Arruyo

Arruyo is a 3D first person terror game, where the player is inside a farmhouse with different monsters that will try to kill him/her. To survive and discover the mystery of that place, the player will have to hide from these monsters while investigating the farmhouse.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

51%

Audience ScoreBased on 71 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

The game has a unique and interesting concept, drawing inspiration from the Spanish Civil War and the works of Francisco Goya.
The atmosphere and graphics are praised for their beauty and ability to create a creepy setting.
It's a free game, which allows players to experience it without any financial commitment, and some players found it enjoyable despite its flaws.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including soft locks and issues with the core mechanics, making it frustrating to play.
There is no save system, forcing players to restart from the beginning if they encounter a bug or die, which significantly detracts from the experience.
Many players found the game neither scary nor challenging, with some describing it as boring and repetitive.

gameplay
17 mentions
18 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is marred by significant issues, including frequent softlocks and a lack of save points, forcing players to restart from the beginning. While the core mechanic involving light is conceptually strong and serves the narrative well, it is ultimately broken, leading to a frustrating experience. Additionally, the gameplay lacks variety, with limited interactivity and performance issues, resulting in an overall dull experience despite some interesting enemy mechanics.
- “Like many horror games, Arruyo focuses on light as its mechanic to stave off horror.”
- “The core mechanic of Arruyo is its lamp.”
- “Each enemy has its own unique mechanic, which the player will have to learn how to deal with.”
- “The game randomly softlocks itself during normal gameplay, and the absence of saves means the player is forced to restart from the beginning.”
- “I spent more time trying to cope with the bugs than actual gameplay.”
- “I like the story, and the visuals are fairly pretty with well-designed levels, but between the lack of gameplay variety and low performance in later stages, it was an overall boring and poorly executed experience.”
graphics
11 mentions
55 % positive mentions
18 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful visuals, well-designed levels, and atmospheric environments, while others note issues with performance and texture quality, particularly on higher settings. Overall, the aesthetics are highlighted as a strong point, contributing to the game's uniqueness, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “Beautiful graphics though, and an interesting story.”
- “+the graphics, models, lighting, effects and paintings look great.”
- “The graphics are amazing and it runs great on my laptop.”
- “Mediocre graphics.”
- “The lighting and textures in some parts weren't the best and this would even happen on some of the higher graphic settings. This is really not a problem for me but might be for others.”
- “The graphics were pretty passable.”
atmosphere
10 mentions
70 % positive mentions
10 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beauty and immersive qualities, effectively conveying themes of betrayal and haunting past decisions. Players appreciate the combination of art, music, and sound design that creates a spooky and creepy environment, enhancing the overall experience despite some puzzles being too easy. While not the scariest, the atmospheric elements contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a memorable experience.
- “The game is honestly very beautiful, has a very good atmosphere and sound design.”
- “While I was not really scared, I did find the game creepy and with a great atmosphere.”
- “Though I clearly don’t have personal experience with the Spanish Civil War, that sense of betrayal and being haunted by past decisions comes through in spades, and creates an atmosphere I can understand, even if the specific context is alien.”
- “The atmosphere was spooky.”
stability
9 mentions
22 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
78 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of game-breaking bugs, crashes, and freezing issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment despite these flaws, the prevalence of technical problems significantly impacts gameplay and immersion.
- “100% bug-free product.”
- “The graphics are amazing, and it runs great on my laptop.”
- “This one is a buggy and incomplete feeling mess that's a little unpleasant to play, and I feel a bit bad for the students.”
- “- horrible game breaking bugs (e.g., game freezes, hangs, functions not responding)”
- “Game is buggy; when I get too close to the demons, my game crashes and throws errors.”
story
8 mentions
63 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The story of Arruyo centers on Francisco, a painter in the Basque Country post-Spanish Civil War, and is praised for its artistic and imaginative narrative. While many players appreciate the intriguing premise and beautiful visuals, some feel that the overall execution is lacking, leading to a less engaging experience. Despite its shortcomings, the story is generally regarded as a strong point of the game, especially considering its free-to-play status.
- “The focus is on trying to tell the story which was artistic and imaginative.”
- “In my opinion, the game had a good story to it overall; it wasn't that bad, especially since it's a free game.”
- “Arruyo is a horror game telling the story of Francisco, a painter living in the Basque Country in the wake of the Spanish Civil War.”
- “The focus is on trying to tell the story, which was artistic and imaginative.”
- “There's only a bit of story to it.”
music
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, contributing to a scary experience. Reviewers highlight the excellent art and music style, although some note that the graphics are less impressive. Overall, the sound design is considered a strong point of the game.
- “Excellent art, music, and writing.”
- “The art and music style is awesome, which creates a scary atmosphere.”
- “The music was well done; the graphics were pretty passable.”
- “The music was well done, but the graphics were pretty passable.”
optimization
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for causing performance issues, particularly in later stages, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences such as freezing when attempting to refill items. While the visuals and level design are appreciated, the overall lack of gameplay variety and technical shortcomings detract from the enjoyment.
- “I like the story, and the visuals are fairly pretty with well-designed levels, but between the lack of gameplay variety and low performance in later stages, it was an overall boring and poorly executed experience.”
- “The game has potential, but the optimization is so poor that it ruins the experience. Frequent frame drops and long loading times make it frustrating to play.”
- “Despite the interesting concept, the optimization issues are a major drawback. The game often lags and crashes, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
humor
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find humor in unexpected glitches, such as clipping through walls, which, while not game-breaking, add a lighthearted and amusing element to the gameplay experience.
- “There was one part where I was able to clip through the wall and see the other side; it wasn't game-breaking, but it was kind of funny to come across.”