Brukel

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 100 reviews
  • story
  • emotional
  • gameplay
Brukel Game Cover
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"Brukel" is a single-player horror simulation game with an intriguing and emotional story. As the player, you explore your grandmother's abandoned childhood home, taking pictures with a camera phone to illustrate her authentic stories of growing up during World War II. The game's dense atmosphere and primary mechanic of photography create an immersive experience as you uncover the traumatic events of her past.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews
story24 positive mentions
graphics3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and personal storytelling experience, allowing players to explore the memories of the developer's grandmother during WWII.
  • The use of audio recordings from the grandmother adds authenticity and emotional depth to the narrative, making it a powerful experience.
  • Despite its short length, the game effectively captures the horrors of war and the impact on civilian life, providing a haunting yet meaningful journey.
  • The gameplay can feel slow and lacks traditional gaming mechanics, which may not appeal to all players.
  • Some players found the jump scares and supernatural elements to be jarring and unnecessary, detracting from the overall narrative.
  • Technical issues such as poor lighting and occasional bugs can disrupt immersion and affect the overall experience.
  • story68 mentions

    The game's story is a deeply personal and emotional narrative based on the author's grandmother's experiences during wartime, blending elements of horror and exploration. Players appreciate the authentic storytelling, particularly the grandmother's narration, which adds weight to the historical context, though some feel the horror elements detract from the overall experience. Overall, it is praised for its unique approach to storytelling, making it a compelling choice for those interested in narrative-driven games.

    • “It's a heartbreaking, familiar story, and hearing it from the mouth of a survivor adds so much weight.”
    • “This autobiographical aspect is something that is not often explored in video games, but it makes it so much stronger; this is where video games can really excel above other storytelling media.”
    • “It's very reasonably priced and the story is beautiful, immersive, and authentic.”
    • “My biggest complaint was the spacing between getting more of the story to progress seemed to have arbitrary time limits rather than once I had explored a certain area or turned the camera away from a specific point.”
    • “Starts off as a game about taking photos to piece together the grandmother's story, but abruptly turns into a very different sort of narrative game, with more literal recreations of wartime events that perhaps exceed the devs' limited resources, and an ill-advised detour into the supernatural.”
    • “I'm not 100% sure what purpose the trope-y horror gameplay segments serve to the overall feel of the game - they were flattened by the grandmother's wonderful delivery, and I was far more engaged with just hearing her tell the story than by being jump scared every five minutes.”
  • emotional11 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming yet haunting narrative, which juxtaposes innocent, slice-of-life moments with profound themes of war and survival. Players report feeling deeply moved by the stories of hardship and loss, particularly in the latter chapters, which evoke a strong sense of empathy and reflection on historical events. The developer's personal insights further enhance the emotional impact, leaving a lasting impression on players.

    • “It's a heartbreaking, familiar story, and hearing it from the mouth of a survivor adds so much weight.”
    • “The stories of war, hardships, close encounters with fatalities, and the aftermath that follow really were heartbreaking to hear.”
    • “After playing this game, it made me feel a deeper sense for what happened in WWII.”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay is intentionally slow-paced, focusing on exploration and photography rather than traditional horror mechanics, which some players found refreshing. While the graphics and mechanics are praised for their smoothness, the action sequences feel unpolished, and the horror elements may detract from the overall experience, as players often prefer the narrative delivered by the grandmother over jump scares.

    • “The graphics were nice, the mechanics were smooth. I liked the idea of using your phone and taking pictures in order to progress; that's a concept you don't see often in games, if at all.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, you are mostly walking around the house and taking pictures of stuff, then the grandma will tell you something about it.”
    • “I'm not 100% sure what purpose the trope-y horror gameplay segments serve to the overall feel of the game - they were flattened by the grandmother's wonderful delivery, and I was far more engaged with just hearing her tell the story than by being jump scared every five minutes.”
    • “The gameplay is really slow, but that's how it's meant to be.”
    • “Gameplay in the action sequences part of the game is a little unpolished.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, you are mostly walking around the house and taking pictures of stuff; then the grandma will tell you something about it.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective use of sound, particularly the haunting voice of a grandmother that enhances the historical context and emotional depth. Players appreciate the intense and immersive experience, noting a stark contrast between the cheerful beginning and the darker, more terrifying latter half. Despite minor visual bugs and some unnecessary jump scares, the overall setting and narrative create a compelling and atmospheric horror experience rooted in real-world history.

    • “Surprisingly, it managed to deliver this creepy good atmosphere using mainly the granny's voice from an interview setting that syncs perfectly with the background, history, and reality of war.”
    • “Great atmospheric game, great setting, great narrative!”
    • “Very intense and atmospheric story.”
    • “It was a complete 180 from the cheerful and wholesome atmosphere that was in the first half of the game.”
  • graphics7 mentions

    The graphics are generally well-received, with a smooth presentation that supports the unique gameplay mechanic of using a phone to take pictures. While not as polished as AAA titles, the visuals effectively convey the subjective memories of the protagonist, enhancing the game's immersive storytelling, despite some minor issues like overly bright elements.

    • “The graphics were nice, the mechanics were smooth. I liked the idea of using your phone and taking pictures in order to progress; that's a concept you don't see often in games, if at all.”
    • “Only noticeable major graphical issue was the river outside the house appearing very bright when seen through the window.”
    • “The graphics of the game are nothing hugely fancy, but they are good enough that they rarely break immersion.”
    • “The only noticeable major graphical issue was the river outside the house appearing very bright when seen through the window.”
    • “The graphics aren't as nice as the AAA games we know set in WWII, but you have to keep in mind that what everything looks like and sounds like comes from the subjective memory of a scared teenage girl.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised for maintaining good performance without noticeable frame drops. However, some players feel that the focus on storytelling over gameplay affects the experience, and the consistently dark scenes hinder visibility.

    • “Performance seems pretty good; I didn't see any frame drops or anything.”
    • “The game focuses too much on storytelling performance but neglects gameplay, and the scenes are always too dark to see.”
    • “Optimization is lacking, resulting in frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “The game feels unresponsive and sluggish, making it difficult to enjoy the experience.”
  • music1 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its great soundtrack, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

    • “The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic!”
    • “I love the variety and quality of the music in this game.”
    • “The music really enhances the overall experience and atmosphere.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
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Negative mentions (%)Negative

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