Decay: The Mare
- February 12, 2015
- Shining Gate Software
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Decay: The Mare" is a psychological horror adventure game, inspired by classics such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Phantasmagoria. Players control Sam, an addict in rehab who becomes trapped in a nightmarish world. This complete package includes an exclusive third chapter that concludes Sam's harrowing journey.
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Reviews
- The game has a fantastic atmosphere that keeps players engaged and on edge.
- Puzzles are enjoyable and provide a good balance of challenge without being overly difficult.
- The story, while not the strongest point, has interesting twists and keeps players curious about the outcome.
- Navigation can be confusing, as entering rooms sometimes results in disorienting camera angles.
- The game is quite short, taking only about 2-3 hours to complete, which may not justify the full price.
- Some puzzles lack clear logic or clues, leading to frustration and reliance on hints or walkthroughs.
- story296 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and well-structured, particularly appreciating its twists and psychological horror elements, while others criticize it for being poorly translated, confusing, or lacking depth. Many reviews highlight that the narrative unfolds gradually, with a satisfying conclusion, but also note that the storytelling can feel disjointed or overshadowed by simplistic puzzles and technical issues. Overall, while the atmosphere and horror elements are praised, the story's coherence and emotional impact vary significantly among players.
“The story is the best kind of bizarre and told from the most obtuse angle.”
“The story was fun and engaging and I definitely recommend the game!”
“The story is interesting and will probably keep you guessing, at least until the midpoint of episode two.”
“Looks dated, little to no scares, a very poorly translated story, and little to no reason to even bother with it beyond your 2-3 hour playthrough.”
“The story is a complete mess.”
“The storytelling just fell flat.”
- atmosphere139 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepy and unsettling qualities, effectively immersing players in a horror-themed experience. Many reviews highlight the balance of exploration and puzzle-solving, with some noting that the atmosphere enhances the storytelling, despite occasional reliance on jump scares. Overall, the game is recognized for its strong art direction and sound design, contributing to a haunting ambiance that keeps players engaged throughout.
“The atmosphere is really disturbing and the puzzles are actually pretty good and well balanced.”
“The atmosphere had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.”
“The game creates a nice creepy atmosphere with well-timed scares and a brilliantly creepy soundtrack.”
“The atmosphere is creepy but everything is so distant from the player that it feels more like watching a set of still images you randomly click your way through.”
“However, it fails badly at setting the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere was generally creepy, but there was too much reliance on jump scares, and the 'locked in a blood-splattered institution of some kind' setting felt a bit juvenile, and only got worse as the story progressed.”
- graphics96 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing them as outdated, blurry, and lacking detail, often comparing them to late 90s titles. While some appreciate the atmospheric design and find the visuals fitting for a horror theme, others feel that the low resolution and minimal animations detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are generally considered below average, with a few players noting that they are acceptable for a low-budget indie game.
“The 3D graphics are well done, and the triggers feel really crafted and realistic.”
“Creepy and good graphics and setting.”
“Loved the art style with detailed and dark/moody scenes throughout.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“The mediocre graphics make it hard to see some details necessary for solving puzzles and earning achievements.”
“The graphics themselves are laughable, lower resolution than late 90's/early 2000's graphic adventure titles and the bare minimum of creativity.”
- music67 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is frequently described as eerie, atmospheric, and well-suited to the horror theme, with many reviewers praising its ability to enhance the overall experience. While some found the soundtrack beautiful and haunting, others noted its repetitiveness and minimal variety, suggesting that more diverse tracks could improve the game. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's stronger aspects, contributing significantly to its creepy ambiance and emotional depth.
“The music is beautiful.”
“The music does make it eerie.”
“The music is phenomenal and sets the tone very well for the gameplay and the setting.”
“The sound design, much like the art style and graphics, has the bare minimum of effort, with plenty of stock sound effects and minimal audio cues and a background soundtrack that consists of low hums and vibrations.”
“If you've ever sat in your basement for 14 minutes, you know what it's like to sit in your chair and play through this game for 14 minutes, and I had no reason or clues given to me that this would change any time soon. I'd much rather endure Chinese water torture than the mind-gnawing experience of sitting through this game with its tedious soundtrack eating away at my sanity.”
“There are much better or more entertaining point-and-click puzzle games and adventure games out there; I see no reason to recommend this one, even because it is highly overpriced (low budget game, cheap soundtrack, no voice acting almost at all).”
- gameplay62 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Decay: The Mare" is primarily a point-and-click adventure, featuring simple mechanics that involve clicking to interact with the environment and solve puzzles. While some players appreciate the unique elements and atmosphere, many criticize the clunky mechanics, lack of complexity, and underwhelming horror elements, leading to mixed reviews overall. Despite its shortcomings, the game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of classic adventure games, though opinions on its execution vary widely.
“I loved the game; it was the perfect mix of puzzles and adventure, and the gameplay was so unique compared to what I was used to.”
“The gameplay is simple, as a point-and-click, but there are some interesting elements that this game has, and just enough jump scares to periodically break the tension.”
“The gameplay is fairly basic point-and-click adventure, with some puzzles of mixed difficulty thrown in.”
“Clunky mechanics... why this has mostly positive reviews, I do not know.”
“The gameplay is thin, the environments are low-effort, the puzzles are dead simple except when they're overly complicated, and the story is garbage.”
“Decay: The Mare is a very simple point-and-click adventure in three episodes, most noteworthy being that it looks worse than a mobile game and features close to no meaningful gameplay as well as completely non-scary horror content, which is truly sad for a horror game.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and monotonous, with players expressing frustration over repetitive exploration and challenging puzzles that detract from the overall enjoyment. Many reviewers noted that the gameplay feels excessively drawn out, leading to a sense of annoyance rather than engagement. While some found the puzzles to be fair, the overall experience is marred by the tedious mechanics and lack of variety.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The very process of exploration is tedious and maddening.”
“If you've ever sat in your basement for 14 minutes, you know what it's like to sit in your chair and play through this game for 14 minutes, and I had no reason or clues given to me that this would change any time soon. I'd much rather endure Chinese water torture than the mind-gnawing experience of sitting through this game with its tedious soundtrack eating away at my sanity.”
“The puzzles in this game are quite challenging, especially at episode 2, but as you have to go through the map over and over, solving puzzles becomes a torture and makes you feel tedious after 30 minutes to an hour into this game.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers minimal replayability, primarily driven by the pursuit of achievements and the option to explore different endings. While there are collectibles that unlock extras, the overall experience is short, making it less appealing for multiple playthroughs unless players are specifically aiming to complete all achievements.
“The finale is completed by multiple choices, which adds replayability by showing two endings. Throughout the three episodes, there are coins to hunt that unlock extras in the form of artwork - some very graphic and dark!”
“Great little game, quite quick to complete, but the achievements offer good replay value.”
“Its short though and doesn't have much of replayability value (unless you're trying to get all achievements), but even with me hunting down the achievements, it was quite short. I recommend buying it on sale since for $1-5, I would say it's worth it since I picked it up for $1 myself.”
“There's really no replay value unless you didn't get all the achievements through the first playthrough.”
“It's short though and doesn't have much of replayability value (unless you're trying to get all achievements), but even with me hunting down the achievements it was quite short. I recommend buying it on sale since for $1-5 I would say it's worth it, as I picked it up for $1 myself.”
“Little to zero replay value.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while the eerie music and atmospheric visuals evoke a sense of psychological depth and empathy, players feel that the gameplay mechanics, such as pixel-hunting and simplistic puzzles, detract from a deeper emotional investment in the story. Despite its dramatic horror themes, many reviewers believe the game fails to fully engage players on an emotional level, leaving them wanting more from the narrative experience.
“The music and sound effects are rather eerie and emotional.”
“I felt the atmosphere and scenes were illustrated by artists with some understanding of psychology and advanced awareness of emotional empathy, and it's romance with locations and lighting; all miraculously delivered well despite the older graphics engine.”
“And being a dramatic horror game about murder and finding yourself and the answer to deep life questions, decay should've made me feel way more.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with smooth gameplay and minimal graphical issues or crashes. However, some users reported occasional freezing that can be resolved by restarting the program, alongside minor control bugs and other quality concerns.
“So whenever the game breaks or freezes, restarting the program will already fix the problem.”
“On top of slightly buggy controls, bad visuals, and weird voice acting, this game has an incredibly senseless plot.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and somewhat absurd dialogue, which some players find amusing, though it may be influenced by translation issues. The comedic elements often overshadow the horror aspects, contributing to a lighthearted tone despite the game's themes.
“It's not as much scary as it is kind of funny with the innate awkwardness of the mare's model.”
“Story-wise, it's also good, although some of the dialogue is pretty ridiculous. I'm not sure if it's because of the English translation, but it just sounds funny.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization, lacking support for standard features found in modern gaming PCs, and has not been updated to ensure smooth performance on contemporary hardware.
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Many users feel that the game lacks sufficient character development, suggesting that deeper exploration of the characters would have enhanced the overall experience.
