At first glance, Gnosia, which just came to Nintendo Switch, may look like an attempt to cash in on one of 2020's biggest success stories, Among Us. However, it is actually a port of a critically acclaimed indie game originally released in Japan on the PlayStation Vita in 2019.
Gnosia differentiates itself from other social deduction and impostor games by being a single player experience with RPG and visual novel elements. According to critics, it generally succeeds in overcoming the lack of a human element to carve out a niche for itself. CBR's own review calls Gnosia "a fun murder mystery" that "really stands apart with its own charm." Here's what other critics have to say about the game.
Eric Van Allen, Polygon: "That might be Gnosia's best trick: how it gradually turns these avatars slinging accusations at one another into people you can understand. Loop over loop, you have to adjust to what you're given and what you can learn over time, all the while relying on how well you know these characters to stay alive. In one loop, Chipie was a trusted ally, helping me systematically wipe the crew out one by one...Then, several loops later, Chipie was a constant thorn in my side. I was still Gnosia, but he was not. It seemed like he saw right through my fake claim that I was the Doctor, and he'd constantly cast suspicion on myself and the other Gnosia. My stats weren't high enough; I couldn’t bluff my way out. My next Gnosia loop, I still held a grudge, so he was first to go."
George Yang, Game Skinny: "One of the game's most interesting mechanics is its stat system, which encompasses things such as stealth, charm, logic, charisma, performance and intuition. After each round, whether you win or lose, you gain experience points to level up these stats. Increasing stealth, for example, makes you less likely to be targeted by Gnosia at night, and a high charm level allows you to weasel your way out of precarious situations."
Kenneth Shepard, Fanbyte: "Without a means to communicate your own logic, Gnosia becomes a game of systems. A mystery that can only be solved by passing stat checks, winning dice rolls and learning how to play according to its rigid rules. Initially, this dissonance frustrated me, as I felt I was often fighting with mechanics more than I was making a case. But once I learned how to play the deduction game Gnosia presented, I was able to more effectively navigate it. Learning more about the idle spaceship I looped through dozens of times as I walked closer to solving its many mysteries."
Jenni Lada, Siliconera: "But it's the looping element and randomness that can be Gnosia’s most frustrating part...certain events have specific triggers...since there are randomized elements, it can take a while before you happen upon them! Especially since unlocking every Crew Data detail is a part of breaking the loops. Some people have to be 'crew' or 'Gnosia' to unlock it. One reveal happened only when both Jonas and Remnan survived. It can take a lot of time and meeting dialogue can get very repetitive. Granted, the more loops you experience, the higher the stats are that let you be more daring in meetings and get the endings you want. But it still can mean experiencing a lot of boring runs."
Richard Seagrave, Game Spew: "Whether or not you will reach the end of the story, however, depends on how much patience you have. You'll have to play many, many loops, and while the random nature of the game means that no two are exactly the same, the round-based discussions to decide who gets put into cold sleep that take place each day do get very tiring. The first day discussion is the worst, when you really have no idea who's Gnosia and who’s not. Thrust into discussion, you'll witness lots of finger-pointing and people sticking up for their friends. In the end, you have to vote, even though you don't have the foggiest idea if someone's a Gnosia or not."
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