Exanimum: The Silent Call

About

"Exanimum: The Silent Call" is a first-person indie psychological horror game following Jason and his daughter Jessica, who encounter unsettling events on the road to Greenfield town. The game immerses players in a creepy atmosphere with realistic graphics and sound effects, while psychological tension builds through a journey filled with secrets and threats. Fear constantly looms, providing suspense with every step taken into the eerie depths of the forest.

Genres & Tags

Indie

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 300 reviews

story72 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and an immersive atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
Jump scares are well-timed and effective, contributing to the overall tension and excitement of the game.
The story, while short, is engaging and emotionally impactful, making players feel for the characters involved.

The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to significant frame rate drops in certain areas, which can detract from the experience.
Many players found the story confusing and lacking clarity, with some elements feeling disjointed or underdeveloped.
The game is often too dark, making navigation difficult and leading to moments of frustration when trying to progress.

story
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it compelling and engaging, while others criticized it for being confusing and lacking coherence. Many appreciated the emotional depth and dark themes, but noted that the narrative could be difficult to follow, with inconsistencies and abrupt endings. Overall, while the story has its strengths, it often leaves players feeling lost or unsatisfied with its execution.
- “The story was compelling and cohesive.”
- “Exanimum: the silent call is a game where I was truly engaged with the story from beginning to end.”
- “The story line was engaging, making me feel a sense of nostalgia while also offering elements of psychological horror that were executed quite well.”
- “The plot really doesn't make much sense or have much depth.”
- “I wasn't too happy with the story, however, and thought it needed more work to make better sense of the confusing scenario we just played.”
- “The strongest aspect of this game is its engine; outside of that, the story is bare, tedious, and often confusing if you think about it for too long.”
atmosphere
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
33%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the effective use of sound design, lighting, and environmental details that enhance the horror experience. While some players noted issues with frame rates and the overuse of jump scares that detracted from the tension, the overall consensus is that the game successfully creates a dark and unsettling ambiance that captivates players. Despite some criticisms, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal in the horror genre.
- “The atmosphere was dark, intense, and downright creepy.”
- “You can tell that a lot of effort was put into the atmosphere and keeping you immersed in the environments, especially the sound design.”
- “Exanimum: the silent call excels at creating a dark and tension-filled atmosphere, enveloping the player with a disturbing sense of reality with every detail.”
- “Unfortunately, atmosphere also doesn't carry a game entirely, and the gameplay and story do take a bit of a back seat.”
- “This game was bland, the atmosphere boring, the 'jumpscares' very predictable and completely unnecessary.”
- “Cons - horrid atmosphere.”
graphics
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
39%
4%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere, with many reviewers rating them as top-notch or even perfect. However, some players have reported significant frame rate drops and optimization issues, particularly in demanding areas, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the game's graphics are generally praised for their realism and detail, contributing to a captivating horror experience.
- “Graphics: 10/10 simply gorgeous.”
- “The graphics and atmosphere are so immersive, pulling you right into the heart of the experience.”
- “Graphics were astounding and the character movement felt natural.”
- “The first thing that bothered me was that, at the first launch of the game, the graphics and FPS were all uncapped and maximized, which almost killed my PC, even if the only thing playing was a video.”
- “On the opposite side of the fence, the game isn't very optimized for lower-end graphics cards (I have an RTX 3050), and it did lose a lot of frames, and the controls felt a little janky at times.”
- “Previously, sloppy visuals, cheap and repetitive components, and poor optimization distinguished the good from the terrible.”
gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
65%
6%
The gameplay of "Exanimum: The Silent Call" is generally well-received, with many praising its atmospheric design, jump scares, and engaging mechanics that create a thrilling horror experience. However, some players noted that the movement can feel slow and the gameplay may become repetitive, with a desire for either more horror elements or a stronger narrative focus. Overall, while the game is on the shorter side, it offers a solid experience that is worth the price for fans of the genre.
- “I had so much fun getting to play this for myself, from the lighting mechanics to the sound design it all helped to create a spooky atmosphere ❤️ it is a bit on the shorter side but I definitely recommend giving it a go for the experience!”
- “The gameplay is quite good, with well-crafted environments, atmosphere, and jump scares.”
- “Equipped with a deep storyline, atmospheric environment, and thrilling gameplay mechanics, this game draws you into an unforgettable nightmare world.”
- “Gameplay: probably the weakest aspect of the game.”
- “Having said that, the gameplay is always the same.”
- “I’m not a fan of this mechanic because it usually forces you to backtrack and see what changed.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
8%
The music and sound design in the game have received high praise for effectively building tension and enhancing the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting the unsettling and immersive qualities of the soundtrack. While some found the absence of music at times to be impactful, others criticized the imbalance in audio levels and occasional overuse of jumpscares. Overall, the music is highlighted as a key element that contributes to the game's suspenseful experience, though opinions vary on its execution and integration with gameplay.
- “The music and tension beats were on point.”
- “The sound design and music choices in the game are also truly noteworthy.”
- “The game's music also draws you in and reinforces the feeling that danger could be lurking at any moment.”
- “Only a single volume button between the music and SFX, so there was an imbalance of audio.”
- “This game was so badly put together: constant jank and clipping, not to mention constant jumpscares. There were a few good moments of non-jumpscares, but the perspective, the jank, the constant jumpscares, and overused music completely ruined any possible experience to be had.”
- “The story felt bare and predictable; some bits of the game felt too quiet (not enough ambient noise or music). You're on your own for the majority of the game, and overall, the people who experienced it with me said they were getting bored while watching.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end graphics cards, leading to frame drops and janky controls. While some users experienced no major bugs and found the graphics acceptable, the overall consensus highlights a need for better optimization, especially regarding lighting and weather effects.
- “It ran well and I didn't run into any noticeable bugs or performance issues.”
- “Graphics are fine, despite occasional optimization difficulties.”
- “Only issue I had was that I got some slight performance issues during weather effects, but nothing game-breaking.”
- “Very, very poorly optimized.”
- “My main issue with the game was optimization and lighting.”
- “On the opposite side of the fence, the game isn't very optimized for lower-end graphics cards (I have an RTX 3050), and it did lose a lot of frames, and the controls felt a little janky at times.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with some noting that while there is no frustrating battery hunting, the overall experience can feel dragged down by confusing story elements and cumbersome physics. The game's engine is praised, but it does not compensate for the repetitive and often confusing gameplay.
- “The strongest aspect of this game is its engine; outside of that, the story is bare, tedious, and often confusing if you think about it for too long.”
- “The grinding aspect of the game feels repetitive and lacks meaningful rewards, making it a chore rather than an engaging experience.”
- “The game mechanics require excessive grinding, which can quickly become monotonous and detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by unexpected moments, such as a misplaced jumpscare that feels more amusing than frightening, along with quirky details like a missing stove that add to the overall charm. Players appreciate these lighthearted elements, which provide a contrast to the game's more serious themes.
- “I noticed some funny little details here and there that just amused me a lot, like a missing stove in the house.”
- “There was one particular 'jumpscare' but it kind of felt out of place and came off as funny to me.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits stability issues, particularly with partial controller compatibility, leading to bugs that prevent players from interacting with certain objects without switching to mouse controls. This has resulted in a frustrating experience for users who expected smoother gameplay.
- “Partial controller compatibility was buggy; I couldn't open certain doors or touch certain objects without having to switch to mouse.”
- “I assumed the game was just being buggy.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development is highlighted through deep character designs and impactful dialogues, which significantly enhance the story's central tension. This depth adds layers to the characters, making their journeys more engaging and relatable.
- “The depth of character designs and impactful dialogues enhances the central tension of the story.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the lack of guidance in the game, which can lead to feelings of being stuck and aimlessly wandering, detracting from the overall emotional experience.