Stars Die
Stars Die is an amazingly atmospherically dense experience. it’s a very short game but honestly doesn’t really need a whole lot of time to express itself and its ideas, and does a great load of work narratively and emotionally with the brief period it takes to complete. the game has 6 endings, including 2 secret ones, and going through all of these brought its own interesting character insights to the table. getting to explore the island itself was a real treat - the distant ambient thump that plays everywhere really added to the feeling that it might be alive, and each little area feels distinct while still flowing into each other naturally. the soundtrack is really great also - the swells of synth or heavy beat coming in at a dramatic moment to provide tension felt really perfect (and tbh the tracks all just slap, i’d love to see a release of the soundtrack by itself!).
– Real player with 10.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Psychological Horror Multiple Endings Games.
I did not enjoy the story on my first playthrough because the second half of the narrative was too heavy on exposition, but the game has several endings that will add more context to the experience. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete the game, depending on which character you align with. To my knowledge there are at least 5 outcomes not counting the secret quest. The format reminded me of Fatum Betula because the main character essentially decides the fate of the world, additionally to the retro aesthetic and exploration in general. The area that you explore is not very big, although there are hidden trinkets that can be difficult to find. As far as the gameplay, it’s a walking-sim with some dialogue choices, even though the conversations don’t seem to impact the outcomes - you can change your mind at the very end (with a few exceptions). If you need to locate a character, you can use a radio that can be obtained shortly after meeting the crew. There is a time limit which can be disabled in the settings, meaning that you could miss out on some events if you don’t get there in time.
– Real player with 8.7 hrs in game
Please Wake Up
This game is AMAZING! It’ll have most at the edge of their seat, heart racing and very concentrated. A must grab for any psychological horror. There is text in between levels to move the story along, but it does have a blur effect that can be a bit straining on the eyes, BUT, it can be turned off!!! NO WORRIES ON THAT!
Let’s break it down
The game follows a young boy in a coma trying to wake up while reconstructing different scenarios. I won’t spoil much, but different events and weave the narrative along nicely as things get more intense. A very well crafted narrative! I like it a lot, it’s simple and has a bit of spice in there to have an awesome story. I will say though (KINDA Spoiler I guess) the ending is JUST a little empty and I would’ve liked to see more.
– Real player with 2.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Psychological Horror Alternate History Games.
This game will scare the **** out of you, but at least you will remember some really profound questions and interesting facts about memory reliability that constitutes reality vs. illusion distinction.
– Real player with 1.8 hrs in game
>observer_
Observer_ is the latest game from the developers behind Layers of Fear. Set in a dystopian cyberpunk world, you play as Dan Lazarski, a neural detective known as an Observer. With your augmentations, you can hack into peoples minds to solve crimes all while reliving some of their biggest fears and nightmares. One rainy night you get a call from your estranged son, seemingly in danger and asking for help. Once you trace that call to a decrepit apartment complex in the slums of Krakow, your investigation begins.
– Real player with 29.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Psychological Horror Atmospheric Games.
There is something unsettling about plugging in your computer, loading up Rutger Hauer’s character and playing a game where he plugs into dead people’s brains to get a look at their memories. It makes noir cyberpunk feel a little too close to home in 2020. RIP Rutger, gone but not forgotten. Off-genre stealth scenes mar this otherwise great experience, worth picking up if you are into cyberpunk, detective mysteries and/or horror games. (Please note that you can no longer buy the original game and must purchase the Redux version)
– Real player with 12.9 hrs in game
Negative Atmosphere
Negative Atmosphere is a third person, over-the-shoulder survival horror game dedicated to dread, tension and trauma. Trapped aboard the voidship TRH Rusanov, Samuel Edwards must evade, fight and kill his former crew-mates as an outbreak transforms them into monsters. There’s only one way out and an entire ship to cross. Danger lurks around every corner and time is running out. Explore the depths of the Rusanov, pull whatever resources you can out of its guts, and run.
Treat the infection
As Chief Medical Officer of the Rusanov, Edwards has a confident, in-depth understanding of medicinal drugs. Routine medication can be repurposed for more creative ideas, or transformed into something more extreme. Whether attempting to save the injured, influence enemies or alter himself, Samuel’s medical knowledge will be key to his survival.
Every choice matters
Edwards has beliefs, past experiences and coping mechanisms that players will learn throughout Negative Atmosphere. This means that morality is not just about what you want as a player, as every decision will have an effect on Edwards. Learning his values is important: working with them or against them will affect Samuel’s mental state and change how he reacts to events.
Nowhere is safe
The Rusanov is infested with threats, from man and machine alike. Humans on board have mostly fallen victim to the outbreak, twisting their limbs and stretching their bodies into creatures that are near-unrecognisable. Robots are becoming unstable; some turn violent and roam the ship’s corridors, while others break down in a state of utter panic. Between the remains of the crew, the confused husks of metal and other terrors that skulk in every shadow, every engagement could be Samuel’s last.
Your survival is… unlikely.
Pleiades - A Subversion Saga Game
Seems like the few people who have reviewed the game haven’t had a chance to spend a ton of time with it, so I thought I would chime in with a more detailed review. It’s gonna be all kinda jumbled cause I’m just gonna write what I think and keep writing until I think I’ve covered everything. I was hesitant to give the game a chance due to the low amount of reviews and the one lengthily negative review. After watching the trailer, I really wanted to see what it was all about and give it a chance. I’m glad I did! When I found out the game was developed by one man over the course of a few months, it blew my mind! That’s crazy, especially for a game with this much going on in it! That’s another reason I decided to write this review, this game deserves more attention and love from people who I know will enjoy it. Anyways, I approached the game with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. As the negative reviewer states, the game doesn’t really do anything revolutionary in the mechanics department. Hell, most games don’t nowadays. The mechanics work well though and I very much enjoyed running around using my different light sources to explore the very unique and diverse levels. Not to mention the enemies in the game, which aren’t anything crazy but they are satisfying to kill and add more to the story than really present a major challenge. Although I did die a few times and often found myself running for my life. Where the game makes up for the lack of mechanics innovation, is in the rich story. I think the negative reviewer is not the type that is into immersing themselves in a world and was just trying to run through to “beat” the game. I took a completely different approach. I let myself get lost in the story, exploring every inch of the levels and I found myself taking a deep interest in the details strewn about. Take the papers scattered around the world for example. In most games I look these over and just keep going because they are usually some boring writing that’s not really relevant to anything and doesn’t add much to the game. With Pleiades, they are pivotal to the full experience. I stopped to find and read as many as I could and it was always something different. Sometimes it was just a nothing note, but it still added to the richness of the world and explained something about it’s strangeness. Sometimes, I caught myself laughing out loud as I read the hilarious woes of a notes author. Other times, I was highly intrigued by the science-fiction accuracy to real world UFO research. This guy that made this game really knows his UFO stuff and he made an excellent game and story that really entertained me. Some of the papers hold information that is absolutely vital to moving forward in the story via key codes or clues, etc, so I highly suggest reading every note you find and enjoy piecing the story together like that. None of the notes are really all that long and it never seemed like a chore to me like some games make it. But if you don’t like reading, or don’t like that type of story telling addition then this probably isn’t the game for you. Moving on, I think the voice acting is pretty damn good. Especially for a game made by one man, on what I can only assume was a really low budget. The main character Michael is actually voiced by the creator of the game and he does a great job of bringing the story to life with a very unique and enjoyable voice and character. Sometimes the acting is a little corny but given the rest of the humor peppered throughout the game I really think that was on purpose haha. The attention to detail given to every aspect of the game, story and world makes me think everything was intentional. The other characters don’t play massive roles vocally but there is some quality content in there. The overall writing of the dialog is great and moves the story along at a nice pace. I don’t want to give away any spoilers to the story but it is a great story in my opinion. If you are fascinated with the UFO subject like I am then I think you will really enjoy it. I really enjoyed the rest of the sounds and audio in the game including the music. It was all very unique and different to what I am used to. The footsteps on wood and some other surfaces are a little corny and outdated but they aren’t that prevalent throughout the game. I think the guy who gave the game a scathing review kept saying things like you walk here, do this, then walk there and do that or something like that haha I’m pretty sure that’s like every game ever haha Anyways about that, I really enjoyed running around and exploring and walking through the puzzle areas and taking the full story in while doing so. The puzzles aren’t anything mind blowing but they are certainly interesting and I found myself having absolutely no clue what was going to happen next, which I very much enjoyed. I kept thinking I knew exactly what was going to happen next and I was almost always wrong. The game certainly has a few “scary” moments and an overall aura of mystery and fear but it isn’t overly scary and I wouldn’t really call it a horror game. It’s more of a mystery with hints of horror. What else… the graphics are pretty damn good, a little dated and certainly not AAA status but I enjoyed the art direction and a lot of the world does really have a lot of detail. Not too often you see UFO’s in video games so seeing those parts of the game made me extra excited. The game runs really well. To be fair I am playing with a GTX 1080 at 1440P so it’s probably a bit overkill for this game. The levels were really well laid out and I found myself using the camera in the game to take quite a few pictures of really beautiful shots. (Which save to your PC so you can share them!) They aren’t the biggest levels, some are bigger than others but there is a happy medium. There is plenty of painkillers and light refueling items strewn about to make it relatively easy to make it through the game and there are no difficulty settings either. I’ve never been the guy that enjoyed games that make it near impossible to beat, so I really enjoyed the easier approach to survival and not having to sweat bullets or re-load all the time. Sometimes I just want to experience a game, enjoy the story, have some challenges but nothing over the top and Pleiades delivered on that experience. Cut-scenes are at times breathtaking, sometimes hilarious and other times a little lackluster. Overall they are great and the pacing of them is good. This isn’t the longest game. I took me about 5 hours to beat it and I was poking around exploring a lot. I know I didn’t catch everything though and I intend to go back and give it an even more thorough play through in the future. (There was a secret area I found but didn’t have all the clues put together to access it.) I wish the game was longer and there were more enemies and weapons and all that. BUT I did enjoy having a more limited experience for once with a game. Where it’s not all about getting new weapons to kill the enemy in a slightly different way. The game focuses on the story and gives you a handful of mechanics that aren’t extraordinary but do the job and fit well. Well, I hope this answered some of your burning questions if you were on the fence about getting the game. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it if you are intrigued by the UFO topic, enjoy exploring and reading, like to game but aren’t in dire need of a massive challenge and you’d rather just experience the story. The ending is EPIC!
– Real player with 6.5 hrs in game
This game is a FANTASTIC value for the price. While was initially confused, it is quite immersive and story-driven. If you enjoy games focused around a bit of mystery and heavy storytelling, this is the game for you
– Real player with 4.5 hrs in game
Prisoner 518
Overall, a fantastic game/story. Play time for me was 14.5 hours.
When I purchased this game I was expecting an average VR game…boy, was I wrong. This Developer (by the way, it is a one person team) is very creative and has developed a game that is fun, has a great story, and is well worth the price. The audio and music is exceptional throughout the entire game. Some comedy, some scares, some surprises, fun puzzles, and tension as you proceed through the prison complex. Without spoilers I have to say the ending was excellent; and I can’t wait for more.
– Real player with 14.5 hrs in game
Really pleasantly surprised by this game. Developed by a single developer, and his first game at that, this is a really well crafted game.
Set on a remote prison station in orbit around a planet it’s essentially a Sci-Fi based escape game with a horror/mystery background. The story telling is really well executed and unfolds as you progress through the game. The music, sound effects and voice overs are all top quality and the exploration is mixed with puzzles which are always logical although not always obvious, so a little thought, careful observation and lateral thinking required in places.
– Real player with 14.1 hrs in game
Cathedral
Take part in an atmospheric sci-fi horror game and stay alive in the last stronghold, the Cathedral. Arise, develop your character, gear up, fight soulless enemies and face the mighty Baron.
The Setting
Fighting continues. The power is exercised by associated rival Barons. Their Union is relentlessly growing and wants to colonize surrounding planets.
Whereas expeditionary forces are successively occupying other planet-states located in the same orbit. Inevitably, Independent Nations are beginning to recoil from the growing onslaught. Moreover, the fact that Neuropium supersedes souls and humanity is fading away does not help.
The emerging resistance needs a leader.
The Gameplay
The Cathedral is the last bastion, the shelter. Initially, your goal is survive and look for fuel cells for the Protector. But, the Baron’s envoys know that the game is at a higher stake than you may initially believe.
Moreover, the asylum hides its own secrets. Discover them, develop your character, fight off the inevitable invasion and gain influence over the course of history.
Be the Legend of Space.
Cosmic Awakening VR
Very Fun and scary game. The atmosphere and space station setting are both really well done. There’s a real sense of dread When you’re moving down the halls. The controls are fairly responsive although some things, like picking up certain objects, don’t seem work perfectly. I’m usually very sensitive to motion sickness when it comes to VR games, but I had no problems here. I was able to play for an extended period with no real problems. I definitely reccomend this game to any Vive owners who love a good horror experience.
– Real player with 3.2 hrs in game
First thing I want to say is I liked this game and I had no bug issues. The game ran 100% fine for me and there’s a video to prove that below. My specs are listed at the bottom.
Well this game was gifted to me so I decided to try it out. I am not very good at puzzle and discovery games as I have not played many in my life time so this one started off a bit slow for me. The atmosphere was fine and the graphics well enough and since it was horror the game went into creepy mode nearly right off the bat. The game in general starts off very slow until you kind of figure out what you need to do. There are 2 game modes. The first I wasn’t sure what to do but the story mode basically keeps you moving along a certain path, so to speak, I am guessing to a climax. In the begining exploration takes up most of your time then after you get the jist of what you probably should do the game moves faster and then gets more tense. I purposely didn’t finish the game because I was making a video and didn’t want to spoil the experience. Later this week I will continue where I left off as you can save your progress (yay!!). Look at the tags. If you like any of the tags then you should enjoy this in VR. If this was a regular game I don’t think I would have been too interested but I am looking for VR games that put me in another time and place. This fulfills that for me. I like action but I think adventure and exploration games fit VR really well since the mechanics are not very complicated and the focus can be on the environment rather than running here and there not really enjoying the setting. The price is a bit steep since I am guessing it is not super long but the quality of the game is not bad. I love Virtual Reality and scifi so this kind of game sends me there. It has many options too for graphics and other things. I say it is a buy. A number rating would be above average but only 7/10 mainly because the price is a bit high, in my opinion. Don’t expect to be very scared by this. It is more a “atmospheric tension” experience but does have some surprises which I won’t reveal in writing.
– Real player with 1.9 hrs in game
HORROR TALES: The Astronaut
Set in a fictional Space Station and taking place just after an incident in such space station, players experience terror directly in first person while they solve environmental puzzles (including physics-based puzzles and 0 gravity puzzles) in an interconnected space station with a metroidvania style level design. The air is running out and the power of the space station is running low. Will you survive?
But be aware: the space station is not uninhabited and it’s guts hides creatures and other biological entities no one would like to cross paths with.
HORROR TALES SAGA
Not enough Horror? Explore the rest of Horror Tales Games to punish yourself. Each adventure unique. All first person. Not meant to be played in any particular order.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1340640/HORROR_TALES_The_Wine/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1343340
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1372450/HORROR_TALES_The_Astronaut/
Midnight Scenes: The Highway (Special Edition)
This game is rather a short game, which is fitting for the price. The games horror elements are rather mild when compared to other horror games I’ve seen which is good if this is your first time or if you’re just getting used to playing horror games.
This game is also good to play for cheap in a short amount of time.
Also, if you are not used to playing point & click games, keep in mind while playing to be very observant of clickables and drag items in your inventory over each other to combine them.
– Real player with 1.0 hrs in game
The game is put together really well when it comes to art and atmosphere, that being said, it’s $3 for a 15-minute inconclusive story, so it’s more of a donation than anything else. I had a little ‘deja vu’ playing it, the pixel art in the game is really good, and there are only so many people that are that good, turns out it’s the “artist on games like Thimbleweed Park and Photographs” - I thought the godly skills looked familiar. The ‘Special Edition’ comes with the artbook and soundtrack which is located in the game’s folder. I have to say that the ending didn’t impact me in any way, probably because the story just didn’t have enough time and build up. I wish the developer would have expanded upon the original game, maybe a few secrets or an alternate ending if the game was replayed. Obviously, the developer is very skilled in multiple ways, but as far as this little game goes, not a lot for me to evaluate beyond seeing that it had the potential to be an interesting story.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game