A Spider to A Fly
- December 26, 2023
- Syine
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"A Spider to A Fly" is a 90's horror-inspired point-and-click game, where players follow the story of Ian, a man searching for his missing son while confronting his inner demons. The game features a unique pixel-photobash art style, mature themes, and atmospheric music. With its solo-made development, players can expect a deep and emotional journey lasting 1-3 hours.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features an amazing atmosphere with top-notch graphics, sound design, and a compelling soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The narrative is intriguing and emotionally engaging, exploring deep psychological themes and personal tragedy, which resonates with players.
- Despite some gameplay issues, many players found the game to be a unique and enjoyable experience, reminiscent of classic point-and-click horror games.
- The game suffers from significant technical issues, including bugs that can render it unplayable and frustrating navigation problems.
- Many players found the puzzles to be overly simplistic and lacking in challenge, which detracted from the overall gameplay experience.
- The visuals can be excessively dark, making it difficult to see important elements and navigate effectively, leading to confusion and frustration.
- story24 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its strong narrative and emotional depth, while others find it predictable and lacking in character development. Many players appreciate the mature themes and the unique perspective on personal tragedy, though some note that the storytelling could benefit from more fleshing out and backstory. Overall, the narrative is seen as compelling and engaging, enhanced by the game's artwork and audio, making it a worthwhile experience despite its flaws.
“A masterpiece of storytelling!”
“The artwork and the audio in this game enhance the story in such a way that it will grip you until the very end!”
“A well-crafted and soul-chilling story that still has myself and my chat talking about it well after we finished playing!”
“The story is okay, quite vague and typical guilt/regret stuff.”
“One the creator goes in dry with the story, you basically know everything that's going to happen pretty early on. There's no build-up where the creator gives you much backstory, barely any information about any of the characters, or any reason to care about them or their plight. It's a bit of a generic story with no immersion.”
“I had the opposite experience from one of the reviews I read; I think the story is the highlight of the game while the locations needed a lot of work. Yes, it's a predictable story, and yes, it tells you the mystery very early on, but I think it's the perspective of the character and how he gets to that point that makes it a suspenseful experience.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, enhanced by exceptional sound design, art style, and visual effects. Reviewers highlight how the combination of music, sound effects, and atmospheric visuals creates a rich, brooding environment that draws players in, reminiscent of classic horror influences. Despite some gameplay criticisms, the overall mood and narrative depth are considered strong points that contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“A really atmospheric game; the sound design is great, and I love the set pieces and artwork.”
“The atmosphere gives the scary vibes; the sound only amplifies that vibe.”
“Speaking of atmosphere, this game has a very strong one; the sound design and music both work wonders for making the gloomy environments feel real.”
“There were a lot of superficial issues, and as an adventure game it's not made particularly well, the interactions and the text are too slow and I think you need to work on reducing the delay between the actions; however, I still think the mood and the atmosphere were handled pretty well, if you can overlook the actual 'game' part of the experience, there is still an interesting psychological deconstruction of the character.”
“So it wasn't great, but if you can work more on the superficial experience, I think you at least get the atmosphere and the narrative right, which is more important to me.”
“The game has a really eerie vibe which is exactly what you want from the game; the music and sound effects complement the game and add to the overall atmosphere.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their aesthetic appeal and atmospheric quality, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive artwork and sound design that enhance the overall experience. However, some criticism arises regarding the overuse of visual effects like grain and blur, which can obscure details and detract from immersion. While the visuals are a standout feature, inconsistencies and a dark presentation may hinder the gameplay experience for some players.
“The star of the game is definitely the presentation: graphics, sound design, and soundtrack are top notch and kept me hooked for the whole (short) duration.”
“The artwork and the audio in this game enhance the story in such a way that it will grip you until the very end!”
“The art style and soundscape drew me in from the trailer, and I fell in love with the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“Some achievements are annoying and the visuals aren't always entirely consistent though, plus playing through the game more than once just feels really slow and unfun.”
“While I didn't like how you often overused the blur and grain, there were occasional locations that had interesting designs. I think if you can strategically focus more on the contrast of light sources and maybe add a few effects like dust particles, it would look a lot better.”
“The second time you enter the street looks much better; that is the aesthetic you should maintain.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game are standout features, significantly enhancing the eerie atmosphere and immersing players in its gloomy environments. Reviewers praised the strategic mood changes in the soundtrack, which effectively highlight narrative moments and contribute to the overall experience, making it a must-play for fans of spooky horror and point-and-click genres.
“The star of the game is definitely the presentation: graphics, sound design, and soundtrack are top notch and kept me hooked for the whole (short) duration.”
“The game has a really eerie vibe which is exactly what you want from the game; the music and sound effects complement the game and add to the overall atmosphere.”
“Overall, it seems like you would play a lot with the soundtrack across the locations, and you should maintain that going forward because it makes the atmosphere richer with character.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Gameplay is described as simple and somewhat unresponsive, with a cinematic focus that may detract from the point-and-click experience. However, it offers smooth interactions and rewarding moments, particularly when solving puzzles independently, making it enjoyable for a short playtime of 1.5-2 hours. Overall, while the gameplay may not be deeply complex, it is complemented by a captivating story.
“The story is super captivating and the gameplay feels super smooth.”
“Huge recommend for 1.5-2 hours of great gameplay and story.”
“The gameplay can be incredibly rewarding at times; the feeling of cracking a puzzle yourself can make you feel like a genius, like using the screwdriver on the broken fuse without being told to.”
“Gameplay is simple and hardly qualifies as a point-and-click adventure.”
“This seems intended to make the game more cinematic, and it looks fine enough for the gameplay, but things like the UI elements and mouse cursor also being locked to this frame rate made it feel kind of unresponsive, especially since the mouse is the primary way you'll be interacting with things.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently describe the game as an emotional rollercoaster, highlighting its ability to evoke a wide range of feelings throughout the experience.
“What an emotional rollercoaster this was.”
