Bernie’s Nightmare

About

In "Bernie's Nightmare," players navigate surreal environments filled with perplexing puzzles and eerie encounters. As Bernie, a man struggling with anxiety and nightmares, you must confront your fears and find a way to wake up from this unsettling dream world. The game offers a unique blend of adventure and horror elements, exploring mature themes like mental health while challenging players with mind-bending riddles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

atmosphere2 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game offers an intense and immersive experience, with a chilling atmosphere and suspenseful gameplay that keeps players on edge.
Despite its flaws, some players found enjoyment in the simplicity and unique art style, appreciating the effort of a young developer.
For its low price, many players felt that the game provided decent entertainment value, especially for horror enthusiasts.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, making it difficult to play and often unplayable, with broken AI and controls.
Many players criticized the game for being extremely short, lacking depth, and having a weak storyline, making it feel like a waste of money.
The graphics and sound design were described as subpar, with repetitive music and poor enemy AI that detracted from the overall horror experience.

graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The graphics in Bernie’s Nightmare are described as basic and not particularly impressive, with some comparisons made to characters like Gollum. While the visuals contribute to the eerie atmosphere, they are generally considered tolerable rather than outstanding. Overall, the graphics do not detract significantly from the gameplay experience for many players.
- “Bernie's Nightmare is a captivating indie horror game that immerses players in a chilling world filled with eerie visuals and suspenseful gameplay.”
- “With its engaging narrative and unique art style, Bernie's Nightmare offers a thrilling experience for horror enthusiasts.”
- “There are three difficulties, each which give a more aggressive AI and darker graphics.”
- “While the graphics are almost tolerable, the gameplay is extremely shallow and there's no real serious kind of plot/story/reason to play this.”
- “The graphics aren't great; I mean, the game's enemy looks like Gollum from 'The Lord of the Rings.'”
- “Graphics, basic.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The reviews indicate that the game's story is lacking depth and coherence, with many players finding it shallow and unengaging compared to other titles in the horror genre. While the premise involves navigating dark environments and solving puzzles, the overall narrative fails to provide a compelling reason to play, leaving players disappointed in its execution.
- “The story revolves around Bernie, who must navigate through dark environments while solving puzzles and confronting nightmarish creatures.”
- “While the graphics are almost tolerable, the gameplay is extremely shallow and there's no real serious kind of plot/story/reason to play this.”
- “Also, add more of a story that makes the whole game make more sense.”
- “While the graphics are almost tolerable, the gameplay is extremely shallow and there's no real serious kind of plot, story, or reason to play this.”
- “There's no story.”
- “The storyline is short.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The music in the game is a point of contention among users; while some appreciate the atmospheric and haunting qualities that enhance tension, many criticize the repetitive and overly loud soundtrack, which lacks variety and adjustable volume options. Overall, the music can detract from the experience, becoming an annoyance despite some enjoyment of its thematic elements.
- “The atmospheric sounds and haunting music heighten the tension, making every moment unpredictable.”
- “We enjoyed it though, but it had some bugs and I think the music was too loud.”
- “There's not even any scary music.”
- “The soundtrack is the same simple melody played over and over again too loudly, with no option to turn it down.”
- “The music is too loud and an obvious loop; listening to it is the opposite of scary.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The gameplay of Bernie’s Nightmare offers a suspenseful experience with a limited duration of around 15 minutes, hindered by slow character movement and a lack of depth in mechanics and story. While it includes a hiding feature reminiscent of titles like Outlast, the overall gameplay is considered shallow and lacking in engagement.
- “Bernie’s Nightmare is a captivating indie horror game that immerses players in a chilling world filled with eerie visuals and suspenseful gameplay.”
- “While the graphics are almost tolerable, the gameplay is extremely shallow and there's no real serious kind of plot/story/reason to play this.”
- “There's roughly 15 minutes of gameplay, mostly because the main character's movement is so terribly slow; the 'run' function is barely 10% faster than base movement speed.”
- “The game also provides a hiding mechanic similar to games such as Outlast; in order to lose the enemy, you are able to hide in/under beds, tables, cabinets, and more.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs causing players to become stuck in the environment and hindering gameplay. While some users acknowledge the effort of the young developer, many feel that the game's numerous glitches render it unplayable, especially given its price point.
- “It's very buggy and often you get squashed under a desk or something for no reason at all.”
- “I will say the hardest difficulty is insanity, and requires glitches and bugs to attempt to escape from Quasimodo.”
- “I appreciate that a 15-year-old guy made all this; however, I don't think this is an excuse for releasing an unplayable and buggy game, especially since it isn't free.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by atmospheric sounds and haunting music that create a tense and unpredictable experience. While the overall atmosphere is well-received, some users note that loading times are slightly slow but still manageable.
- “The atmospheric sounds and haunting music heighten the tension, making every moment unpredictable.”
- “The atmosphere is good; loading is a bit slow but still acceptable.”