Enola

About

Enola is a single player casual simulation game with a horror theme. It was developed by The Domaginarium and was released on September 18, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Enola" is a single-player Horror Simulation game with a gripping story and perfect atmosphere, immersing players in the tortured memories of Angelica. The game features frighteningly calculated death-traps and multiple endings, decided by the player's actions, all without relying on paranormal elements. The suspenseful experience offers a chilling in-depth look into Angelica's broken mind and traumatic past.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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61%

Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews

story26 positive mentions

gameplay9 negative mentions

The game features a compelling and dark story that explores sensitive topics, providing an emotional experience.
The atmosphere and sound design are well-executed, creating a tense and immersive environment.
The developer is active in the community, addressing bugs and providing support, which enhances the overall experience.

The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs, poor graphics, and unpolished mechanics that detract from gameplay.
The storytelling can be confusing and disjointed, making it difficult for players to follow the narrative.
The puzzles are often obscure and frustrating, leading to a tedious experience that may require external guides to progress.

story
115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
The story of the game "Enola" is a central and intricate narrative that explores heavy themes such as trauma, love, and revenge, primarily through the protagonist's search for her lost lover. While many players appreciate the emotional depth and atmospheric storytelling, criticisms arise regarding its confusing structure and execution, with some finding the plot muddled and difficult to follow. Overall, the story is seen as a compelling highlight of the game, despite its flaws in clarity and coherence.
- “I especially like the story and how it doesn't shy away from sensitive topics.”
- “The story follows a girl, the titular Enola, searching for her lost lover Angelica throughout a world conjured up from the traumatic memories of her past, dealing with violence, revenge, love, and forgiveness.”
- “The story is dark and honest, and I found myself getting pulled deeper and deeper into the devastating and yet oddly hopeful world the developers created.”
- “However, the way the story unfolds is extremely confusing and nonsensical.”
- “Since the story is a crucial, central part of this game, the confusing storytelling sort of makes it fall apart.”
- “There was such potential for an in-depth exploration of coping and the emotional turmoil a person can struggle with years after the fact, but the game bit off more than it could chew and story-wise, it could have been stronger.”
gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
72%
21%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it slow, clunky, and often tedious, primarily revolving around exploration and puzzle-solving. While some appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and level design, others criticize the mechanics as uninteresting and buggy, leading to a disjointed experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a weak point, overshadowed by a more compelling narrative.
- “The gameplay is mainly driven through first-person exploration and puzzle solving.”
- “Control mechanics are simple, mouse to examine/use, shift to sprint, etc.”
- “For an indie game, and clocking in at over six hours of gameplay, it is well worth the price point.”
- “The thing that carried this game for me personally was the story and atmosphere; the gameplay at times was kind of a chore.”
- “The game is really bad looking, even for its age, and the gameplay was slow and clunky.”
- “The gameplay is boring and doesn't give the player any sense of purpose or direction.”
graphics
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a steampunk influence but criticizing the overall quality as outdated and clunky, particularly the character models. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and unique visuals, others find them dull and inconsistent, suggesting that the graphics do not meet modern standards, especially for a game utilizing the Unreal Engine. Overall, the visuals are seen as a significant drawback, though some players argue that the engaging story and gameplay can compensate for these flaws.
- “The graphics and art are magnificent.”
- “The team has come a long way with their game and everything from the factory yet natural type environments, to the atmospheric and downright spooky sounds and visuals, really play into the experience you get with Enola.”
- “Regardless of the many bugs and some strange stuff with the graphics, Enola is an indie horror game that shines.”
- “For the most part, I didn't mind the graphics, but some elements of the surroundings looked dated (especially the characters) and quite clunky, even for the year.”
- “Outdated graphics.”
- “If Enola had been released in 2005, then the graphics, controls, and level design still would have been subpar.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
43%
11%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its attention to detail, effectively conveying the story through immersive environments and sound design. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a tense, creepy ambiance that enhances the psychological horror experience, with mature themes and unsettling imagery that keep players on edge. While some aspects, like darkness and puzzle difficulty, are noted as drawbacks, the overall atmosphere is considered a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's impact.
- “Great attention to detail and a lot of the story is definitely told through the environments and supporting atmosphere.”
- “The team has come a long way with their game and everything from the factory yet natural type environments, to the atmospheric and downright spooky sounds and visuals, really play into the experience you get with Enola.”
- “The level design instilled a creepy atmosphere, though there were frequent scenes where it was impossibly dark (even with the brightness adjusted).”
- “While it never reaches Silent Hill levels of terror, it also knows how to create a scary, tense atmosphere, how to startle you and, most importantly, how to make you feel vulnerable, cornered, and in danger, which is what a horror game should do.”
- “Enola is a story-driven game with an intricate plot that needs to be pieced together in a non-linear fashion by navigating a dark, tense atmosphere reflecting psychological despair.”
emotional
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as both heart-breaking and heavy, effectively tackling sensitive subjects like sexual violence with a blend of powerful imagery and metaphors. While the intent to explore deep emotional turmoil is evident, some reviewers feel the execution falls short, with critiques on writing and voice acting quality. Overall, the game is noted for its ability to evoke strong feelings of desolation and isolation, immersing players in a surreal and tormented world.
- “The game does what few others have managed to achieve: it tackles a very delicate subject (sexual violence) in a way that is both emotionally powerful and subtle, avoiding the pitfalls of shock value and empty rhetoric.”
- “In addressing such a difficult topic, the developers did a brilliant job; I've never seen a movie or game discuss this subject so brutally and realistically.”
- “This game pushes the emotional boundaries of the player, making them feel desolated and isolated in an already surreal and tormented world.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, creating a mix of suspense and creepiness that complements the gameplay. The presence of music boxes serves both as a save feature and a source of eerie soundscapes, contributing to the overall dark and spooky vibe. Reviewers note that the sound design is varied and well-executed, effectively immersing players in the game's tense moments.
- “Nice mix of a dark atmosphere, spooky music, and jump scares.”
- “Great sound design overall, music and ambient sounds are varied and well done.”
- “The musical score at times makes you think you are being chased by a bad guy or that he is behind you.”
- “There are times of music, but it's in the background, and definitely comes off with a creepy vibe.”
- “You can only save at designated spots denoted by music boxes.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marked by a range of bugs and glitches, particularly noticeable early on, but players generally find it playable despite these issues. While some minor technical problems persist, such as awkward mechanics and sound/brightness resets, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's stability reflects the developers' inexperience, yet it remains functional for most players.
- “There are a lot of glitches, but I will not cover them here as they are generally well-covered in other reviews as well as the community guide.”
- “But omg, buggy as hell.”
- “Some minor issues remain as of the time of writing, like the awkward crouch mechanics and glitches with the sound/brightness volume suddenly resetting.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game's optimization is generally poor, but it runs smoothly overall. Players appreciate the strong voice acting and impactful storytelling, which enhance the emotional weight of the experience.
- “The game runs smoothly.”
- “The voice acting is good and particularly the performance later in the game is great.”
- “The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
- “Despite its potential, the optimization is lacking, making it difficult to enjoy the gameplay experience.”
- “I encountered numerous performance issues due to subpar optimization, which detracted from my overall enjoyment.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it often complements the story, it can become tedious and repetitive, particularly when navigating through numerous doors and revisiting areas. Many reviewers feel that the gameplay elements, intended to enhance the experience, instead contribute to a dull and forgettable grind.
- “There were also certain areas where you had to continually try each and every door or circle back to other points, which quickly became tedious.”
- “Conclusion: between the lamps, the keys, the letters, and the crystals on higher difficulty, this game really is a one trick pony and it gets tedious fast.”
- “Now some will say that this is not your average video game; it is the joyous thing called an 'experience.' To a point, they would be correct, but sadly the developers decided to add gameplay to this 'experience,' and what they added is nothing short of dull, tedious, and instantly forgettable.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers strong replayability due to multiple endings and a lengthy gameplay experience that varies based on puzzle-solving skills. Additionally, the developer plans to introduce more endings and content, further enhancing its replay value.
- “There are multiple endings you can achieve, so the replay value is quite good.”
- “Enola is surprisingly long for an indie adventure game (it mostly depends on how good you are at solving puzzles), and the developer is working on adding more endings and content, which will increase the replay value even further.”
- “Enola is surprisingly long for an indie adventure game, depending mostly on how good you are at solving puzzles, but the replay value is limited without additional content.”
- “Once you complete the game, there isn't much incentive to play through it again, as the story doesn't change significantly with different choices.”
- “While the game offers a unique experience, the lack of varied gameplay mechanics means that replayability is quite low after the first playthrough.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its unexpected and lighthearted approach, with players finding it amusing how it can help them confront serious issues like fear.
- “This game helped me to overcome my fears, funny, huh?”
- “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, making every moment enjoyable.”
- “I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations!”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate concerns about the monetization strategy, suggesting that while there is no definitive evidence of exploitation, the game's quality resembles that of asset flips or cash grabs, raising doubts about its value and integrity.
- “There's no evidence, so we need to give the benefit of the doubt... regardless, asset flip or not, the quality here is indistinguishable from many asset flip/cash grab scams, and that's a problem in itself.”