DUMB: Treasure

DUMB: Treasure

Nice excursion.

Real player with 0.6 hrs in game


Read More: Best Atmospheric Exploration Games.


Very nice horror atmosphere

Real player with 0.2 hrs in game

DUMB: Treasure on Steam

The Door in the Basement

The Door in the Basement

The door in the basement was a very good game in my opinion. It was scary and the story kept me wanting more. There are jump scares. I was submerged in a world of pure terror, the idea alone was incredibly uneasy. This game has the old school pixelated style look and I though that was a great touch. This game is short but because of my heart condition I had to take breaks and it took me a lot longer to finish. Overall this game was pretty fun to play and I highly recommend it. BEWARE OF THE CLITCH MAN!

Real player with 6.9 hrs in game


Read More: Best Atmospheric Dark Games.


Gonna be honest; game is fantastic.

So I’ve recently been binging on horror games. A LOT of horror games. I’ve come across some decent ones and some really bad ones. In my opinion; The Door In The Basement is one of the better ones. It’s not all about jumpscares. Instead it’s about setting up atmosphere, making you feel comfortable just to take it all away from you. There’s some light puzzle elements and a few enemies that’re fairly silly in their AI but I still found the game to be incredibly enjoyable. Especially with the PSX-style art-style the game has going on.

Real player with 4.2 hrs in game

The Door in the Basement on Steam

Promesa

Promesa

Promesa is a work of art and art can be divisive. I would even go as far as to say that this is not a videogame in a classic sense. It’s more of an experience and a very slow one at that. During this experience I had the feeling of visiting scenes of memories and dreams from someone else. These scenes often felt very much lifelike thanks to the stunning environments but at the same time there was always something “off”. A strange feeling and sensation, just like in a real dream. Some environments even felt familiar to me. Above all else, this feels like a very personal experience that can be compared to a painting. The artstyle in Promesa is truly stunning and I enjoyed the scenery and accoustic environment very much.

Real player with 7.5 hrs in game


Read More: Best Atmospheric Walking Simulator Games.


I completed a play-through of Promesa and I have no idea what just happened. I spent about 40 minutes walking forward at a generally slow pace through a series of doors and scenes. Some are created with great detail, while others are very impressionistic. There was an occasional bit of stream-of-consciousness narrative about growing old and looking back. And, in the background, an interesting sound track of instrumentals and ambient noise.

As an artistic piece, it is interesting and certainly combines various styles and textures (in terms of sights and sounds). But, as art goes, some ‘get it’ and others do not. I fall into the latter category, as I did not come away with any meaningful emotional reaction or any sense of cohesive threads within the game.

Real player with 3.2 hrs in game

Promesa on Steam

Escape from DuFo

Escape from DuFo

Good short game. It only took about 10 minutes to complete but I enjoyed it quite a bit and wished it was a full game. It looked good and ran great plus the puzzles were pretty decent. Overall for less than a $1 on sale I would recommend checking it out. If you want to see some game play you can check out my play through below.

https://youtu.be/a1eJ6LwtU-8

Real player with 0.2 hrs in game

Quick vertical slice, but the performance was so bad

Real player with 0.2 hrs in game

Escape from DuFo on Steam

The Long Gate

The Long Gate

The first thing you notice about this game is the grandeur and mystery of its environment, and it doesn’t ever let up; as I moved through the different sections of the game I marveled at the design of the machinery and rooms. The soundtrack provides an excellent backdrop to levels that are variously organic, mechanical, dark, and alien. The puzzles themselves are unlike anything I’ve seen in a game before. Built on the simple (and very much real) principles of electricity, the puzzles quickly take you from clicking on/off switches to troubleshooting gigantic electromechanical computers. Sometimes the goal is clear, other times not so much. This forced me to experiment and learn the principles before I could really solve anything complicated. The learning curve steps up quite a bit at some points, but not unreasonably so. A very satisfying challenge with plenty of those “oh I get it now” dopamine hits. Highly recommended.

Real player with 26.9 hrs in game

Ok, so I’ve just finished the game for the first time (replaying soon because I still need that sweet, sweet 100% engineer mode achievement!) but I wanted to get my immediate feedback at 14.4hrs in onto paper :P

Firstly, a bit of my background. I’m a researcher in Computational Chemistry, and have a keen interest in quantum computing and electronics. I mention this as I think I’m not your typical audience, as not every gamer will have my experience with these kinds of things.

Onto the review! Spoilers abound from here on out so don’t read on if you care about those!

Real player with 14.4 hrs in game

The Long Gate on Steam

Amidst The Darkness

Amidst The Darkness

Amidst The Darkness is a truly terrifying first-person survival horror game developed and published by Loneminded.

Dragged, bloodied and bruised into old dilapidated worker halls, Amidst The Darkness follows the story of a sadistic entity - known informally as The Being. Trawl your way through old abandoned halls and sewers in a bid to find an escape.

No matter where you go, or the route that you take, The Being will unpredictably follow your every move. Creeping closer step-by-step, inch-by-inch until it is within reaching distance. The crows scarpering from their nest nearby, or that unmistakable slow-moving silhouette in the distance - it beckons upon thee.

Features

  • Immersive First-Person Horror: Navigate through chilling, immersive environments

  • Truly Unsettling Story: Experience and uncover the story of old workers and The Being.

  • Unpredictable Enemies: Each playthrough will play differently with help from the unpredictability of AI.

  • Full Gamepad Support: Prefer sitting back and enjoying the experience? Now you can - Amidst The Darkness has full controller support.

Amidst The Darkness on Steam

Arx Fatalis

Arx Fatalis

Highly recommended for those that have played and liked games like Ultima Underworld or Dungeon Master (Legend of Grimrock).

The developers wanted to created Ultima Underworld 3 but were unable to get the license from you know who, which is a shame. With stronger resources this game could have been very special indeed. For an old game (2002), the graphics are pretty good and sound in some instances quite amazing, the game engine has aged well. I played the game of Steam and in Windows 7 and it was more or less playable apart from some memory crashes - I learned to save often using all the save slots - you need to do this too, especially when you move between levels. It is best to play the game without any background noise such as the TV/ music or radio - believe that. Not only will you get immersed in the game world, beautifully crafted by the designers, you won’t miss key information said aloud by your character and then never repeated!

Real player with 44.3 hrs in game

Anyone who has played Dishonored 2 will have trouble believing that the same company that made that game also made this one, a few decades ago, and I mean that in the best of ways (in the best of ways for Arx Fatalis, the comparison doesn’t favor their later projects). And just to be clear, this was the first time I played Arx Fatalis, I had no nostalgia goggles to affect my judgment.

Arx Fatalis is a metroidvania First Person action-oriented RPG, that “can” be played entirely as a First Person Stealth game, similar to the Thief series, but equal focus has been put into its other playstyles. The medieval fantasy world of Arx is an underground network of caverns and tunnels, as the world goes through an apocalyptic winter above-ground. Goblins, Trolls, Humans, sexy Snake Ladies and recently genocided Dwarves call this place their home, and somewhat coexist.

Real player with 37.7 hrs in game

Arx Fatalis on Steam

RAIN IN THE ABYSS

RAIN IN THE ABYSS

A terrible ancestral prophecy has unleashed total drought in the sacred lands of Huapalli, leaving its inhabitants without water and on the verge of extinction.

Nuez is the only descendant of a marginalized tribe that does not need water to survive, she is the only one who can bring life back to her lands before it is too late.

Enter the beautiful and terrifying world of the abyss that protects a sacred ancestral object. Destroy every life form that is a threat, at long range with your crossbow or tearing your enemies with your bare hands. Search for minerals, food, and items to craft artifacts that give you an edge over your ruthless enemies and battle colossal bosses willing to annihilate you.

Explore a vast and beautiful world: Discover an incredible world full of dangerous enemies and poisonous plants that inhabit the abyss.

Combinable Combat: Destroy your enemies with the power of your crossbow, a sacred weapon created by your tribe. Create devastating new ammo for your weapon and unlock special moves for Nuez tail that will give you the agility and power to achieve your goal.

Executions: Release your anger by tearing your enemies apart in a bloody way with carefully animated executions.

Customize your game mode: Discover and equip yourself with amulets, which will completely change the way you play, acquiring skills that allow you to overcome areas without being seen or destroying everything in your path. Try different combinations to find one that fits your style of play.

Unforgettable battles against colossal bosses: Face impressive colossal bosses animated in pixel art.

Discover unimaginable areas of the abyss: A world of constant rain full of beauty, magic, horror and sadness. You will find really charming, disconcerting and mysterious characters that could help you, or maybe not. An epic unique and unforgettable adventure that will touch each of your emotions.

RAIN IN THE ABYSS on Steam

The Luminist

The Luminist

Big yes to this free indie gem, carefully crafted with love and wonderful attention to detail.

This short story is a vivid example of how fresh students can create a game that is better than some titles from seasoned developers with years of experience. Could be the perfect introduction of some bigger project in the presented dieselpunk universe.

Real player with 1.6 hrs in game

Definetly give it a try.

Its short, free and well made.

33% exploration

33% action

33% horror.

If this would be a few houres long (maybe 6-8) and the fighting would be a bit more polished this would easily be worth 20 bucks.

Real player with 1.5 hrs in game

The Luminist on Steam

Carebotz

Carebotz

This game is a breath of fresh air to me mainly because of its controls. It’s been a long time since I’ve played something similar and while flying around needed a little time for me to get used to, it was fun to learn and after I got used to it, became second nature.

At first you only have a traditional fast-firing but low-damage weapon, but trust me, it’s worth progressing - you’ll have a whole arsenal of weapons to choose from before you know it, and prioritize according to your situation and preferences. When you master it, you can even figure out some tricky combos that are satisfying to pull off, such as when using the boost jump and the rocket in quick succession, it’ll fly quicker than the minigun pellets. Deciding on which upgrades to spend your currencies on is a fun way to customize your things.

Real player with 23.9 hrs in game

Surprisingly entertaining.

I play with keyboard and it is a little clunky but the fights are very enjoyable even without controller.

The story-bits do not make too much sense, the thrill of toip-down-asteroid/souls-likey fights and traps, the great music and the stylish/functional graphics make this game a worthy one.

Should be a great purchase eveb with the full price tag.

(I got 25% off)

I had 2 minor issues with the game, a tiny bug of missing text and a clear way to see which part of my ship is forward.

Real player with 11.7 hrs in game

Carebotz on Steam