Blank Frame

About

Blank Frame is a single player casual simulation game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by ThroughTunnel and was released on January 27, 2022. It received positive reviews from players.

Blank Frame is a first person surreal horror game with a look akin to early 2000's pc/ps2 games.. In the small town of Dim River, one resident, Henri, has found himself trapped inside of his own apartment, perhaps not completely by himself. The night is going to be long and peculiar.

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87%Audience ScoreBased on 63 reviews

story10 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Exceptional atmospheric design that evokes feelings of isolation and nostalgia, reminiscent of Silent Hill 4, with detailed environments and immersive sound design.
Engaging psychological horror story with deep themes like loneliness and mental health, supported by well-written character interactions and multiple endings.
Well-crafted puzzles and gameplay balance that complement the horror setting, providing a unique and memorable indie experience despite its short length.

Lack of a save or autosave system forces players to complete the game in one sitting, which can be frustrating especially given occasional confusing progression.
Some puzzles are obtuse or poorly explained, causing players to rely on guides, and there are bugs or glitches that may impede progress or cause softlocks.
Dialogue occasionally feels unnatural or robotic, and the story’s ambiguity may be too vague or disjointed for some players to fully connect with.

story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
56%
10%
The story is generally praised for its atmospheric, vague, and thought-provoking narrative that encourages player interpretation and deep engagement, often centered on character interactions and subtle horror themes. While some find it immersive and well-written with strong world-building, others feel the pacing and progression can be confusing or restrictive, with occasional issues in connecting to characters or plot clarity. Overall, it is considered a compelling and integral part of the experience, especially when enjoyed attentively in one sitting.
- “The story is absolutely amazing, thought-through and interesting to play through.”
- “The story and atmosphere was extremely engaging and kept me playing til the end.”
- “The story is intentionally vague and left open for interpretation and I love it for that; I, however, have my own theory or interpretation I'd like to share.”
- “The story progression felt a bit restrictive and arbitrary at times.”
- “Sometimes you feel like you need to go back and forth between rooms in an effort to 'trigger' the next story sequence or see if anything has changed.”
- “Please note, I think it's a decent game, and it actually has some fun atmospheric moments, that said, I just could not connect with the characters or the plot, it was so vague that I could not collect my thoughts for most of the story.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
14%
11%
The game excels in creating a richly atmospheric horror experience, praised for its haunting music, evocative art design, and unsettling yet beautiful soundscape. Its atmosphere effectively combines eerie tension with moments of calm, immersing players in a unique, disturbing world that strongly supports storytelling over jump scares. While some find the story vague or pacing disjointed, the overall mood and aesthetic are widely regarded as its standout strengths.
- “This title straight up oozes with atmosphere.”
- “The sound design is solid as hell in this territory too with its minimalist atmosphere while the soundtrack has this haunting dreamscape quality that sounds comforting sometimes yet utterly unnerving at other times; the only way I could describe it is beautiful.”
- “The supernatural design and the atmospheric horror is top-notch and, alas, I do not know how it could be any better. I do recommend everyone who reads this to play this little gem.”
- “Everything about it has some strange, disturbing atmosphere.”
- “Unfortunately for the game, it has some decent attempts at building the atmosphere and immersion, but between the convoluted puzzles and strange progression, I found the pacing of the story to be disjointed.”
- “Passing grade however for atmosphere, music, sound and aesthetics.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric, haunting, and well-crafted soundtrack, often compared to iconic survival horror series like Silent Hill. Composed by Robbert van Bruggen and Johann Hackl (Glazers), the soundtrack beautifully balances eerie dreamscape qualities with moments of comfort, greatly enhancing the game's mood and storytelling. While generally lauded, some users noted occasional missed opportunities for ambient sound in certain scenes.
- “The soundtrack, composed by Robbert van Bruggen & Johann Hackl (aka Glazers), feels like it could take its influence from the pinnacle survival horror series: Silent Hill.”
- “The sound design is solid as hell in this territory too with its minimalist atmosphere while the soundtrack has this haunting dreamscape quality that sounds comforting sometimes yet utterly unnerving at other times; the only way I could describe it is beautiful.”
- “Music fits the atmosphere well and is well made.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The graphics feature a retro, low-poly art style reminiscent of early 2000s or PS1/PS2 era games, creating a creepy and atmospheric vibe that enhances immersion and world-building. While the fidelity is intentionally low, the eerie designs and haunting visuals effectively complement the dark humor and sound design, making the aesthetic highly praised despite some minor gameplay quirks. Overall, the graphics are celebrated for their distinct style and atmospheric impact.
- “The art direction was creepy and sad if not disturbing and confusing at the same time, mixed with that low poly graphical style that I simply can’t help but utterly simp for.”
- “Well, Blank Frame obviously looks amazing aesthetically, highly evocative, beautifully lit and atmospheric.”
- “The Steam page for the game advertises this as early 2000s PC/PS2 graphics; an advertisement that I'm not totally sure about.”
- “The actual monster designs are pretty freaky whenever you see them (which is rare), and mixed with the lower graphical fidelity made me wonder when they would pop out of the shadows surrounding the building.”
- “Graphically sits somewhere between PS1 and PS2, with a haunting soundtrack to match.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is characterized by simple, puzzle-based mechanics and a strong emphasis on story and atmosphere, suitable for a single, uninterrupted play session of about two hours. While some find the lack of a save feature frustrating due to potential replay after death, others appreciate the effective old-school, hunt-and-seek style and the immersive world-building within a compact setting. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its simplicity and effectiveness in delivering a compelling horror experience.
- “And everything else falls into place: the story, the writing, the gameplay.”
- “I really liked all of the gameplay, and I consider this to be one of my favourite horror games, just for how much story they fit into one apartment.”
- “The world building is great, the characters are decent, the horror in terms of atmosphere is very strong, the story is great, the gameplay is simple and effective, for all that it is, you couldn't ask for more of this game, nothing except a sequel set in the same universe.”
- “Kind of a huge oversight when your death means replaying an entire hours worth of slow buildup gameplay.”
- “I understand why there is no save mechanic, but that doesn't make me like it.”
- “However, when you go into the game you have to be aware that this is a 'sit down and play in one sitting' kind of game, with a couple of confusing gameplay sections that I ended up needing a guide for.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game shows potential but suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches and crashes. Users are advised to expect bugs that may impact the overall experience.
- “Good game, although it's really buggy, so keep that in mind.”
- “It had a few glitches, and kept crashing for her.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express uncertainty about the game's advertised early 2000s PC/PS2 graphics style, suggesting the marketing may be misleading, but no direct comments on monetization are provided.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game primarily evokes discomfort in players, with most elements feeling unsettling. However, the final monster's design, resembling a wooden frame with legs, introduces a somewhat quirky and symbolic touch, blending unease with a hint of humor.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely unintentional, with poorly written dialogues that come across as amusing due to their low quality.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding in the game to be somewhat repetitive but not overly burdensome.