GNOSIA Reviews

very good game, interesting characters, soundtrack and story- can get frustrating at times, especially if u r trying to 100% the game but it's still very good.

GNOSIA is one of the most unusual and compelling games to emerge in recent years, offering a hybrid experience that blends social deduction, visual novel storytelling, and role-playing mechanics into a tightly wound loop of paranoia, deception, and mystery. Originally developed for the PS Vita in Japan and later brought to PC via Steam, the game sets itself apart immediately with a fascinating premise: you are trapped in a time loop aboard a spaceship where a deadly imposter—called a Gnosia—must be identified and eliminated by the crew. Each loop presents a new variation of this scenario, with characters, roles, and outcomes shuffled, forcing you to adapt and learn with every run. At its core, GNOSIA is a single-player reinterpretation of the classic party game Werewolf or Among Us. Each loop involves a day-by-day sequence of debates where characters accuse, defend, and vote to put one person into cold sleep (essentially exile) in hopes of stopping the Gnosia. The catch is that you're not playing against human opponents—every participant is AI-controlled, with unique personalities, behavioral patterns, and emotional triggers. Over time, as you begin to recognize who lies more convincingly or who reacts to specific accusations, the game becomes less about brute logic and more about intuition, observation, and learning how to play the social game just as much as the deduction game. The structure of GNOSIA is intentionally repetitive but deeply rewarding. Each loop can be completed in about ten to fifteen minutes, and there are over a hundred of them to play through. With each loop, new mechanics, characters, and story fragments emerge. You may be assigned a different role—Guardian Angel, Engineer, Doctor, Bug, Gnosia, and more—each with distinct abilities and objectives. Sometimes you’re just a crew member trying to survive; other times, you're the Gnosia, trying to deceive the rest. Occasionally, you may even be asked to protect the very person you once tried to eliminate. This variation keeps the game fresh, as no two loops play out exactly the same way. Slowly but steadily, the narrative unspools through these repetitions, revealing fragments of backstory and world-building that transform the game from a simple deception simulator into something more philosophical and character-driven. The game’s writing is one of its greatest strengths. Each character aboard the ship is distinct and fully realized, with quirks, motivations, secrets, and emotional depth that make each loop feel personal. Whether it’s the gruff military type, the soft-spoken AI, the overly enthusiastic idealist, or the mysterious alien observer, every crewmate is memorable, and their behavior changes depending on role assignments and your past interactions. Over time, you grow attached to them—even as you're forced to throw them under the bus or lie to their faces. The narrative cleverly uses the time loop structure to explore themes of identity, memory, trust, and humanity. It's not just about surviving or winning each round; it's about uncovering the truth of why the loop exists and who—or what—you really are. Mechanically, GNOSIA walks a fine line between simplicity and depth. You allocate stat points to skills like Logic, Charisma, Performance, Stealth, and Intuition, all of which influence how well you can debate, lie, detect lies, or avoid suspicion. These RPG elements give the game a light customization system that allows players to approach encounters differently over time. Want to be a smooth-talking manipulator who talks their way out of any accusation? Or a perceptive sleuth who quietly figures everything out before anyone else? The game accommodates both, though success often depends on how well you read the situation and respond dynamically rather than relying solely on stats. Visually, the game is minimalist but striking. It features a blend of static 2D art, moody backgrounds, and character portraits that emote and change expressions based on context. The sci-fi aesthetic is sleek and slightly surreal, complementing the story’s themes of isolation, suspicion, and metaphysical dread. The soundtrack, too, is wonderfully understated—atmospheric and occasionally haunting, helping to reinforce the game’s melancholic tone as you loop endlessly through scenarios, uncovering more about your crew and the Gnosia virus. Where GNOSIA falters slightly is in its pacing. Although the repetition is purposeful and ties into the narrative, some players may find the loops become tedious after a certain point—especially in the mid-game stretch when story progress slows and you're tasked with completing certain obscure conditions to trigger new events. There are occasional moments where you feel like you're grinding more than you're discovering, and the lack of control over when key plot beats occur can make the experience feel aimless for brief stretches. Additionally, while the AI is generally impressive, it can sometimes make baffling decisions or act inconsistently, which may undermine the tension of some rounds. Despite these minor issues, GNOSIA is a masterclass in narrative design, mood, and experimental game structure. It takes a well-worn genre—the social deduction game—and reinvents it for a single-player context in a way that feels both fresh and deeply personal. The time loop mechanic is not just a gimmick but an integral part of the storytelling, and the steady drip of new information gives the player a reason to keep pushing forward even after dozens of loops. There's a meditative quality to the game's rhythm, and a quiet profundity in the way it asks you to confront uncertainty, betrayal, and self-knowledge—again and again and again. For players who enjoy slow-burn science fiction, character-driven stories, and innovative genre mashups, GNOSIA is a rare gem. It's not for everyone—the repetitive structure, minimalist gameplay, and lack of real-time action may deter some—but those who connect with its unique blend of mechanics and narrative will find an experience that's unlike anything else in gaming. It’s equal parts mystery, experiment, and emotional journey, delivered in small, haunting pieces that slowly add up to something truly memorable. Rating: 9/10

I was surprised by just how much I ended up enjoying GNOSIA. I cannot call myself a huge Visual Novel fan outside of the Phoenix Wright series, but after playing this game I think my status as a visual novel enjoyer has been solidified. Interesting plot with a unique visual identity, compelling well rounded characters with great designs, enjoyable gameplay loop that's highly customizable which helps with variety. This is a great game with a strong identity that both stands out from and embraces a lot of what visua novels bring. 8/10

Don't get me wrong, it's a fun game - I just wish it had Steam Cloud saves enabled I previously re-installed my OS and was pretty disappointed when I noticed all of my progress was gone - I know that's on me for not checking beforehand, but luckily I'm only a few hours in, so it wasn't necessarily a big deal

although gameplay is rather repetitive, characters are all likable in their own way and each are unique in some way or another. essentially characters make up for the lack of story and substance :)

I speak as someone who has seen the game through to its end, and seen the true ending. This is a masterpiece. In both story-telling and gameplay, I have truly found myself blown away. By the end of the game, you truly find yourself attached to all the characters (yes, even you, Sha-ming), which is greatly aided by the beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, and a hauntingly beautiful OST. I cannot praise this game enough and, if you find yourself reading this comment, on the fence as to whether or not to buy GNOSIA, go ahead and do it. See the game and all it has to offer. You will not regret it.

See hours played. Probably one of my favourite (second favourite?) games of all time. I find the characters so enjoyable, the plot is good, and the gameplay loop (heheh) is, in my opinion, really fun and addicting. I think most people probably won't get anywhere near 100+ hours, but I'm autistic.

Unique gameplay and an interesting story, you know a game's good when the two most forgettable characters are somehow a talking beluga in a wheelchair and a guy who's fused himself with a cat 9/10, would be a 10/10 if you were able to watch Sha-Ming get his head caved in

Gnosia is a visual novel/puzzle(?) game in which you play a round of mafia/werewolf in a loop. The Gnosia act as traitors and it is your job to sus them out and put them in cold sleep before they can kill the crew. Or it's your job to trick everyone when you yourself are Gnosia. There is an overarching story that presents through different loops. The loops have different roles and characters available and a later game even allows you to edit the set up as you want. **The Good:** - The strength of Gnosia lies with engaging with it outside of what is explicitly present in the game. Learning how certain characters operate is essential to keeping people alive or convincing others against someone. Everyone has an internal logic they follow and it is rarely outright stated. You learn as you watch the cast interact and act in different roles. For example, one character is more aggressive with accusations when Gnosia, one will not claim a role first unless they are Gnosia, etc. - Good cast of characters with a lot of variety. - Engaging and interesting story. **The Okay:** - Variety of roles to play but it can get repetitive - State boosts can help you but the cast levels up with you so it's hard to get overleveled. As mentioned above though, learning about characters usually makes a bigger difference than pure stats - The game eventually unlocks an ability to quick search setups to help find events, but some events are still hard to trigger. - Decent amount of humour. **The Bad:** - Depending how lucky you get with events, some of the game gets repetitive. There's a lot to learn and experience but when you're only missing 1 or 2 events, you'll be repeating the same set ups for multiple loops, leading to a lot of frustrating repetition. - Some of the events are rather hard to trigger and require a very specific set of circumstances. Overall I really enjoyed the game. I think taking it at face value is going to lead to a lot of boredom, but if you enjoy learning about different character traits and examining their behaviours, you will probably have a lot of fun seeing how different characters act in different time roles and situations. It is a pretty simplistic game and it can get a bit repetitive, but I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and story and am a bit sad it's over. And I say this as someone who gets bored easily.

"At first, I thought it was just a visual novel, but I quickly became addicted. Each loop adds new elements that make you think a little more. Alongside a seriously immersive atmosphere, the characters pull you in completely. Honestly, it’s a game that depends heavily on personal taste, but if it’s your kind of thing, it’s a masterpiece."