Dead Beacon

About

Dead Beacon is a first-person survival horror game inspired by 1990s classics, where you must escape an island and its haunted manor filled with zombies and malevolent creatures. Explore the manor, solve puzzles, and manage your resources to survive. The map reveals itself as you explore, allowing you to mark important locations and plan your escape.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 130 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Dead Beacon offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic survival horror games like Resident Evil, with engaging exploration and resource management mechanics.
The ability to draw notes on the map enhances immersion and helps players navigate the complex mansion layout, making it a unique feature of the game.
The game features a variety of enemies and challenging boss fights, providing a rewarding experience for players who enjoy strategic combat and puzzle-solving.

The combat mechanics are often criticized for being clunky and unresponsive, with issues such as slow movement, unreliable hit detection, and frustrating quick-time events when grabbed by enemies.
Navigation can be confusing due to the interconnected mansion design, lack of clear markers, and a poorly implemented map system that can lead to players feeling lost.
Resource management can feel unbalanced, with players often running low on ammunition and healing items, particularly during critical boss encounters.

gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
63%
13%
The gameplay features a mix of zombie and unique enemy encounters, with solid boss mechanics and engaging map-drawing elements that enhance the survival horror experience. However, players have criticized the frustrating "break free" mechanic, hit detection issues, and awkward movement and aiming controls, which detract from the overall enjoyment. While it offers classic puzzle-solving elements reminiscent of Resident Evil, the execution of certain mechanics can feel punishing and detracts from the fun.
- “Enemies are mostly zombies with a nice variety of other enemies, some with their own special mechanics. The bosses work well and have solid mechanics to them.”
- “If you like classic Resident Evil puzzle box gameplay with some clever puzzles and a spooky atmosphere, you'll be right at home.”
- “Excellent retro survival horror with some cool mechanics you don't see often.”
- “After finishing Nightmare of Decay and finding this one, I thought that Dead Beacon would be a perfect unofficial sequel or DLC for it, as the games both look and feel similar from a gameplay standpoint, but for a game so similar to Nightmare of Decay, it really does a lot wrong that that game did right.”
- “All the base mechanics in Dead Beacon actively work against you, hit detection issues, a QTE every time you're grabbed by an enemy, it just felt cheap and annoying.”
- “Your character moves like they're walking through a swamp, which isn't an issue in itself, but when combat comes into play, the sheer amount of mechanics propped up against the player makes it a chore to play.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The story is generally regarded as unremarkable and predictable, serving primarily as a homage to classic survival horror titles like Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark. While it lacks depth, players appreciate the engaging puzzles, varied environments, and a good selection of enemies, with some noting that the final boss offers a pleasant surprise. Overall, the narrative is seen as secondary to the gameplay experience.
- “The story is about what you expect, but the game is clearly a loving homage to other titles, notably the original Resident Evil (1996) and Alone in the Dark (1992), and I have no complaints about that.”
- “Really fun survival horror, nice puzzles and story.”
- “Nightmare of Decay, for comparison, did a great job of introducing you to its silly B-movie type story.”
- “The game does not really have a story.”
- “Story-wise, it's nothing special but there are a fair number of decent puzzles and environments to go through with a good variety of enemies.”
- “- The story was nothing too crazy; it was pretty close to what I expected from this game.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its spooky and immersive qualities, reminiscent of classic survival horror titles like Resident Evil. Reviewers highlight the effective audio design, environmental variety, and clever puzzles that enhance the overall experience, creating an engaging and eerie setting that captivates players. The combination of good level design and enemy variety further contributes to a compelling atmosphere that keeps players invested in the mystery.
- “The atmosphere is great, there's a nice amount of enemy variety, the game has a good amount of space and environmental variety.”
- “This is also accompanied by surprisingly effective atmosphere with good audio design and appropriate visuals to make it more intense.”
- “On top of that you have great atmosphere with a rather simple but engaging enough mystery to solve.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The graphics of the game are reminiscent of retro titles, particularly drawing comparisons to Resident Evil 1, which may appeal to fans of simplistic visuals but could deter those seeking more modern polish. While the minimal animations and less impactful combat visuals may feel unrefined, the effective atmosphere and audio design enhance the overall experience, making it enjoyable for survival horror veterans. Overall, the retro aesthetics contribute to an eerie vibe that many players appreciate, despite its shortcomings.
- “Loved the visuals!”
- “This is also accompanied by surprisingly effective atmosphere with good audio design and appropriate visuals to make it more intense.”
- “Of course, I got it because I love Resident Evil, and the retro aesthetics give it this eerie ethereal vibe that I can't help but love, but Resident Evil isn't the only influence here.”
- “That being said, if you're put off by simplistic graphics and the lack of 'impact' on combat, then this might not be the game for you.”
- “Minimal animations on weapons and enemies, as well as other visuals, make the game look less polished than the other elements.”
- “Another Resident Evil 1 as an FPS right down to the graphics, much like Nightmare of Decay.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
13%
13%
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with particular praise for its nostalgic nods to classic titles like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, especially the use of Bach's "Air on the G String" in save rooms. However, some players expressed a desire for a greater variety of soundtracks throughout the game. Overall, the music enhances the atmosphere and complements the gameplay experience.
- “The music in the save rooms is 'Air on the G String' (Bach).”
- “Perfect throwback to old school Silent Hill/Resident Evil era games with a really intricate and well laid out map, tons of enemy variety, great music, and really good puzzles.”
- “Music was great too!”
- “The music in the save rooms is 'Air on the G String' by Bach.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a mix of fun surprises and clever enemy placements that can lead to unexpected jumpscares, contributing to its humor. While it has a janky indie aesthetic, it effectively employs a dark sense of humor that resonates well with players, resulting in moments that elicit genuine laughter. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect, enhancing the gaming experience.
- “There's a lot of fun surprises and jumpscares; a couple of achievements had me laughing out loud, but the enemy 'jumpscares' are just smart placement of enemies for you to bumble into if you aren't paying attention.”
- “It was a cheap indie game with a bit of a janky appearance, but with a strong understanding of the genre and a bit of a dark sense of humor.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and punishing, particularly due to the slow reloads and scarcity of ammo that often force them into frustrating melee combat. This combination leads to a gameplay experience that quickly feels sluggish and repetitive.
- “The melee combat is tedious and punishing, which is more infuriating given that you are often forced into melee combat as the reloads are extremely slow and ammo is rare.”
- “Not a cheap carbon copy, but feels both tedious and sluggish really quick.”
- “The melee combat is tedious and punishing, which is more infuriating given that you are often forced into melee combat as the reloads are extremely slow and ammo is rare.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a decent level of replayability, encouraging players to revisit it for additional enjoyment.
- “Great game that has some replayability.”
- “Great game that has some replayability.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game is praised for its lack of bugs and strong atmosphere, indicating good stability. However, some users express frustration with the movement mechanics, suggesting that this aspect detracts from the overall experience.
- “This game does a lot well; it's not buggy, and it has a great atmosphere and design.”