Don't open the doors!

While visually appealing, the game ultimately falters due to schizophrenic difficulty and a story that’s hard to follow. The forgiving death mechanic made the uncertain levels bearable, but didn’t quite redeem them back to entertaining. As far as appearances go, it stood out as its own title, Don’t Open the Doors fell short in regards to story and gameplay.

Starting at $1.09Buy now

Get on Steam

"Don't open the doors!" is a survival horror game that traps players in a dire situation. You must navigate through a dark, eerie location while avoiding monstrous creatures. The game relies on strategic door opening and closing, resource management, and stealth to survive. Each playthrough offers a unique experience with randomized events and permadeath.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 73 reviews

humor18 positive mentions

The claymation art style is unique and charming, creating a visually appealing world.
The game features fun environmental puzzles and witty dialogue that adds to the overall enjoyment.
Despite some challenges, the gameplay is engaging and offers a lot of exploration and treasure hunting opportunities.

The controls can be clunky and unresponsive, making gameplay frustrating at times.
The story lacks depth and coherence, with awkward dialogue that detracts from the experience.
Limited resources and difficulty spikes can lead to trial-and-error gameplay, which may frustrate players.

story
29 mentions
21 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized as quirky and humorous, appealing to some players while leaving others disappointed due to its lack of depth and coherence. Many reviews highlight the engaging quest design, though the dialogue suffers from poor translation and awkwardness, detracting from the overall narrative experience. While some players find enjoyment in the absurdity and art style, others criticize the story for being confusing and lacking impact, ultimately leading to mixed feelings about its execution.
- “The storyline and humor is right up my alley.”
- “This game is quite impressive: the story is funny, the claymation is well done, and I had a good time with it.”
- “The story is easy to follow; as you explore the world, you will find many doors, each containing mini-levels that can be rewarding.”
- “The story is cute, but don't expect it to get too deep.”
- “The story is ok but the translation is bad and the attempted jokes are cringy and fall flat, which makes it painful to make your way through.”
- “While visually appealing, the game ultimately falters due to schizophrenic difficulty and a story that’s hard to follow.”
humor
19 mentions
95 % positive mentions
-11 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its charming claymation and quirky dialogue, finding it funny and engaging. However, some critiques point to a lack of depth in the humor, describing it as cringy or unoriginal, with a few players outright disliking it. Overall, while the game has its humorous moments and a colorful atmosphere, opinions on the effectiveness of its humor vary significantly.
- “Charming little clay universe, with some funny quirks in conversational choices.”
- “Some parts caught me off guard with the meta humor and sight gags.”
- “So cute and interesting, most of the dialogues are funny and I enjoyed it very much.”
- “The dialogue is not funny and unengaging.”
- “The attempts at humor fall flat and feel forced.”
- “I found the jokes to be stale and lacking originality.”
graphics
18 mentions
50 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style and charming visuals, with many reviewers highlighting the creative animation and engaging level designs. While some acknowledge that the graphics may not meet modern standards, they appreciate the effort and aesthetic appeal, considering it a standout feature of the game. However, a few critiques mention that despite the appealing visuals, the overall gameplay lacks substance and enjoyment.
- “Honestly love the art style of this game and I find it absolutely amazing.”
- “Beautiful old school graphics - would recommend!”
- “The art style is fantastic, and a lot of the levels are engaging and challenging.”
- “If you look away from the bad graphics, confusing quests, and poor layout, it's still a pretty bad game.”
- “By modern standards, no, this is not a graphical standout, but for those of us who can appreciate the effort that goes into the final product, this is well worth the price of admission.”
- “Seems like a bog standard ARPG with a unique art style.”
gameplay
11 mentions
36 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, offering smooth mechanics and a short yet engaging experience of 9-15 hours, though some players find it lacking in depth and excitement. While the game features eye-catching visuals and a unique animation style, criticisms include clunky controls and a lackluster implementation of its core mechanics. The forgiving death mechanic is noted as a positive aspect, making challenging levels more manageable, but overall, the gameplay may not fully satisfy those seeking a deeper experience.
- “All in all, a short game that has a lot to offer jam-packed into 9-15 hours of gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is smooth.”
- “I value a game that keeps you on your toes and teaches new mechanics even as you grow; it scratches that itch perfectly.”
- “The gameplay was boring and clunky.”
- “The forgiving death mechanic made the uncertain levels bearable, but didn’t quite redeem them back to entertaining.”
- “As far as appearances go, it stood out as its own title, but Don't Open the Doors fell short in regards to story and gameplay.”
music
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects are generally well-received, complementing the game's theme and enhancing the overall experience, though some users express dissatisfaction, stating that the music is lacking. The combination of unique art styles and music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, despite a few criticisms.
- “The music and sound effects are entertaining and fit well with the game and its theme.”
- “The art and music, along with the general weirdness, make up for its shortcomings.”
- “The claymation and music are both good, but...”
- “The music sucks.”
- “The art and music and general weirdness make up for its shortcomings.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with only a few minor performance issues reported that do not significantly hinder the gameplay experience.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making it accessible for a wider range of hardware.”
- “Despite a few minor performance issues I encountered, they were not significant enough to deter me from enjoying the game.”
- “The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I experienced constant lag and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the poor optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be exceptionally charming and wholesome, evoking strong feelings of love and affection, making it a standout emotional experience.
- “This is the most charming, lovable, and wholesome game that I've played in a very long time.”