CRUELTY

About

"Cruelty" is a single-player horror simulation game that uses a third-person perspective and 3D graphics. The game takes place in a nightmarish, gory world where players must solve puzzles and evade or hide from monstrous beings to survive. With high-quality graphics, cinematic movie scenes, and fully-voiced characters, "Cruelty" provides an immersive and frightening experience, with a playtime ranging from 30 to 60 minutes and a difficulty level selection function.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features impressive graphics and a tense atmosphere that enhances the horror experience, with plenty of gore and jump scares.
Gameplay is balanced, offering a mix of environmental puzzles and stealth elements, making it engaging without being overly difficult.
Despite its short length, the game provides excellent value and is a solid entry for an indie title, showcasing the developer's growth and potential for future projects.

The third-person camera perspective can be awkward and detracts from the overall experience, making it difficult to appreciate the game's visuals.
The game is plagued by bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including instances of getting stuck on level geometry.
Some players found the story to be limited and not very engaging, with certain mechanics feeling underdeveloped or ineffective.

gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
72%
17%
The gameplay is generally considered balanced, offering a moderate challenge that is neither too difficult nor too easy. However, issues such as frame drops and control responsiveness can hinder the experience, and some mechanics, like hiding, feel underutilized. Overall, while the gameplay is serviceable, it may require some effort to optimize for a smoother experience.
- “The gameplay was balanced, not too hard or too easy.”
- “The gameplay isn't too difficult.”
- “Cruel, just like the mechanics.”
- “While the controls and frame drops can impede the gameplay, they don't completely detract from the overall experience.”
- “The cost per minute of gameplay value is pretty low, and I had to jump through quite a bit of hoops to get it running well.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
21%
21%
The graphics in the game are praised for their realism and atmospheric design, contributing to effective jump scares and enhancing the horror experience. Many reviewers highlight it as the best in 838smaniacs' library, showcasing a blend of eerie art and graphic violence that aligns with the developer's signature storytelling. Overall, the game is noted for its impressive 3D art style and solid performance.
- “The graphics in 'Cruelty' are the best in 838smaniacs' library.”
- “Short but sweet with a great atmospheric and eerie art design, looking forward to more terrifying horror experiences from the devs 838smaniacs with a similar 3D art style.”
- “This game marks 838smaniacs' leap into more realistic graphics while maintaining their signature storytelling and horrific imagery.”
- “Short but sweet with a great atmospheric and eerie art design, looking forward to more terrifying horror experiences from the devs 838s maniacs with similar 3D art style.”
- “[tw:] excessive amount of body gore, blood, graphic physical violence (no sexual violence)”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its superb blend of eerie graphics and sound design, reminiscent of horror classics like "Saw" and "Silent Hill." Players appreciate the effective use of jump scares and the tense, gory scenes that contribute to a captivating and immersive experience. Overall, the atmospheric elements create a thrilling and unsettling environment that leaves players eager for more.
- “The atmosphere in this game is superb; it's like Saw mixed with Silent Hill.”
- “High-quality sound design; there is one knocking noise in the background at times which was atmospheric and fun.”
- “Short but sweet with a great atmospheric and eerie art design; looking forward to more terrifying horror experiences from the devs with a similar 3D art style.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The story is generally described as fine and easy to follow, with some players appreciating its engaging elements and horrific imagery, while others find it limited and wanting more depth. Despite its straightforwardness, the narrative attempts to enhance replayability through significant ending scenes. Overall, it strikes a balance between realism and the developer's signature storytelling style.
- “This game marks 838smaniacs' leap into more realistic graphics while maintaining their signature storytelling and horrific imagery.”
- “Story was great but I wanted more of it.”
- “The story is limited and not very engaging (but there is one!)”
- “After finishing the first playthrough, the story elements, especially the ending scenes, make an attempt at a permadeath playthrough inevitable.”
- “It's alright, the story was fine and easy to follow, but the gameplay was just okay.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its significant stability issues, with multiple users reporting numerous bugs that led them to seek refunds.
- “This game was so buggy that I immediately refunded it.”
- “This game was so buggy that I immediately refunded it.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the emotional experience of the game, citing discomfort from the head bob feature and difficulty navigating overly dark areas, which detracts from their overall engagement and enjoyment.
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The chase music in the game is noted for its intensity, effectively signaling players when they are being pursued. This heightened audio experience adds to the overall tension and excitement during gameplay.
- “The chase music is intense and lets you know when you're being followed.”