Enigma of Fear

About

Enigma of Fear is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Cellbit and was released on November 28, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

Enigma of Fear follows detective Mia and her dog Lupi as they investigate her father's mysterious disappearance within a surreal, open-world called the Perimeter. Blending pixel art with 3D, the game emphasizes exploration, deduction, and varied approaches like stealth or combat. Unravel secrets tied to the Cult of Fear while shaping your own unique ending.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 497 reviews

story63 positive mentions

optimization7 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals that blend pixel art with 3D environments, creating a unique and immersive atmosphere.
The puzzles are creative and challenging, providing a rewarding experience for players who enjoy investigation and problem-solving.
The story is engaging and well-crafted, with emotional depth that resonates with players, making it a memorable experience.

The game suffers from performance issues and bugs, which can detract from the overall experience, especially during critical moments.
Combat mechanics are clunky and not well-explained, leading to frustration during boss fights and encounters.
There is a lack of tutorials and guidance, which can leave players feeling lost and confused about how to progress.

story
136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
2%
The story of "Enigma of Fear" is widely praised for its complexity, emotional depth, and immersive world-building, effectively blending supernatural elements with human drama. Players appreciate the non-linear narrative that unfolds through exploration and environmental storytelling, although some find certain plot threads unclear and puzzles occasionally frustrating. Overall, the game is celebrated for its rich storytelling, beautiful art, and engaging puzzles, making it a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “From the very first moments, Enigma of Fear establishes an eerie tone of dread and curiosity, guiding players through a complex story that balances the supernatural with emotional human drama.”
- “The combination of mystery, emotional storytelling, and metaphysical horror creates a uniquely immersive narrative that lingers long after the credits roll.”
- “Dumativa and Cellbit have created a game that feels deeply personal yet universally haunting—a story about memory, loss, and the persistence of hope amid darkness.”
- “Unfortunately, the characters and world are uninteresting, and the story is both nonsensical and poorly told.”
- “Most of the puzzles don't fit into the larger story and thus feel contrived.”
- “A gigantic cast of off-screen characters you're given zero reason to care about, yet forced to comb through their entire life story in notes, photographs, and recordings.”
gameplay
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
76%
4%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring creative and complex puzzles that engage players, but marred by unpolished mechanics, frustrating combat, and unresponsive controls. While the exploration and puzzle-solving elements shine, many players found the combat awkward and the introduction of new mechanics, such as the parry system, poorly integrated. Overall, the game offers a rich narrative and beautiful visuals, but suffers from bugs and a lack of clear tutorials, leading to a frustrating experience for some.
- “The gameplay revolves primarily around exploration and deduction, with an emphasis on environmental puzzles and careful observation.”
- “The entire design of the game is beautiful, the puzzles were extremely interesting, and the battles, despite being simple, show how the game is more focused on solving the puzzles and discovering the story than on going out and killing.”
- “Many of the puzzles were really cool and I loved using the different mechanics; I do think some towards the end could have used more signposting and more direction generally, but for the most part I really vibed with them and I enjoyed figuring out what to do next using the documents and all the evidence I found.”
- “Unfortunately, the game has a lot of serious flaws; from unpatched bugs to strange and ill-considered gameplay solutions.”
- “As a mystery & puzzle game, I can't recommend this because of a number of annoying/frustrating mechanics that just killed the experience for me.”
- “The gameplay, though ambitious, struggles with unpolished elements—slow inputs, awkward combat, and inventory management issues.”
graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
24%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique blend of pixel art and semi-realistic 3D environments, creating a visually stunning and immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight the cohesive art direction and intricate details that enhance the atmosphere, despite some reports of performance issues and optimization concerns. Overall, the art style is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's identity and appeal.
- “This hybrid aesthetic gives Enigma of Fear a distinct identity—its characters appear fragile and small against the looming backdrops of vast, dimly lit spaces.”
- “Gorgeous visuals mixing pixel art and 3D and super intuitive puzzles.”
- “The graphics are incredible, the mix of 3D and pixel art works really well and all the props are gorgeous.”
- “Graphics are bad, audio is bad, implementation is bad, and optimization is below average.”
- “I also experienced some performance and graphics issues, with the worst of it being the ground in outdoor areas disappearing most of the time.”
- “Great game, performance issues aside it shines on its art style, puzzles, the fact every answer is non-linear and you could always do them from the start, you just had to put the pieces together.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
35%
9%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beautiful composition and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its haunting quality and seamless integration with the visuals and story. The soundtrack is described as both engaging and immersive, contributing significantly to the emotional depth of the gameplay experience. However, there was a minor critique regarding a musical puzzle in the main menu that some found tedious.
- “The story is intriguing, the puzzles are well orchestrated, the voice acting is phenomenal, the art is beautiful, and the music is incredibly composed.”
- “The soundtrack complements this beautifully, with area-specific compositions and powerful ambiance that enhance every moment.”
- “The game's music and sound effects contribute a lot to the overall atmosphere of the game, making it even creepier than it already is.”
- “Drop the OST album.”
- “The music is haunting.”
- “Refund this crap game because I pressed the begin button and it made me do a musical puzzle in the main menu that bored me.”
optimization
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
67%
23%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting performance issues such as frame stutters and bugs, particularly on lower-end PCs. While some users noted improvements following patches, others still experienced significant optimization concerns that detracted from their overall experience. Overall, the game is playable but requires further optimization to fully address the technical issues.
- “A lot of reviews complain about performance, but that seems to be fixed; it ran well for me, I had no problems.”
- “In terms of optimization and technical issues, at this point the game is pretty well optimized.”
- “It needs some performance optimizations, yes, but the fact that in 3 days since the game came out we have already received so many patches from the developers shows how player feedback and enjoyment is the biggest and most essential interest of the creators of this game.”
- “Graphics are bad, audio is bad, implementation is bad, and optimization is below average.”
- “Unfortunately the game is very poorly optimized and has some bugs.”
- “I would've given it a 10/10 but there were a lot of bugs that made certain areas in the game somewhat unplayable (my main issue was performance issues such as low fps) on day 1.”
atmosphere
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The atmosphere of "Enigma of Fear" is widely praised for its haunting blend of art style, sound design, and immersive environments, creating a deeply engaging horror experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of minimalist music, ambient noise, and detailed visuals that enhance the psychological tension and overall mood. The combination of creative puzzles and atmospheric elements results in a captivating and memorable gameplay experience.
- “The game's sound design reinforces this atmosphere, blending minimalist piano motifs, industrial drones, and ambient noise to create a soundscape that heightens tension without overwhelming the senses.”
- “Arts, scenarios, ambience, soundtrack: impeccable. I love how they did it; every tiny piece of scene that is inside the view is detailed; the soundtrack is amazing and both contribute to the atmosphere that is created.”
- “The true horror in Enigma of Fear comes not from jump scares but from its atmosphere—the creaking floors, the faint echoes in the dark, and the oppressive silence that seems to follow every discovery.”
- “The game’s sound design reinforces this atmosphere, blending minimalist piano motifs, industrial drones, and ambient noise to create a soundscape that heightens tension without overwhelming the senses.”
- “The game's music and sound effects contribute a lot to the overall atmosphere of the game, making it even creepier than it already is.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its complex narrative that intertwines supernatural elements with deep human drama, resulting in moments of genuine emotional impact. Players resonate with the characters' struggles and relationships, leading to a heartfelt experience that lingers long after completion. The effective voice acting further enhances the emotional weight, making the story both raw and beautifully told, often evoking strong feelings, including tears, from players.
- “From the very first moments, the enigma of fear establishes an eerie tone of dread and curiosity, guiding players through a complex story that balances the supernatural with emotional human drama.”
- “There are moments of genuine emotional impact as Mia uncovers the sacrifices and betrayals that shaped her family’s history.”
- “The story is raw, emotional, and beautifully told.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have various bugs and glitches, including issues with key controls, pathfinding, and companion AI, which can disrupt immersion. However, players appreciate the developers' commitment to addressing these issues through regular patches, suggesting that the game is improving over time and holds potential for greatness once fully polished. Overall, while stability is currently a concern, the game's strengths and the developers' dedication are noted positively.
- “There are some small quibbles: some of the hint dialog wasn't unlocked until I had already solved the puzzle (weird); Lupi likes to get in the way of walking; the mechanics with the controller can be bloody awful (might be better with the keyboard, I haven't tried it yet); some mental map glitches (green areas that don't stay green); and a few dog interactions that don't seem to go anywhere (maybe just to mess with my head?).”
- “The occasional bug—ranging from pathfinding issues to companion AI glitches—can also interrupt immersion, though these are relatively minor compared to the game’s broader achievements.”
- “This game looks and sounds beautiful, but it has many glitches and bugs, but I'm sure once the game is fully polished it will absolutely be one of, if not the best investigation game I've played (the fighting system is very scuffed though I need to admit, but the puzzles are fun).”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect frustrating due to the lack of a quick dodge ability, which makes navigating challenges feel tedious, as they are often forced to wait for animations to finish before they can sprint away.
- “Yet there is no quick dodge ability to negate that, just a tedious sprint button that won't activate until you've finished an animation.”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “I find myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which really takes away from the enjoyment.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers strong replayability through multiple endings that depend on player choices and exploration, encouraging players to revisit the experience to uncover different outcomes. Overall, the improved state of the game enhances its playability and enjoyment.
- “Multiple endings encourage replayability, with outcomes shaped by how thoroughly players investigate and which choices they make in critical moments.”