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 creepy atmosphere and stunning scenery, enhancing the overall experience.
- There are unique puzzles and a variety of hidden object scenes, including logical pairs, which add a refreshing twist to the gameplay.
- The game offers a decent length of playtime, providing good value for the price.
- The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes, poor hit detection, and long unskippable animations that disrupt gameplay.
- The lack of voice acting and fast-moving text during cutscenes can make it difficult to follow the story.
- Some hidden object scenes are frustratingly designed, with items that are hard to see or misnamed, leading to confusion and annoyance.
- story93 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered weak and poorly executed, often relying on dispassionate text without voice acting, which can disappear too quickly for players to read. While some players found the plot intriguing, involving themes like contracts with the devil and the seven deadly sins, many criticized it for being clunky, predictable, and lacking depth. Overall, the narrative is seen as a typical hidden object game storyline that fails to engage, despite some interesting elements and decent integration with gameplay.
“The story begins with our protagonist Sonya receiving a letter from a guy she knows from somewhere, and as it turns out, the guy sold his soul to the devil and needs the soul of an innocent child to pay the fees.”
“And here begins Sonya's quest to save not only her daughter, but her friend's lost soul.”
“With such great story development, we end up spoiled with great visuals across this first game by Az-Art Development Studio, that bet all in for a fantastic experience.”
“There's no voice acting, so the entire story is just presented dispassionately through text that sometimes disappears too quickly to read.”
“The story is a bit lame but that's to be expected from a hidden object game.”
“The story, if you play for the story, is nonsense, but that's not necessarily game-ruining.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the polished visuals, atmospheric design, and detailed artwork, often comparing them favorably to other titles in the genre. However, some critiques highlight issues such as low resolution, mediocrity in certain aspects, and a reliance on effects over substance. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good and engaging, they may not stand out significantly from similar games.
“Lovely graphics.”
“Its winning element is probably the visuals; it was definitely well made, the lighting and background were wonderful.”
“The graphics are nice and atmospheric (for a hidden object game) with plenty of spooky, outdoor locations and dynamic background elements.”
“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.”
“Visuals are ok-ish but low resolution and blurry, some puzzles aren't that great, find logical pair - well I can find lots of logical pairs but you need to find the logic developers used first :) and unfortunately it feels meh and tedious.”
- gameplay23 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the interesting story and pleasant mechanics, while others criticize clunky controls and frustrating pixel-perfect clicking requirements. Although the game features engaging puzzles and a mysterious atmosphere, issues like long animations and bugs detract from the overall experience, leading to an average rating. Overall, while the gameplay shows promise, it suffers from several execution flaws that may hinder enjoyment.
“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.”
“To make the gameplay even more appealing, we get to collect seven little demons that represent the seven deadly sins and lock them in a special small box.”
“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.”
- music17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of standout tracks and suggesting that additional background music could enhance the overall experience. While some found the ambient sounds effective in creating atmosphere, others described the music as repetitive and mind-numbing, leading to a generally mediocre impression. Additionally, issues with audio mixing during cutscenes were highlighted, detracting from the narrative experience.
“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.”
- stability15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches that significantly disrupt gameplay. Many players express frustration over the need to restart their computers due to the game's inability to close properly, leading to an overall negative experience despite some enjoyment of the game itself. Overall, the consensus is that the game is plagued by stability issues that detract from its appeal.
“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.”
“Just way too frustrating in regards to glitches and testing my patience repeatedly.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with many citing poorly designed puzzles, a lack of clear direction, and repetitive tasks that detract from the overall enjoyment. The artwork and interface received mixed reviews, and while some appreciated the story, the tedious progression and unskippable passages made the experience feel longer and less engaging. Overall, the grinding elements seem to overshadow the game's potential, leading to a lackluster experience for many players.
“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.”
“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, cheated timed achievements, go for it.”
“Overall the game plays very tedious and you will not get the whole story on the first playthrough.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its creepy and mysterious elements, enhanced by sound design and artistic style that create an immersive experience. However, some players feel that the design of certain characters, particularly the demons, detracts from the overall tension and creepiness, leading to a mixed reception regarding the atmosphere. Overall, the atmospheric graphics and dynamic environments contribute positively, but inconsistencies in character design can undermine the intended mood.
“Loved the creepy atmosphere, and collecting the little spirits was very unique.”
“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 graphics are nice and atmospheric (for a hidden object game) with plenty of spooky, outdoor locations and dynamic background elements.”
“The problem with these demons is that their design isn't really scary, but kind of childish looking and it pretty much ruins the general creepy atmosphere of the game.”
“- oppressive atmosphere”
“+ creepy atmosphere.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users generally find the game's replayability to be strong, noting that it offers enough variety and engaging content to encourage multiple playthroughs. Many feel that the experience remains enjoyable upon revisiting, enhancing its overall value.
“The replay value is excellent, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
“I believe it has great replayability, keeping the game fresh and engaging.”
“The game offers a high level of replayability, making it enjoyable to revisit.”
“The game lacks significant replay value, making it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
“I think it has some replayability, but it quickly becomes tedious and doesn't offer enough new content.”
“Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a standout feature, with players appreciating its painfully funny cut scenes and absurd scenarios that add a lighthearted touch to the hidden object gameplay. While some initially sought a deeper story, many found enjoyment in the humor upon replaying, highlighting the game's entertaining and cute 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!”
“The devs made the game funny, entertaining, and somehow... cute?”
- 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 akin 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.”
