Abandoned: Chestnut Lodge Asylum
- September 24, 2015
- Lazy Turtle Games
Get on Steam"Abandoned: Chestnut Lodge Asylum" is a first-person psychological horror game. Players explore an abandoned mental asylum, facing supernatural occurrences, solving puzzles, and uncovering the dark past of the institution. The game aims to deliver a chilling and immersive experience, with a focus on story and atmosphere.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautifully detailed and eerie environments that enhance the spooky atmosphere, making it enjoyable for fans of horror themes.
- Puzzles are well-designed, providing a good level of challenge without being overly frustrating, and the game includes a variety of hidden object scenes.
- The story, while not groundbreaking, is engaging enough to keep players interested, and the overall gameplay experience is relaxing and fun.
- The lack of a map or fast-travel system leads to tedious backtracking, making navigation cumbersome and frustrating.
- Hints are often unhelpful, only working in the same room as the current objective, which can leave players feeling lost and stuck.
- Some object names in hidden object scenes are poorly chosen or misspelled, causing confusion and detracting from the overall experience.
- story40 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as somewhat engaging but poorly developed, with a mix of eerie atmosphere and intriguing elements that fail to fully deliver. While some players appreciate the mystery and twists, others criticize it as unoriginal and lacking depth, often comparing it unfavorably to more compelling narratives. Overall, it offers a decent experience for fans of horror hidden object games, but may not satisfy those seeking a rich storyline.
“The atmosphere is eerie and dark—perfect for the storyline.”
“Despite its age, the title holds up very well with an interesting story, beautifully atmospheric artwork, and rewarding adventure-light gameplay.”
“The story itself was interesting and had a nice twist.”
“Seriously, I've seen better story content come out of my handkerchief after blowing my nose.”
“In fact, a half-eaten chicken leg on one of the asylum dinner tables probably told me a better story than the six skeletons combined did.”
“In the end, there is some decent animation near the end of the game and some cool background effects and sounds, but due to the tedious setup of hidden object games and the extremely poorly explained hodgepodge story for the $7.00 it is normally priced at, it's definitely not one to go crazy for.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their beautiful art style and atmospheric quality, effectively capturing a spooky ambiance. While some users note the visuals have an old-school feel and muted colors that can make certain items hard to find, the overall presentation, including well-executed cutscenes, is considered impressive for its age. The ability to adjust graphics settings adds to the positive reception of the visuals.
“The graphics are beautiful.”
“I want to mention that the visuals for this are well done.”
“Despite its age, the title holds up very well with an interesting story, beautifully atmospheric artwork and rewarding adventure-light gameplay.”
“Even though the visuals are somewhat old school.”
“As was common in older HOGs, there are a lot of random items in each scene, and unfortunately, the muted colors in the artwork make some of them very hard to locate.”
“Art/graphics are decent in the still shots and quite nice in the cutscenes (taking into account the age of the game and general quality of HOG game animation).”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its eerie and dark qualities, perfectly complementing the storyline and enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the beautifully atmospheric artwork and the sense of realism in the decrepit environments, which contribute to a compelling sense of exploration and suspense. Despite its age, the game's atmospheric design remains engaging, making it a noteworthy experience for fans of spooky themes.
“The atmosphere is eerie and dark - perfect for the storyline.”
“Despite its age, the title holds up very well with an interesting story, beautifully atmospheric artwork, and rewarding adventure-light gameplay.”
“The dash of realism painted into each scene adds much to the atmosphere and provides us with beautifully decrepit areas to explore.”
“The game plays in 3D, causing the screen elements to move and the entire screen to shift side to side (unless the gamer adjusts it to widescreen). This adds to the creepy atmosphere and the internal fear gauge of the unknown.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of hidden object mechanics and light adventure elements, complemented by an engaging story and atmospheric visuals. While it primarily focuses on hidden object tasks, the inclusion of puzzles and exploration keeps the experience dynamic and prevents monotony. The overall tone is creepy and mysterious, enhancing the immersive quality of the gameplay.
“Despite its age, the title holds up very well with an interesting story, beautifully atmospheric artwork, and rewarding adventure-light gameplay.”
“Most of the gameplay is hidden object, but it wasn't overwhelming, and there were puzzles mixed in with figuring out what to do next, so it didn't seem to drag.”
“Most of the gameplay is hidden object, but it wasn't overwhelming. There were puzzles mixed in with figuring out what to do next, so it didn't seem to drag.”
“Gameplay: creepy (just another dark and stormy night and that whispering voice), slightly scary (a mystery boy, a terrified policeman, and six skeletons in very odd places) and full of mystery (why, oh why is any of this happening, that age-old question).”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. While there are some decent animations and background effects towards the end, the lack of a coherent story and engaging gameplay makes it hard to recommend, especially at its price point.
“However, gameplay is tedious.”
“In the end, there is some decent animation near the end of the game and some cool background effects and sounds, but due to the tedious layout of the game and the extremely poorly explained hodgepodge story for the $7.00 it is normally priced at, it's definitely not one to go crazy for.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has low replayability, with multiple users consistently noting that it lacks incentives to play through again.
“The replay value for the game is low.”
“The replay value for the game is low.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for effectively enhancing the ambiance, although some users feel that the tracks are somewhat short. Overall, it complements the catchy story and appealing art style.
“The story is really catchy, the art style is great, and the music really sets the ambiance, even if it's a little short.”
