Distrust

About

"Distrust" is a horror action game that offers both single-player and multiplayer/co-op modes for 2 players. The game features good mechanics, delightful visuals, and good music, but can be very grinding and buggy. Players must guide a group of explorers stranded in the Arctic, fighting off exhaustion, nightmares, and a terrifying force that threatens their lives. The game's atmosphere is phenomenal, with random anomalies and a creepy abandoned research station adding to the suspense.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 711 reviews

gameplay59 positive mentions

stability35 negative mentions

The game has a unique atmosphere and art style that effectively captures the desolation of an arctic environment.
Gameplay involves strategic resource management, requiring players to balance warmth, hunger, and stamina while navigating through procedurally generated zones.
The madness mechanics add an interesting layer to the gameplay, with characters experiencing various debuffs that affect their performance.

The game suffers from numerous bugs, particularly in co-op mode, leading to disconnections and loss of inventory.
RNG elements can lead to frustrating situations where players may not find necessary resources, making progress feel unfair.
The pacing can be tedious, with long action times for simple tasks, leading to a feeling of being stuck in a repetitive loop.

gameplay
196 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
59%
11%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and tedious, primarily revolving around managing survival meters and scavenging for resources. While some appreciate the mechanics and atmosphere, others criticize the lack of depth and the presence of bugs that hinder the experience, particularly in multiplayer. Overall, the game offers a challenging survival experience but struggles with balance and engagement over extended play sessions.
- “The gameplay is fun for one, maybe two runs, but that's all it's got.”
- “Brilliant little game that you can instantly jump into with easy to understand mechanics and can be a whole lot of fun while playing with friends.”
- “The well-refined gameplay mechanics aren't just fun; they promote the thematic trappings of a suspenseful horror movie.”
- “Despite looking promising, the gameplay loop is just fighting against a few timers (a hunger bar, a sleep bar, and a temperature bar) plus whatever temporary injury you acquire across 5 zones.”
- “Gameplay amounts to walking around buildings and awaiting lengthy rummaging operations, then dying of starvation or sleep deprivation.”
- “Foremost among these is that there's just not much gameplay here; you spend the whole game moving from building to building and scavenging, but that's it.”
story
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
69%
10%
The game's story is generally perceived as lacking depth and engagement, with many reviewers noting that it feels sparse and often relegated to scattered notes and documents rather than a cohesive narrative. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the survival mechanics, they criticize the repetitive gameplay and the absence of compelling plot hooks or character development, leading to a sense of boredom rather than investment in the story. Overall, players seeking a rich narrative experience may find this game disappointing, as it prioritizes gameplay mechanics over storytelling.
- “The developers describe distrust as a 'story-rich survival adventure'.”
- “It's an excellent choice for those who enjoy survival gaming with some narrative-driven experience/story.”
- “The story of 'distrust' is told through notes and various documents, which you find in the buildings.”
- “Instead, it is a fairly dull exercise in patience with no real story to speak of.”
- “There's virtually no story to be interesting, and it feels like it's supposed to be a part of something much bigger.”
- “The story isn't exceptionally detailed, and the majority of it is told through found files and notes that act much like journal entries from multiple people.”
graphics
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
41%
4%
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising its unique art style, atmospheric visuals, and smooth animations that enhance the overall experience. While some noted that the graphics are not groundbreaking, they effectively create an immersive environment that aligns well with the game's themes. However, a few users pointed out issues with optimization and certain graphical elements that could use improvement.
- “You appreciate a game with a unique art style and atmosphere that sets it apart from other survival games.”
- “The art style and the atmosphere are gorgeous; it captures the frozen hellscape feeling.”
- “The graphics and game mechanics are top-notch, with beautiful scenery and animations, and simple game keyboard controls that utilize the W, A, S, D keys and mouse for the most part.”
- “It would crash on the menu screen, mess up the graphics, even crashed my Mac a few times.”
- “Even with low graphics and frame rate settings, the animation skips everywhere.”
- “The anomaly graphics are not that exciting, though; each one is just a floating sphere with some different textures and surface elements.”
atmosphere
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
28%
4%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique art style, immersive sound design, and ability to evoke a sense of tension and desperation, particularly in its arctic setting. Many players appreciate the combination of graphics, music, and environmental storytelling that enhances the overall experience, making it a standout in the survival genre. However, some critiques mention that while the atmosphere is strong, gameplay mechanics can detract from the experience, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
- “The atmosphere is great, thanks to the environmental sounds, excellent graphics, and music.”
- “The art style and the atmosphere are gorgeous; it captures the frozen hellscape feeling.”
- “Distrust does a great job of portraying the atmosphere of an isolated arctic base and has some wonderful game design elements.”
- “But this and the thing share the same atmosphere: nasty weather and a very desperate situation.”
- “Distrust starts strong due to its atmosphere, but falls short of its promises due to bad design.”
- “This is totally not the atmosphere I was hoping for.”
replayability
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
69%
7%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the random level generation and the variety of unlockable characters that enhance replay value, others find it limited due to repetitive gameplay and a lack of challenging content. Many reviews highlight that the game can be enjoyable for a few hours, especially in co-op mode, but may not hold long-term interest for all players. The presence of multiple endings and achievements offers some incentive for replaying, but the overall experience may vary significantly based on individual preferences and play styles.
- “Each level is randomly generated, so there is a lot of replay value.”
- “The levels are different with each playthrough, the exits have different ways to unlock them, and each of the 15 different characters have strengths and weaknesses which gives the game a lot of replay value.”
- “Because of this, having four endings, and the way the 5 levels are randomly generated (the 6th level is always the same), the game lends itself to a lot of replay value.”
- “Replayability is questionable and based on what drives you to play games – this relies on unlocking more explorers with different skills and/or achievements.”
- “Taken together, this severely limits the replayability of a game which is meant to be played several times.”
- “Funny game for an hour or two (and when played with two friends), but soon it becomes frustrating and the random map generation isn't enough to give it enough replayability.”
music
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
8%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and fitting synthwave style that evokes an 80s horror vibe. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive and bland, leading to annoyance over extended play sessions. Overall, while the music enhances the game's ambiance, it may not stand out as exceptional or varied.
- “The atmosphere is great, thanks to the environmental sounds, excellent graphics, and music.”
- “The mournful title track and in-game music suit the game well, helping to evoke feelings of isolation.”
- “Very good soundtrack, fits and emphasizes the mood perfectly.”
- “The devs obviously didn't spend money on a music guy, as it's the same goddamn song/notes over and over again that gets old quick.”
- “I actually found the music quite annoying after several hours of play, a real disappointment given the replay value added by the procedurally generated elements, multiple play modes and unlockable characters.”
- “The music also fits well but is quite bland, even ambient at times and can get repetitive.”
stability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game is generally considered to be plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, significantly impacting stability and gameplay experience. Many players report game-breaking issues, particularly in co-op mode, including freezing, desynchronization, and unresponsive mechanics. While some find the game enjoyable despite these problems, the consensus is that it requires substantial fixes to reach its full potential.
- “I wouldn't recommend it if it cost 20 € or even more, but it's really polished and surprisingly bug-free. At just 12 €, I say get it if you like atmospheric survival games.”
- “Looks great, runs great, and has a great atmosphere.”
- “Incredibly buggy game.”
- “The only problem is, there are some game-breaking glitches that need to be resolved.”
- “The game in single player is enjoyable but co-op is completely broken: from connection issues to glitches this game has many, many bugs.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, often leading to frustration, especially in single-player mode. The reliance on RNG for achievements and the slow-paced survival mechanics contribute to a sense of monotony, making the experience feel unbalanced and unenjoyable for many. While some players tolerate the grind for the sake of completion, the general consensus leans towards it being a significant drawback.
- “Survival mechanics were unbalanced and quickly became tedious.”
- “I hope the RNG favors you; otherwise, you will be grinding over and over again, constantly hoping to 'get lucky' to achieve random accomplishments.”
- “The time it takes for your Arctic exploration team to rifle through crates, lockers, boxes, lockpick doors, shovel away debris, and break down items for fuel and wood is excruciatingly tedious.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of dark and absurd elements, with players experiencing comedic situations like characters stumbling from drunkenness or suffering from silly debuffs such as constant laughter and visual distortions. While the game can be entertaining for short sessions, especially in co-op, the focus on survival mechanics often overshadows the humor, leading to frustration rather than sustained enjoyment. Overall, the humor is hit-or-miss, providing some laughs but ultimately feeling overshadowed by gameplay challenges.
- “Possibly add bottles of liquor for characters to drink; it can make them warmer and influence their mood, but make them stumble around, walk slower, give them a funny drunk face on their portrait, and they can sleep off all the effects.”
- “If you get too cold, tired, or hungry, there are various debuffs that may be applied. Some are genuinely debilitating, such as 'white noise' which removes any sound from the game until you feel better, while others are somewhat sillier and include constant laughing, a black and white screen, and aggression.”
- “First coop run was a painful yet funny experience since I fell into a coma multiple times from a bloody cut and there were no clean bandages around.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game is mixed; while some players report smooth performance and impressive visuals, others experience significant frame rate drops and poor inventory management, detracting from the overall experience.
- “It runs smoothly, has great visuals and music.”
- “Graphically, the game looks great, runs smoothly, and I really enjoy the artwork during the loading phases.”
- “I didn't experience any performance issues.”
- “Terrible inventory management and optimization.”
- “Bad optimization and FPS drops from 70 to 1 with no reason.”
- “Would really reinforce the survival aspect, which is what should take central stage, not the optimized, multitasking, RTS-like unexciting looting of dead, mundane buildings in a dead, mundane wasteland.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the emotional depth of the game, noting that it effectively creates a sense of distance and frustration through its mechanics, such as the challenging debuffs. The unique experience of feeling overwhelmed, particularly by the "maniacal laughter" debuff, highlights the game's ability to evoke strong emotional reactions, making it stand out in the tactical genre.
- “Recommend to all fans of tactical and emotional games with a pretty difficult level.”
- “The debuffs from not sleeping are just plain to make the game a misery; this is the first game I've taken my headset off due to the sheer annoyance of the maniacal laughter debuff, which is just beautiful because no other game has made me feel like I'm going crazy in a game.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization strategy relies heavily on advertising that capitalizes on the game's inspiration from the cult classic "The Thing," which some users find misleading.
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should to enjoy the game.”
- “I find the in-game purchases to be overpriced and not worth the value they provide.”
- “The constant ads and prompts to buy premium content really detract from the overall experience.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Character development is enhanced by well-designed characters whose portraits dynamically reflect their condition and mental state, adding depth to their personalities and experiences.
- “I really appreciated the character designs and how the portraits change based on the character's condition and mental state.”
- “The depth of character development is impressive, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
- “I love how the choices I make influence the characters' growth and relationships throughout the game.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression throughout the game.”
- “I found the characters to be one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with their stories.”
- “Despite the interesting premise, the character arcs are predictable and fail to evolve in a satisfying way.”