Beasts of Burden

About

Beasts of Burden is a single player role playing game with horror, drama and mystery themes. It was developed by Ram99 and was released on April 6, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

A psychological horror game and ARG inspired by the late 90s era of handheld gaming

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 117 reviews

story6 positive mentions

monetization9 negative mentions

The game offers a creepy, unsettling atmosphere with effective sound design and pixel-art style reminiscent of old-school Pokémon creepypastas, providing a unique horror experience.
Players appreciate the passion and concept behind the game, finding it intriguing with a dark narrative and notable jump scares that create memorable moments.
Being short, free, and easy to access, it provides a compact horror experience suitable for fans of spooky, experimental indie games and has potential for future improvement.

The game is highly repetitive with tedious gameplay loops and lack of meaningful player choice, which diminishes immersion and overall enjoyment.
Jump scares are often criticized for being excessively loud and cheap, resulting in discomfort rather than effective horror.
The story and narrative presentation are vague and confusing, with poor polish, bugs, awkward controls, and audio mixing issues, leading to frustration and a perception of amateurish development.

story
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
67%
11%
The story is generally praised for its dark, creepy atmosphere and complex themes, appealing to fans of horror and puzzle-solving, though it is often described as vague and in need of clearer lore and more depth. Some reviews note repetitive elements and a linear progression that limits storytelling potential, while others appreciate the unique art style and emotional impact. Overall, there is strong interest in expansions or sequels to further develop the plot and characters.
- “Its creepy atmosphere, combined with tense gameplay and a dark storyline, will appeal to those who enjoy a bit of horror with their puzzle-solving.”
- “Great story, couple bugs with not loading but going back to menu and back into game begins working again, can't wait to see more of what they have to bring.”
- “Fantastic setting, plot and characterization—easy to see why it won the Eisners.”
- “The story is vague and told mostly through generic jumpscares, but we can assume the main character killed somebody in the past.”
- “The story is a bit hard to understand and could use a bit of polish generally, but if you're looking for a decently short Pokémon styled horror game after being disappointed by Evertale, you won't be too disappointed with this.”
- “I promise you, the characters, the dialogue, and story development are all things you've seen many times before.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The game's graphics are praised for their deeply unsettling and effective creepy visuals, with dimly lit environments and a haunting art style that enhances the eerie atmosphere. The unique, sometimes clashing aesthetics—often compared to Jill Thompson's beautiful watercolor artwork—add emotional depth and complement the storytelling, though some players find the overall presentation repetitive. Overall, the art is a strong highlight, balancing a "cutesy" appearance with mature, memorable, and sometimes intense content.
- “But overall, it's an enjoyable game with good graphics, a fun concept, and good music, but it's just a bit overly long and repetitive without much satisfaction in the pay-off.”
- “The artwork by Jill Thompson adds so much to the atmosphere of the stories; her watercolor work is gorgeous.”
- “I love games that use crazy aesthetics and aesthetic clashing. I find it sad that its appearance in this game was likely unintentional. It can have many crazy effects, especially when you play with individual aspects of an aesthetic. The game loop is also perfect, repeating the same things over and over but from time to time giving the player novelty. I always wanted to know what the next iteration of the loop would give me, I always had a sense of progress... except for that time I accidentally deleted my save file because of how the menus in this game were designed and had to reach the same part again.”
- “Also, while the creepy visuals and scares were effective enough, I'm still left wondering what actually happened.”
- “The art style and sound design are deeply unsettling, with dimly lit environments and a haunting soundtrack that keeps you feeling on edge.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay focuses on exploration, puzzle-solving, and a creeping horror atmosphere but is criticized for being short (around 30 minutes), linear, and somewhat repetitive with limited player choice. While the tense mood and story progression are praised, many users desire longer playtime, more varied mechanics, and additional interactive elements to enhance engagement. Overall, gameplay serves the narrative but lacks depth, which may hinder long-term enjoyment.
- “The gameplay revolves around exploration and puzzle-solving, but it’s the atmosphere that steals the show.”
- “Its creepy atmosphere, combined with tense gameplay and a dark storyline, will appeal to those who enjoy a bit of horror with their puzzle-solving.”
- “There isn't much in terms of gameplay besides moving around and choosing commands during fights, as the game is very linear, even during fights, but this is done on purpose so the story progresses, with the game getting gradually creepier the more it does.”
- “This game is incredibly repetitive, making half the gameplay very boring.”
- “The gameplay length is rather short at about 30 minutes; something around 10 to 20 hours would greatly improve the story, characters, and overall enjoyment. Also, adding mechanics like actually catching monsters and having different events based on player actions would enhance the experience.”
- “There isn't much in terms of gameplay besides moving around and choosing commands during fights, as the game is very linear, even during fights, which limits player choice.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate that the game closely ties into the concept of the Evertale ads, offering a unique horror experience reminiscent of them, but criticize the lack of polish and depth, which makes the monetization feel underwhelming and the game somewhat empty. Many see potential for future improvements but feel the current implementation doesn't fully deliver on the promise of the ads.
- “I wish the ads were like the game, so thanks to this one, I was able to have a similar experience if I got to play the game if it were like the ads!”
- “With enough time, resources, and TLC, I could see this turning into the game that those creepy Evertale ads promised but never delivered.”
- “Tldr; this game acts like it'll make the Evertale ads real but instead chooses to be a bland creepypasta game.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this work is a mix of lighthearted, spooky, and occasionally cliché elements, with some genuine funny moments particularly appreciated by animal lovers familiar with pet expressions. While some find it charming and well-balanced with drama and horror, others feel the humor can be unoriginal and less impactful. Overall, it offers a playful yet serious tone that appeals to readers who enjoy a blend of humor and emotion.
- “This showcases his writing ability in a new way for me and it hits good - humorous, spooky, scary.”
- “The imagery is realistic without jettisoning expressions like that CGI Lion King remake, and if the written humor isn't your cup of tea, then the pleasantly realistic yet humorous expressions the animals pull should still be enough to tickle your funny bone -- especially if you have pets of your own and have seen the range of expression they're capable of.”
- “It's a fine blend of humor, drama and horror.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The game's music is highly praised for enhancing the unsettling, haunting atmosphere and complementing the eerie art style and sound design. While the soundtrack effectively builds tension, some users found certain sound effects, like screams, excessively loud. Overall, the music is considered a strong, fitting element that contributes significantly to the game's mood.
- “The music is spot on, doesn't need any changing.”
- “But overall, it's an enjoyable game with good graphics, a fun concept, and good music, but it's just a bit overly long and repetitive without much satisfaction in the pay-off.”
- “My only criticism is that the screams were too loud, the Ariff scream in particular. I had the max volume turned down to 10%, and then music and SFX turned down a further 50%, yet it felt like the head-popping scene in Scanners when it happened the first time.”
- “For example, when your beast kills the opposing beast for the first time, there's a wet, crunchy hit sound, and the music cuts out.”
- “The art style and sound design are deeply unsettling, with dimly lit environments and a haunting soundtrack that keeps you feeling on edge.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a dark and emotionally impactful experience, blending unsettling and scary moments with heartfelt storytelling and humor. Its unique tonal shifts—from a seemingly lighthearted Disney-esque start to a horror-tinged adventure—enhance the emotional depth beyond typical expectations for a comic about animals.
- “The game is dark and emotional.”
- “Some truly scary and emotional moments, with good artwork and characters and some humor mixed in.”
- “It’s more emotional than I would have thought possible from a comic book about animals.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The atmosphere in Beasts of Burden is effectively creepy and tense, enhancing the exploration and puzzle-solving experience with a dark, horror-infused mood. While the game relies heavily on jumpscares, its reddish tones and Jill Thompson's beautiful watercolor artwork contribute richly to the overall atmospheric impact.
- “Beasts of Burden is a creepy, atmospheric game that’ll keep you on edge from start to finish.”
- “As for the horror aspect, this game relies way too much on jumpscares, as that is the primary form of horror used, aside from a reddish atmosphere and the ending.”
- “The gameplay revolves around exploration and puzzle-solving, but it’s the atmosphere that steals the show.”
- “Its creepy atmosphere, combined with tense gameplay and a dark storyline, will appeal to those who enjoy a bit of horror with their puzzle-solving.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding in the game tedious and repetitive, with lengthy play-throughs that feel discouraging due to minimal rewards, making repeated attempts unenjoyable.
- “Sometimes the amount that you had to just keep walking up and getting reset felt very tedious.”
- “After a single play-through (that took over half an hour), I honestly didn't want to go through all that again to discover the secrets, as it felt tedious to repeat things over and over again with little payoff.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is generally solid thanks to the Unity engine, but players report occasional freezing issues, particularly during key scenes like the final encounter with the rival. Some suggest using engines better suited for classic RPGs to minimize glitches and improve overall stability.
- “At the final scene when you walk near the rival, sometimes the text box freezes and everything freezes, and you can't progress without exiting and re-entering.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is exceptional, featuring a diverse and memorable cast ranging from conflicted orphans to loyal and complex personalities. Each character is distinct and contributes meaningfully to the overall story.
- “The character development in this graphic work is second to none. From the conflicted orphan, the ever loyal and vicious ace, the redeeming Rex, the snarky pugs, and all the gang, every single character in this series is memorable.”