A Night at the Watermill
- January 26, 2024
- Neon Tales
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"A Night at the Watermill" is a point-and-click adventure game featuring a simple interface and hand-drawn comic-art. Players wake up in an old watermill with no memory. They must explore to experience the narrative and find out what happened, with a short playtime of ~45min-1 hour and 3 different endings. The game has a thrilling ambiance sound and suspenseful soundtrack, as players try to escape and uncover the mysteries of their surroundings.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful hand-drawn graphics and a moody atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
- It offers a charming story with multiple endings, providing replay value for players who enjoy exploring different outcomes.
- The puzzles are generally logical and not overly complicated, making it accessible for players new to the point-and-click genre.
- The game is quite short, with a playtime of around an hour, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Some puzzles can feel contrived or require random item combinations, leading to moments of frustration.
- The story may be predictable, and the character development is lacking, which could detract from the overall experience.
- story11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as charming and nicely told, featuring engaging twists and a creepy atmosphere that enhances the experience. However, some players found the plot predictable and noted a lack of substantial character backstory, alongside the presence of mental health clichés. Overall, the narrative is appreciated for its creativity and the intriguing puzzles it presents.
“A charming little point-and-click adventure with a nicely told story.”
“Thank you for letting me experience this nice little story through your game!”
“I appreciated the twists and turns in the story.”
“The characters lack substantial backstory, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“The plot is predictable, especially with the presence of mental health clichés.”
“While the puzzles are great, the storyline feels lacking and unoriginal.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their beautiful hand-drawn art style, which features bold colors and a moody atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the logical integration of visuals with the music and sound, creating an immersive environment without any technical issues. Overall, the unique comic book aesthetic and crisp artwork contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“For me, the biggest pros are the art style and atmosphere.”
“Hand-drawn graphics are beautiful, music and sounds are setting up the mood along with the visuals; there are no technical shortcomings or bugs.”
“I enjoyed the crisp, moody artwork featuring bold, dark lines and a cool, somber color palette.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music and ambient sounds in the game are praised for effectively enhancing the mood and atmosphere, complementing the beautiful hand-drawn graphics. While the soundtrack is deemed suitable, some players feel that it should have been included as part of the package given the game's price. Overall, the audio elements contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“The good ending is a definite let down, especially compared to the other two options, but everything else—the art, music, puzzle solving, paranoia, oppressive atmosphere... it's all exceptionally good, and worthy of the small time investment.”
“Hand-drawn graphics are beautiful, music and sounds are setting up the mood along with the visuals, there are no technical shortcomings or bugs, puzzles, as few as they are, are logical.”
“Still, it should've come with the soundtrack and the artbook at this price.”
“The good ending is a definite letdown, especially compared to the other two options, but everything else—the art, music, puzzle solving, paranoia, oppressive atmosphere... it's all exceptionally good, and worthy of the small time investment.”
“The music was suitable, and the ambient environmental sounds were excellent.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally straightforward and offers a balanced level of challenge that maintains a good pace. However, some users feel that the duration of the game, approximately one hour, may not justify its price point of 4€. Additionally, certain elements, such as plot twists, can be anticipated early on.
“Also, not to brag, but I figured out the twist after like 20 minutes of gameplay.”
“Ehhh, that's debatable; 4€ is a bit much for 1 hour of gameplay.”
“The gameplay is straightforward, and I felt that it had just the right amount of challenge to keep the pace up.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its exceptional art style, music, and a sense of paranoia that creates an oppressive environment, making it a standout feature despite some disappointment with the good ending. Overall, it effectively immerses players in a compelling experience.
“For me, the biggest pros are the art style and atmosphere.”
“The good ending is a definite letdown, especially compared to the other two options, but everything else—the art, music, puzzle solving, paranoia, oppressive atmosphere... it's all exceptionally good, and worthy of the small time investment.”
