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DISTRAINT

It's functional and just weird enough to be mostly enjoyable, but the forced surrealism wears thin quickly.
DISTRAINT Game Cover
84%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
grinding, replayability
90% User Score Based on 2,266 reviews
Critic Score 65%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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DISTRAINT Game Cover

About

DISTRAINT is a single player casual role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by Jesse Makkonen and was released on October 21, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

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.

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DISTRAINT screenshot
DISTRAINT screenshot
DISTRAINT screenshot
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,266 reviews
story585 positive mentions
grinding38 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique and unsettling art style that enhances the psychological horror experience.
  • The story is well-written, thought-provoking, and emotionally impactful, making players reflect on themes of greed and humanity.
  • The sound design and atmospheric music effectively contribute to the game's eerie ambiance.
  • The gameplay can feel tedious due to slow movement and excessive backtracking, which may detract from the overall experience.
  • Some puzzles are overly simplistic or lack clear logic, leading to moments of frustration.
  • The horror elements may not resonate with all players, as the game relies more on psychological tension than traditional jump scares.
  • story
    1,497 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Distraint* is a poignant exploration of guilt, greed, and the consequences of one's choices, presented through a unique blend of psychological horror and moral reflection. While some players found the narrative engaging and thought-provoking, others criticized it for being simplistic or heavy-handed, with a predictable plot and underdeveloped characters. Overall, the game is noted for its emotional depth and atmospheric storytelling, making it a compelling experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven gameplay.

    • “Listen to the story and its deeper meaning about capitalism, the horror of real life, and regret.”
    • “The story is well written and has an extremely depressive narrative, and the great soundtrack really fits the dank atmosphere.”
    • “Distraint brings forth both moral dilemma and humanity, weaving together a beautiful 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 writing in this game is extremely lackluster, and the storyline's message backfired terribly.”
  • graphics
    519 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and unsettling art style that enhances the psychological horror experience. While some players found the pixelated visuals charming and effective in creating atmosphere, others felt they were simplistic and not particularly scary. Overall, the graphics are seen as a matter of personal taste, with a consensus that they contribute significantly to the game's storytelling and emotional impact.

    • “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.”
    • “Maybe it’s the pixelated graphics, but at no point did I feel even a tinge of fear.”
    • “The graphics and everything are relatively simple.”
  • atmosphere
    413 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by exceptional sound design and a unique art style. Players describe it as a gripping blend of psychological horror and emotional storytelling, creating a dense, unsettling environment that captivates and engages throughout the experience. While some found the gameplay simplistic, the overall atmosphere remains a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric narratives.

    • “The atmosphere is really thick and the sound design is amazing and it is very clear that games like Silent Hill were a big influence.”
    • “Distraint's simple but well-made art style, full of personality and just the right color scheme, creates a beautifully grim atmosphere and gives life and a soul to the characters, making you care about the ones whose lives you as price come to affect.”
    • “The atmosphere in the game 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.”
    • “Deluxe edition changed quite a few key elements from the original game, including removing the lantern, throwing away one of the climaxes of the story and ruining the atmosphere.”
    • “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 controls are slow in hopes to build up atmosphere, but all they do is make getting forward in the story painful.”
  • gameplay
    327 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is generally described as simple and minimalistic, often revolving around basic puzzle-solving and exploration in a linear 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 game is seen as more focused on narrative than on innovative gameplay, with a significant number of players finding it tedious or lacking in excitement.

    • “The gameplay is simple and fairly minimal, and the puzzles provide just enough substance to carry through to its dramatic conclusion.”
    • “The gameplay is comprised of intuitive item puzzles, the graphics are solidly animated, and the sound design is effectively atmospheric.”
    • “Great story, great gameplay, friggin amazing art.”
    • “Gameplay is non-existent.”
    • “Most of the gameplay is walking to an item, walking back, walking to another item (that you couldn't pick up before), walking back and so on and so on.”
    • “But rather than fleshing out the story or horror, the game focuses on absolutely mind-numbing gameplay.”
  • music
    307 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its eerie and immersive qualities that complement the storytelling and visuals. While some tracks are described as haunting and emotionally impactful, others provide a lighter, upbeat contrast, contributing to the game's overall emotional depth. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, effectively creating tension and enhancing the psychological horror experience.

    • “The music suits every level pretty well and in some levels it really immerses you into the game and the story.”
    • “The music is stunning for a small developer and the sound is also well done and adds to the atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack is yet again very beautiful and just feels natural given the game's tone and the stuff you see in the game!”
    • “While the visuals are fantastic, I do wish the audio was of equal quality, but there just isn't enough of it (sound effects, music).”
    • “The music is pretty subdued, mostly focusing on atmosphere rather than memorable themes.”
    • “I couldn't play this with the original background music; it was too suspenseful.”
  • emotional
    161 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is a significant focus, with many players describing it as a deeply touching and haunting experience that evokes a wide range of feelings, from sadness to guilt. While some found the story and characters to be simplistic or clichéd, others praised the heartfelt narrative and emotional depth, noting that the music enhances the overall impact. Overall, the game is characterized as an emotional rollercoaster that leaves a lasting impression, though opinions vary on the effectiveness of its emotional storytelling.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, the gore is unsettling, and the story is heartfelt and emotional.”
    • “This game made me feel everything the character felt and ripped my heart out.”
    • “A brilliant and emotional experience.”
    • “In the end, all the horror elements are nothing more than a coat of paint over a boring story about repossession.”
  • humor
    71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 the horror. Many reviewers noted the effectiveness of the playful art style and humorous dialogue, which provide a lighthearted contrast to the game's serious themes, making it both funny and creepy. Overall, the game successfully balances unsettling tension with moments of laughter, creating a unique experience that keeps players engaged.

    • “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 anyway.”
    • “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
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often detracting from the overall experience. Many reviews highlight that late-game puzzles and certain missions feel unnecessarily drawn out, leading to frustration and a sense of boredom, despite some enjoyment of the story and atmosphere. While some elements of gameplay are engaging, the frequent backtracking and poorly designed puzzles contribute to a grinding sensation that can overshadow the game's strengths.

    • “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 game's interesting until you run into a tedious timed maze puzzle.”
    • “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
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is noted for its depth and rapid progression, particularly in the portrayal of the main character and the contrasting personalities of supporting characters like McDade, Bruton, and Moore. While some players find the character designs off-putting or grating, they contribute to the game's unsettling atmosphere and enhance the storytelling. Overall, the unique and sometimes bizarre character designs serve to amplify the game's dark themes and emotional impact.

    • “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
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is generally considered to have low replayability, with most players completing it in 1-2 hours and achieving most accomplishments in a single playthrough. While some players appreciate the game's quality given its low price, the lack of additional content or features to encourage replaying is a common point of criticism. Overall, it offers limited incentive for multiple playthroughs.

    • “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.”
    • “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).”
    • “Has no replay value.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the monetization model, particularly the option to remove ads in the mobile version, while expressing a preference for the enhanced experience of the deluxe PC version. Overall, the investment in the deluxe version is seen as worthwhile for its added features.

  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players report a largely stable experience, with most describing the game as bug-free during their playthroughs. However, a recurring issue noted is occasional freezing when interacting with objects.

    • “The game was bug-free during my entire playthrough.”
    • “I experienced no bugs at all in my gameplay.”
    • “My playthrough was completely free of any bugs.”
    • “Sometimes it freezes when interacting with objects; this is the only recurring bug I've encountered throughout the whole game.”
    • “Sometimes it freezes when interacting with objects; this is the only recurring bug I've encountered throughout the whole game.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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, configuration, etc.”
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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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2h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 20 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

DISTRAINT is a casual role playing game with horror theme.

DISTRAINT is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing DISTRAINT.

DISTRAINT was released on October 21, 2015.

DISTRAINT was developed by Jesse Makkonen.

DISTRAINT has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

DISTRAINT is a single player game.

Similar games include DISTRAINT 2, The Cat Lady, Gone Home, Marie's Room, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and others.