Door in the Woods

About

Door in the Woods is a single player survival role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by teedoubleuGAMES and was released on December 4, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Door in the Woods" is a narrative-driven adventure game with psychological horror elements. You play as a journalist investigating a mysterious door that appeared in the woods, uncovering supernatural secrets and grappling with your own mental health. The game features puzzles, multiple endings, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 221 reviews

gameplay16 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and immersive roguelike experience with a Lovecraftian horror theme, effectively using ASCII graphics to create a tense atmosphere.
Players appreciate the challenging gameplay that requires strategic decision-making, with a focus on survival and resource management.
The developer is responsive to community feedback and actively updates the game, adding new content and features based on player suggestions.

The lack of a save feature frustrates many players, as it forces them to lose all progress if they need to exit the game or die while insane.
Some players find the game overly reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating experiences where they feel their deaths are often out of their control.
The game can feel repetitive after a few runs, with limited scenarios and character options that may not provide enough variety to keep players engaged long-term.

gameplay
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
67%
9%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of intriguing mechanics and a dark, atmospheric experience, though opinions vary widely. While some players appreciate the depth and challenge of the roguelike elements, others find the slow pace and repetitive nature frustrating, with a lack of clear objectives and a punishing experience loss system. Overall, the game offers a unique take on survival horror, but may not satisfy those seeking more complex or engaging mechanics.
- “It's chock-full of subtle, hidden mechanics that make each run (not to mention each scenario) an altogether different but always engaging and delightfully painful experience.”
- “The gameplay is intuitive and challenging and really can provide an atmosphere of dread.”
- “What we have here is a gem of a game: aside from the obviously awesome 2.5D ASCII engine, it's packed with great writing, awesome atmosphere that leaves room for imagination, a slick minimalist UI, and several mechanics that make choices relevant (e.g., inventory management) and runs rewarding even if in the end you'll die in true roguelike fashion.”
- “The gameplay is very slow and frustrating; you walk around looking for useful stuff and eventually you will be killed by some creature.”
- “But gameplay is not very intriguing enough to keep someone interested for more than an hour or so.”
- “The real problem, however, is that the game also has a mechanic wherein this currency is erased if you die at zero sanity, encouraging the player to save one bullet for themselves if they are about to go insane, because you will lose hours and hours of progress.”
graphics
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
10%
The game's graphics, primarily utilizing ASCII art, evoke a unique neo-retro aesthetic that enhances its dark, Lovecraftian atmosphere. While some players appreciate the minimalist design for its imaginative potential and nostalgic charm, others find the lack of detailed visuals detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as effective in creating a moody and oppressive environment, though they may not appeal to everyone, particularly those unfamiliar with ASCII styles.
- “Don't let the game's bare-bones (but oh-so-beautiful) neo-retro visuals deceive you.”
- “The ASCII graphics only add to this unnatural atmosphere of hopelessness; its simplicity allows your mind to fill in the blanks.”
- “The visuals are really nice and add a great deal of depth and detail to the world while leaving a lot up to your imagination.”
- “The lack of graphics means there's literally nothing to see, no creepy scenery or unsettling imagery, which greatly detracts from any sense of exploration or discovery.”
- “I was full of expectations, was wondering how are they going to surprise me with the lack of graphics and audio... I played it for 30 minutes and honestly I was pretty disappointed.”
- “While people might say the graphics are bad, it really isn't a problem, but there is clever usage of letters, such as 'z' and 'z' zombies being different; 'z' zombies are much easier to kill, probably because they are kiddo zombos.”
atmosphere
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its oppressive, bleak, and lovecraftian qualities, effectively enhancing the sense of dread and loneliness through minimalist graphics and sparse audio. While many players appreciate the engaging and immersive environment, some express a desire for more atmospheric music and content to further enrich the experience. Overall, the combination of simple mechanics and a haunting atmosphere creates a compelling, if unsettling, gameplay experience.
- “For such a simple interface and simple game mechanics, this is surprisingly engaging and atmospheric.”
- “The atmosphere is bleak and the monsters are dangerous.”
- “This game conveys a great horrifying atmosphere through its simplistic graphics.”
- “As much as I enjoy this game for the gritty and nihilistic atmosphere it provides, the dev has no intention of adding any further development despite it being a game with some good potential.”
- “The ASCII graphics only add to this unnatural atmosphere of hopelessness; its simplicity allows your mind to fill in the blanks.”
- “The game's atmosphere is definitely Lovecraftian; quite dark, foreboding, and quite off-putting.”
story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and well-written, while others criticize it for being weak and lacking cohesion. Many reviews highlight the horror elements and the potential for interesting narratives through gameplay, but note that the story often feels disjointed and minimal, with little progression between runs. Overall, it seems that while there are intriguing aspects to the story, it may not be the main draw for all players.
- “Simple and punishing 'classic' roguelike; but with a novel '3D' aesthetic, a bit of meta progression and apparently a well-written story.”
- “A true horror rogue-like where each run plays out like a bleak horror story.”
- “Go in as blind as possible and discover all the awesome interactions and story.”
- “It's very much a horror short story simulator, emphasis on the short.”
- “There's little to no story at all.”
- “I feel like the game would be better if the developer picked a more clear theme and thought of an actual story and gameplay loop instead of just having the player go around in a map with no content.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The music in the game is criticized for its limited variety, featuring only one track that leads to awkward silences, which detracts from the overall atmosphere. While the existing moody and creepy music contributes to a sense of dread, players express a desire for more ambient sound and music to enhance immersion. Overall, the sparse audio experience leaves players feeling that the game could benefit significantly from a richer musical landscape.
- “Moody music, moody graphics, moody scenarios, moody mechanics.”
- “Creepy music, lonely atmosphere, deadly as heck, (and that does make it fun), and ...while I would not say the graphics are the most advanced graphics I've ever seen, they are quite effective.”
- “- what little ambient sound/music there is adds to the dread.”
- “Unfortunately, that's one of my biggest gripes: the game's music has one track, and when it finishes, you hear dead silence for a while until it kicks back on.”
- “I just wish that there was more music or ambience within the game; it's a tad awkward to butcher a body of a fellow human being in complete silence.”
- “The only thing I hear is the SCP menu music on loop.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players criticize the grinding aspect of the game, noting that limited content is locked behind tedious mechanics that detract from the overall experience. The grind is described as boring and excessive, with some players feeling that it serves only to artificially extend playtime without adding meaningful engagement.
- “The little content that is there is locked behind grinding.”
- “But there's honestly just not much there, besides a mechanic-bare roguelike, trying to boost play time with tedious grind mechanics wearing a paper-thin 'Lovecraftian' theme where the big gimmick is to kill yourself so you grind less.”
- “This game is a grindy, boring mess.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant performance issues, indicating a strong need for optimization to enhance the overall experience.
- “It really needs optimization.”
- “There are performance problems (really?)”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The first scenario is noted for its high replayability, while the subsequent scenarios are considered less replayable, though still enjoyable.
- “The first scenario is highly replayable; arguably, the others are too, but in my opinion, they are less so.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from the juxtaposition of sanity management and absurdity, as players can choose to maintain their sanity through mundane activities like reading or drinking alcohol, which adds a comedic twist. Alternatively, players can embrace madness for quicker experience gains, creating a humorous tension between risk and reward.
- “You can either play it safe (like I do) - making sure your sanity stays high by avoiding monsters or restoring it through reading and/or drinking alcohol (which is hilarious), or you can choose to deliberately (or not) go insane, racking up experience faster, with the intent being to regain sanity before you die.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a profound emotional impact from the game, highlighting its ability to evoke strong feelings and connect deeply with their experiences.
- “I've never been more emotionally impacted by a game on my screen than today.”