Synonymy (2015)

Developer: Christopher Cinq-Mars Jarvis
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Casual, Strategy
Rating: 2.6 of 5, 105 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 1.7 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

a calm, thoughtful word association journey where you trace connections between random synonyms, guided by a narrator's voice for a reflective, puzzle-like experience.

educationalrelaxingcasualword puzzlestrategicnarratednon-profitstylish

What players say

Players are split on Synonymy. Some praise it as a unique educational tool for expanding vocabulary, especially for English learners. Others criticize it for missing obvious synonym connections and nonsensical links, with a few calling it overpriced for what it offers. The UI and controls are widely panned as some of the worst on desktop.

Screenshots

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More by Christopher Cinq-Mars Jarvis

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.