Buried: An Interactive Story

About

"Buried: An Interactive Story" is a playable, text-based game where you play as Roger Hastings, a logger searching for his missing crew in a forest with a haunting atmosphere. Your choices affect the plot, determining the outcome of danger, trust, and life or death situations. With a stunning photo display, immersive soundscape, and 5 intense chapters, uncover the hidden secrets and face the consequences of your decisions. Music by Gimu.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews

story84 positive mentions

replayability5 negative mentions

Engaging and immersive story with a gripping narrative that keeps players on the edge of their seats.
Multiple choices throughout the game create a sense of consequence, enhancing replayability despite some choices having minimal impact.
Great atmosphere supported by effective sound design and simple yet fitting visuals that complement the storytelling.

Many choices feel inconsequential, leading to a lack of meaningful impact on the overall story, which can be frustrating for players seeking a true 'Choose Your Own Adventure' experience.
The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that the ending is rushed and lacks depth.
A few grammar and spelling errors detract from the otherwise polished writing, and the linearity of the plot can limit replay value.

story
198 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The story of "Buried" is a gripping sci-fi thriller infused with Lovecraftian horror elements, featuring a well-crafted narrative that keeps players engaged throughout its relatively short runtime of about 3-5 hours. While the game offers multiple endings and choices, many players note that these decisions have limited impact on the overall plot, leading to a more linear experience. Despite some minor grammatical issues and a lack of significant replayability, the immersive atmosphere and compelling writing make it a recommended choice for fans of interactive storytelling.
- “The story is like a sci-fi thriller with pseudo-Lovecraftian horror elements and multiple endings.”
- “The immersion, plot development, and character building really made me love this game.”
- “Buried has a gripping story, believable characters, and the art and sound are amazing.”
- “Very few of your choices actually seem to matter and some even get completely contradicted by what the story will describe later.”
- “Literally none of the choices have any impact on the story (believe me, I went back and re-did choices to see the differences) and that bothered me a lot.”
- “My biggest qualm is that regardless of what you choose to do, the greatest differences of the outcome are only made in the end of the game (which you can only get to by playing through the rest of the game first, as there is no saving) and thus the plot was extremely linear and reduced the replay value to once or twice at most, which is disappointing for a 'choose-your-own-adventure' style story.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the overall experience and setting a grim tone. While some reviewers found it basic or unremarkable, many appreciated how it complemented the narrative and visuals, creating an engaging emotional backdrop. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a crucial element that contributes significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere.
- “Great atmosphere, ambient soundtrack, kept me on edge.”
- “The soundtrack was well done and served its purpose to set a grim tone.”
- “The eerie music gives a horror feel to the game and I find myself wanting to play again just to make different decisions.”
- “The soundtrack was eh.”
- “This soundtrack doesn't stand out – it looms in the background.”
- “However, if you're not into reading and music/photos don't really create an effective ambiance for you, I'd suggest moving along.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
23%
23%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its oppressive and engaging qualities, enhanced by a compelling story, well-paced writing, and an effective ambient soundtrack. Reviewers note that the atmosphere draws players in from the start and maintains tension throughout, making it a standout feature for fans of atmospheric and text-based adventures. Overall, the combination of sound, visuals, and narrative creates a captivating experience that keeps players invested.
- “The atmosphere was already being built from the very start and only continued to get better and better as the story progressed.”
- “Great atmosphere, dark and oppressive thanks to good writing and good background sound, highly recommended for those who enjoy text-based adventures.”
- “The oppressive atmosphere created by the sound, simple visuals, and well-paced writing made for a two-night playthrough that was frankly tough to stop on the first night.”
- “The speed of the text and button reveals feel appropriate to the atmosphere, but it's painfully slow when you're just trying to power through a replay.”
- “The pacing of the story is good; it never has a boring or drawn-out section, and the writing does wonders to keep a thick atmosphere throughout it all.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics in the game are minimal yet effective, serving to enhance the storytelling rather than distract from it. Users appreciate the cute visuals and atmospheric soundtracks that create an immersive experience, despite the lack of advanced 3D graphics or elaborate animations. Overall, the combination of simple visuals and strong audio elements contributes to a compelling narrative-driven experience.
- “The graphics are cute, and the text is completely understandable and has me unable to look away; the different possibilities for endings are amazing!”
- “Buried is a solid interactive story game with interesting visuals and wonderful audio.”
- “The visuals are minimal but effective, the sound is spooky and immersive, and the writing is simplistic and a tad underwhelming but gets the job done.”
- “No amazing 3D graphics, dazzling explosions, or killer AI enemies... what is amazing is the terrific, immersive story you are drawn into.”
- “The visuals are minimal but effective; the sound is spooky and immersive, and the writing is simplistic and a tad underwhelming but gets the job done.”
- “A minimally-graphic episodic novel that features a combination of sci-fi, mystery, thriller, and action genres that will make you go nuts over what's going on.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
33%
42%
Overall, the game's replayability is frequently criticized, with many reviewers noting a lack of significant variety in endings and impactful decisions, leading to a linear experience that diminishes the incentive to replay. While some players appreciate the suspenseful story and acknowledge a small degree of replay value due to different choices, most agree that the limited differences in outcomes and short runtime restrict replayability to just one or two playthroughs.
- “This is an awesome game full of suspense with a decent amount of replay value.”
- “I would give it an 8/10 for the replay value and the ability to play with a group of people.”
- “Oh, and for those greatly concerned with such things: it would also appear to have some small degree of replayability due to the variety of choices on offer, even if one suspects that most if not all of the story's main mysteries are revealed in a single playthrough.”
- “Replayability is not great.”
- “Little variety in endings leads to little to no replay value.”
- “My biggest qualm is that regardless of what you choose to do, the greatest differences of the outcome are only made in the end of the game (which you can only get to by playing through the rest of the game first, as there is no saving) and thus the plot was extremely linear and reduced the replay value to once or twice at most, which is disappointing for a 'choose-your-own-adventure' style story.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The gameplay of "Buried" is primarily narrative-driven, resembling an interactive story where players make limited choices that influence the outcome, akin to reading a book with branching paths. While it lacks traditional action elements, the game offers an engaging atmosphere and a compelling story that resonates emotionally with players, making it suitable for those seeking a shorter, immersive experience.
- “I also like the limited choices mechanic; it means I don't necessarily spend too much time on the actual choice-making... usually!”
- “I was in the mood for an atmospheric game that wasn't going to require 50+ hours of gameplay and my firstborn to complete, and I stumbled upon Buried.”
- “The core gameplay of Buried is simple: text is read to you on your screen describing the story, and when you come to a fork in the road, you're given two choices on what to say or do.”
- “Boy, did I get the wrong vibe from this game. It's got aspects of sci-fi and horror, but it does have a good story; and it really makes you feel for the characters involved. Without much gameplay (you basically read what happens and make a choice), I'd say it's almost like reading a good book that you get to determine the ending to.”
- “No action or actual gameplay, but your decisions matter.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the game presents choices that could significantly impact characters, the emotional effects are fleeting and lack lasting depth, often dissipating within a short time frame.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a sense of relief when the grinding aspect of the game comes to an end, indicating that it may have detracted from their overall enjoyment of the story.
- “While there were many positives to the first half of the story, I was quite happy when it finally came to a grinding halt.”