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.
Reviews
- The game features an amazing atmosphere with top-notch graphics, sound design, and a compelling soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- It successfully evokes strong noir vibes and tackles deep psychological themes, making it a thought-provoking experience.
- Despite its simplicity, the game offers a nostalgic callback to old-school point-and-click adventures, appealing to fans of the genre.
- The gameplay is overly simplistic with minimal puzzles, leading to a lack of challenge and engagement for players seeking a more traditional adventure experience.
- The story is predictable and lacks depth, making it difficult for players to become emotionally invested in the characters and their journeys.
- There are several technical issues, including slow interactions, spelling mistakes, and a frustrating inability to replay the game without losing save data.
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its unique and compelling narrative that explores themes of guilt, regret, and personal tragedy, while others criticize it for being predictable and lacking depth in character development. Many appreciate the psychological elements and the internal conflict of the main character, though some feel that the story could benefit from more fleshing out and backstory. Overall, it is seen as a grounded narrative that effectively conveys the protagonist's mental despair, despite some spelling errors and a lack of immersion.
“The story was compelling and very unique to tell through a game.”
“It was very refreshing to see something different and to have such a dark, gritty horror veneer to wrap up an impactful story of a man and his family's relationships being pulled apart.”
“I do like that it isn't the typical psychological horror trope of a bad dad murdering everyone, and I appreciate that there was some nuance to the balance of personal tragedy and the horrific consequences of impulsive rage in regards to the main character's story.”
“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.”
“Even though the story was very basic and pretty much explains exactly what happens, in this case, I think you got away with it because all of the focus is on his mental despair and how the game walks you through his journey. It's a very grounded narrative, but sometimes a realistic story can be effective too.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, driven by exceptional sound design, evocative artwork, and a strong emotional tone reminiscent of Silent Hill. While some gameplay mechanics may be lacking, the overall mood and psychological depth are effectively conveyed, making the atmosphere a standout feature that enhances the player's experience. Visual effects like film grain and camera shakes further contribute to the game's rich and engaging ambiance.
“A really atmospheric game; the sound design is great, and I love the set pieces and artwork.”
“The art style and soundscape drew me in from the trailer, and I fell in love with the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“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.”
“My expectations were met; it was immersive and the Silent Hill influence is very welcome in the eerie atmosphere, visuals, and music.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their immersive atmosphere and artistic design, drawing strong comparisons to influences like Silent Hill. However, some players noted inconsistencies in visual quality, with critiques on the overuse of grain and blur effects that detracted from the overall aesthetic. While the visuals are a highlight, the dark environments sometimes hinder visibility, suggesting a need for better lighting mechanics to enhance the experience.
“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 art style and soundscape drew me in from the trailer, and I fell in love with the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“My expectations were met; it was immersive, and the Silent Hill influence is very welcome in the eerie atmosphere, visuals, and music.”
“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.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game are standout features, significantly enhancing the immersive and eerie atmosphere. Reviewers praised the soundtrack for its strategic mood shifts and ability to complement the narrative, while also noting that it effectively contributes to the game's overall presentation. However, some felt that the dark visuals could have been improved with better lighting mechanics.
“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.”
“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.”
“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 more rich with character.”
“Overall, it seems like you would play a lot with the soundtrack across the locations, but it lacks variety and becomes repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity, which some feel detracts from the point-and-click adventure experience, making it more cinematic but less responsive due to frame rate issues with UI elements. However, players also find moments of satisfaction in solving puzzles independently, leading to a rewarding sense of accomplishment.
“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.”
