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Black Mirror

With its atmospheric effects and foreboding settings, Black Mirror is a captivating third-person graphical adventure that unfolds over the course of six in-depth chapters. As a British nobleman returned home to the family manor, you work desperately to prove that the untimely death of an ancestor wa
Black Mirror Game Cover
77%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
gameplay, grinding
76% User Score Based on 550 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Black Mirror Game Cover

About

Black Mirror is a single player action game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Unknown Identity and was released on June 17, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Black Mirror" is a single-player horror point-and-click game with an intriguing story and gorgeous graphics, but it's held back by lousy mechanics, bugs, and grinding. Set in Scotland in 1926, you play as David Gordon who inherits his ancestral home where he must uncover his family's dark secrets and confront their curse. Despite its flaws, the game delivers a marvelous atmosphere with its unique gothic horror setting and creepy soundtrack.

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76%
Audience ScoreBased on 550 reviews
story209 positive mentions
gameplay20 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating and engaging story that keeps players invested throughout.
  • The atmosphere and environmental detail are impressive, creating a haunting and immersive experience.
  • Puzzles are mostly logical and provide a satisfying challenge, enhancing the overall gameplay.
  • The pacing is slow, with tedious backtracking and waiting for characters to complete tasks, which can frustrate players.
  • Voice acting is often criticized as poor, particularly the protagonist's, detracting from the overall experience.
  • There are instances of pixel hunting and illogical puzzle solutions that can lead to confusion and frustration.
  • story
    455 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is generally praised for its engaging and atmospheric narrative, rich in gothic elements and mystery, which keeps players invested throughout. However, many reviews note that the pacing can be slow, with some plot points feeling rushed or lacking coherence, particularly towards the end. Despite these criticisms, the overall storytelling is considered a strong aspect of the game, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.

    • “The story is very good and there's a fair mix of puzzles - some easy, some a bit more difficult.”
    • “The captivating detective story, with twists and mystic mysteries of ancient curses of English noblemen completely bound my attention for almost two weeks, and I am not sorry about every minute spent.”
    • “The story is amazing - dark, gloomy, emotional, deep.”
    • “Extremely disappointing and lackluster about the plot at the end: very bad and hasty writing.”
    • “The story didn't work for me because it didn't finish what it started.”
    • “The story has major plot holes and doesn't entirely explain what happened in the end, but it remained interesting enough for me to finish it, so maybe it won't disappoint you either.”
  • atmosphere
    172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting, gothic quality, effectively immersing players in a dark and mysterious world. Reviewers highlight the impressive sound design, eerie music, and beautifully crafted environments that enhance the storytelling experience, making it a standout feature despite some gameplay flaws. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered its strongest asset, drawing players into its unsettling narrative and engaging them throughout the adventure.

    • “The dark, gloomy, and haunting atmosphere always perfectly matches with the story elements and keeps the feeling of mystery and unrest alive during the game.”
    • “The gothic backgrounds are beautiful, the atmosphere creepy thanks to clever use of sound effects and eerie music, the story keeps you engaged as you really want to find out what's behind all the mystery.”
    • “The atmosphere created by the art is a 10.”
    • “The atmosphere is unsettling and the characters are interesting to talk to.”
    • “The ominous and foreboding atmosphere always seems to get under your skin accompanied by the gothic pre-rendered scenery along with voxel-based character models.”
    • “The pacing of the story adds to the atmosphere.”
  • graphics
    128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game, released in 2003, are generally considered dated but still hold a certain charm and atmosphere that many players appreciate. While some reviews note that character animations and models are subpar, the detailed backgrounds and overall aesthetic contribute positively to the game's immersive experience. Overall, the visuals may not meet modern standards, but they effectively support the narrative and ambiance, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of classic point-and-click adventures.

    • “The graphics are really nice and comforting in a nostalgic way.”
    • “Even for a game made in 2003, the game does have nice graphics and the atmosphere is hauntingly good.”
    • “The graphics are good; despite their age, they still hold up with plenty of good detail, a nice use of color, and a good atmosphere with plenty of good backgrounds.”
    • “The graphics are quite dated nowadays but are still quite charming (the video segments notwithstanding, lol).”
    • “The graphics aren't spectacular but the mechanics and story make this game.”
    • “The graphics aren't so awful as to hinder gameplay, but I did find they took away from the mood of the game - a grisly death just isn't as grisly when it's depicted in 30 pixels.”
  • gameplay
    99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and unintuitive due to outdated mechanics, such as slow character movement, excessive backtracking, and frustrating timed events. While some appreciate the logical puzzles and engaging story, others feel that the gameplay often detracts from the overall experience, necessitating the use of walkthroughs to navigate its challenges. Overall, the game is seen as a nostalgic point-and-click adventure that struggles to meet modern gameplay standards.

    • “As a fan of this specific genre, I can easily say that it is one of the most successful works of the genre in terms of story, gameplay, and atmosphere.”
    • “The storyline had me intrigued from start to finish, and the game's puzzles and challenges can be extremely hard, but overall, this gameplay experience is just as fun the second and third playthroughs as the first.”
    • “While it has a few flaws, the story and gameplay kept me entertained for many hours.”
    • “The gameplay is very tedious and slow (perhaps due to its age).”
    • “Another gameplay issue is having to wait for a character to finish their (sometimes lengthy) animation sequence before they will speak with you.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, a couple of the puzzles aren't exactly logical and can sometimes be frustrating, so I did find myself looking up hints a couple of times throughout my playthrough.”
  • music
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the overall immersive experience. While the soundtrack is noted for its beauty and ability to evoke nostalgia, some reviews mention issues with sound balance, where music occasionally overpowers dialogue. Overall, the combination of eerie sound effects and a well-crafted score contributes significantly to the game's engaging and creepy atmosphere.

    • “The gothic backgrounds are beautiful, the atmosphere creepy thanks to clever use of sound effects and eerie music, the story keeps you engaged as you really want to find out what's behind all the mystery.”
    • “The music is eerily haunting and well done, same with the ambiance; you just don't get many games like this anymore.”
    • “The soundtrack matches the game perfectly and aids in the immersion of the game.”
    • “At times, when some characters speak, the music is louder so it can be hard to understand, even for Samuel.”
    • “The voice-over is just about decent here, with the main hero sounding so stiff, it’s almost robotic, and the rest of the cast varying from 'middle-of-the-road' to 'above average'; and while the soundtrack is appropriately grand – there’s simply very little of it to make any kind of serious note.”
    • “Sound balance is uneven; music sometimes overtakes dialogue.”
  • grinding
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, characterized by slow character movement, repetitive backtracking, and long-winded dialogues. Many reviews highlight the frustration of having to exhaust all dialogue options and revisit locations multiple times, which detracts from the enjoyment of the gameplay. While the storyline has potential, the tedious mechanics and pacing significantly hinder the overall experience.

    • “The puzzles tend to be tedious because certain items in the game world have their properties change depending on what you have or haven't already done or clicked on.”
    • “The gameplay is a bit tedious as you must exhaust all possible dialogs and do exactly the right thing before the game will let you progress.”
    • “Whilst that may seem like a good, meaty game...the only reason it's so long is because the character moves at a snail's pace, talks like he's constantly consulting the dictionary, and the game requires tedious amounts of back-and-forth forcing you to constantly revisit the same locations.”
  • humor
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely unintentional, stemming from clunky animations, wooden voice acting, and the main character's over-the-top jerkiness, which many players found amusing. While some moments are genuinely funny, others are so poorly executed that they fall into the "so bad it's funny" category. Overall, the game's quirky style and absurd situations contribute to a unique comedic experience, even if it wasn't the intended effect.

    • “The main character is a huge jerk and it's hilarious.”
    • “There is also a kind of clunkiness in the character animations and voice acting, which, to be honest, is sort of hilarious and grows on you over time; it has a very unique style.”
    • “The unintentionally hilarious voice acting.”
    • “So here is my review: it's not funny like the rest because I feel the game doesn't deserve such thought put into it.”
    • “The humor falls flat and feels forced, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
    • “I expected more laughs, but the jokes are stale and uninspired.”
  • stability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs well for its age and minimizes effectively, users report frequent freezing, crashing, and various audio glitches. Many players have noted significant bugs that detract from the overall experience, indicating that stability issues are a notable concern.

    • “For a game this old, it runs great and handles being minimized extremely well.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive; I rarely experience crashes or bugs.”
    • “Even during intense gameplay, the performance remains smooth and reliable.”
    • “Very buggy, keeps freezing and/or crashing.”
    • “Loud audio glitches followed by hard-crash of the app.”
    • “This game has (in my opinion) some major flaws (horrible voice acting, very unsatisfying ending, having to talk to everyone in the game - however irrelevant to the current point of the story they are, in order to progress - and (as others reported) some annoying glitches).”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues that hinder gameplay. While the voice acting is praised for its emotional depth, the overall technical execution leaves much to be desired, making it difficult for users to enjoy the experience fully.

    • “The voice actors deliver exceptional performances, bringing the game's characters to life with emotion and depth.”
    • “This game is not optimized.”
    • “Unable to actually play the game since the game has really bad optimization and runs really slowly.”
    • “The performance of 'Samuel' sounded like the star actor was sick and the poor stage manager had to go through the play reading his lines!”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its deep and complex storyline, which is described as dark and gloomy, evoking strong feelings. However, some players find the overall experience lacking due to the gameplay, with one noting the protagonist's unlikable traits. Despite mixed opinions on the gameplay, the emotional depth of the narrative is generally praised.

    • “The story is amazing - dark, gloomy, emotional, and deep.”
    • “This game somehow gets away with it, because the beauty and emotional complexity of the main plot makes up for it.”
    • “You play the part of an emotional character who comes home to find his uncle has disappeared.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that character development is lacking, as the protagonist's motivations primarily serve to drive the plot forward, resulting in minimal depth or growth through gameplay elements like puzzle design.

    • “His entire motivation is to advance the plot, thus we are robbed of character development through puzzle design.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
    • “There are no real choices that impact character development, making the experience feel shallow.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with players noting that it fails to meet modern gameplay standards, leading to a tedious experience that often requires a walkthrough. This limitation is seen as a significant factor contributing to the decline of the adventure game genre.

    • “This game wouldn't stand today's gameplay standards due to its lack of replayability, which is one of the key reasons behind the decline of the adventure game genre as a whole.”
    • “Cons: back and forth over and over again, boring at some points, unplayable without a walkthrough, and lacks replayability.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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13h Median play time
11h Average play time
11-16h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Black Mirror is a action game with horror and mystery themes.

Black Mirror is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Black Mirror.

Black Mirror was released on June 17, 2014.

Black Mirror was developed by Unknown Identity.

Black Mirror has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Black Mirror is a single player game.

Similar games include Black Mirror II, Syberia, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, Syberia II, Unforeseen Incidents and others.