A Salem Witch Trial
- February 22, 2018
- Digital Bento
Get on Steam"A Salem Witch Trial" is a gothic murder mystery visual novel that immerses you in a creepy witch hunt. Investigate the crime, uncover clues, and interrogate suspects in a classic text-based adventure with a dark twist. With gorgeous hand-painted 2D art, an extensive art gallery, and multiple characters to suspect, it's up to you to sieve through the evidence and deduce the mystery.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Beautiful artwork and graphics that enhance the atmosphere of the game.
- Engaging story with multiple endings, providing some replay value.
- Decent music that sets the mood well, despite some repetition.
- Extremely short gameplay, often completed in under an hour.
- Frequent spelling and grammar errors that detract from the experience.
- Linear story progression with obvious clues, lacking depth and complexity.
- story29 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story has been described as interesting and engaging, though many reviewers noted it is quite short and linear, leaving them wanting more. While the artwork and soundtrack received praise, the dialogue and writing quality were criticized for being basic and lacking historical authenticity. Overall, the narrative offers a compelling premise but suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth, making it feel more like a guided reading experience than an interactive game.
“The character art, soundtrack, and story are designed with a lot of care.”
“A short but enjoyable visual novel with great artwork and an immersive atmosphere built through the story.”
“Its fairly short game, but I don't mind that; I think it's a positive thing as you don't want every game to take every hour of your life away. You can get into this, enjoy the story and the mystery, and move on with your life.”
“The dialogue itself is extremely basic, and the type of English that would have been spoken at the time of this story's period setting isn't used at all.”
“But the story is bland, a lot of text is repeated, and the game is absurdly short.”
“I was getting really into the story and then all of a sudden it was over.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game effectively sets the mood and enhances the atmosphere, with some tracks being particularly well-received. However, reviewers noted a lack of variation and repetitiveness, which detracts from the overall experience. While the soundtrack is generally considered decent, it could benefit from more diversity to truly elevate the game.
“The character art, soundtrack, and story are designed with a lot of care.”
“It has nice designs and a nice soundtrack with an interesting story, like a book I read a long time ago.”
“The soundtrack is great as well and helps even more with the atmosphere.”
“The music sets the mood very well, but there isn't enough variation in it to really make the game shine.”
“Somewhat repetitive music, and one cannot load a save during the credits... meaning one has to quit the game and restart it to load and try another ending.”
“The music was okay.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -12 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their beautiful and period-appropriate artwork, which enhances the overall atmosphere and immersion. While the visual novel is brief, lasting around two hours, its stunning backgrounds and charming aesthetic contribute significantly to the player's experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, elevating the game's appeal.
“The experience is a brief one, clocking in at roughly two hours, but what it lacks in length it more than adequately makes up for with its gorgeous artwork and quaint aesthetic.”
“A short but enjoyable visual novel with great artwork and an immersive atmosphere built through the story.”
“Loved the atmosphere in this game and the artwork is excellent.”
“The graphics are decent, but they don't stand out in any way.”
“The artwork is period-appropriate and beautifully rendered, yet the dialect and speech do not match.”
“While the visuals are acceptable, they lack the detail and polish expected from modern games.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its bleak yet immersive quality, effectively complementing the narrative. Reviewers highlight the beautiful artwork and excellent soundtrack, which together enhance the overall experience, making it a captivating visual novel.
“A short but enjoyable visual novel with great artwork and an immersive atmosphere built through the story.”
“The soundtrack is great as well and helps even more with the atmosphere.”
“As far as visual novels go, this one comes loaded with an atmosphere that can properly be described as bleak, which is perfectly complementary to the narrative it seeks to weave.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers emphasize that the gameplay is closely tied to the story and mechanics, suggesting that a harmonious integration of these elements is essential for a fulfilling experience. The gameplay has received a solid rating of 8, indicating a generally positive reception.
“Both the story and game mechanics have to work in unison to provide a worthy experience.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
While the ability to save at two points reduces the need for extensive replaying to achieve alternate endings, the presence of multiple endings still offers significant replay value for players seeking to explore different choices.
“There is much replay value with different endings to find.”
“The ability to save at two points ensures you can easily explore alternate endings without having to replay the entire game.”
“There are two points you can save at to make sure you don't have to dredge through the entire game again just to get the alternate endings, which makes replayability obsolete.”
“However, there is much replay value with different endings to find.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, indicating that it can become a monotonous and unenjoyable experience.
“The grinding feels tedious and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find the grinding aspect to be incredibly monotonous, draining the fun out of the game.”
“The amount of grinding required is overwhelming and takes away from the overall experience.”
