# Tales of the Neon Sea — user reviews > 50 indexed App Store user reviews of Tales of the Neon Sea by HIGGS TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED, rated 4.30/5 from 451 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tales-of-the-neon-sea/id1517566159/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tales-of-the-neon-sea/id1517566159.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 331 · 4★ 42 · 3★ 17 · 2★ 9 · 1★ 52 ## What do users think of Tales of the Neon Sea? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🎨 Beautiful pixel art and cyberpunk aesthetic - 🧩 Unique and varied puzzle design - 📖 Compelling story with rich character development - 🎮 Smooth gameplay and controls - 🎵 Excellent sound design and atmosphere - 💰 Free-to-play with no microtransactions - 🕵️ Engaging detective/mystery narrative - ⏱️ Long gameplay duration with high replayability - 🌍 Detailed world-building and lore - 🎯 Non-repetitive puzzle mechanics **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent freezing and crashing issues - 🌐 Incomplete English translation in multiple areas - 📝 Spelling and grammatical errors throughout - ⚡ Long animation pauses between actions - 🎮 Sudden survival/stealth section breaks puzzle theme - 🔤 Text boxes cut off mid-sentence - 🖥️ Graphics rendering issues on some devices - 🎯 Some puzzles have inconsistent solutions across versions - 🏁 No post-game exploration available - ⚙️ Chinese UI elements in English version **Commonly reported bugs** - Game freezes on specific puzzles (billboard power supply, wire cutting, body inspection) - App stuck on title screen after loading - Magnifying glass interaction not reaching certain areas on mobile - Black screen with only text visible on iPad - Missing interactive elements in side quests - Untranslated Chinese text appearing in shops and dialogue - Incomplete text in dialogue boxes - Achievements not unlocking in final chapter - Puzzle solutions differ from walkthroughs suggesting version inconsistencies - Missing switches and interactive objects in specific locations **Most requested features** - Peaceful/non-stressful mode option for final section - Post-game world exploration - Sequel or additional content - Multiple language support - Bug fix updates and maintenance - Achievement system fixes - Better tutorial for controls and mechanics ## Newest reviews (18 of 50) ### 4/5 — Great game, but… *2022-09-14, version 1.0.39* I enjoyed the gameplay immensely, as well as all the puzzle sections. I was thrown off a bit at first with the game starting with a quick-time event, but was able to move past that quickly. My only major issue is the last section of the game, in which you can die and have to navigate around without being discovered. I adored the puzzle theme of the whole entire game, so as such I was thrown for a loop when it suddenly became a survival event. Definitely would have preferred if the game did not have that, or at least had an option for players who wanted a different, less stressful (and frustrating) route. Like Peaceful mode in Minecraft! That’s the best example I can think of. The risk factor is still there of course, but regardless. ### 5/5 — Best Game Ever Hands Down *2022-01-16, version 1.0.39* 10/10 must play again! I love the graphics and art style! The game play is smooth even on low performance devices. The best thing is that this entire game is free for the entire game. The puzzles are cool and not too hard to solve. There is so much background knowledge to know about so you’re always reading about the game. Highly recommend this game! ### 5/5 — Absolutely amazing. *2022-01-14, version 1.0.39* I have never been more impressed by a FREE game. No purchases, no apps. Just the perfect game. A few grammatical or spelling errors here and there in the dialogue, but nothing to prevent pure enjoyment of the game. Pure graphics alone are beautiful for their style, and the amount of detail is incredible. The puzzles are fun, not repetitive, and difficult enough to make you think. The storyline is easy to get into; I finished this game in about 4 days because I could barely put it down. And that was with spending HOURS a day on it. I couldn’t believe how long the game went on. Absolutely loved it, and honestly so sad I finished it. If i could give 6/5 stars I would. If ur reading this review, this is ur sign to just go ahead and DOWNLOAD THE GAME!!!! ### 4/5 — So far it’s really fun but there a bug *2021-12-22, version 1.0.39* During the part where you have to inspect the dead lady that William shows you, I have found all the clues but two. The last two are on her body, but whenever I hover over it, it just doesn’t work. The sonar thing shows, but the clue doesn’t appear. Please help! ### 5/5 — Awesome game that feels similar to Disco Elysium *2021-12-19, version 1.0.39* I’m a big fan of cyberpunk so the graphics are what caught my attention when I was browsing through the App Store. I definitely wasn’t disappointed. The world they’ve created is vibrant and beautiful with subtle (and not so subtle) nods to other media from the cyberpunk genre, such as Blade Runner. The game is much more than something pretty to look at though. The story is deep and immersive. I’d compare it to Disco Elysium even, although I don’t think this one is quite as polished and well-written as that one, but considering how small the dev team for this game was, it’s impressive what they’ve been able to accomplish. Every once in a while, it seems like the English translation was messed up a bit, but nothing to the point of being incomprehensible. Mostly it was just weird wording here and there. The puzzles are unique and challenging. The character development is rich. I had so much fun playing through this little gem. I really hope that they’re working on a sequel because I want more! If the devs read this, please respond and let us know if you’re working on the next one! ### 4/5 — Freezing issue *2021-11-23, version 1.0.39* Pretty interesting game! Only thing I don’t like is that I’m stuck on the part where he has to cut the wires before the timer on the bomb goes off, and it freezes once I cut the first wire. I will rate it to a 5 once this issue is fixed. ### 5/5 — Wonderful game. Best game. *2021-11-23, version 1.0.39* I have never written a review about any game I’ve ever played, especially not a mobile game, however, this game is unlike any other I have played. I believe everyone should have the amazing experience of playing this game. I would love to experience it for the first time again and it would be amazing to have a sequel. I loved this game and hope anyone who reads this will get the game and love it too ### 5/5 — Comprehensive Story, Fun Game *2021-11-13, version 1.0.39* This game is definitely very fun and is absolutely worth it seeing as it’s free and has easy controls. It’s in the bit style of retro games but still has a lot of complex puzzles and storyline to uncover. I like that if you pay close enough attention, there are a lot of stories going on in the background as well. There were a few slight translation issues, but nothing too big that would take away interest from the game. Some of the puzzles can be a bit frustrating because of how complex they are, but it makes it more satisfying when they’re complete. Definitely a game worth playing. ### 5/5 — I really enjoyed this game *2021-10-21, version 1.0.39* This game was exactly what I was looking for. Cyberpunk, retro style graphics, and an intriguing, playable game that (mostly) doesn’t require fast reflexes. The art is really gorgeous, and the story has enough depth to keep things interesting. The puzzles aren’t too difficult; just enough to slow you down and make you think about. Whatever bugs it had that other players complained about seem to have been fixed. I didn’t encounter any. My only regret is that the developer hasn’t made any more games like this. ### 5/5 — The game easily deserves more than 4 stars overall *2021-10-19, version 1.0.39* Very beautiful and detailed graphics. The sounds are perfectly choosen for each scene. The story was also very good and well written. New puzzles are given as the game progresses so it was fun to play throughout. The pace of the game is bit slow but that works great for the story, I think. I finished the game, waiting to see more such games from the developers. ### 5/5 — Awesome! *2021-10-09, version 1.0.38* Except for a few game glitches/freezes and minor translational grammar errors, this was a near-perfect old school point and click adventure game!! Quite long, too, so I recommend this to everybody! ### 5/5 — Navidnr *2021-10-06, version 1.0.38* I didn’t expect that fascinating design, story line and gameplay. Everything was awsome and which made me to play this game nonstop until the end. The riddles and puzzles are amazing and they are not hard to solve. I personally congratulate to the team who designed this game and hope the best wishes for them. ### 5/5 — Addictive puzzle game! *2021-08-27, version 1.0.37* Really enjoyed it. Decent difficulty puzzles. Very interesting storylines. The only thing I don’t like is that after animation, there’s a pretty long pause you have to wait. So if you need to trigger a lot switches, it’s pretty slow. But still a good game. Hope there’s a sequel! ### 5/5 — Captivating *2021-08-16, version 1.0.37* I NEVER bother to leave feedback in a sea of endless reviews. But this game had me from beginning to end. I loved the ability to hop in and out of the game as my busy schedule demanded. I loved the beautiful art and imaginative backdrops. I loved the storyline and the intricate mystery that unfolded. I loved all the unique characters that I played and encountered. I loved the ability to play as not just the detective but also the cat. This game fit a hole in my heart so perfectly I had to review it. Thanks for making this, I needed it. ### 4/5 — One of the best mobile games I’ve played yet! *2021-08-14, version 1.0.37* It’s a great game. The gameplay and movement is smooth. The puzzles are moderately challenging enough to keep you playing. My one issue is the translation errors and typos however they are rare and when they do happen you rarely ever notice them. I do recommend the devs add more languages to the game! ### 5/5 — Perfect detective puzzle game *2021-07-22, version 1.0.37* Set in the neon future with humans and robots struggling to live together, this game is a masterpiece of style, story, and puzzle solving. Excellent story development and progression. Puzzles don’t feel contrived and fit in the story naturally. Compelling characters with excellent graphics. No gimmicks, just a great game for crime solving, puzzle loving, 8bit gaming fans. You won’t be disappointed. ### 5/5 — Don’t understand the lower than 5 star reviews *2021-07-21, version 1.0.36* I really don’t understand how anyone can give this game anything other than 5 stars. I honestly don’t understand how it’s free either. This is a great throw back to the point and click adventures on pc like Kings Quest, Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle, etc but with a cyberpunk vibe. The environments are beautiful, music is great, and all the puzzles are varied and non repetitive. My only gripe is that the app icon name is in Chinese. ### 5/5 — Great, but there are issues though *2021-07-20, version 1.0.36* 1. App title is in chinese 2. After recent update there is some chinese slider in the main menu 3. Last chapter achivements are no activating 4. I need to repeat the game if any collectables or achivements were missed 5. Some text is omitted in case the text box is not enough ro fill it all at once. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Black screen with text. Unplayable. *2021-05-09, version 1.0.19* Can’t get past the first mission because there are no graphics except for prompts with no graphics for context. Can’t see anything. Have watched walkthroughs and this is a huge bug. Uninstalled reinstalled. Rebooted. Playing on iPad mini with plenty of storage that is rated to play this game. Disappointed to buy a broken game. Apple store shouldn’t release games for sale like this without easy refunds for useless port. ### 1/5 — Where can i get app support? *2021-04-05, version 1.0.19* Running this on an iPad Air 2 with iOS 14.4.1 and the game plays blind even after a restart of the device. I can see the dialogue, controls, and tutorials/instructions, but none of the environment itself or the player character - it’s just black. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! I’ve seen this on PC and know it will be a great game, but until I can actually play it after paying for it it gets 1 star unfortunately. ### 2/5 — Stuck on title!!! *2021-12-10, version 1.0.39* So I started playing this game yesterday and have loved it so far, and was dying to continue playing today — only to find that the app, whenever I open it, gets stuck on the opening title sequence/image. It shows the saving screen, then the pixelized title image with “tales of the neon sea” but then it just stays on that and never proceeds to the game. I have tried restarting my phone, closing out of the app, etc. to no avail. Please help so I can play this awesome game again!! ### 2/5 — Love this game, but.... *2021-03-19, version 1.0.19* This game pulled me in immediately with its gorgeous visuals but kept me with its intriguing storyline and gameplay. My current issue is that I’m noticing that my version seems to be missing key features. For instance, I can’t help the drunk woman off the floor. Also, after watching some walkthroughs, it seems that my back room wine cellar side quest is missing features. I can’t interact with the dart board as well as other things. This game is incredible and I want to experience it to its fullest intent. If I can gat help with this, I would gladly update my rating to 5 stars! ### 2/5 — Chinese text keep popping up *2020-11-02, version 1.0.17* It’s been a fun game overall. The puzzles can be sometimes challenging and confusing but they are solveable. My main complaint right now is that there has been a few sections where the text reverts back into Chinese and I can’t understand what the characters are saying. In the beginning section at the ramen shop when I talk to there it reverts to Chinese. Just recently I got the the part where you go back to being a cat after you finish investigating the first part of the second case. It will probably be a while before these bugs are fixed. It is pretty unfortunate considering I just got the game yesterday and it’s unplayable. ### 2/5 — Lovely game. But the text bug needs to be fixed. *2020-10-29, version 1.0.17* The game art is great and I like the gameplay so far. But when I walk into some shops like 7 Twelve and the entrance to Dragon, the text changes to one of the two non-English texts making it impossible for me to play because I only know English. I tried playing with the settings but couldn’t get the text back into English. I tried to contact Palm Pioneer to let them know but don’t see a way to submit a bug. I hope this gets fixed. ### 3/5 — Glitch *2023-01-04, version 1.0.39* I really wanted to finish the side quest When i look for the 3 girls but when I get to aoide and I press the power supply for the billboard it freezes and don’t let me do the puzzle or anything and I have to close and restart the game to keep playing . Everytime I try again the same thing happens so I’m gonna have to skip that side quest ### 3/5 — =/ *2021-06-21, version 1.0.19* I was REALLY enjoying this until I got to the part (near the beginning of the game) where you have to find clues on a dead body in an alley. For whatever reason I can’t bring the magnifying glass down far enough to view the right foot on my iPhone 11.... I know that’s what I should do, as I read a walkthrough just to make sure what it was I was missing.... Hope the kinks can be worked out, but as this hasn’t been updated in a while, I’m not holding my breath. ### 3/5 — Good game but *2020-11-11, version 1.0.19* I think it is a good game but the puzzles are impossible to figure out sometimes. I even tried walkthroughs online but somehow parts are different almost like the makers changed the levels in a semi big way. I am currently stuck in the tunnels on chapter 2 and cannot figure out how to power the portion hidden behind the wall and the rest of the water turbine. I think I also have a bridge left to lower. It’s so frustrating with the lack of info to figure it out ### 3/5 — Translation Incomplete *2020-11-04, version 1.0.17* So far, my only reason for docking stars is that there are characters and interactions still untranslated. All of the characters in the 7-12 shop spoke what I am guessing is Mandarin... I’d improve my review if the translation issue was solved. Also, the game is dark, but when you run by something interactive/important it lights up a little icon so you know to interact. I play on low brightness on my iphone8 and have had no issues with the side scrolling format or puzzles. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — An Absolute Gem of a Game, for Puzzle Lovers *2022-07-22, version 1.0.39* Some complain that the puzzles are too hard, but I love that it takes some work to figure them out. It makes solving them that much more rewarding. For those complaining, learn some patience or look up a walkthrough. I was able to solve everything on my own. ### 5/5 — Masterpiece *2022-07-22, version 1.0.39* The art style is beautiful, the plot is intriguing, and the puzzles are intuitive! You can tell the developers put a lot of thought and effort into this project. Unlike many other older reviews that mention English translation problems, I believe most of the translations have been corrected since then. There are a few misspellings and weird grammar here and there but nothing that hinders your understanding. Also, there are a couple glitches in which the sentence is incomplete, and you can’t scroll to see the rest of the sentence. Nevertheless, the Palm Pioneer team did a great job! ### 5/5 — pretty cool! *2022-06-24, version 1.0.39* this is one of my all time favorite pixel rpg style games ive ever played! the atmosphere is incredible, the sounds are great, the game itself is without a doubt really fun to play. the addition of minigames (specifically Twenty-One) is great. unique premise and execution, good job! ### 5/5 — One of the best mobile games I’ve ever played *2022-06-14, version 1.0.39* This is very clearly a pc game that has been optimized super well for mobile. Great graphics, interesting puzzles, cool animations, and way much more is packed all into one mobile game. Story was clear and interesting however you aren’t allowed to explore the world after you finish the game which is a bummer. ### 5/5 — BEST MOBILE GAME! *2022-05-07, version 1.0.39* wow! i just finished the game & all i can say is wow. it was amazing. you get hooked instantly & yet the game keeps getting better as you progress. i love all the details, the backstory, the characters. gameplay was 10/10, story 10/10. really the only thing i can complain about is some spelling/grammatical errors. but with a game this awesome it didn’t bother me one bit. thank you to the developers 🙏 ### 5/5 — Amazing puzzle game *2022-03-27, version 1.0.39* The way a captivating story is merged into a puzzle based game is amazing I love the pixel style and the cyberpunk vibe and the different locations and diversity in people. I definitely can’t wait for the 2nd game I’m super excited to see what happens in the electronic world. ### 5/5 — One of if not the best game on the App Store- and for Free! *2022-03-26, version 1.0.39* It’s truly amazing the work your group has made on this game. I am a sucker for exploration, cyberpunk worlds, and anything with a detective/murder mystery feel. And you have all of that included for free! Every puzzle felt different in some variation, and I was always intrigued by the story. The whole story, aswell well as the side stories were put in beautiful, all having a great flow no matter what path you took. I especially loved the artwork, the amount of detail put in every scene, and all of Williams story! ### 5/5 — Very Unique *2022-02-17, version 1.0.39* A great relaxed game with a rich story and backstory. All puzzles aren’t too difficult, just require a bit of time, thinking, and experimenting. Anyone who can’t solve them and thinks there’s a glitch is simply dumb lol. ### 5/5 — Absolutely Amazing!! *2022-02-15, version 1.0.39* This game is extremely fun and addictive it has a good story like and other information and has very good puzzles and has hood graphics for a part bit game and non bit I would definitely recommend! ### 5/5 — Fantastic Game *2022-01-30, version 1.0.39* I was just finding a game to cure my boredom and stumbled upon this. This is by far one of the best games that I have ever played. The graphics are immaculate, the storyline is so consistent and engaging, and the characters have so much depth to them. It took me about two days to play but my time playing this was very well enjoyed. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*