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Draugen is a single player action adventure game with horror, fantasy, mystery and historical themes. It was developed by Red Thread Games and was released on May 29, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Draugen is a first-person psychological horror adventure, set amongst the deep fjords and towering mountains of Norway’s awe-inspiring west coast. The game is a dark and disturbing journey into the pitch black heart of Norwegian national romanticism, as seen through the eyes of an American nature photographer, botanist and entomologist.

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72%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,090 reviews
story409 positive mentions
gameplay14 negative mentions

  • Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that captures the essence of 1920s Norway.
  • Engaging voice acting and character interactions, particularly between Edward and Lissie.
  • Intriguing story with psychological themes that invites players to interpret the narrative.
  • Very short gameplay, typically around 3-4 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
  • Linear progression with limited exploration and interaction, making it feel more like a guided experience than a game.
  • The story leaves many questions unanswered, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction with the conclusion.
  • story
    1,260 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Draugen* is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its atmospheric setting and intriguing premise centered around a missing sister in a mysterious Norwegian village. However, critiques often highlight the story's predictability, underdeveloped plot points, and unsatisfying conclusions, leaving players feeling detached from the characters and unresolved mysteries. While some find the narrative engaging and emotionally resonant, others feel it lacks depth and coherence, ultimately making it more of an interactive experience than a fully realized story.

    • “Accompanied by his young ward, Lissie, Edward’s quest begins as a straightforward mystery but gradually transforms into an exploration of grief, obsession, and the fragile boundaries between memory and madness.”
    • “The developers have crafted an environment that doesn’t simply serve as a backdrop to the story but as an extension of Edward’s mind, reflecting his confusion and melancholy in every shadow and echo.”
    • “Ultimately, Draugen is a deeply human experience—a story about loneliness, loss, and the fragile hope that keeps us searching even when the truth terrifies us.”
    • “Draugen is a game with plenty of atmosphere that suffers from a generic and poorly written story.”
    • “The game tries to convince you that you're playing a detective story, but halfway through, the writer shows the middle finger in a very badly presented plot twist and keeps mocking the player's investment in the story until the end, when a 'our heroes will return' title appears in the credits, leaving you totally detached from the characters and anything that could happen to them.”
    • “The story is ultimately unfulfilling and feels like there's a lot that ended up on the cutting-room floor.”
  • graphics
    252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning beauty and attention to detail, particularly in depicting the Norwegian landscapes and atmospheric settings. Many players noted that the visuals create an immersive experience, often likening them to an animated painting, although some criticized inconsistencies in quality and character models. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, they are sometimes overshadowed by gameplay and narrative shortcomings.

    • “The visuals in this game are going to take your breath away.”
    • “Draugen has amazing atmospheric graphics and a fantastic soundtrack.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and really capture the Norwegian environment.”
    • “Unfortunately, the graphics leave something to be desired, which is probably due to the fact that the game was in development for a long time.”
    • “The graphics are a mixed bag; there are some scenes that are passable or better, but then there are some scenes where the lighting is just outright broken, making the game confusing to look at.”
    • “This was the thing that bummed me out the most: the graphics really don't reflect how nature looks here at all very well. At times, I was wondering if the developers had ever been in Norway. The graphics are a lot worse than what the trailer is showing.”
  • music
    235 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its haunting orchestral score composed by Simon Poole, which enhances the atmospheric experience and complements the beautiful visuals. Players describe the soundtrack as stunning, evocative, and integral to the game's emotional impact, often highlighting it as one of the standout features. While some noted that the music could be underused at times, the overall consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's immersive and eerie ambiance.

    • “The music, composed by Simon Poole, reinforces this sense of place with a haunting orchestral score that alternates between gentle melancholy and quiet dread.”
    • “Draugen's soundtrack is my favorite soundtrack ever made; every song is unnerving yet tranquil and embodies the feeling of awakening to truth despite its harshness.”
    • “The music is without a doubt the highlight of the game for me, the delightful melodic soundtrack, with elements of piano and other instruments, it's beautiful.”
    • “The music was average, nothing that would make me remember it after finishing this game.”
    • “The music seems to disappear or become just faint background noises after the intro and beginning part.”
    • “A few scenes felt 'overdramatic' due to it and felt like it tried to force me to feel horrified, scared or otherwise, which I would have been, if it weren't for the music.”
  • atmosphere
    178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Draugen" is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and emotional depth, effectively capturing the essence of a remote Norwegian fjord town. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a range of feelings, from tranquility to eeriness, enhanced by a beautiful soundtrack and strong voice acting. However, some critiques mention that while the atmosphere is compelling, it can overshadow the story, which may feel underdeveloped or disappointing at times.

    • “The game belongs to the lineage of atmospheric 'walking simulators,' but it stands apart through its emotional intimacy, its deeply psychological undercurrents, and its meticulous sense of place.”
    • “Draugen has an amazing atmosphere with beautiful scenery and an interesting plot.”
    • “The atmosphere, story, and voice acting were very good even though I called the twist pretty much immediately.”
    • “Draugen is a game with plenty of atmosphere that suffers from a generic and poorly written story.”
    • “Unrealistically dramatic and above all overly disrespectful communication of the 17-year-old sidekick spoils the early 1900s atmosphere.”
    • “I was really let down at the turn the story took at the halfway point of the game; every question raised, mystery found, and the atmosphere that was established was thrown out the window, and what followed was super disappointing.”
  • gameplay
    141 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in *Draugen* is primarily a walking simulator, characterized by minimal interactivity and a linear narrative structure that emphasizes exploration and dialogue over traditional gameplay mechanics. Players navigate a beautifully rendered environment, but the experience is often criticized for its lack of meaningful choices, puzzles, and overall engagement, leading to a feeling of tedium, especially given its short playtime of around 2-4 hours. While the atmospheric visuals and storytelling may appeal to some, many reviewers find the gameplay insufficient to justify its price.

    • “The absence of mechanical complexity allows the story and setting to take center stage.”
    • “Yet, these limitations are less design failures than conscious choices, emphasizing mood and emotion over mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay consists of exploring the village and collecting clues, with the ability to interact with several objects sometimes.”
    • “From a gameplay perspective, Draugen is minimalist.”
    • “The gameplay basically never interacts with the story and it's all just 'walk here and press the button to read'.”
    • “There is zero gameplay here, not even small puzzles or anything; you just walk from point A to B.”
  • emotional
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its atmospheric storytelling and character dynamics, particularly the bond between the protagonists, which serves as a psychological mirror and emotional anchor. While many players found the narrative touching and immersive, some criticized its pacing and emotional depth, noting that certain plot twists detracted from the overall impact. Overall, the game offers a mix of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, with strong voice acting enhancing the emotional experience, though it may not resonate with everyone.

    • “The game belongs to the lineage of atmospheric 'walking simulators,' but it stands apart through its emotional intimacy, its deeply psychological undercurrents, and its meticulous sense of place.”
    • “Their bond provides the emotional backbone of the game, transforming what could have been a solitary exploration into a dialogue-driven character study.”
    • “I truly adore this game, and the endless emotional rollercoasters it brought me through with its extreme beauty.”
    • “All in all, a boring story that the developers have given themselves far too much credit for.”
    • “Draugen is nothing but a boring story about an American who lost his sister and his demons of being persistently obsessed with her disappearance.”
    • “It is simply too kind and linear in its way of telling an already boring story where all you do is look for clues to what happened to the people in this desolate place (by looking, I mean, look for the white ring popup and click them all).”
  • optimization
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing minor bugs and performance issues, while others report smooth gameplay without significant problems. However, many reviewers noted that the game suffers from poor graphical optimization, leading to frame rate drops and inadequate texture detail, particularly in demanding scenes. Additionally, the game's dark visuals and weather effects have been criticized for negatively impacting visibility and overall performance.

    • “I didn't encounter any bugs or performance issues during my playthrough.”
    • “Since it's a slow game, I have no big complaints about performance.”
    • “The performances are pretty good from the voice actors; they definitely feel like immersive characters all things considered.”
    • “The story is too linear, and honestly not that interesting at all; the game was badly optimized, with too many FPS drops, and I run a 1080 Ti OC edition with an i7-9700K.”
    • “The performance is also unfortunate; some areas tank with the weather effects, and the game is overall way too literally dark. I ended up turning my gamma up to neon just to see anything indoors.”
    • “I know it's a very minor thing, but I expected more considering the performance, which isn't great.”
  • replayability
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the multiple endings and secrets that encourage revisiting, many criticize its short playtime and lack of substantial replay value. Several reviews highlight that, despite the engaging narrative, the limited content and high price point make it difficult to justify multiple playthroughs. Overall, the consensus leans towards low replayability, particularly for those seeking longer gameplay experiences.

    • “There is replayability; the game has multiple possible endings.”
    • “I would recommend playing this game as it was made with care and it's now my favorite 'walking simulator'. It may not exactly have the replayability of The Stanley Parable, but after my first playthrough, I'd say it's worth coming back to, like a good book.”
    • “✅ Good replayability.”
    • “I bought the game on sale and am happy with it, but I would advise against buying it at full price because the playing time is quite short and the replay value is limited.”
    • “It is very short and has no replay value; once it is done, it's done, and not worth full price.”
    • “I cannot recommend it due to the high price for the very short gameplay with limited replayability, but if you like a well-told story of mystery with dark undertones, I would give this game a look and maybe hold off until a sale.”
  • grinding
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, with long dialogues and repetitive gameplay contributing to a sense of frustration. While some appreciate the well-written story and beautiful setting, many feel that the experience is marred by a lack of meaningful choices and a drawn-out pace that detracts from enjoyment. Despite these criticisms, a few players still found value in the overall experience.

    • “It can feel a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
    • “While some may find it too grindy, I appreciate the sense of progression it offers.”
    • “This game is so dull and tedious that it wears down your patience.”
    • “A beautiful setting and an interesting story aren't enough to carry a game this tedious.”
    • “The gameplay is an absolute tedious drag and the dialogue gets annoying.”
  • humor
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the quirky interactions and find certain characters amusing, others feel that the humor falls flat, with annoying sidekicks and unfunny dialogue detracting from the experience. Overall, the effectiveness of the humor seems to depend on individual character dynamics and personal taste.

    • “Still, it was engaging, made me laugh, and left me feeling haunted with the music lingering in my mind.”
    • “The characters and the way they interacted was pretty funny.”
    • “With him, he has Lissie, a young and energetic girl with funny comments, some weird opinions, and a contagious and wonderful energy.”
    • “Game devs, take note: quirky female protagonists are not funny or cute.”
    • “The jokes fell flat and often felt forced, lacking any real wit.”
    • “I expected humor, but instead, I was met with cringeworthy attempts at comedy.”
  • character development
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the intriguing setup and rich character design, while others criticize the lack of depth and meaningful scenes that hinder emotional engagement. Despite strong voice acting and visuals, many feel that the storytelling falls short, resulting in a disconnection from the characters. Overall, the character development aspect is seen as underwhelming, with a notable disparity between design quality and narrative execution.

    • “The twists and character development left me awestruck.”
    • “It has rich character design and interactions, telling a moral code to the player.”
    • “The game is beautiful, the character designs and environment are very well done.”
    • “Character development: 2/10”
    • “Character development is happening without any real scenes or background to let us understand why.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting a smooth experience free of major glitches, while others encountered distracting texture issues and game-breaking bugs that hindered progress. Overall, it appears to function adequately for a linear story-driven experience, but the presence of bugs and limitations in exploration detracts from the overall enjoyment.

    • “This hidden gem of a mystery/walking simulator played smoothly with no glitches all the way.”
    • “It's not a bad game since it's bug-free and solid overall as a linear story-driven mystery game with excellent voice acting.”
    • “The game is really short and it is a bit buggy and lacking a FOV slider.”
    • “Very slow paced, around 3 hours long walking sim, not as adventurous due to very limited environment that doesn't let you explore anything that wasn't 'intended' to be explored (which is around 90% of the map). The glitches in textures were very distracting, the characters had potential but the game was way too short and uneventful for me to care for them. The mystery itself was a bit dull and the whole 'detective' mechanics were so poorly implemented it didn't even feel like I was solving anything.”
    • “I also had some issues with glitches preventing me from moving where I needed to go (getting stuck for no reason) at crucial times.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's monetization model is well-received, with users appreciating the absence of microtransactions and additional downloadable content (DLC), indicating a preference for a straightforward purchase without ongoing costs.

    • “No microtransactions, thank you!”
    • “The DLC policy is fair and adds value without being intrusive.”
    • “I appreciate that the game respects my wallet and doesn't push for extra purchases.”
    • “The game's monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend more than they should.”
    • “I appreciate that there are no microtransactions, but the lack of content feels like a way to force players to pay for DLC.”
    • “The DLC policy is frustrating; it seems like essential features are locked behind a paywall.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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3h Median play time
3h Average play time
3-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 23 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Draugen is a action adventure game with horror, fantasy, mystery and historical themes.

Draugen is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Draugen.

Draugen was released on May 29, 2019.

Draugen was developed by Red Thread Games.

Draugen has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Draugen is a single player game.

Similar games include The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, The Park, Call of the Sea, The Suicide of Rachel Foster, Firewatch and others.