Disturbed

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 927 reviews

story110 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Great hand-drawn art style that enhances the dark atmosphere.
Engaging story with multiple endings and a variety of ways to die.
Free to play, making it accessible for everyone.

Gameplay can feel repetitive due to trial and error mechanics.
Some deaths feel arbitrary and lack clear logic.
Short playtime, which may leave players wanting more content.

story
285 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
57%
4%
The game's story is a blend of dark fantasy and choose-your-own-adventure elements, featuring an intriguing yet straightforward narrative centered around a farmer's quest to save his plague-stricken land. While the art style is atmospheric and complements the eerie tone, many players found the plot to be somewhat linear and lacking depth, with a mix of engaging moments and frustrating trial-and-error gameplay. Overall, the story is appreciated for its simplicity and charm, making it a decent experience for fans of narrative-driven games, despite some criticisms regarding its execution and pacing.
- “The story is intriguing, the art is very atmospheric, and, while there’s not much audio, the sound effects are enjoyable nonetheless.”
- “The game's strongest point is of course the story.”
- “The story was funny with a dark sense of humor from the start.”
- “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.”
- “It doesn't really have a story that keeps you interested; it barely connects any dots and the ending is... meh, it just leaves you with that feeling of 'was that it?'.”
- “The story is well thought out, and although in some places you may fail - there is essentially a way around it of which you can find somewhere else.”
graphics
173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
55%
2%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique hand-drawn art style that effectively conveys a chilling atmosphere, often described as reminiscent of classic horror illustrations. While the monochrome visuals may not appeal to everyone, they are praised for their simplicity and ability to enhance the game's eerie narrative. Overall, the artwork is considered a highlight, contributing significantly to the immersive experience despite some critiques regarding the lack of refinement and additional sound elements.
- “The hand-drawn artwork throughout the game conveyed the desolate landscape and mood perfectly.”
- “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 artwork is amazing and the background noise is too.”
- “I just wish the graphics were better and more refined.”
- “Not the best graphics but enough for it to give away that creepy vibe.”
- “The minimalism of the artwork and sound contributed to the sour, depressing atmosphere of the game.”
atmosphere
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, eerie, and immersive qualities, enhanced by its unique art style and effective sound design. Many reviewers highlight the combination of minimal music and impactful sound effects that contribute to a sense of isolation and tension, making it a compelling experience for fans of atmospheric storytelling. Overall, the atmosphere is described as captivating, with a strong ability to evoke feelings of fear, despair, and intrigue throughout the gameplay.
- “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.”
- “The sound design works very well to amplify the atmosphere, hardly having any music to make you feel alone, with most of the sound serving the horror factor.”
- “The minimalism of the artwork and sound contributed to the sour, depressing atmosphere of the game.”
- “Simply put, the game has an impenetrable depressive atmosphere that should be experienced by any horror and black metal fans.”
music
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
55%
8%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric and haunting qualities that enhance the eerie setting, while others criticize the minimal presence of music, feeling it detracts from immersion. Many appreciate the subtle sound design that complements the visuals, but a common desire for more ambient music is noted, suggesting that a richer soundtrack could elevate the overall experience. Overall, while the existing music and sound effects contribute positively to the atmosphere, a more consistent musical presence is frequently requested.
- “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.”
- “The soft background music builds an unsettling atmosphere and allows the main sound effects to drive the eerie ambience.”
- “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.”
- “My biggest critique would be the lack of music, and that I wish it cost a small amount so that I could keep it in my library.”
gameplay
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
68%
7%
The gameplay is characterized by a simple, choose-your-own-adventure style that emphasizes trial and error, with players navigating through various choices that often lead to humorous outcomes or frequent deaths. While the mechanics are straightforward and reminiscent of old-school text adventures, the game offers an engaging storytelling experience and stylish visuals, making it enjoyable despite its lack of complexity and combat mechanics. Overall, players can expect a short but entertaining gameplay experience, typically lasting around 2 to 3 hours.
- “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.”
- “The gameplay might be a matter of taste, but the only kind of choices you have look like these: do you want to open the left door (you'll die, at least there are autosaves), the right door (you'll find an item which will be used automatically later on), or the middle door (you'll proceed)?”
- “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.'”
- “The gameplay of Disturbed is rather old-school.”
humor
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark and absurd elements, with many players finding the death sequences and achievement titles to be both funny and morbid. The gameplay encourages exploration through trial and error, often leading to humorous discoveries and unexpected deaths that are presented with witty captions. Overall, the game successfully combines a captivating story with a unique sense of humor, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of dark comedy and old-school adventure games.
- “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
20%
80%
Reviews highlight that grinding in the game can be quite tedious, often requiring players to backtrack and repeat sections, which can lead to frustration, especially after multiple deaths. While some players appreciate the casual nature of the game, others find the repetitive elements detract from the overall experience. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a significant but manageable hurdle in an otherwise enjoyable game.
- “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.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game elicits a strong emotional response through its poignant narrative and challenging themes, effectively making players confront their choices and mortality. Users appreciate the unexpected depth of the emotional arc, with many noting how the artwork enhances feelings of vulnerability and fear. Overall, it is recognized for its ability to provoke significant emotional engagement, despite being a free experience.
- “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.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers multiple endings and a fun experience for fans of choose-your-own-adventure games, many players feel that once all achievements are unlocked or choices are learned, the incentive to replay diminishes. However, its free nature and engaging mechanics may encourage some players to return for additional playthroughs.
- “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!”
- “Great replay value until you find what you are supposed and not supposed to do.”
- “Replay value: absolutely none -- because in playing the game, you learn the choices.”
- “It doesn't have a ton of replay value, but because it's free, that almost doesn't matter.”
- “- Not replayable once you get all the achievements.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization in Disturbed is criticized for its poor choices, which detracts from the overall experience; however, the game still delivers a darkly humorous and sadistic adventure beneath its simplistic visuals.
- “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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is praised for its completely free model, with no microtransactions or downloadable content, providing a genuine no-cost experience for players.
- “The monetization in this game feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend money on items that should be earnable through gameplay.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra.”
- “The game is riddled with microtransactions that disrupt the experience, pushing players to spend money to progress or enjoy the content.”