DISTRAINT

It's functional and just weird enough to be mostly enjoyable, but the forced surrealism wears thin quickly.

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DISTRAINT is a single-player horror role-playing game with an intriguing story, sensational graphics, and atmospheric music. As protagonist Price, players seize an elderly woman's property to secure a partnership, only to face the consequences of losing one's humanity. The game features simple but effective gameplay, with side-scrolling 2D graphics, minimalist interface, and puzzles, offering a two-hour journey through a unique, dark, and grim world filled with dark humor.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,136 reviews

story293 positive mentions

grinding19 negative mentions

The game features a compelling and thought-provoking story that explores themes of greed, guilt, and the consequences of one's actions.
The pixel art style and atmospheric sound design create a unique and immersive experience that enhances the overall mood of the game.
Despite its short length, the game effectively delivers emotional depth and leaves a lasting impression on players.

The gameplay can feel tedious due to slow movement and excessive backtracking, which may detract from the overall experience.
Some puzzles lack clear logic and can be frustrating, particularly the timed sections that require quick navigation.
The writing contains grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, which can disrupt immersion and clarity in the story.

story
750 mentions
39 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Distraint" is a poignant exploration of guilt, greed, and the consequences of ambition, centered around a young man named Price who grapples with the moral implications of his job as a distraint agent. While some players find the narrative engaging and thought-provoking, others criticize it for being simplistic or heavy-handed, with a mix of emotional depth and predictable elements. Overall, the game is praised for its unique storytelling, atmospheric visuals, and the emotional impact of its themes, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “The story is well written and has an extremely depressive narrative, and the great soundtrack really fits the dank atmosphere.”
- “The story does a wonderful job of representing that guilt.”
- “Distraint is a gorgeous mini horror game with a deeply moving story.”
- “The story is too simplistic, symbolic, and cliché, and the characters are so flat that you cannot attach emotionally to them.”
- “The story felt like it was really trying to evoke some kind of emotional response, but it failed miserably.”
- “The story was hard to follow and written poorly; I was given little to no backstory on what the hell was going on.”
graphics
260 mentions
47 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed but generally positive feedback, with many players appreciating the unique art style and atmospheric visuals that enhance the psychological horror experience. While some found the pixelated graphics simplistic or off-putting at first, they often grew to love the aesthetic, noting its effectiveness in conveying the game's themes and emotions. Overall, the visuals are described as beautiful, haunting, and integral to the storytelling, despite some critiques regarding their simplicity and the lack of advanced graphical settings.
- “The game looks great and the unsettling art style is perfect for adding to the psychological horror.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the gore is unsettling, and the story is heartfelt and emotional.”
- “I love the presentation, the low-fi graphics combined with cool lighting effects, and startling surprises, along with great audio makes for an excellent atmosphere.”
- “The graphics are very pixelly and simplistic, with very caricatured actors.”
- “The graphics and everything visual in the game only adds to the atmosphere; by the end of the game I was sincerely touched by it.”
- “The pixelated, disturbing at times art style as well as the spooky soundtrack simply adds to the horror factor.”
atmosphere
207 mentions
59 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Distraint" is consistently praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by haunting music and sound design that evoke a sense of dread and emotional depth. Players appreciate the game's unique art style and minimalist approach, which contribute to a gripping, psychological horror experience that lingers long after gameplay. While some find the atmosphere unsettling and impactful, others note that it may not deliver traditional horror scares, focusing instead on a deeply atmospheric narrative.
- “What distinguishes Distraint is the constant fog-like atmosphere, the eerie music, and the background effects, the latter of which keep you in suspense.”
- “The game drifts a little permissive between reality and unreality, but the presentation evokes an effectively peculiar and unsettling atmosphere, solely improved by the exceptional sound design.”
- “Distraint is a simple and short, but a thoroughly delightful atmospheric horror experience!”
- “It's not recommended for anyone who's already feeling depressed or sad, as it really is a tough game to stomach sometimes, with the atmosphere being depressing and rather cloying, meaning that your thoughts will dwell on the game and its events for some time afterwards.”
- “The atmosphere is heavy, brought on by dimly lit corridors and a pressurized ambiance that gives an overflowing sense of dread for the entirety of the game.”
- “The first half-hour or so has decent atmosphere before the obvious, tiresome story drags you down.”
gameplay
164 mentions
23 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as simple and minimalistic, often revolving around basic puzzle-solving and exploration in a side-scrolling format. While some players appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and art style, many criticize the repetitive mechanics and lack of depth, leading to a mixed reception regarding its engagement and challenge. Overall, the gameplay serves primarily as a vehicle for the narrative rather than a standout feature in its own right.
- “The gameplay is simple and fairly minimal, and the puzzles provide just enough substance to carry through to its dramatic conclusion.”
- “The gameplay is a side-scrolling story with puzzles throughout.”
- “The gameplay is simple, as are the controls, and it all just adds up to a damnably good time.”
- “Unique art-style aside, it's a rather middling experience with little gameplay (you mostly just wander around) and heavy-handed moral.”
- “The gameplay was monotonous.”
- “For starters, there is little to no gameplay (think of it like go to point A with such item to continue to point B).”
music
154 mentions
60 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in "Distraint" is widely praised for its ability to enhance the game's eerie atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its effectiveness in creating suspense and emotional depth. The soundtrack features a mix of haunting and upbeat tracks that complement the narrative and visuals, contributing to the overall immersive experience. While some found the music to be subdued at times, it is generally regarded as a strong element that elevates the game's psychological horror themes.
- “The music suits every level pretty well and in some levels it really immerses you into the game and the story.”
- “The atmosphere blends with the music to create an experience like never before.”
- “The music is stunning for a small developer and the sound is also well done, adding to the atmosphere.”
- “The music is pretty subdued, mostly focusing on atmosphere rather than memorable themes.”
- “I couldn't play this with the original background music, too suspenseful.”
- “The jump scare music could be a bit much at times, but it wasn't terrible.”
emotional
81 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke a range of feelings, from sadness and guilt to hope and introspection. Many players found the story to be heartfelt and touching, with some moments described as genuinely moving, while others noted that the emotional impact was sometimes undermined by simplistic character development or rushed endings. Overall, the game is characterized as an emotional journey that resonates deeply with players, despite some critiques regarding its narrative depth and execution.
- “The graphics are beautiful, the gore is unsettling, and the story is heartfelt and emotional.”
- “A brilliant and emotional experience.”
- “The story is really heartfelt and pulls at your emotions from time to time.”
- “In the end, all the horror elements are nothing more than a coat of paint over a boring story about repossession.”
humor
36 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark and quirky elements, often catching players off guard with its unexpected comedic moments amidst a psychological horror backdrop. Many reviews highlight the effective use of funny dialogue, absurd scenarios, and humorous character interactions that provide levity, making the experience both entertaining and unsettling. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with its darker themes, creating a unique and engaging atmosphere.
- “The game has a dark sense of humor and you often question whether it's appropriate to burst out laughing, but then you do it anyways.”
- “There were multiple times I had to pause this 'psychological horror' just to finish laughing at its latest insane reveal.”
- “This game manages to be both funny and creepy.”
grinding
21 mentions
5 % positive mentions
5 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often detracting from the overall experience. While some puzzles and missions are engaging, many reviewers note that they become repetitive and frustrating, particularly in the late game, leading to a sense of boredom and a lack of emotional investment in the story. The linear gameplay and slow movement contribute to the feeling of grinding, making it a common criticism among users.
- “You mostly search for items that can help with progressing and solving puzzles, but it's not tedious.”
- “Late-game puzzles are unnecessarily tedious and feel as if they exist only to draw out the playtime into a full two hours.”
- “The puzzles were tedious and the levels weren't terribly well-designed.”
- “Everything is totally linear and walking is just so slow and involves so much backtracking it quickly becomes tedious when you're not exactly sure what to do next.”
character development
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its depth and complexity, particularly in the portrayal of contrasting personalities, such as the calm debt collector and the unhinged bosses. While some players find the character designs off-putting, they contribute to the game's eerie atmosphere and enhance the storytelling. Overall, the game effectively packs significant character growth into a short timeframe, despite some criticisms regarding the main character's design and the visual style.
- “Character design is interesting with a play off the calm and collected debt collector (well....mostly calm) when the player starts to realize how unhinged some of the others are in the game - particularly McDade, Bruton, and Moore, a trio of money-hungry bosses set out on twisting your world into play dough.”
- “I liked that there's a lot of character development packed into it in a short period of time.”
- “Brilliantly crafted story, awesome horror visuals, and unique character design!”
- “He was too nice to fit the description the game was giving you, and it left no room for character development.”
- “I didn't like the main character design and the walking sound set my teeth on edge from annoyance.”
- “The character designs in Distraint can occasionally be grating to look at, but it can be said that they are that way to make the game creepier.”
replayability
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
44 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is noted for its short playtime of 1-2 hours and limited replayability, with most achievements attainable in a single playthrough. While some players appreciate the low price point, they express a desire for additional features to enhance replay value.
- “Being the cheapskate I am, I normally do not buy games that don't have at least several hours of gameplay or replayability.”
- “Would be better if there is a 'fast-forward' or at least a 'run' button for more replayability though.”
- “It doesn't offer too much in the way of replay value, but you get your five bucks worth on that first go.”
- “While it is short and lacks replay value apart from 100% which I did in under two hours after I missed one of them, it is still a great game and the fact that it was made by one person blows my mind.”
- “1-2 hours to finish the game and lack of replay value.”
- “It is a short game with limited replayability but also has a pretty low price tag (albeit confusing variations across platforms).”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the monetization model, particularly enjoying the ad-free experience on the PC deluxe version, which they find worth the investment. There is a desire for options to remove ads in the mobile version as well.
stability
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a largely stable experience, with many noting the game is bug-free during their playthroughs. However, some users have experienced occasional freezing when interacting with objects, which appears to be the most common issue.
- “The game was bug-free during my entire playthrough.”
- “I experienced no crashes or glitches, which made for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “The stability of the game allowed me to fully immerse myself without interruptions.”
- “Sometimes it freezes when interacting with objects; this is the only recurring bug I've encountered throughout the whole game.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
- “I've experienced multiple instances of the game freezing during key moments, which is incredibly frustrating.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a positive experience with the game's optimization, noting no issues with performance, controls, or configuration.
- “I had no issues with the game's performance, controls, or configuration.”
- “The optimization is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the game runs flawlessly, with no lag or stuttering during intense moments.”