Captive
- April 8, 2018
- Dead Inside Studio
Get on Steam"Captive" is a single-player Role Playing game with a good, atmospheric story of a woman who wakes up in a cell with no memory of how she got there. Players must solve puzzles and survive while trying to escape, with the added challenge of managing heavy bleeding. The game features a mysterious plot, survival mechanics, permadeath, and multiple endings.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Captive offers a unique and immersive atmosphere, effectively conveying a sense of urgency and dread as players navigate the game with a strict time limit.
- The game features clever puzzles and multiple endings, encouraging replayability and exploration of different outcomes.
- Despite its short length, the game is praised for its engaging story and emotional depth, leaving players wanting more.
- The lack of a save feature can be frustrating, as players must restart the game from the beginning after dying, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
- Some players experienced technical issues, including lag and crashes, which detracted from the overall experience.
- The character's slow movement speed can make the game feel tedious at times, especially when trying to complete it within the time limit.
- story31 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is a compact yet intriguing narrative that effectively combines horror elements with clever puzzles, leaving much open to interpretation. While some players found the plot predictable and sparse, others appreciated its depth and the atmospheric storytelling that unfolds through various rooms and multiple endings. Overall, the story is engaging, albeit brief, and enhances the gameplay experience, though some wished for more clarity and detail.
“A lot more story and depth to the game than I expected, and the puzzles were pretty clever, with a few parts definitely giving me chills.”
“Overall, the story and atmosphere of this game are fantastic.”
“Each room tells its own little story, helping build the larger scene that is at play.”
“The plot isn't anything special; when you're told that you have amnesia and are in a dangerous location, most players will know the twist already.”
“The way this game has to tell you the story is like only giving you the minimum possible, but at the same time, it is enough to make your own version.”
“There is no save mechanic, which makes playing through the game several times to get all of the endings a bit tedious, so if you want to see the full story, you will be repeating many of the same actions over and over again just to get the one point where things deviate.”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, enhanced by slow-paced exploration, effective sound design, and a haunting soundtrack. While some players find the character's slow movement a drag, it is generally seen as a deliberate choice that deepens the sense of tension and despair. Overall, the combination of dark visuals, ambient effects, and intriguing puzzles creates a captivating experience that resonates with players.
“Overall, the story and atmosphere of this game are fantastic.”
“It's mysterious, with a nice atmosphere that immerses you in the 'despair' of the main character about her situation.”
“I understand the reason for the dark atmosphere, but having a setting to adjust for that would be great, as I couldn't see some things I had to interact with at the edges of the screen.”
“The general atmosphere - the lighting, the ambient sound effects, and brightly contrasted aesthetic obscurity sucks you into it.”
“Nothing game breaking, but it does pull you out of the atmosphere a tad when you notice the spelling mistakes.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's graphics receive mixed reviews, with some praising the atmospheric portrayal of a dark dungeon, while others criticize the low-resolution and retro pixel art as a sign of poor artistic effort. Despite the aesthetic choices being described as intentional, many players feel that the visuals lack polish and depth, detracting from the overall experience. However, some users appreciate the effective use of lighting and detail in key scenes, contributing to the game's immersive storytelling.
“This game does a great job of portraying a dark and dank dungeon, even though it uses fairly low-res graphics.”
“Really cool short game, nice graphics, nice story, and I encourage you to go for all the achievements for that matter.”
“There were shocking scenes in graphic detail, which made for a really brutal and bitter story that keeps the focus right on saving your character.”
“Fixed resolution and hideous, lazy retro graphics are just part of the problem here.”
“As we all know, retro pixel graphics are another way for a developer to admit they have no artistic talent or couldn't afford an artist, but decided to dump their shovelware on Steam anyway.”
“The developer attempts to describe the terrible, lazy visual quality as an 'aesthetic'.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging story and unique mechanics, though some players find the lack of a save feature tedious, requiring multiple playthroughs to experience all endings. While the textures and overall gameplay are considered impressive, certain mechanics, like door interactions, could benefit from refinement. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable, despite some minor frustrations.
“Texture and gameplay, just amazing!”
“That's the good part, when some little details or mechanics differ from the mainstream games that you are so used to.”
“I really enjoyed the gameplay story and idea.”
“There is no save mechanic, which makes playing through the game several times to get all of the endings a bit tedious. If you want to see the full story, you will be repeating many of the same actions over and over again just to get to the one point where things deviate.”
“Although there are some mechanics that could have been improved, they are a little annoying to deal with, but it doesn't ruin the game.”
“The door mechanics could be improved so that only pressing one button would open them if they are unlocked.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, creating a sense of dread and tension that complements the gameplay. Reviewers note that the ambient soundtrack effectively supports the mood, making the experience more immersive and engaging, particularly during puzzle-solving moments. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's ominous and captivating environment.
“The music really adds to the sense of dread and anxiety you'll be feeling as you try to solve puzzles and find your way out with an ever dwindling time-limit.”
“Rather atmospheric and ominous with a great little soundtrack and sensible puzzles, this is one of the better RPG Maker games.”
“The music really adds to the sense of dread and anxiety you'll be feeling as you try to solve puzzles and find your way out with an ever-dwindling time limit.”
“The sounds and music also give a sense of tension, dread, and despair.”
“It has fairly mind-boggling puzzles, and a creepy atmosphere, with music to help set the mood, and a curious ending.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while achievement hunters may find some value in replaying for achievements, many players feel that once both endings are experienced, the game lacks significant replay value. The initial playthroughs are enjoyable, but the short length limits long-term engagement.
“Good replay value if you're an achievement hunter.”
“The replay value on this is amazing too.”
“It has a bit of replayability if you want to get the achievements.”
“It has no replay value, and once you see both endings you'll be done with it.”
“It doesn't have much replay value once you've seen both endings, but the first couple of playthroughs are great fun.”
“My reasoning being as it is such a short game, and aside from a handful of achievements, it has no replay value.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to the lack of a save mechanic, requiring multiple playthroughs to unlock all endings while repeating many actions. The slow walking speed further exacerbates the repetitiveness, making the experience feel laborious once players are familiar with the necessary steps.
“There is no save mechanic, which makes playing through the game several times to get all of the endings a bit tedious. If you want to see the full story, you will be repeating many of the same actions over and over again just to get to the one point where things deviate.”
“The game is a bit tedious to replay once you know what to do, though, since you walk super slowly.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting persistent glitches and bugs that hinder gameplay and enjoyment.
“It seemed like it has an interesting story and everything, but I can't play it due to glitches.”
“It still has glitches and bugs.”
