Emily Wants to Play
- August 13, 2018
- skhapps
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam
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Get on Apple StoreIn "Emily Wants To Play," you deliver a pizza to a creepy house where the windows are boarded up and the front door mysteriously closes behind you. As hours pass, you must avoid three dolls and a girl named Emily that roam the house. Stay alive to make it your last pizza delivery, or become the dolls' next plaything.
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Reviews
- The game delivers effective jump scares that keep players on edge.
- Unique gameplay mechanics that require players to strategize to survive against different dolls.
- The atmosphere is creepy and immersive, enhancing the horror experience.
- The game lacks clear instructions, making it frustrating for players to understand how to survive.
- Many players experience bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay.
- The final hour can feel overwhelmingly difficult and relies heavily on luck, leading to unwinnable situations.
- gameplay172 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Emily Wants to Play" is characterized by its unique mechanics and tense atmosphere, drawing comparisons to "Five Nights at Freddy's" with its hour-based structure and multiple antagonists. While the initial hours provide a fun and challenging experience, later levels suffer from increased randomness and frustrating mechanics, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall execution. Players appreciate the jump scares and the need to learn the mechanics, but many find the gameplay repetitive and reliant on luck, with some bugs detracting from the experience.
“Emily Wants to Play delivers a chilling and immersive horror experience with its unique gameplay and tense atmosphere.”
“The gameplay loop, while basic, has good flow on paper and gives every character a unique purpose.”
“But Emily does it greatly, with four antagonists and every night having different combinations, plus two hours having completely different gameplay that will keep you invested.”
“Had a lot of good scares and a fun time until hour 5 came around; the last hour was complete RNG, half the mechanics felt like it was a 70/30 coin flip on if they'd actually work, and the amount of RNG became much worse.”
“Each 'hour' of the game is about five minutes in real time (if you don’t die, of course), but it feels like it’s several hours instead, for the sheer mind-numbing boredom the repetitive gameplay induces.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is just as nonexistent, and all of the entertainment value stems from jump scares.”
- story110 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered to be average and somewhat cliché, with elements conveyed through scattered audio recordings and collectibles that provide backstory. While some players appreciate the atmospheric horror and the humor in the narrative, many criticize the plot for being uninspired and filled with major plot holes. Overall, the story serves as a secondary element to the jump scare mechanics, appealing primarily to fans of casual horror experiences rather than those seeking a deep narrative.
“With a story tied into this, it's definitely worth playing.”
“I love the bits of story that you find around the house and the creepy sounds of dolls running around behind you only to have you turn and nothing be there.”
“There are many collectibles in the house that make it worthwhile to explore the entire area in order to understand the backstory, what happened to the puppets and Emily.”
“The story is very much secondary to what is really only a 'jump scare' game.”
“The story is kinda lackluster.”
“Level design is basic, story is unoriginal, scares are way too overused.”
- graphics72 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are not cutting-edge or particularly impressive, they effectively contribute to the game's eerie atmosphere. Some users appreciate the low-quality visuals for enhancing the creepiness, while others criticize them as bland and lacking polish typical of AAA titles. Overall, the graphics are described as decent for an indie game, serving the horror theme but not standing out in terms of quality.
“This is my first time playing one and I like it; it's well put together with great graphics.”
“Graphics are on point, new game mechanics in the horror genre.”
“Fun game with good scares and good graphics.”
“You don't play anything actually... you just look around a room of horrendous graphics, and pick some worthless stuff up and it barely works the way you would think it would.”
“Between me not liking jumpscares and the bad graphics, I thought it was going to be a terrible game.”
“The graphics are also pretty bad, light/shadows especially.”
- atmosphere62 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as tense and immersive, effectively utilizing jump scares to create a chilling experience, particularly in VR. However, some players feel that the atmosphere can be lacking in depth and variety, often relying too heavily on jump scares rather than building a consistently eerie environment. Overall, while many appreciate the creepy ambiance and attention to detail, there are calls for more engaging elements to enhance the atmospheric experience.
“5/5 - 'Emily Wants to Play' delivers a chilling and immersive horror experience with its unique gameplay and tense atmosphere.”
“With jump scares around every corner and a chilling atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this game is not for the faint of heart!”
“The atmosphere was really well done, and the mechanics, once learned, are fairly simple.”
“The atmosphere itself isn't scary; it just plays off jump scares and feeling vulnerable as you have nothing but a flashlight to survive with.”
“Literally no creepy atmosphere and the dolls are even laughable; this feels like Joe's Diner. The people who crapped their pants should learn to know what a real horror game is like.”
“The atmosphere is okay but can feel pretty empty; although there are a few mementos like sound recordings, a lot more creepy notes and environmental changes would have gone a long way to aid the atmosphere of the game.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its blend of jump scares and a quirky backstory, particularly the amusing concept of an entity ordering pizza. Players find it entertaining to watch others navigate the game, especially those unfamiliar with its mechanics, leading to hilarious reactions. Overall, the game successfully combines elements of fear and comedy, making it a fun experience for both solo players and those sharing it with friends.
“It's hilarious watching other people play who don't know the rules.”
“The story isn't half bad and the thought of the entity ordering a pizza to get someone to come to the house is hilarious and creative.”
“Funny when you gift it to friends that aren't used to horror; it scares them like crazy.”
- stability20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is frequently described as "buggy" and "glitchy," with many users reporting significant stability issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players enjoyed the gameplay and horror elements, the consensus leans towards it being a broken and incomplete product, leading to recommendations to avoid it due to its instability.
“Yes, this game got the best terror reaction out of me that any game ever had before, but it was also a glitchy, buggy, broken mess.”
“Tl;dr: stay away from this buggy game!”
“Incomplete, broken, buggy, and filled with cheap and annoyingly loud jump scares.”
- music16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as a significant element, with classical pieces providing both comfort and tension during gameplay. While some players appreciate the great musical accompaniment, others note the absence of continuous music heightens the horror experience, making the sparse sound effects more impactful. Overall, the contrasting use of music contributes to the game's atmosphere, enhancing both comfort and fear.
“Great musical accompaniment.”
“I run back and turn the music back on for comfort.”
“There is literally no musical/cinematic audio and sound effects are literally doors opening and scuttling.”
“And the lack of music while playing makes it 10x more terrifying.”
“I turn on what turns out to be a radio that blasts old classical music.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often describing it as a slow slog that detracts from the overall experience. The reliance on RNG for progress adds to the unfairness, making the grind feel even more burdensome. While the atmosphere is appreciated, the repetitive gameplay and technical issues further exacerbate the grind's negative impact.
“A slow, tedious slog from start to finish.”
“The atmosphere is great, but the gameplay is tedious, repetitive, and frustrating.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- emotional12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, experiencing a mix of frustration and affection as they navigate its challenges. The intense moments, particularly involving a clown character, evoke feelings of sickness and dread, while the game's conclusion leaves many feeling a deep sense of sadness and longing. Overall, the emotional rollercoaster of love, hate, and craving for resolution highlights the game's impactful storytelling and design.
“That clown... it actually made me feel sick to my stomach and I love that!”
“Wonderful game, regular game for anybody and it just makes you want to cry at the end... because you won't stop dying... or getting new pairs of underwear... and don't forget... have a backup chair in case you decide to smash it... I am stuck at the last hour... and I have had it with it... so I decided to write a review about how much I love/hate/crave/feel for this game.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate its random elements that encourage repeated play, others criticize the controls and overall experience, suggesting limited replay value. Despite these issues, one reviewer rates its replayability highly, indicating that it can be engaging for those who enjoy its horror aspects. Overall, expectations for replayability should be tempered by the game's design and execution.
“Due to the random nature of the game, this game has some replayability, especially doing 5 AM over and over again.”
“If you're expecting a polished, exquisite product with great graphics and 10+ hours of gameplay and lots of replayability for five dollars, well... you're kind of silly.”
“Little replay value”
“10/10 scariest game I've ever played, and it actually has replay value.”
“+ due to the random nature of the game, this game has some replayability, especially doing 5 am over and over again.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users report significant performance issues and crashes even with high-end hardware like the RTX 2080 Super, necessitating adjustments to supersampling settings to achieve smoother gameplay on mid-spec VR-ready PCs.
“I had to adjust supersampling settings below 1 to get it to run smoothly on my mid-spec VR-ready PC.”
“Using RTX 2080 Super and experiencing poor performance and crashes.”
“Using RTX 2080 Super and experiencing poor performance and crashes.”
