Contract With The Devil
- December 10, 2015
- AZ
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Contract With The Devil" is a strategy game that tasks players with building and managing a cursed village. The game features different levels of devil contracts, each with increasing rewards and challenges. Players must balance the benefits of the devil's aid with the cost to their villagers' souls. Failure to manage the village properly may result in its downfall and the permanent loss of the players' progress.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a variety of puzzles, including unique 'logical pairs' hidden object scenes that provide a refreshing challenge.
- The graphics and atmosphere are well-designed, creating an engaging environment for players.
- The game offers a decent amount of content, with a playtime of around 4-6 hours, making it a good value for its price.
- The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including frequent crashes, unresponsive clicks, and long loading times, which can significantly hinder the gameplay experience.
- There is no map or fast travel option, making navigation tedious and frustrating as players must backtrack frequently.
- The story and dialogue often move too quickly, making it difficult for players to follow along and fully engage with the narrative.
- story57 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally viewed as disjointed and poorly executed, with many players noting the lack of voice acting and rapid text that hinders comprehension. While some found the narrative intriguing and appreciated its themes, others criticized it for being clichéd and lacking depth, often feeling rushed or anticlimactic. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, which is more engaging for those who prioritize puzzles over narrative coherence.
“Not a huge loss though because the story played out very well and didn't feel rushed.”
“The story gets more interesting as the game goes along and ends fairly abruptly, but the length is just about right.”
“I had lost my taste for hidden object games but always enjoy a good story; this game has both with a strange story arc that I found amazing and puzzling.”
“There's no voice acting, so the entire story is just presented dispassionately through text that sometimes disappears too quickly to read.”
“Weird, clunky, poorly developed story where the protagonist miraculously knows things that make no sense for her to know. Also, she's traveling through time and through magical mirror portals and seems fine with that, but is for some reason dumbfounded by a painting of a snail eating moss.”
“Just don't hold your breath on the story because I have seen five-year-olds who can write a more compelling plot and probably animate it at least as well as this game managed.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its interesting story, pleasant mechanics, and atmospheric design, while others criticize clunky mechanics and frustrating pixel-perfect requirements. Although the game features engaging puzzles and a unique style, issues with mini-game pacing and overall execution detract from the experience, leading to an average rating. Overall, players suggest caution before purchasing due to these gameplay shortcomings.
“The sounds and the drawing style create a mysterious atmosphere, quite coherently executed throughout the gameplay with door screeching, wind, cobwebs, and a nice sparkle here and there :)”
“The game's graphics, gameplay, and even the story are great.”
“Good gameplay, graphics, adventure, and puzzles.”
“Now to the actual gameplay, of which there were a lot of things that could have been done better.”
“Unfortunately, some of the difficulty is due to the gameplay often requiring a frustrating degree of pixel-perfect clicks.”
“So overall the game plot is about average and the actual game mechanics are terrible, so I'd suggest not buying this game or at least be prepared to get a refund after trying it.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive a generally positive reception, with many users praising the polished interface, detailed visuals, and overall aesthetic appeal. While some reviews note that the graphics are on par with expectations for the genre, a few critiques mention mediocrity and a focus on effects over substance. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's immersive experience.
“Polished interface, nice graphics, some tricky puzzles.”
“Lovely graphics.”
“The graphics are good and for the price it includes both Steam cards and Steam achievements!”
“The story, graphics, and voice acting are all absolutely ridiculous, confusing, and all around just bad.”
“I just found it more tedious than fun to play -- the artwork is mediocre, the interface is wonky, the 'logical pairs' puzzles are a pain, and I had to spam the hint button constantly to find out what to do next.”
“The graphics emphasize too much on effects and graphical elements.”
- music11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered underwhelming, with many reviewers noting a lack of standout tracks and a repetitive soundtrack that can become monotonous. While some appreciate the ambient sounds and background noises that contribute to the atmosphere, there is a consensus that the addition of more varied and thematic music would enhance the overall experience. Overall, the music is described as decent but not memorable, leaving players wanting more.
“There were background noises that created the ambiance and the noises that came with certain environmental triggers, but I really think adding music to the game or having something playing softly in the background (whether it be warped music for the mirror world or eerie music for all sections) would add to the magic of playing the game.”
“The idea is cool and the imagery and music are both good.”
“Music and other audio sounds are good.”
“The game itself didn't really have any music that stood out.”
“The music gets mind numbing enough to make you wonder if your brain is leaking through your ears, but I've definitely heard worse soundtracks, so this is a fairly meh point for the game.”
“It's not making you want to throw your speakers out the window, but you are probably not going to jump for joy when generic soundtrack part II loops for the eighteenth time.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and glitches that significantly disrupt gameplay. Many players have experienced issues requiring them to restart their computers, leading to frustration and a lack of recommendation despite enjoying the game's content. Overall, the stability problems detract from the overall experience, making it a challenging and often annoying game to play.
“Every 10 minutes it either freezes or closes itself and I have to restart.”
“I love the game itself, but have been having issues where even Task Manager cannot shut down the game when it freezes, requiring me to restart my computer from the Ctrl-Alt-Delete screen.”
“However, there are some bugs/issues you might encounter in-game like game crashing and screen freezes.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and frustrating, with players criticizing the mediocre artwork, clunky interface, and illogical mini-games that often require excessive use of the hint button. Many found the experience more of a chore than enjoyable, particularly due to long, unskippable passages and a lack of coherent gameplay mechanics.
“I just found it more tedious than fun to play -- the artwork is mediocre, the interface is wonky, the 'logical pairs' puzzles are a pain, and I had to spam the hint button constantly to find out what to do next.”
“Seriously, some of the mini games are just tedious and have no rhyme or reason for how they work; I think two of them were literally a guessing game for me.”
“If you don’t mind a trivial cliched story, lack of a map, hint button working one step at a time, long and tedious passages (including one unskippable), illogical logical pairs, and cheated timed achievements, go for it.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a cohesive blend of mysterious sounds and artistic style, featuring elements like door screeches and wind that contribute to an oppressive and creepy ambiance. The attention to detail, such as cobwebs and subtle sparkles, enhances the overall immersive experience.
“The game features an oppressive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
“The game has a creepy atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
“The sounds and the drawing style create a mysterious atmosphere, quite coherently executed throughout the gameplay with door screeching, wind, cobwebs, and a nice sparkle here and there.”
“- oppressive atmosphere.”
“+ creepy atmosphere.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Users generally find the replayability of the game to be good, indicating that there are enough engaging elements to encourage multiple playthroughs.
“The replay value is excellent, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
“I find the replay value to be quite high, as there are multiple paths and choices to explore.”
“The game encourages replayability with its diverse character builds and dynamic storylines.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The limited variety in gameplay mechanics means that replaying feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by painfully funny cut scenes and absurd scenarios, making it enjoyable for players who prioritize laughs over story. While the initial playthrough may disappoint those seeking a narrative, subsequent attempts reveal a more enjoyable experience focused on the game's comedic elements.
“If you are looking for a fairly cheap and simple hidden object game with some fun puzzles and you honestly don't care much about the story or enjoy getting a laugh out of painfully funny cutscenes and ridiculous reasons for needing to do something, then this game really is perfect for you.”
“I think my disappointment in the game came from the first playthrough where I was focused on the story, but on my second playthrough, I just enjoyed the humor in the game!”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional engagement in the game to be significant, as the challenging puzzles and hidden object scenes evoke a sense of effort and investment comparable to that of a full-scale adventure game.
“Some of the puzzles and most of the hidden object scenes challenged me deeply, making me feel like I was putting in the same amount of effort as I would for a full-scale adventure game.”
