ClayTown Horror Part One
- October 25, 2022
- The Nightmare Jar
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"ClayTown Horror Part One" is a single-player horror game with a focus on story and puzzles, featuring a unique art style. Explore a once-quiet hilltop house now filled with monsters and mayhem, and uncover the mystery of what has happened in this disturbing dollhouse. Interact with a mysterious resident of ClayTown for a chilling welcome and let the terror ensue.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and refreshing visual style, utilizing claymation and other artistic elements that create an eerie atmosphere.
- Gameplay is engaging with a mix of challenges and scares, providing a fun experience that keeps players on edge.
- The game has a promising foundation with interesting monster designs and mechanics, leaving players excited for a sequel.
- The game is short and lacks sufficient content, leaving players wanting more and feeling unsatisfied with the story.
- There are several gameplay issues, including glitches and unintuitive mechanics that can lead to frustration.
- The narrative is vague and poorly explained, with many players feeling misled by the game's advertising and lacking a clear goal.
- gameplay10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players enjoying the fun mechanics and engaging lore, while others find the mechanics to be obtuse and counter-intuitive, leading to frustration. The game's unique art style and challenging elements are praised, but the complexity can detract from the overall experience for some users.
“The game mechanics were very fun, and I am really into the lore right now.”
“Amazing art style, good plot, challenging mechanics, and I love it!”
“This game has such a unique visual style and made similar game mechanics feel fresh (specifically those twin characters).”
“Gameplay mechanics-wise, this game is obtuse, counter-intuitive, and some, including myself, find this current (Nov. 2022) version of this game confusing in a way that makes the experience frustrating.”
“Gameplay mechanics-wise, this game is obtuse, counter-intuitive, and some, including myself, find this current (Nov. 2022) version of this game confusing in a way that makes the experience frustrating.”
“Gameplay mechanics-wise, this game is obtuse, counter-intuitive, and some, including myself, find this current (Nov. 2022) version of this game confusing in a way that makes the experience frustrating.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their unique and refreshing claymation aesthetic, combining elements like pencil and cardboard to create an eerie atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the excellent art design and sound cues that enhance the tension during gameplay, making it a standout experience compared to more realistic graphics in other titles. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's immersive and gripping atmosphere.
“The title isn't a lie: the world around you is clearly made of clay, with a mix of pencil, cardboard, etc. The art design is very unique and it's such a refresh when you see all those games that want the best graphics ever so it looks like reality.”
“What was very good though is the unique aesthetic, which is achieved so well and is the reason I was drawn to this game in the first place, and the atmosphere that became very tense and gripping when spooky events would occur.”
“The game's visuals are great with everything being made of stationary and clay, the atmosphere was excellent and eerie with nice sound cues, especially with the monster that chases throughout the house.”
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story has been criticized for being disjointed and lacking clarity, with players feeling that it fails to provide sufficient context or resolution, leaving many questions unanswered. While the ending generates some intrigue, it ultimately leads to a cliffhanger for a sequel, and the narrative is primarily conveyed through vague letters rather than a cohesive plot. Overall, the game is recommended for its atmospheric creepiness rather than its storytelling.
“The story left a lot to be desired as I felt it was all over the place, with the ending being the main point that piqued my interest. However, to be told 'see you in part 2' left me frustrated, as I didn't find out much about why I was at the house or what actually happened.”
“There was no story other than a couple of vague letters scattered about, and the game consists of slowly exploring an abstract house with no clear goal.”
“I do recommend picking this up for the creepiness and the feeling of being on edge, but not for the story as it is right now.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its unique claymation visuals and eerie sound design, which effectively create a tense and gripping experience. Players appreciate the combination of aesthetic appeal and the chilling ambiance, particularly during suspenseful moments involving the pursuing monster.
“The game's visuals are great, with everything made of stationary and clay. The atmosphere is excellent and eerie, enhanced by nice sound cues, especially with the monster that chases throughout the house.”
“What is very good is the unique aesthetic, which is achieved so well and is the reason I was drawn to this game in the first place. The atmosphere becomes very tense and gripping when spooky events occur.”
“The unique aesthetic is very good and is the reason I was drawn to this game in the first place, but the atmosphere often feels flat and lacks the depth needed to truly immerse players.”
“While the game has a unique aesthetic, the atmosphere fails to maintain tension, making spooky events feel predictable and less impactful.”
“The atmosphere is inconsistent; at times it feels engaging, but often it falls short, leaving players wanting a more cohesive and immersive experience.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find certain grinding segments, particularly in boss areas, to be tedious and lacking in intensity, with some feeling that a boss encounter was missing, which contributed to the overall sense of monotony.
“Some segments, mainly the boss areas, seemed a bit tedious and less scary. I think one boss was missing, as it felt like that as well.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with players reporting frequent glitches such as persistent menus, out-of-bounds errors, and visible geometry holes that disrupt gameplay. These technical problems necessitate resets and detract from the overall experience.
“I encountered several glitches such as having the controls menu remain on screen until I reset the game, leaving through a window and ending up out of bounds, falling through the floor, and seeing some areas with holes in the geometry that I could see out through.”
“I encountered several glitches such as having the controls menu remain on screen until I reset the game, leaving through a window and ending up out of bounds, falling through the floor, and seeing some areas with holes in the geometry that I could see out through.”
