Don't Knock Twice

61%
Game Brain Score Based on 493 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • graphics
Don't Knock Twice Game Cover
Released in 2016, Don’t Knock Twice was a decent horror film.
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In "Don't Knock Twice," players explore a sprawling estate while avoiding the vengeful witch that resides within. Gameplay consists of solving puzzles, finding hidden items, and evading the witch in a first-person perspective. The game is inspired by a Celtic legend and aims to deliver a cinematic horror experience with a strong narrative focus.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Virtual Reality
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Play​Station VR
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

61%
Audience ScoreBased on 493 reviews
story68 positive mentions
stability20 negative mentions
  • Intense and immersive experience, especially in VR, with genuinely good jump scares.
  • Well-designed atmosphere and sound design that effectively creates a creepy environment.
  • Offers a fun haunted house simulator experience with some interesting collectibles and puzzles.
  • Extremely short gameplay, typically completed in under 2 hours, making it feel overpriced.
  • Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, particularly when interacting with doors and objects.
  • Bland graphics and numerous bugs that can disrupt immersion and gameplay experience.
  • story218 mentions

    The game's story is often described as incoherent and underdeveloped, relying heavily on collectibles like notes and diaries to convey its narrative, which some players found engaging while others deemed it insufficient. Many reviews highlight the short length of the game, typically around 2-3 hours, and suggest that familiarity with the associated movie is necessary for a clearer understanding of the plot. Overall, while the atmosphere and character backstory received praise, the execution of the story left many players wanting more depth and cohesion.

    • “Incredibly atmospheric all the way through, loved the epistolary style; as you progress through the game and collect letters and notes, the story begins to piece together.”
    • “The trope of a parent working to rescue their child is a very common one, but the complexity of the relationship portrayed here, and the backstory of the main character, do make this a strong example for characterization built up even with relatively little actual interaction between characters.”
    • “The story was well put together and the ending was awesome!”
    • “The story seemed poorly conceived and the game has little to no substance…if you saw the movie you kind of know what was going on but the game does not add anything to the story.”
    • “Put bluntly, without knowledge of the movie, this game's story feels like the writer just took some common horror tropes and haphazardly mashed them together.”
    • “The plot is so stereotypical that it is easy to grasp, but it's never explained why certain elements are there or how they connect.”
  • atmosphere115 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepiness and effective use of sound and visuals, creating a tense and immersive horror experience. Many players appreciate the epistolary storytelling that enhances the atmosphere, although some note that the gameplay mechanics can disrupt immersion. While the game excels in creating a spooky ambiance, it is often criticized for being too short and lacking in substantive gameplay, which may detract from the overall experience.

    • “The visual and audio design creates a really good atmosphere, and the almost epistolary storytelling rewards players who keep their eyes peeled for notes and information.”
    • “The atmosphere is amazing, every sound, every lighting will catch your attention and make your skin crawl.”
    • “Overall, the atmosphere is the real gem of this game and very memorable and creepy.”
    • “The story seems interesting enough, but the atmosphere was severely lacking.”
    • “I think the biggest thing that kept breaking the atmosphere was the constant buzzing of a new text.”
    • “Maybe in an update the devs will polish it up but as of now, that's the one thing that cracked the horror atmosphere.”
  • graphics108 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the creepy atmosphere and well-designed environments, particularly in VR, while others criticize them as bland, outdated, or too dark to appreciate fully. Although there are instances of graphical glitches and low-fidelity models, many players find the visuals to be good overall, contributing positively to the game's ambiance. However, the inconsistency in quality and performance issues detract from the experience for some users.

    • “Graphics and performance is excellent, the environments are creepy when needed and well designed.”
    • “The atmosphere and visuals are effectively creepy, and the jump scares work a lot better in VR than in the movie.”
    • “A surreal masterpiece of tense pacing with beautiful blood dripping atmosphere and gorgeous graphics alive with shocking gore mutilating the mind's innocence with experiences never to be forgotten.”
    • “In some cases, the graphics were so lo-fi that it was impossible to take them seriously in the context of a fairly high-fidelity environment.”
    • “In non-VR, however, the game is a solid but mediocre experience with poor graphics, a lot of odd environmental bugs, and not a lot of replayability beyond an unimportant multiple-choice ending.”
    • “The visuals look outdated too.”
  • gameplay85 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a strong atmospheric horror experience, but it suffers from linearity, clunky controls, and a lack of engaging mechanics, leading to a tedious experience for some players. While the game includes collectible items that enhance storytelling, the overall gameplay is short (around 1-3 hours) and may not justify its price, especially given the minimal threat from enemies and occasional bugs. Despite these issues, it can still provide an entertaining experience, particularly if purchased on sale.

    • “Fantastic VR graphics, good storyline, intuitive gameplay, lots of dynamic gameplay and surprises.”
    • “Gameplay for me was 3 hours, and I definitely enjoyed every second.”
    • “Really dug the mechanic of using your own candle to light those mounted on the walls of the house.”
    • “The gameplay was also very short, so not worth the price.”
    • “While there is good atmosphere, I found the gameplay itself to be tedious (especially the text messages you receive) and the story less than engaging.”
    • “The controls are clunky and difficult to use; the gameplay itself lacked scares and was slow and boring.”
  • replayability22 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with many players noting that it offers little incentive to replay beyond unlocking achievements and exploring hidden content. While some users found moderate replay value in seeking out collectibles, the short length and lack of significant variations in gameplay diminish its overall replay potential.

    • “Graphics are good, sound was good, controls okay (doors need a lot of mouse movement). My only downfall with this game is that it is a bit short, taking me just under 2 hours while I was walking around looking at everything I could. However, it does have replay value, and I missed a load of achievements.”
    • “There are quite a few other achievements and hidden goodies to find as well, giving it some moderate replay value.”
    • “Depends on how thoroughly you want to explore and how many achievements you want to unlock. My first playthrough took around three hours, and I managed the majority of achievements while narrowly missing out on a few others, which suggests replayability.”
    • “In non-VR, however, the game is a solid but mediocre experience with poor graphics, a lot of odd environmental bugs, and not a lot of replayability beyond an unimportant multiple-choice ending.”
    • “It's a very short game with very little replay value.”
    • “☑ no replay value”
  • stability20 mentions

    The game exhibits several stability issues, including glitches, buggy controls, and physics problems, which can detract from the overall experience. While most glitches are not game-breaking and can often be resolved by restarting, the frequency of these issues has been noted as excessive for a short game. Despite these concerns, players still find enjoyment in the horror elements, with hopes for future fixes.

    • “The doors are a little janky/buggy at times and I walked into a few invisible anomalies here and there where I had to stand up (from sitting) and walk forward a little to free myself, but nothing game breaking.”
    • “Too many bugs and glitches for such a short game.”
    • “A little buggy with items getting stuck in the wall; especially if you teleport with them near a wall.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric and tension-building qualities, while others criticize it for being repetitive and wearing thin over time. The use of sound effects alongside the music is noted as effective, but there are also comments about the lack of variety and the absence of music in certain parts. Overall, while the music contributes significantly to the game's ambiance, its execution may not satisfy all players.

    • “The music and atmosphere are really well-done.”
    • “It was atmospheric, tense, and with a great use of music and sound effects.”
    • “Music and audio kiss the soul wetly like a seductress wrapped in a veil of deceptive loneliness which without warning transforms into a disharmonious flesh cutting shower of piano keys slicing one unto tones of deafening silence.”
    • “The highly repetitive music is just enervating.”
    • “The game relies on music 24/7 to provide tension and it really wears off after a few minutes.”
    • “There is eerie ambient music playing a lot.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be dull and tedious, primarily due to polish issues that detract from the overall experience. The repetitive sound effects and frequent fades to black during movement contribute to a sense of monotony, while the gameplay and story fail to engage, making interactions feel more like a chore than an enjoyable activity.

    • “Dull and tedious.”
    • “These are mostly polish issues, but they led to a fairly tedious experience for me.”
    • “While there is good atmosphere, I found the gameplay itself to be tedious (especially the text messages you receive) and the story less than engaging.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players praise the excellent graphics and well-designed environments, some experience significant issues like stuttering and lag that disrupt immersion. Adjusting graphics settings can improve performance on lower-end systems, but not all users find this sufficient to eliminate performance problems.

    • “Graphics and performance are excellent; the environments are creepy when needed and well designed.”
    • “I did have to turn down the graphics a bit to run smoothly on my laptop, but it didn't degrade them horribly, and my movements were a lot smoother.”
    • “Constant stuttering, clipping, and lag shatter immersion before it can even happen.”
    • “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, making it nearly unplayable during intense moments.”
    • “Frequent crashes and long loading times severely hinder the overall experience.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players found that the jump scares lacked emotional impact, leading them to approach frightening elements with curiosity rather than fear. This resulted in a more investigative mindset rather than an emotional response to the horror elements.

  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is perceived as forced and self-aware, with many players feeling it falls flat and fails to engage. Additionally, the lack of engaging content detracts from the overall comedic experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

49% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
1-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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