospects. Which is pretty accurate!
You're encouraged to play again, as each time you revisit Refind Yourself you'll discover more from the in-game environments.
So, yes, it's a title that demands multiple playthroughs.
It's also a title that's not been covered much in the gaming press since its launch, although one PC Gamer feature said the game made the journalist cry.
In comparison to that, we went and had a look at Steam player reviews (always a... unique barometer for a title's success). Feedback is very positive so far, with many gamers delighted with the premise and the test results they received.
Others found the analysis section (the whole point of the game) a bit gimmicky and conservative in its analysis.
Our verdict? We enjoyed Refind Yourself. It's very low-key and that's reflected by the low asking price, alongside 16-bit era graphics and a soundtrack that does grate after a bit.
It's very slow paced and only going to suit a certain type of gamer, but if you want to give it a whirl it's worth it for the intriguing concept.
And it's a relaxing game to play. Ultimately, that's nothing to complain about.
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