
User reviews: Very Positive (1,828 reviews)
Release Date: Feb 7, 2014


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Recommended By Curators

"I'm not sure whether to actually recommend this, but it's just bizarre enough of a first person puzzle and narrative game to give a shot. Wacky, yes."
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“A work of pure absurdism glued together by a consistent, deadpan delivery and a perfectly curated visual style.”
5/5 – Giant Bomb

“A classic affirmation of the great wide imagination of the human mind.”
9/10 – Eurogamer

“Jazzpunk is hilarious, its script almost faultless, its pace relentless.”
9/10 – EDGE

About This Game


Key Features:

  • Stereographic Polygony Soundeo™, NOW IN COLOURVISON.
  • A cast of over 360,000 polygons, working in concert.
  • Windows/Mac/Linux/Suppository
  • Half a dozen jokes.
  • Original soundtrack featuring exotic percussion and homemade analog electronic instruments.

Find out why PC Gamer says Jazzpunk is "easily one of the funniest games in years."

System Requirements

Mac OS X
SteamOS + Linux
    • OS: Windows XP SP2 or higher
    • Processor: 1.80GHz Processor
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Video card with 512MB of VRAM
    • Hard Drive: 2 GB available space
    • OS: OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard or higher
    • Processor: 1.80GHz Processor
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Video card with 512MB of VRAM
    • Hard Drive: 2 GB available space
    • OS: Ubuntu 12.04 or higher
    • Processor: 1.80GHz Processor
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Video card with 512MB of VRAM
    • Hard Drive: 2 GB available space
Helpful customer reviews
104 of 124 people (84%) found this review helpful
4.4 hrs on record
Posted: August 2
I kissed hobos. I poisoned a cowboy. I swallowed a pigeon whole. Easily the most hilarious and surreal game I have played in a long time. It is so funny. My only wish is that it didn't end - in 3 hours I got 100% and I think I saw almost all the dialogue too. The next time it's on sale, just buy it.
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46 of 47 people (98%) found this review helpful
2.8 hrs on record
Posted: October 29
Jazzpunk is a unique game with a style all its own that feels like a surrealistic 1950s retro spy meets Ren and Stimpy cartoon silliness. You play in a first person perspective, interacting with several things, exploring rich, colorful, living, breathing surrealistic areas. The surrealistic art style blends with the humor really well. The only controls are jump and action buttons with left stick to move, and right stick to look around. You can get items and switch between them. There are plenty of mini games that feel more like diversions to keep you engaged. Its parodies of other games and media, yet it feels distinctly like its own product.

You work for a spy agency that sends you to far away locales with serious objectives, things like infiltrate a USSR building, follow a cowboy in Japan to get his mechanical kidney, infiltrate a criminal's lavish retro penthouse and you'll even be sent on a Polynesian vacation. There are spies, madmen, robots, crazy bums and women around every corner.

The big feature here for me is the interactivity and exploration. You can interact with boxes, newspaper machines, spray pigeon perfume on NPCs to see pigeons carry them away, drink mouthwash only to discover its chlorine, use a master baster on a turkey, freeze a frozen meal in a microwave, scribble lipstick on your face, collect spiders in a jar to throw them at people, break every vase in a shop trying to swat flies. It all feels so interesting and engaging to do what I want to in this crazy world. While NPCs are faceless box people (or robots) with circle heads, NPCs say several things, most of which are hilarious and I don't usually like comedy in games. The eccentric off the wall comedy and parody really hit the mark for me, when most comedy games feel forced.

Jazzpunk parodies several games like Frogger, Wave Race in a fountain of gravy, mini golf with pool cues, virtual tennis, Wedding Quake against a bride, groom and priest, a zombie pizza game, a high score game where you play a cat ripping things to shreds, a game of Twister, finding prizes with a metal detector and so much more. It all kept me playing, even if it all was just easy fun.

It is definitely worth a playthrough, I found myself taking far too many screen shots at the crazy things I'd see. Things in the background, men in cullender hats with wheeled pigs on the background and my radio tooth on the floor. Its never in your face, its all just there for you to find it.

There is no death in the game, even if you plunge off of the fourth floor of your Polynesian hideaway, you still bounce on the ground. With that being said, you can still fail the mini games. Frogger took quite a beating and I lost a lot in Wedding Quake before I realized the rose rocket launcher was win. It is an easy game, again, the point is to explore, interact and laugh.

Is it worth the $15? Maybe and I'm surprised to say that, even if its only 2 or 3 hours to complete. The ending came pretty abruptly and even the credits have their own flare to them. I can imagine its not for everyone and I never thought it would be for me. I am shocked at how much enjoyment I got from Jazzpunk and I might have to play through it again.
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59 of 72 people (82%) found this review helpful
5.3 hrs on record
Posted: August 31
You can spray cheese on Jim Sterling, fight a Honda, and have a gravy boat race.

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31 of 35 people (89%) found this review helpful
4.0 hrs on record
Posted: October 18

Jazzpunk is a rather interesting game, I remember the day it came out and I saw it on the front page of Steam. The name immediately brought to mind the anime Cowboy Bepop with its cyberpunk setting and sprinkling of jazz music throughout the series. I looked through the screen shots of its store page and decided that it looked decent enough to keep a tab on and so I added it to my wish-list. Gradually I forgot about it until probably a good few months or so when I was once again looking through the front page of the Steam store and noticed it was on sale for a few dollars. I figured this was as good a time as any to buy it and so I did. Once again however I slept on the game even more leaving it in my Steam library to collect dust while I slumpt back into playing gratuitous amounts of Counter Strike: GO. Earlier this week however I decided I would get around to playing some of the games in my library that I had left untouched for far too long and Jazzpunk was the first I decided to give a try.

Essentially, Jazzpunk is a walking simulator. You complete levels and interact with the world, It's slightly more complex than you just walking from point A to point B but not by much. However I'm not saying Jazzpunk is a bad game by any means. While the actual game play is minimal, the area where Jazzpunks succeeds is it's setting and presentation. You play as a spy, that's really all I can tell you without devaluing the experience for you. Jazzpunk is set in a cyberpunk-retrofuturistic alternate reality where everything is a combination of a conventional cyberpunk setting and a retro-futuristic B movie. There are signs in Japanese and cyborgs roaming the streets as you would expect in a traditional cyberpunk work, and theres also various hints of retro futuristic influence in the architecture and design of things like cars and computers. The game is also packed with references from things such as 60's espionage movies and film noir. There are also various references to video games, mainly in the form of minigames you find in each level. These can vary from a simple game of frogger in Jazzpunk's cyberpunk streets to playing a watered down version of quake with a wedding theme.

Jazzpunk also isn't afraid to not take itself serious, as in Jazzpunk never takes itself serious. From the moment you start the game it's evident you'll be in for a laugh or two while playing through it. Every nook and cranny is packed with quirks and amusing dialogue ensuring that there will never be a dull moment while playing through Jazzpunk. Despite the game lunging its comedy at you from all angles at all times none of it every falls short and I never found myself groaning or getting tired of its humour throughout my time with he game. All the little things in the game make this game incredibly enjoyable to play. You can walk into a theater and watch an old commercial with children spinning some sort of rope thing on their head, help a guy make a pie out of pigeons and listen in on skyscraper window cleaners' conversations that break the 4th wall all in the first level alone.

However despite everything Jazzpunk gets right there is an incredibly large glaring problem with the game; It's mind blowingly short. The game could be completed in an hour if you knew what you were doing and you could easily find time to talk to every NPC find all the hidden quirks and get every achievement in around 2-3 hours. This is the only real issue with Jazzpunk. In all other aspects the game succeeds at being what it was meant to be. A fun, humorous, walking simulator. The fact that Jazzpunk is so incredibly short however means that this game would never be recommend by me at it's full price of 14.99, it simply isnt worth it. However if you ever find that Jazzpunk is on sale for perhaps around 5 dollars then by all means purchase it as it's worth every penny.
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51 of 76 people (67%) found this review helpful
4.3 hrs on record
Posted: October 28
I had a fight with a Honda and won.
Also, I swatted Japanese people with a flyswatter and turned them into flies.
I also f*cked a robot.
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24 of 30 people (80%) found this review helpful
2.1 hrs on record
Posted: October 18
+ Outrageous and consistently witty humour
+ Densely populated areas full of mini-games, side activities and nonsense
+ Vibrant colours and vivid effects
+ Excellent use of sound effects and music

- Wishing it were longer

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16 of 20 people (80%) found this review helpful
4.3 hrs on record
Posted: August 15
Jazzpunk is...well it's...umm...hmm...

Sitting here having finished the game, I haven't the least bit of an idea how I'm supposed to describe the bloody insanity that is Jazzpunk. I could say it's a psychedelic love letter to obscure references; an outrageous consolidation of ridiculous moments and hilarious dialog, brought to life with a bizarre art style and deadpan delivery. But what is Jazzpunk really? Well I guess it's all of these things and so much more; an barrage of creativity held together by forces beyond our understanding. It's insane and absurd, and I love it so much.

Set in an alternate history Cold War era Japan, you take on the role of Polyblank: espionage extraordinaire, who has been contracted to obtain confidential information from a top secret soviet headquarters. Utilizing prescription medicine and his many skills, from being able to speak to inanimate boxes to throwing popcorn on fellow theatergoers, he's the obvious man for the job and perhaps the only sane person left in this world (assuming he even is).

From the opening moments (which are absolutely brilliant, I might add) Jazzpunk pulls you by the throat down its rabbit hole of computer puns, pigeon degaussing, stick people, and Hunter S. Thompson. It's a mad, mad world that revels in its own absurdity and pulls it off with a consistency and potency that defies reason, but proves nonetheless hilarious and even nostalgic, pulling and referencing things I thought I'd forgotten so many years ago.

Jazzpunk exists in a vacuum of its own insanity; a colossus monument to the sheer power of imagination, and perhaps the closest thing to a videogame cult classic I've ever seen. I have no doubts that there will be people that "just don't get it", find it too simple a game, or otherwise fail to appreciate its genius and that's fine. It isn't a game for everyone, but for those that harbor a love for technology jokes, deadpan humor, and the plain bizarre, Jazzpunk's surreal brilliance is hard to miss.
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11 of 12 people (92%) found this review helpful
3.2 hrs on record
Posted: November 4
So I played through this game, got all of the achievements, and I'm still at a loss of what it was all about. Jazzpunk is a cartoon. There are games with cartoony graphics, some that are actually based off of cartoons, but Jazzpunk is straight-up Tex Avery. If you've never heard of the guy, you're missing out. He directed a ton of hilarious shorts back in the mid-20th century that still hold up today. His directorial style resulted in wacky, off-kilter, crass, and sometimes totally ridiculous cartoons.

There is a plot to Jazzpunk, but it's designed solely to set up as many gags as possible. Apparently you're a spy, and your mission is to infiltrate various locations and steal super-important stuff. I can't say much else because, since this is an interactive-adventure game, it'll ruin a lot of the jokes & surprises. I can give you a vague idea of what to expect though. Almost every chapter consists of an area you can explore. There are objects and citizens you can interact with, and there's some very light puzzle-solving as well. Everything is set up as part of the experience, so whatever happens you just roll with it. It's impossible to die and there are no fail-states for your mission, so there's no sense of danger or urgency.

It's important to note that this is a very short game. Anyone should be able to get all of the achievements in less than two hours. There are plenty of secrets and things to try at least, but that's still less than four hours of game-time. If we're speaking strictly in terms of value, you don't have to look hard to find titles with more game for less money. However if you, like I, happened upon this game due to its appearance in a bundle, then I definitely recommend exploring it.
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10 of 11 people (91%) found this review helpful
5.1 hrs on record
Posted: November 2
★★★ out of four.

Jazzpunk is a comedic game aiming to surprise and amuse you. In the world of Jazzpunk, you play an agent named Polyblank. You explore the 3D world from a first-person perspective, doing everything except the main objective first so that you don't just see a only a very tiny fraction of what's actually in the game. It may be a bit thin to some players, but it still is the kind of thing only a videogame can do, and we need more stuff like this or evolved from it. Here a line something like "generic joke" can work because the whole thing is not generic. Yes, you'll get tired of such stuff if you talk to every NPC like ya should and sometimes it has referential "humor."

Well, sadly, I do feel to mention that it's probably a four hour game for people. The FOV is unchangable and character movement continues after you release movement. Also consider the price and buy when you won't feel disappointed. Regarding achievements, they are all just for poking about the Jazzpunk world well, so I suggest ignoring them due to light spoilers on your first playthrough and looking forward to them for the second.

Jazzpunk's a type we need more of. It's a 3D world with hotspots of jokes, cleverness, and surprises. When the price can't be wrong, tune your device for squelch and jump in.
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11 of 14 people (79%) found this review helpful
3.3 hrs on record
Posted: November 1
If you like games similar to The Stanley Parable, and exploring in video games, you will most likely love this game.
This game is an amazing experience. It's fantastic in every way.

I would gladly buy a sequel.
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7 of 7 people (100%) found this review helpful
6.8 hrs on record
Posted: December 24
Jazzpunk is a very fun game, chock-full of references and jokes. The gameplay is very simple however. You just walk around and click on things mostly. The people in-game will give you a lot of cheesy lines and funny comments.

This game is very short and doesn't have that much replayability if you ask me. Only if you wanna go for all the achievement and maybe see some things you missed out on the first time. You can run through the game super fast if you don't explore the levels fully, however you should do that because it's very detailed and fun. I laughed a lot while I played this and I really like the soundtrack too.

You should absolutely play this game at some point, but you might want to pick it up on sale because it's short and doesn't have much replayability, or anything else you can do besides the singleplayer story either.
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10 of 13 people (77%) found this review helpful
6.1 hrs on record
Posted: November 2
Hilarious. So much hidden content, if you just play the main story it'll take about 20 minutes but the real core of the game is in all the easter eggs, side quests, bonuses. Brilliant fun
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6 of 7 people (86%) found this review helpful
7.4 hrs on record
Posted: November 1
This game has a lot of character. Its like a british version of the matrix, mixed with reboot, with a drop of acid thrown into the mix. After finishing the game do I understand the story? NO! But it really doesn't matter because I had a good time the whole way through. This game pretty much spoofs everything. Even though it was short it was a great play.

Right now its included in the current humble bundle for around another 10 days (Nov 1st 2014 today) so head over and pick it, and a bunch of other great games for dirt cheap.

Give it about a 8/10
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4 of 4 people (100%) found this review helpful
0.9 hrs on record
Posted: November 15
A funky robo-mid-century art style mixed up with a Hunter S. Thompson surrealist vibe makes for a strange setting. Great sound design adds to the fun, as do the numerous homages to video games of eras gone by.

All that said, the actual gameplay is pretty shallow. Fortunately, the setting doesn't overstay its welcome and the game is over before its flaws become tedious.

One last note: I expected this to be sort of an indie shooter, but it has a lot more adventure game DNA.

Overall worth your time but maybe not at full price.
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4 of 4 people (100%) found this review helpful
4.8 hrs on record
Posted: August 13
A game you definitly should give a chance.
It made me laugh, it made me smile, it simply made me feel better.

Thanks for this gift to the Developers.

And please, PLEASE buy this game to all interessted people!
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6 of 8 people (75%) found this review helpful
5.8 hrs on record
Posted: August 30
This game has a minigame where you get to play as a cat rampaging through an apartment in first-person perspective. It's a good game.

Must-have if you're into absurdity/surrealism/parodies and artsy games.
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3 of 3 people (100%) found this review helpful
5.8 hrs on record
Posted: December 22
Took me longer to realize that the game was over than to actually play the game.
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4 of 5 people (80%) found this review helpful
3.4 hrs on record
Posted: November 23
Yes the 'game" itself it short. There is very little to the story and you can feasibly complete it in a 30-40 minute sitting. That being said, the amount of humor, subversive side quips, and side content that the developers managed to pack into this gameis truly amazing. From a H.S.T. doppleganger spouting William Gibson quotes to a marriage inspired Doom-replica, this game is well crafted and bursting with character. I really havent enjoyed a game as much as this one in quite a while.
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4 of 5 people (80%) found this review helpful
2.0 hrs on record
Posted: September 4
I drank a bunch of gin and played this, it was amazing.
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5 of 7 people (71%) found this review helpful
2.0 hrs on record
Posted: November 17
Jazzpunk, a funny little experiment 7/10

+Solid visual style
+Great menus/UI
+A ridiculous amount of jokes in every stage
+Odd, but catchy soundtrack
+interesting cyberpunk/50s-60s spy movie world
+a lot of the jokes had me cracking up, with an even mixture of clever, witty humor, and stupid slapstick. Both are well executed...

-...Most of the time. There are occasionally jokes that miss the mark. (The last half of the resort stage was almost painfully unfunny)
-The voice acting is heavily filtered, which hinders the effectiveness of some jokes' delivery
-Even though I beat this game in two hours, some jokes were getting somewha repedative (ow my face. I have 4th degree burns all over my face.)

Despite some flaws, this is still an interesting idea, and in between this and the Stanley Parable; comedic adventures might have a future.

I would get it... but on sale.
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