Emily Wants to Play
- August 13, 2018
- skhapps
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store
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.
iPad
iPhone
Phone
Windows
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Xbox
Reviews
- The game delivers effective jump scares and creates a genuinely creepy atmosphere.
- The mechanics of dealing with different dolls provide a unique challenge and keep the gameplay engaging.
- For its low price, the game offers a fun and terrifying experience, especially when played in a dark room with headphones.
- The game can feel repetitive and frustrating, especially in the later hours where RNG can lead to unwinnable situations.
- Lack of clear instructions can leave players confused about how to progress, leading to frequent deaths.
- Technical issues, particularly in VR mode, can hinder the experience and make the game unplayable for some users.
- gameplay86 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Emily Wants to Play" is characterized by its simple mechanics and a strong horror atmosphere, drawing comparisons to "Five Nights at Freddy's" with its night-based structure and unique antagonist interactions. While the first few hours are engaging and challenging, the experience can become frustrating due to reliance on RNG and bugs, particularly in the later stages, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite its shortcomings, many players appreciate the tension and jump scares, making it a worthwhile experience for horror enthusiasts, especially at its low price point.
“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.”
“I tried to work out the game mechanics, but resetting back to the end of each level every time you die is banal and tiresome.”
“The atmosphere is great, but the gameplay is tedious, repetitive, and frustrating.”
- story55 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally viewed as mediocre, with many reviewers noting its cliché elements and lack of depth, though some appreciate the atmospheric horror and the narrative conveyed through audio tapes and collectibles. While it provides a basic framework for the gameplay, it often feels secondary to the jump scare mechanics, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. Despite its shortcomings, some players find the backstory engaging enough to enhance the experience, particularly for fans of the horror genre.
“Amazing story.”
“With a story tied into this, it's definitely worth playing.”
“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 kind of lackluster.”
“Level design is basic, story is unoriginal, scares are way too overused.”
- graphics36 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 decent quality and clarity, while others criticize the bland visuals and lighting inaccuracies. Overall, the graphics are described as "mid" or basic, fitting for an indie horror title, but they still manage to enhance the game's tension and scares.
“This is my first time playing one and I like it; it's well put together with great graphics.”
“Fun game with good scares and good graphics.”
“Control is great, graphics are nice.”
“Graphics are as well pretty much mid.”
“The graphics are also pretty bad, light/shadows especially.”
“And I can give you that last one, the graphics are not cutting edge, it's very much an indie-style game and it shows, lacking a lot of the polish a AAA title would have.”
- atmosphere31 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % 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 lacks depth and can feel empty, relying too heavily on jump scares without sufficient environmental storytelling or exploration opportunities. Overall, while many appreciate the creepy ambiance, there are calls for a more nuanced and engaging atmospheric experience.
“The atmosphere is thick with tension, and each doll presents a unique challenge to overcome.”
“5/5 - 'Emily Wants to Play' delivers a chilling and immersive horror experience with its unique gameplay and tense atmosphere.”
“Creepy atmosphere and jump scares, what's more to love?”
“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.”
- humor11 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 funny backstory, making it entertaining both to play and to watch others experience it. Players find joy in the reactions of friends unfamiliar with the horror elements, and the creative premise, such as an entity ordering pizza, adds a humorous twist to the gameplay. Overall, the game successfully combines scares with laughter, making it a memorable experience.
“Not a long game, but had a lot of fun on it and recorded some hilarious reactions of myself to look back on.”
“Funny when you gift it to friends that aren't used to horror; it scares them like crazy.”
“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.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with multiple users reporting it as "buggy," "glitchy," and "broken." While some appreciate the gameplay experience, the prevalence of technical issues detracts significantly from overall enjoyment, leading many to recommend avoiding the game 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.”
- music8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as a significant element, with some players appreciating the classical and opera tracks that enhance the atmosphere, providing comfort amidst tension. However, others note the absence of musical or cinematic audio during gameplay, which intensifies the horror experience by relying solely on ambient sounds. Overall, the music contributes to both a sense of comfort and heightened fear, depending on the context.
“Great musical accompaniment.”
“I run back and turn the music back on for comfort.”
“I turn on what turns out to be a radio that blasts old classical music.”
“There is literally no musical or cinematic audio, and the sound effects are literally just doors opening and scuttling.”
“The lack of music while playing makes it 10x more terrifying.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often describing it as a slow slog that detracts from the overall experience. Many note that it feels unfair, particularly due to reliance on RNG for progress, and some have expressed that the grinding can be so extensive it feels like a second job. Overall, while the atmosphere is appreciated, the repetitive gameplay leaves much to be desired.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A slow, tedious slog from start to finish.”
“The atmosphere is great, but the gameplay is tedious, repetitive, and frustrating.”
“This game is so very tedious, not spooky, and takes itself far too seriously.”
- emotional6 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 unsettling characters like the clown, evoke visceral reactions, while the game's conclusion leaves many feeling a poignant sense of loss. Overall, the emotional rollercoaster of love, hate, and craving for resolution highlights the game's impactful storytelling and design.
“The 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.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the random elements that encourage repeated play, others find the controls frustrating and the overall experience lacking depth. Despite this, a few reviews highlight it as a highly replayable and engaging horror experience.
“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”
“Due to the random nature of the game, it has some replayability, especially doing 5 AM over and over again.”
“10/10 scariest game I've ever played, and it actually has replay value.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Users report significant performance issues and crashes, even on capable 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 an RTX 2080 Super and experiencing poor performance and frequent crashes.”
“The game is poorly optimized, leading to significant frame drops even on high-end hardware.”
“Despite having a powerful setup, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
