Exiled
- January 18, 2024
- Ducky
Get on Steam"Exiled" is a single-player Horror Point and Click game with a tense and foreboding atmosphere. As the player, you must solve ancient puzzles, decode an eldritch language, and avoid lurking horrors to find the missing Charlotte. With a high level of interactivity and a voiceover by Tom Schalk, you can complete this compact, detailed puzzle thriller in approximately 45 minutes.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Linux
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and engaging puzzle experience with a Lovecraftian theme, making it both fun and atmospheric.
- Voice acting and graphics are well done, contributing to the overall immersive experience.
- Despite its short length, the game is polished and provides a satisfying experience, with some players expressing a desire for more content.
- The game is very short, with many players completing it in under an hour, leading to concerns about its value for the price.
- Some mechanics, such as the jump scare element, feel unnecessary and detract from the puzzle-solving experience.
- The font and readability of the in-game text can be challenging, making it difficult for some players to engage fully with the puzzles.
- atmosphere54 mentions
- 81 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its tension and spookiness, effectively creating an eerie and immersive experience that enhances the puzzle mechanics. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to maintain a tight, engaging atmosphere despite its short length, with effective sound design and well-placed jump scares contributing to the overall intensity. However, some players feel that certain elements, like humor, can disrupt the carefully crafted ambiance.
“What a great, short and atmospheric Lovecraftian puzzle game.”
“The atmosphere is top notch with just the ambient sound of swinging lanterns and a ticking clock to emphasize both the fading light of your missing wife, and that time is not on your side here.”
“The atmosphere was fantastic, and the puzzles were really good!”
“This was a nice little funny easter egg, but honestly it killed the atmosphere and turned it a bit silly.”
“I regret clicking on the Waluigi cube. As funny as it probably is for a second playthrough, finding it on a first playthrough really soured the carefully crafted atmosphere for the remainder of the experience.”
“I am quite easily scared, so take that with a pinch of salt, but the atmosphere was really tense.”
- gameplay38 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a very short experience, typically lasting only 10-15 minutes, which leaves players wanting more due to its promising atmosphere and intriguing puzzle mechanics centered around language decoding. While the game avoids cheap jumpscares and fosters a sense of paranoia, some mechanics feel underdeveloped, leading to frustration. Overall, it offers a fun yet simplistic experience that could benefit from further expansion and complexity.
“Wonderfully spooky atmosphere and interesting puzzle mechanics!”
“While short, it's a pretty fun and shocking experience, the gameplay being simple is complemented with the complex puzzles of figuring out the language and other little things that I won't mention because spoilers.”
“I love decryption puzzles, so gameplay was fun :)”
“10-15 minutes of actual gameplay.”
“It's not a bad game, but the FNAF-esque mechanic to avoid jumpscares feels completely unnecessary.”
“As said in another review by peppypanda17, the 'look up' mechanic wasn't really explained; I only knew how to because of what they said.”
- story21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as short and basic, yet effective, with some unique twists and spooky moments that enhance the overall experience. While it may not satisfy those seeking a deeper narrative or significant scares, it serves well as a concise, self-contained tale suitable for a quick playthrough. Players appreciate the engaging voice acting and unique graphics, though some feel the narrative could benefit from further development in future updates.
“Short but great story, fun puzzle game with some good spooky moments and tension while you go, no bugs really, very unique graphics, and great voice acting.”
“The story is concise and effective.”
“Good if you want a quick self-contained story that you can quickly play through.”
“The story isn't much, but that's not why you're here.”
“Recommendation to those who seek a simple puzzle game with some dark eldritch themes, but to those looking for scares or a deeper story might want to look somewhere else.”
“The narrative being 're-written' is very exaggerated; it's a minor rewording of the original but it's the exact same story.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is praised for its cleverness and ability to provide levity within a Lovecraftian context, with players enjoying funny easter eggs and unexpected moments that enhance the experience. However, some found that certain humorous elements, like the "Waluigi cube," disrupted the game's tense atmosphere, making it feel overly silly at times. Overall, the humor adds a delightful contrast to the game's darker themes, though it may not resonate equally with all players.
“Your sense of humor, my dude, is peak.”
“A delightful bite-sized piece of humorous Lovecraftian lore that did manage to startle me once.”
“The humorous aspects brought a nice levity to the Lovecraft-inspired aesthetic and lore, while the puzzle itself was actively engaging and kept my attention.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and atmospheric design, particularly the damp library aesthetic that enhances the spooky and creepy elements. Players appreciate the engaging visuals that complement the intense puzzle-solving experience, although some feel the game is overpriced given its limited content. Overall, the combination of visuals and sound contributes to a captivating and immersive atmosphere.
“Short but great story, fun puzzle game with some good spooky moments and tension while you go, no bugs really, very unique graphics, and great voice acting.”
“Great, creepy and intense puzzle/mystery game with nice graphics, sounds and good voice acting.”
“I love the damp library aesthetic the game is going for.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, particularly due to repetitive mechanics involving the eye monster, which loses its scare factor after a few encounters. The need for constant attention to this mechanic can feel overwhelming, leading to a sense of frustration rather than engagement.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Once you figure out the mechanic, the eye of Nyarlathotep gets really tedious.”
“This is all done while there is an eye monster that slowly stalks up on you until it jumpscares you if you don't look at it, which just gets tedious after a few times since it only resets once it's next to you and will play a loud noise and run away. After the second time, you know you just need to tap space to quickly look up, which makes him largely irrelevant.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game lacks significant replayability, with players expressing a desire for additional content or features to enhance the experience and extend playtime. As it currently stands, many feel there is little incentive to revisit the game after completing it.
“And due to the nature of the game, there's not really any replay value.”
“I hope the dev will add another bit to this puzzle to make the game a bit longer or give it some replayability because as it stands, there is none.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, users find the game's stability to be solid, with minimal bugs reported, especially given its short gameplay duration. However, the value for the price point of $5 for under 20 minutes of content is a point of contention among players.
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience.”
“I encountered multiple bugs that disrupted my gameplay, which really affected my overall enjoyment.”
“The stability issues are so severe that I couldn't complete the game without restarting several times.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's monetization strategy is viewed positively, as it is developed by the creator of "My Friendly Neighborhood," which is noted for being a creative and engaging experience rather than a typical cash grab in the horror genre.
