BUGHOUSE
- July 1, 2022
- Disrate Studios
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Get on itch.io Store"Bughouse" is a horror action game where you play as Christopher, a boy trying to survive a night alone in his home while being stalked by a terrifying intruder. The game features tense stealth mechanics, multiple endings, and experimental horror elements, with PS1-inspired visuals and a haunting soundtrack. Explore the fully interactive world, discover hidden secrets, and try to evade the Night Stalker to reach one of the game's many endings.
Reviews
- The sound design and music are phenomenal, creating a tense and immersive atmosphere.
- The game offers a unique and dark story that unfolds through notes and diaries, keeping players engaged.
- For its price, the game provides a solid horror experience with some effective jump scares and a nostalgic PS1 aesthetic.
- Gameplay mechanics feel inconsequential, with many features not having a real impact on the experience.
- The game is very short, lasting around 30-45 minutes, which may leave players wanting more.
- The plot is predictable and lacks depth, making it less memorable compared to other horror games.
- story30 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it a basic horror narrative that lacks originality, while others appreciate its dark themes and engaging pacing. Many noted that the story unfolds through diaries and articles, adding depth to the experience, though it remains relatively simple and predictable. Overall, while the story may not break new ground, it effectively creates a creepy atmosphere and keeps players intrigued, especially in the latter half.
“The story was fun to unveil, the scares and pacing are good.”
“Another thing I like is how the story is told, through diaries and news articles.”
“Through your time cleaning up for your mom as you do the chores that she gladly left you, you find more diaries of a dark story, and a truth that may reveal something haunting.”
“Average basic horror story that has been done too many times.”
“The story itself is very obvious and told through notes without any sort of twist; the graphics are what you see on the screenshots, very ugly and simple and without much personality.”
“There is a creepy little short story being told.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, effectively enhancing the horror experience through impactful sound design and visual style. Players appreciate the oppressive ambiance that builds tension and surprise, with some noting the effective use of jumpscares amidst a generally atmospheric setting. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's chilling narrative and emotional engagement.
“Very atmospheric game that goes even more into the creepy factor as the game continues.”
“The sound design was great, and while the visual style isn't what I expected, it certainly fits the narrative and atmosphere.”
“It’s pretty oppressive in its atmosphere, often drowning your thoughts, numbing you, with huge sound effects and sudden, bombastic shifts in score.”
“There isn't much to this game in terms of gameplay, however, for the price it offers a few good scares and a chilling and frightening atmosphere.”
“Some jumpscares, some backstory on Christopher that unfolds, you find out who Eric is, a couple of endings, home invader vibes of a possible deadly hide and seek, creepy dark atmosphere as you battle the awful wiring of the house.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic PS1 aesthetic, appealing to fans of low-resolution, pixel art styles reminiscent of Puppet Combo titles. While some users find the visuals simple and lacking in personality, others appreciate the effective use of texture warping and atmospheric design that enhances the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as fitting for the horror genre, complementing the game's story and ambiance despite their minimalism.
“Bughouse is a great game for the first run through if you like the PS1 graphic style.”
“But I dug the low-res graphics, some of the creepy moments and the music was pretty killer.”
“The atmosphere is good and the graphics do complement it pretty well.”
“The story itself is very obvious and told through notes without any sort of twist; the graphics are what you see in the screenshots: very ugly, simple, and without much personality.”
“It's a pixel graphics art style, so it's not the best graphics, but that's the style they were going for.”
“Visuals are weird, but the gameplay is really light.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players feeling it lacks depth and meaningful mechanics, often describing it as a walking simulator with minimal interaction and scripted events. While some appreciate its simplicity and the nostalgic PSX aesthetic, others criticize the misleading marketing regarding its AI and gameplay features, leading to a sense of disappointment. Overall, it seems to offer a brief, easy-to-navigate experience that may appeal to some but leaves others wanting more.
“Gameplay is easy to get to grips with and it doesn’t outstay its welcome.”
“The gameplay is pretty good for a $2 game.”
“Psx aesthetic (which is making a huge comeback btw), a great soundtrack by Alexander Bruyns, a good story and a decent set of mechanics.”
“Actually, all mechanics in this game seem to do nothing.”
“The problem for me is the false advertising; there is not terrifying AI, there are only two mostly scripted chase scenes where there is absolutely no point to the stealth. It's largely a walking simulator, with no puzzles and no other mechanics really. The game talks about how if you turn on too many lights you should be worried about blackouts, except the blackouts happen at intervals, and it's so badly programmed that these intervals will happen even if the lights are already out. You'll just hear the noise of the generator being turned off when it's already off.”
“The writing can be a bit 'try hard' and 'fake deep.' There are mechanics that are explained but I think might be completely inconsequential, and it is a brief experience, but I honestly enjoyed my time with it.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game have received high praise for their ability to create a tense and unsettling atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack effectively complements the game's creepy moments, contributing to a sense of dread and immersion. The combination of a well-crafted score and fitting background sounds has been highlighted as a standout feature, elevating the game's emotional impact.
“The sound design and music were phenomenal.”
“The story was good, and the music created a nice and tense atmosphere.”
“The background sounds and music fit very well, giving you a weird and uncomfortable feeling passing through the passages in the house.”
“Definitely got me a few times, and the music is crazy tense.”
“But one thing that I found strange is that unnerving music started playing not even 5 minutes into the game.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to repetitive tasks like repeatedly going to the same locations. Many feel that the time investment required for grinding is significant, suggesting it may require more dedication than expected.
“It's a little tedious going to the basement over and over.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Users report that the game's optimization is excellent, with performance described as perfect across various platforms.
“Performance is perfect.”
“The optimization in this game is outstanding, making every action feel smooth and responsive.”
“I love how the developers have fine-tuned the game for optimal performance on various systems.”
“The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
“I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
“The optimization is so bad that loading times are unacceptably long, even for simple tasks.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability due to the presence of two different endings, encouraging players to experience the story from multiple perspectives.
“The game offers multiple paths and choices, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
“With various character builds and strategies to explore, I find myself coming back for more.”
“There are two endings, I believe, so you do have a little bit of replayability.”
“The game lacks significant content to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
“Once you finish the main story, there's not much incentive to replay.”
