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Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a wonderful game that takes advantage of the found phone formula to tell an interesting and exciting story.
84%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
music, replayability
85% User Score Based on 327 reviews
Critic Score 83%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

iPhoneiPhoneNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPCPhonePhonePlaystation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsXbox OneXbox OneXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SAndroidAndroidMobile PlatformMobile PlatformPlayStationPlayStationTabletTabletXboxXboxiPadiPad

About

"Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins" is a single-player horror role-playing game with an excellent story, offering around 3 hours of playtime. In this survival horror, you investigate a chilling disappearance by examining a found phone, solving puzzles, and uncovering hidden clues. The game features mystery, suspense, and cryptic puzzles to solve, partnering with ex-UNIT scientist Petronella Osgood to unravel the truth behind the sinister events.

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins screenshot
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins screenshot
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins screenshot
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins screenshot
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins screenshot
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins screenshot
Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins screenshot

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 335 reviews
story52 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions

  • Engaging story that serves as a sequel to the beloved Doctor Who episode 'Blink', with familiar characters and references that fans will appreciate.
  • Creepy atmosphere and sound design that effectively captures the horror elements associated with the Weeping Angels, providing genuine suspense and jump scares.
  • Casual gameplay that is easy to pick up, making it accessible for both Doctor Who fans and newcomers to the franchise.
  • Short playtime of around 2-3 hours, which may leave players wanting more content and depth in the gameplay.
  • Limited puzzle complexity, with some players finding the gameplay repetitive and lacking in challenge.
  • The game may not resonate as well with those unfamiliar with Doctor Who, as it relies heavily on knowledge of the show's lore and characters.
  • story
    127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins" serves as a sequel to the iconic "Blink" episode, featuring familiar characters and a dark, engaging narrative that captivates both fans and newcomers. While some players appreciate the immersive storytelling and nostalgic references, others criticize its predictability and linearity, noting that it lacks significant plot twists or complexity. Overall, the game is seen as a fun, albeit short, addition to the Doctor Who universe, with a mix of engaging elements and some inconsistencies in the plot.

    • “The game's story revolves around the player character, who discovers a mysterious phone belonging to a missing person.”
    • “The story is regarded as canon, expanding on one of the best episodes of the new series to provide an intriguing mystery that not only fascinates, but at times, provides some genuinely frantic moments.”
    • “Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a fantastic game, providing tons of cool nods to the series, some great gameplay, and an engrossing story.”
    • “The story itself was very bland and kind of ruins the Weeping Angels since the concept of them is perfect but ruined by later seasons of Doctor Who.”
    • “It's essentially degrading fan service wrapped in abysmal writing with plot holes the size of entire universes.”
    • “The problem with this game is if you already watched the 'Blink' episode (which most of you must have watched), there is no plot twist, no surprises, no shocker. From the beginning, you already know what happened and the game is just about uncovering the secret that you already know.”
  • gameplay
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its casual and linear nature, often describing it as lacking depth and variety, particularly in puzzle design. While some appreciate the immersive mechanics and engaging story, others find the gameplay repetitive and overly simplistic, with a reliance on clicking and minimal challenge. Overall, it offers a short but enjoyable experience, especially for fans of the franchise, though it may not appeal to those seeking more complex gameplay.

    • “Controls, graphics, and gameplay are top of the line.”
    • “Fun gameplay and an interesting story which manages to appeal to both newcomers and whovians at the same time.”
    • “Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a fantastic game, providing tons of cool nods to the series, some great gameplay, and an engrossing story.”
    • “I wouldn't really recommend this game to anyone, but the price is cheap and if you manage to get your hands on the game at a discount, it will be worth the few hours of gameplay.”
    • “I like how it follows on from the relevant episode, but I feel that there is a tragic lack of gameplay...”
    • “Found this really boring, just keep clicking with slow boring dialogue and little to no actual gameplay and completed in 2 hours; on a plus note it was cheap but still feel like I paid too much.”
  • graphics
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the impressive visuals that blend live-action footage with stylized graphics, others criticize the simplistic 2D art assets in the mobile version, which lack significant resolution options and overall quality. Despite some positive remarks about the immersive aesthetic and good visual style, there are complaints about the graphics being subpar compared to other platforms. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as decent but not groundbreaking, particularly in the mobile version.

    • “The game's visuals are well-done, with a mix of live-action footage and stylized graphics.”
    • “The game's immersive storytelling, challenging puzzles, and impressive graphics and sound design make it a must-play for fans of the Doctor Who universe and puzzle-solving games in general.”
    • “Controls, graphics, and gameplay are top of the line.”
    • “While there are only two options to change the resolution for the mobile app, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the mobile app, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
    • “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
    • “I'd say it's a decent price and the graphics are about what you can expect from a phone game.”
  • music
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the well-executed sound design that enhances the horror atmosphere, others feel the background music is too subtle and lacks variety, with only the opening theme standing out. Despite this, the soundtrack has been praised for its nostalgic value and ability to evoke emotions, making it a worthwhile purchase for fans. Overall, the music contributes to the game's immersive experience, though it may not be as prominent as some players would prefer.

    • “The game's sound design is also well-done, with a mix of ambient noises and music that adds to the game's horror elements.”
    • “This one pulled me right in instantly, and I can't lie: I was grinning like an idiot when the theme song started and I knew I was going to solve mysteries with none other than my childhood (and, okay, adulthood, too) hero, the doctor!”
    • “The voice-overs, music, and sound effects built a creepy atmosphere.”
    • “I do wish there were some ambience/music or something going on in the background, but maybe that's the whole point.”
    • “Sadly, it doesn’t feature any of the great themes from the show except the opening music.”
    • “However, the game doesn't have too many music tracks, so it could be a bit boring playing the game, looking for clues and not hearing anything else.”
  • replayability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it linear with limited replay value, others appreciate the opportunity to explore different outcomes and discover missed content. The short length encourages multiple playthroughs, and there is potential for increased replay value through achievements. Overall, opinions vary, but many see replayability as a positive aspect.

    • “However, the game's replay value helps to offset this, as players can replay the game to experience different outcomes and storylines.”
    • “As I started playing the game, I wasn't sure if there would be much (if any) replay value, though with further inspection I realized that there are things that you may miss, so that might just be worth playing through the game again, and that isn't a problem due to the game only being as short as it is.”
    • “Overall a really great way to spend an evening and it seems like there's some replay value, which I look forward to.”
    • “Very short game with no replay value unless you somehow fail to do the optional objective.”
    • “It felt pretty linear, so not really any replayability (unless you want the one extra clip), but in my opinion it's still worth it.”
    • “As I started playing the game, I wasn't sure if there would be much (if any) replay value in this game. However, with further inspection, I realized that there are things that you may miss, so that might just be worth playing through the game again, and that isn't a problem due to the game only being as short as it is.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as tedious rather than challenging, with players finding the tasks repetitive and lacking in depth. While some appreciate the immersive world, many feel that the gameplay relies too heavily on monotonous clicking and fails to provide engaging puzzles or meaningful investigation.

    • “But it feels more tedious than challenging, since you can easily find the information you need.”
    • “There's no real investigation or putting clues together, but tedious clicking, interspersed with a bland, overly dragged out storyline.”
    • “Puzzles are tedious instead of challenging.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong feelings, with some players experiencing genuine tears and heartfelt moments, particularly those familiar with the source material. However, others who lack a connection to the characters may not feel the same emotional impact, suggesting that the game's emotional depth is heavily reliant on prior knowledge of the show. Overall, it successfully combines spooky elements with fun gameplay, creating a sense of dread that resonates with many players.

    • “Follow-up to the episode 'Blink' that actually made me cry; man, I love Doctor Who.”
    • “Very spooky, heartfelt in its making and its story, and really, really fun.”
    • “Honestly, I would recommend this; it's a fun little horror puzzle game that genuinely made me feel dread.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization of "Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins" has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users feeling it was poorly adapted from a mobile app to a PC game. Reviewers express concern over the game's data collection practices, including sharing personal information with third parties for advertising, suggesting it should have been offered for free as a promotional tool rather than a paid product.

    • “Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. The game seems to have been designed purely to irritate and offend fans of Doctor Who, which, while being a high-quality TV show, doesn't deserve to be presented by such a garbage mobile app.”
    • “So there's a trend here... 'Doctor Who and the Cash Grab Mobile App' would be a better title for this.”
    • “The developers admit that this data is personally identifying; they sell and share the data with Facebook for advertising profiling! They're collecting IPs and all kinds of other information about gamers and allowing it to be combined with other profiling data.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its genuinely creepy and immersive qualities, enhanced by effective writing, character development, and strong audio elements like voice-overs and sound effects. It successfully creates a captivating experience that appeals to both fans and newcomers, making it an addictive exploration of a found-phone narrative.

    • “Easily the best video game I've ever played with the Doctor Who license - good writing and characters, genuinely creepy atmosphere, and as my first found-phone game, it is worryingly addictive snooping through someone else's phone!”
    • “The atmosphere is great and it's a perfect fit into any Whovian's dream.”
    • “The voice-overs, music, and sound effects built a creepy atmosphere.”
    • “Easily the best video game I've ever played with the WHO license - good writing and characters, genuinely creepy atmosphere, and as my first found-phone game, it is worryingly addictive snooping through someone else's phone!”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received positive feedback, highlighting impressive performances by various characters, including Osgood, Lawrence, and Ingrid Oliver, with notable contributions from Natasha. Overall, players appreciate the game's smooth performance and execution.

    • “Awesome returns by Kaigan and outstanding performance by both Osgood and Lawrence with the help of Natasha.”
    • “Incredible game and phenomenal performance by Ingrid Oliver.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report significant stability issues, with frequent glitches occurring even on newer systems, which detracts from the overall experience. Troubleshooting is often necessary, and while there are multiple endings, the process can feel frustrating and underwhelming.

    • “However, the glitches in the game were well-reported, and I'm sorry to say that, even though my computer is relatively new, it kept glitching on mine as well.”
    • “The ending felt a tad underwhelming, but I think there are multiple endings. In fairness, that may just be because I had to wait a while and do a lot of troubleshooting to get there!”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a lighthearted approach that diminishes any horror elements, making the experience more comedic than frightening. Players appreciate the quirky voice given to characters, which adds to the overall fun and amusement.

    • “They decided to give them a voice (sort of), which takes away all the horror and makes it just funny, not scary.”

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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
3-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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