Breathing Fear

About

Breathing Fear is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Drageus Games and was released on October 7, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

This story is about a man brought by his fate to an abandoned house in the woods. This place mysteriously makes him be afraid of his own shadow, and that’s driving him crazy. Will he be able to stay sane and solve all the mysteries of the cursed house?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 49 reviews

story6 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features a haunting atmosphere and competent horror elements, making it engaging for players who enjoy suspenseful experiences.
Despite its minimalistic pixel art, the game successfully creates a creepy ambiance and offers multiple endings, enhancing replayability.
The puzzles are generally well-designed, requiring players to think critically and explore their surroundings, which can be rewarding.

The game is very short, with most players completing it in under an hour, leading to repetitive gameplay during multiple playthroughs.
The lack of save points and the need for trial and error can be frustrating, as players may have to restart the entire game after dying.
Poor localization and clunky controls detract from the overall experience, making it difficult for some players to fully enjoy the game.

gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
Gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring an interesting plot and intense mechanics like heart rate and flashlight usage, but marred by frustrating design choices such as a lack of mid-game saves, limited inventory, and repetitive tasks that feel mechanical. While the pixel graphics and jumpscare elements add to the atmosphere, many players find the gameplay rigid and annoying, leading to a sense of routine rather than engagement. Overall, the game has potential but suffers from significant flaws that detract from the experience.
- “The heart rate and flashlight mechanics really add to the game's intensity.”
- “The pixel graphic style is pretty tight even if very simple, along with the fact that your character can be jumpscared to death while you're also freaking out is enough to sell me on the mechanics of this game.”
- “You can tell that English is not the developers' first language, and that's okay because the gameplay itself is great... (the slightly poor English can actually give off a humorous feel to it)”
- “Very short game (20 minutes long if you do everything right) with a repetitive and mechanical gameplay.”
- “Also, there are multiple endings, but this does not make any sense because you have to do exactly the same operations for 95% of the game progress. It feels very mechanical, like a job routine.”
- “So yeah, you can die despite your best efforts and be forced to replay the whole 'back and forth to get items in the correct order' riveting game mechanic.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
The game's story is described as intriguing yet flawed, with a mix of interesting plot elements and repetitive gameplay that detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciated the eerie atmosphere and the challenge of piecing together the narrative, others found the pacing slow and the need for specific actions to progress frustrating. Overall, the story has potential but suffers from execution issues, leaving players wanting more depth and clarity.
- “Interesting plot and gameplay.”
- “Eerie and unique; I enjoyed trying to piece together the story (though it still holds a slight mystery).”
- “Very interesting storyline as well.”
- “The game is 15-20 minutes worth of content stretched to an hour at most, and as the story revealed more of itself, the game gradually got worse in my mind.”
- “It also makes it very difficult to understand what you are going to need for your quest and what's just a background element, since it's not always based on common sense and you have to follow the exact mental track of the developers.”
- “It would have been better if it were more of a story than a game, just following the clues and leaving it to the player to feel scared.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's graphics feature a minimalistic pixel art style that effectively creates an atmospheric experience, despite some users finding the visuals coarse and unappealing. While the 8-bit graphics and sound effects are praised for their authenticity, opinions vary on the overall quality, with some players expressing disappointment in the execution of the pixelated aesthetic.
- “A wonderful game that proves that even with minimalistic graphics, a captivating atmosphere is possible.”
- “The 8-bit graphics and sound effects are on point.”
- “Decent graphics for a pixel game.”
- “Coarse, blurred, and ugly pixel graphics.”
- “The idea of it, the pixelated art style, but....”
- “I love pixelated graphics horror adventures, but this is easily one of the worst.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, primarily due to excessive backtracking and the need for multiple playthroughs to unlock different endings. This repetitive gameplay detracts from the overall experience, as it stretches the limited game environment and diminishes the impact of its interactive elements.
- “The one tedious aspect was the fact you had to replay the entire game to get each ending, but after you get the hang of it, it's really easy to run around and find what you need to do.”
- “It's not without its flaws; wandering back and forth can be tedious, and an emphasis on multiple playthroughs ruins many attempts to scare the player. The interactive elements are very shallow.”
- “Furthermore, it keeps making you go back and forth, stretching the limited game setting with tedious backtracking. There's a total lack of level design here.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game successfully creates a haunting atmosphere despite its minimalistic graphics, showcasing that effective ambiance can be achieved with simple pixel art. Reviewers commend its ability to evoke genuine horror, a feat that many other titles struggle to accomplish.
- “On one hand, it's got some decent pixel art, a haunting atmosphere, and it even manages to deliver some genuinely competent horror, something that so many other games fail to achieve.”
- “A wonderful game that proves that even with minimalistic graphics, a captivating atmosphere is possible.”
- “On one hand, it has some decent pixel art, a haunting atmosphere, and it even manages to deliver some genuinely competent horror, something that so many other games fail to achieve.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality, with many users highlighting the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience.
- “The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic, enhancing the overall experience of the game.”
- “I love the variety of music tracks; they perfectly match the different moods and settings.”
- “The music really immerses you in the game world, making every moment feel more intense.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
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Players find the game highly replayable due to the presence of multiple endings and achievements, encouraging them to experience it several times.
- “The variety of choices and paths you can take makes each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “With so many unlockable features and alternate storylines, I find myself coming back to this game again and again.”
- “I played it multiple times just for the achievements and the different endings, which was a big reason for its replayability.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's really no incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is often derived from the developers' non-native English, which, while slightly awkward, adds a charming and amusing quality to the overall experience. Players appreciate that this linguistic quirk complements the enjoyable gameplay.
- “You can tell that English is not the developers' first language, and that's okay because the gameplay itself is great. The slightly poor English can actually give off a humorous feel to it.”
- “The game is filled with witty dialogue and clever puns that kept me laughing throughout my playthrough.”
- “I love how the characters have such quirky personalities; their interactions are genuinely hilarious and add so much charm to the game.”