A Spider to A Fly

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews

story16 positive mentions

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 well-crafted, exploring deep psychological themes and keeping players engaged throughout the short playtime.
Many players found the game to be a refreshing throwback to classic point-and-click adventures, with unique visual styles and a strong sense of dread.

Numerous players experienced technical issues, including game-breaking bugs that hindered progress and made it unplayable for some.
The gameplay is criticized for being overly simplistic, lacking in challenging puzzles, and having slow interactions that detract from the experience.
The game is often too dark, making it difficult to navigate and see important elements, which can lead to frustration.

story
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
6%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some praising its strong, mature themes and unique narrative that explores personal tragedy and mental despair, while others criticize it for being predictable and lacking depth in character development. Many players found the storytelling compelling and enhanced by the game's artwork and audio, though some noted spelling mistakes that detracted from immersion. Overall, while the story captivates and engages, it could benefit from further fleshing out to deepen the player's connection to the characters and their plight.
- “A well-crafted and soul-chilling story that still has myself and my chat talking about it well after we finished playing!”
- “The artwork and the audio in this game enhance the story in such a way that it will grip you until the very end!”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The story is okay, quite vague and typical guilt/regret stuff.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
54%
11%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, enhanced by exceptional sound design, music, and artistic elements. Reviewers highlight the effective use of visual effects and set pieces that contribute to a brooding and psychologically engaging environment, reminiscent of classic horror influences. Despite some gameplay shortcomings, the overall mood and atmosphere are considered the standout features, making for a compelling experience.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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 atmosphere gives the scary vibes; the sound only amplifies that vibe.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
38%
15%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their aesthetic appeal and atmospheric design, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Silent Hill. However, some players noted issues with overuse of blur and grain effects, which can obscure details and detract from immersion. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, there are suggestions for improvement in lighting and clarity to enhance the gaming 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 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.”
- “[u] Visuals [/u] - 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.”
- “Like I said, the second time you enter the street looks much better; that is the aesthetic you should maintain.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The music and sound design in the game are highly praised, contributing significantly to its immersive and eerie atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the strategic mood changes in the soundtrack, which enhance narrative moments and complement the visuals effectively. Overall, the top-notch audio presentation is considered a standout feature, making the game particularly appealing for fans of spooky horror and point-and-click genres.
- “The soundtrack was the best part of the game for me; there were a lot of strategic mood changes and it highlighted the narrative moments with sounds that the character didn't like.”
- “The game has a really eerie vibe, which is exactly what you want; 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.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The gameplay is described as simple and not fully representative of a traditional point-and-click adventure, yet it offers a smooth experience that enhances the captivating story. While the cinematic approach adds visual appeal, it can lead to unresponsiveness in UI elements, particularly with mouse interactions. However, players find moments of rewarding gameplay, especially when solving puzzles independently.
- “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.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently describe the game as an "emotional rollercoaster," highlighting its ability to evoke a wide range of feelings throughout the experience. This suggests that the narrative and character development effectively engage players on a deep emotional level.
- “What an emotional rollercoaster this was.”