Cibele is a very unusual indie game that focuses on online relationships and bringing them to the real world.
If this review is too long for you, I suggest you to only read the first paragraph about the game's content and the final verdict at the end.

Please note: I rarely put a warning like this into my reviews, but this is something that you have to know when reading my review: this is not a game for everyone. You can see many reviews on Steam with contradictory opinions. This game does not offer what you would expect from a normal video game. Before buying the game, do yourself a favour and decide if this is your cup of tea.

You are a 19 year old girl who is playing a video game called Valtameri on a daily basis. One there, you are chatting with a guy that becomes attracted to you (and you to him). As you get more and more involved with him, you want to meet him in person and start pushing your real life friends away from you.

• Story and Voice Acting | Despite the ending (see Cons), I have to say that I enjoyed Cibele's story quite a lot! Of course, it doesn't have the greatest budget and a ton of skilled writers behind it, but it still touches one's heart for a short while. The voice acting is more convincing that some people say it is - when the other guy says he loves you, his voice is not what you would call the most confident, but, as you reveal in the third act, his voice actually has good reasons to be that way. I'm not sure all people understood the point of the game (as said before, this game is not for everyone).
  
• In-game Game | This is another thing a lot of people misunderstood - the game your are playing in Cibele is not supposed to be the main thing in the whole gameplay. It's merely an environment where Nina and Blake are communicating and opening to each other. That thing with moving around and killing monsters is built in so you would actually do something while listening to the story. I mean, do you want to stare at the same screen for one hour while the story is unfolding? I don't think so.
  
• The Soundtrack | The soundtrack is pretty nice as well, it's not very intrusive and it adds a nice layer to the whole gameplay. You can also buy it as a DLC here.
  
• Graphics | The desktop, the pictures, the Valtameri game, they all look super nice. Recorded footage looks nice as well.
  
• Depth of the Gameplay | This is one of the games that has "optional" content. In each one of the acts, there is a different desktop with different folders, documents, e-mails and pictures. In other words, if you're interested to learn more about Nina's life, you can find more content on the desktop.

• Abrupt Ending | At the end of the game when things start to unfold, there is a sudden and unexpected twist that is at the same time the end of the game. I was expecting something more emotional or at least conclusive.
  
• Gameplay Time vs. Price | For a bit over one hour of gameplay, I cannot say that $9 is an appropriate price. If you really feel like this is your kind of game, go for it, otherwise put it on your wishlist and wait for a sale.
  
• In-game Desktop Problems | I have encountered a strange bug a few times across the gameplay: some desktop icons didn't work. However, when I restarted the game, those icons were working again but some others were not. This won't affect your gameplay a lot, though.
  
• OS Compatibility and Steam Integration | There is no Linux/SteamOS support. This title is also missing Achievements and Trading Cards.

I can definitely recommend Cibele, but be very careful when buying it. As you can see from many negative reviews on Steam, this game does not offer a standard video game experience rather than a story with some additional gameplay. I had a nice time playing it, although it was pretty short. I recommend the developer to add some additional content, maybe in a form of commentary, wallpaper pack or something else.
If you're looking for a different kind of experience and think you might like this game, give it a shot!

Greetings,
BirdCute

Note that my copy of this game was obtained for free for reviewing purposes. However, this did not affect the quality and objectivity of this review.

[b]Cibele[/b] is a very unusual indie game that focuses on online relationships and bringing them to the real world. If this review is too long for you, I suggest you to only read the first paragraph about the game's content and the final verdict at the end. [quote][u]Please note:[/u] I rarely put a warning like this into my reviews, but this is something that you have to know when reading my review: this is [i]not[/i] a game for everyone. You can see many reviews on Steam with contradictory opinions. This game does not offer what you would expect from a normal video game. Before buying the game, do yourself a favour and decide if this is your cup of tea.[/quote] [h1]What is happening in the game:[/h1] You are a 19 year old girl who is playing a video game called Valtameri on a daily basis. One there, you are chatting with a guy that becomes attracted to you (and you to him). As you get more and more involved with him, you want to meet him in person and start pushing your real life friends away from you. [h1]Pros:[/h1] [list] [*][b]Story and Voice Acting[/b] | Despite the ending (see Cons), I have to say that I enjoyed Cibele's story quite a lot! Of course, it doesn't have the greatest budget and a ton of skilled writers behind it, but it still touches one's heart for a short while. The voice acting is more convincing that some people say it is - when the other guy says he loves you, his voice is not what you would call the most confident, but, as you reveal in the third act, his voice actually has good reasons to be that way. I'm not sure all people understood the point of the game (as said before, this game is not for everyone). [*][b]In-game Game[/b] | This is another thing a lot of people misunderstood - the game your are playing in Cibele is not supposed to be the main thing in the whole gameplay. It's merely an environment where Nina and Blake are communicating and opening to each other. That thing with moving around and killing monsters is built in so you would actually do something while listening to the story. I mean, do you want to stare at the same screen for one hour while the story is unfolding? I don't think so. [*][b]The Soundtrack[/b] | The soundtrack is pretty nice as well, it's not very intrusive and it adds a nice layer to the whole gameplay. You can also buy it as a DLC [url=http://store.steampowered.com/app/414590/]here[/url]. [*][b]Graphics[/b] | The desktop, the pictures, the Valtameri game, they all look super nice. Recorded footage looks nice as well. [*][b]Depth of the Gameplay[/b] | This is one of the games that has "optional" content. In each one of the acts, there is a different desktop with different folders, documents, e-mails and pictures. In other words, if you're interested to learn more about Nina's life, you can find more content on the desktop. [/list] [h1]Cons:[/h1] [list] [*][b]Abrupt Ending[/b] | At the end of the game when things start to unfold, there is a sudden and unexpected twist that is at the same time the end of the game. I was expecting something more emotional or at least conclusive. [*][b]Gameplay Time vs. Price[/b] | For a bit over one hour of gameplay, I cannot say that $9 is an appropriate price. If you really feel like this is your kind of game, go for it, otherwise put it on your wishlist and wait for a sale. [*][b]In-game Desktop Problems[/b] | I have encountered a strange bug a few times across the gameplay: some desktop icons didn't work. However, when I restarted the game, those icons were working again but some others were not. This won't affect your gameplay a lot, though. [*][b]OS Compatibility and Steam Integration[/b] | There is no Linux/SteamOS support. This title is also missing Achievements and Trading Cards. [/list] [h1]The final verdict:[/h1] I can definitely recommend Cibele, but be very careful when buying it. As you can see from many negative reviews on Steam, this game does not offer a standard video game experience rather than a story with some additional gameplay. I had a nice time playing it, although it was pretty short. I recommend the developer to add some additional content, maybe in a form of commentary, wallpaper pack or something else. If you're looking for a different kind of experience and think you might like this game, give it a shot! Greetings, BirdCute [quote]Note that my copy of this game was obtained for free for reviewing purposes. However, this did not affect the quality and objectivity of this review.[/quote]