Disturbed

About

Disturbed is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by iBlackpen and was released on October 3, 2016. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Disturbed" is a hand-drawn adventure/horror visual novel inspired by experiences of depression and addiction. Play as Von, a struggling farmer facing a hopeless situation, and decide how to confront your fate. With no clear solution in sight, how will you deal with the hand you've been dealt? This short, impactful game may leave you questioning your own choices.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 948 reviews

story109 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

The game features a unique hand-drawn art style that effectively creates a dark and immersive atmosphere.
There are numerous ways to die, which adds a humorous and engaging element to the gameplay as players explore different outcomes.
The story is intriguing and reminiscent of classic 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books, making it enjoyable for fans of narrative-driven games.

The gameplay can feel repetitive due to the trial-and-error nature of many choices leading to instant death.
Some deaths feel arbitrary and lack clear foreshadowing, which can lead to frustration for players.
The game is quite short, which may leave players wanting more depth and content.

story
281 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
57%
4%
The story of "Disturbed" is a dark, choose-your-own-adventure narrative that captivates players with its eerie atmosphere and engaging writing, often reminiscent of early internet creepypasta. While the plot is straightforward and can feel linear at times, it offers intriguing twists and multiple endings, making it a compelling experience for fans of story-driven games. However, some players noted that the story can be confusing, with a few expressing disappointment in its abrupt conclusion and lack of depth.
- “The story is the absolute core of the whole thing.”
- “The game's strongest point is of course the story.”
- “The story this game offers is absorbing and thrilling.”
- “I mean, it's free and all that, but the story is incredibly generic and boring, overburdened with tons of worn-out tropes, and the navigation becomes a chore.”
- “The story doesn't really have a hook that keeps you interested; it barely connects any dots, and the ending is... meh, leaving you with the feeling of 'was that it?'.”
- “The story is pretty vague and simple; at least it's easy to follow, but it lacks depth and complexity.”
graphics
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
55%
2%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique black-and-white, hand-drawn art style that effectively conveys a dark and eerie atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. While some players appreciate the simplistic yet charming visuals, others feel that the graphics could benefit from refinement. Overall, the artwork is praised for its ability to immerse players in the unsettling world, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The black-and-white, hand-drawn art style is unique and totally fascinating—it looks fantastic.”
- “The hand-drawn artwork throughout the game conveyed the desolate landscape and mood perfectly.”
- “This dark-fantasy visual novel is absolutely fantastic at setting the eerie atmosphere with its monochrome graphics and seamlessly mixed sounds and effects.”
- “Artwork and writing may feel cheap/amateurish to some.”
- “I just wish the graphics were better and more refined.”
- “Not the best graphics but enough for it to give away that creepy vibe.”
atmosphere
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its dark, moody, and oppressive qualities, effectively immersing players in a creepy and unsettling experience. The hand-drawn black and white visuals, combined with minimal sound design, enhance the eerie ambiance, evoking feelings of isolation and dread. While some players noted a desire for more atmospheric music, the overall consensus is that the game successfully creates a compelling and immersive atmosphere that resonates with fans of horror and dark narratives.
- “It absolutely nails the dark, moody, and oppressive atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is killer and makes for such a good experience.”
- “This dark-fantasy visual novel is absolutely fantastic at setting the eerie atmosphere with its monochrome graphics and seamlessly mixed sounds and effects.”
- “Genuinely unsettling atmosphere.”
- “The sound design works very well to amplify the atmosphere, hardly having any music to make you feel alone, with most of the sound that is there serving the horror factor.”
- “The minimalism of the artwork and sound contributed to the sour, depressing atmosphere of the game.”
music
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
6%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric and haunting qualities of the sparse soundtrack, while others criticize the lack of a more consistent musical presence. Many highlight the effective use of sound effects to enhance the eerie atmosphere, but there is a common desire for additional ambient music to deepen immersion. Overall, the sound design is noted as fitting the game's tone, though a more robust musical score could have elevated the experience further.
- “One of the most beautiful games I've ever played, a unique experience, such an honorable example of the black arts. I enjoyed every single second of the soundtrack and visuals... highly recommended.”
- “The music is both beautiful and slightly haunting, really helps create an atmosphere of despair and loss within the world, while the ethereal quality gives the impression of the farmer's faint hope things will change.”
- “Creepy artwork, atmospheric music, and death at every step.”
- “There is no music; only vague sound effects that accompany your choices, be it the creaking of hinges as you open an old door, or the rustle of dried pages as you read a journal.”
- “The only negatives I would mention are the lack of soundtrack and the fairly predictable outcomes.”
- “You can play for minutes at a time without hearing anything whatsoever, and music is virtually nonexistent.”
gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
The gameplay of this visual novel is largely characterized by simple, narrative-driven mechanics that involve making choices and navigating through the story, often leading to trial-and-error scenarios. While some players appreciate the humor and art style, others criticize the lack of depth and poorly written dialogue, resulting in a mixed reception. Overall, the gameplay is straightforward and can be enjoyable for those who appreciate a casual, choice-based experience, but it may not appeal to everyone due to its limited interactivity and repetitive nature.
- “Good 1.5 hours of gameplay and nice storytelling with basic puzzles is the easiest way I can sum up this game.”
- “The gameplay loop is to navigate through the world by making decisions on where to explore through trial and error (and some of these are actually humorous to discover).”
- “This trial-and-error approach added to my enjoyment as I tried to feel my way around the game and it made it really exciting when I got further into the game and started progressing more and more quickly--it made the gameplay amp up towards the end, which was very cool.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “The gameplay is nothing new or groundbreaking, but the art is stylish, appropriate, and hand-drawn.”
- “Typical gameplay action looks like: 'choose door A, door B, or door C?'... choose door A... die!... reload... choose door B... die!... reload... choose door C... 'okay.'”
humor
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark and absurd elements, with players frequently encountering funny and morbid deaths that are often accompanied by clever captions and achievement titles. Many reviewers appreciated the game's ability to elicit laughter through its quirky storytelling and unexpected outcomes, making the experience both entertaining and satisfying. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm to the gameplay, appealing to fans of dark, cynical comedy.
- “The story was funny with a dark sense of humor from the start.”
- “The deaths in the game aren't explicitly shown and usually have a funny caption along with them.”
- “I was laughing so much at this goofy little thing.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Reviews highlight that grinding in these games can often feel tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over the need to backtrack and repeatedly engage with familiar content. While some appreciate the casual nature of the gameplay, many find the experience can become monotonous, particularly when navigating through extensive dialogue or when faced with frequent deaths that require restarting from earlier points. Overall, the grinding aspect detracts from the enjoyment for some players, making the experience feel laborious at times.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The premise is simple and solid, but the game itself becomes a bit tedious as you backtrack to and fro, literally cycling through familiar images and blocks of text to get from one area to another.”
- “By the 9th death and even with having a save point just before yet another death scene, it still didn't make it any less tedious.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find significant value in exploring multiple endings and enjoy the addictive nature of choice-driven gameplay, others feel that once all achievements are unlocked or choices are learned, the incentive to replay diminishes. The free nature of the game also contributes to a more forgiving perspective on its replay value.
- “The replay value is through the roof!”
- “Even though it's a short plot, the amount of endings you have means there is a fair bit of replay value for a free visual novel.”
- “Any fans of choose your own adventure will love this fun game; it has save features similar to visual novels and the replayability to complete the game is very addicting!”
- “It doesn't have a ton of replay value, but because it's free, that almost doesn't matter.”
- “Replay value: absolutely none -- because in playing the game, you learn the choices.”
- “Not replayable once you get all the achievements.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's unexpected emotional depth, praising its exploration of difficult themes and the impactful artwork that evokes feelings of vulnerability and fear. The experience of repeated deaths is described as both fun and rewarding, contributing to a sense of success despite the game's challenges. Overall, the emotional arc resonates strongly, making it a noteworthy experience for players.
- “What really stood out, though--and I wasn't expecting this at all--was the emotional arc that the game follows.”
- “The developer is to be commended for tackling a difficult emotional theme, and for publishing the game for free as a public service.”
- “The artwork was great and made me feel like such a small human being, scared of every choice I had to make.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The optimization of "Disturbed" has received mixed reviews, with a score of 5/10 due to poor optimization options and some display issues. Despite these drawbacks, the game runs smoothly overall and offers a compelling adventure filled with dark humor.
- “The game runs smoothly, thanks to its excellent optimization.”
- “I appreciate how well-optimized the game is for various hardware configurations.”
- “The performance improvements from the optimization updates have made a noticeable difference.”
- “Disturbed suffers from some poor options for optimization, but behind the odd display and simplistic fonts lies an adventure just as sadistic as the title promises, that revels in its own blend of black humor.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its completely free model, with no microtransactions, downloadable content, or hidden costs, providing a genuinely free gaming experience.
- “The monetization in this game is frustrating; it feels like every feature is locked behind a paywall.”
- “I can't believe how aggressive the monetization is; it ruins the overall experience.”
- “The game constantly pushes you to spend money, making it hard to enjoy without feeling pressured.”