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(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner

(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner Game Cover
91%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:atmosphere, humor
Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, story
91% User Score Based on 53 reviews

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(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner Game Cover

About (BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner

(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner is a single player survival shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by LIAR MANNEQUIN and was released on September 2, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

(BURIED TAPES) is a collection of psychological horror stories recorded on VHS. Each story features paranormal incidents narrated from the perspective of the survivors of these supernatural encounters. The first episode of these tapes is completely free, more episodes will be coming soon. (BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner The first episode of BURIED TAPES puts you in the shoes of a young woman …

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(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner screenshot
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Reviews

91%Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews
atmosphere4 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • Effective psychological horror with a slow-building, tense atmosphere that turns mundane cleaning tasks into unsettling experiences.
  • Strong retro VHS and PS1-style graphics combined with authentic found-footage aesthetic enhance the nostalgic and eerie vibe.
  • Short, focused gameplay with simple mechanics and achievements, making it a neat and enjoyable free indie horror experience.
  • Some players found the VHS distortion effects excessive, making visual details hard to see and reducing scare impact.
  • Mouse sensitivity and slow movement speed issues reported on certain platforms affected gameplay experience negatively.
  • The game's short length and limited content may leave some players wanting more depth, additional scares, or longer playtime.

  • graphics

    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    20% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions

    The game features deliberately low-polygon, PS1-style graphics with a strong VHS distortion aesthetic that evokes a haunting, nostalgic atmosphere. This retro visual approach effectively enhances the psychological horror experience, though limited graphic settings and camera sensitivity issues may affect user comfort. Overall, its distinctive, eerie art style is widely praised for its immersive, vintage feel.

    • “The PSX-style graphics and VHS aesthetic give it a haunted-nostalgia feel, and as you wander through those shadowed floors and drip-wet halls, you realize you’re no longer just cleaning—you’re surviving.”
    • “Its combination of retro visuals, effective sound design, environmental storytelling, and slow-building psychological horror creates an experience that lingers in the mind long after it ends.”
    • “This is not the first time I bumped into something with the VHS aesthetic that can't be turned off or changed.”
    • “Just not many graphics options to choose from and for some reason it takes effort to look around as the game has issues with the mouse sensitivity.”
    • “Inspired by the graphics of the original PlayStation era, the game embraces low-polygon environments and deliberately rough visual fidelity.”

  • atmosphere

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    40% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game excels in creating a tense, eerie atmosphere inspired by retro horror and VHS aesthetics, using visual distortions and minimal gameplay to enhance psychological tension. Its nostalgic look and pacing effectively immerse players, though some feel the background music could better amplify the mood. Overall, the atmosphere is memorable and central to the experience despite the game's short length.

    • “Drawing inspiration from retro horror films and found-footage storytelling, it delivers a tense and atmospheric experience that gradually transforms a routine household task into a terrifying struggle for survival.”
    • “Static interference, visual noise, and image degradation are not simply stylistic choices; they actively strengthen the atmosphere by obscuring details and making players question what they are seeing.”
    • “The nostalgic look and eerie atmosphere work really well, and there are a couple of moments that caught me off guard.”

  • story

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions

    The story draws heavily from retro horror and found-footage styles, creating a tense, atmospheric experience centered on a seemingly mundane task turned survival ordeal. Told through the protagonist Mary's perspective, it offers immediate and immersive storytelling, though some players may desire a longer narrative or deeper exploration. Its nostalgic visuals, sound design, and psychological horror combine to deliver a memorable, if straightforward, story-driven experience.

    • “Drawing inspiration from retro horror films and found-footage storytelling, it delivers a tense and atmospheric experience that gradually transforms a routine household task into a terrifying struggle for survival.”
    • “Its combination of retro visuals, effective sound design, environmental storytelling, and slow-building psychological horror creates an experience that lingers in the mind long after it ends.”
    • “Experiencing the story directly through Mary's eyes makes every discovery feel more immediate.”
    • “Some players may wish for a longer story or more extensive exploration of its concepts.”
    • “Mostly story driven, so the horror aspect doesn't get much of a chance to shine through (unless you find cleaning terrifying).”
    • “The graphics and atmosphere are nostalgic, and the storyline is simple and straightforward.”

  • gameplay

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 17% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    The gameplay in "Buried Tapes: The Cleaner" is straightforward and intuitive, focusing on exploration and atmosphere rather than complex mechanics or puzzles. Its simplicity enhances the psychological horror experience, keeping players engaged without overwhelming controls.

    • “The Cleaner is a compact psychological horror game developed and published by Liar Mannequin that proves effective horror does not require a lengthy campaign or elaborate mechanics.”
    • “I liked how the story was told and the gameplay was intuitive.”
    • “The lack of complicated controls or gameplay systems keeps players focused entirely on exploration and atmosphere.”
    • “There are no grand monsters, complex puzzles, or elaborate mechanics.”
    • “All I know is: 'it's closed, I should look under the doormat' and that's all the gameplay I did!”

  • music

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, -50% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The music in the game focuses primarily on ambient and environmental sounds, creating a strong atmosphere. However, some users feel that more distinctive background music could enhance the sense of mystery and intensity.

    • “I liked the atmosphere, but I felt like there could have been better background music that left it feeling more mysterious and intense.”
    • “The game relies heavily on ambient audio and environmental sounds rather than excessive musical cues.”
    • “I liked the atmosphere, but I felt like there could have been better background music that made it feel more mysterious and intense.”

  • humor

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's humor is lighthearted and spooky, providing a brief but enjoyable experience filled with amusing moments. While some jokes, like the pet reveal, may seem silly, they are well-foreshadowed and add to the overall charm.

    • “If you play the game, you'll see ;) a funny and spooky 15 minutes or so.”
    • “The reveal of what the other pet is was kinda stupid but also well foreshadowed and too funny to be mad at.”
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(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner is a survival shooter game with horror theme. Common tags for (BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner include free to play, first-person, 3D, indie, psychological and others.

(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and PlayStation.

(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner was released on September 2, 2025.

(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner was developed by LIAR MANNEQUIN.

(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked (BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner for its atmosphere but disliked it for its graphics.

(BURIED TAPES) The Cleaner is a single player game.

Similar games include Fragments of Dread - False Haven, The Dark Gift, Uncanny Tales: 1992, Forgot, Fears to Fathom: Home Alone and others.