Firewood

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 48 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Firewood Game Cover
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"Firewood is a single-player 2D adventure game with psychological horror elements, featuring an old man seeking redemption after his wife's death. The game offers a twisting plot, hand-drawn graphics, and grim music. It took five months to create, with everything done from scratch."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews
story13 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game features unique hand-drawn graphics that create a visually captivating experience.
  • The atmospheric music enhances the emotional depth of the story, immersing players in a haunting environment.
  • The narrative explores complex themes of personal struggle and societal oppression, resonating with players on an emotional level.
  • The gameplay is repetitive and simplistic, often consisting of walking and collecting items without meaningful challenges.
  • The story is convoluted and lacks clarity, leaving players confused about the plot and its resolution.
  • There are numerous technical issues, including awkward controls, spelling errors, and a lack of proper save functionality.
  • story47 mentions

    The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its psychological depth and emotional resonance, particularly the themes of loss and introspection. However, many found the narrative convoluted, lacking clarity, and occasionally poorly paced, leading to moments of confusion and disengagement. While some appreciated the intriguing elements and atmosphere, others criticized the story for being underdeveloped or unoriginal, suggesting that it could benefit from a more cohesive and expansive narrative.

    • “In the realm of indie gaming, where innovation and storytelling often intertwine, Firewood emerges as a flickering gem that beckons players into a world of psychological exploration and haunting beauty.”
    • “The story of an old man grappling with the loss of his wife and the shadows of a repressive regime strikes a chord of empathy and connection.”
    • “The bits of the story that are revealed to you as you piece together one man's past sins are enough to keep you engaged, but the end may leave you disappointed.”
    • “The story makes no sense whatsoever, and even if it did, it's bland and uninteresting.”
    • “The story was somewhat unclear, especially the ending.”
    • “Not a bad game overall, but I think the story was a bit lacking and there was just so much slow-paced walking; that was basically what the game time was spent on.”
  • gameplay15 mentions

    The gameplay is criticized for being overly simplistic and repetitive, primarily involving walking and basic interactions, which leads to a tedious experience. Many reviewers noted a lack of diverse mechanics and engaging challenges, resulting in a short and unsatisfying gameplay experience. Overall, while the emotional narrative is appreciated, the gameplay mechanics detract significantly from the overall enjoyment.

    • “At least in terms of the gameplay, I had no issues in terms of glitches or bugs - but I do wish they'd not make the items in your inventory so transparent since it's hard to see what's there.”
    • “The gameplay, although emotionally charged, could have benefited from more diverse mechanics to engage players on a deeper level.”
    • “The gameplay consists of simply walking left and right, entering a room, collecting an item, leaving the room, and moving on.”
    • “The gameplay feels a bit stretched, with empty rooms and very basic maps (go all the way left, go all the way right) - this, coupled with slow walking speed, makes the game tiresome at times.”
    • “Boring, most of the gameplay consists of walking and opening the doors.”
  • music11 mentions

    The game's music is widely praised for its atmospheric and emotionally resonant qualities, effectively enhancing the immersive experience and complementing the narrative. Players appreciate the beautiful soundtrack, noting its ability to create tension and evoke feelings of nostalgia and relaxation. However, some express a desire for more musical content to further enrich the experience.

    • “The somber symphony of the game's atmospheric music casts a captivating spell, immersing players in an environment where every note serves as a bridge between the past and present.”
    • “With its hand-drawn visuals, atmospheric music, and emotionally charged narrative, the game encapsulates the journey of an old man seeking redemption from his haunted past.”
    • “The atmosphere is excellent, and I was really impressed with the sound and music used.”
    • “Jumpscares were cheap, but the music and ambiance did keep you constantly tense.”
    • “Just a real leisure game with some spoopy bits and a very fitting soundtrack.”
    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
  • graphics10 mentions

    The game's hand-drawn graphics create a unique and immersive visual experience, likened to a living painting that enhances its emotional narrative. While many praise the art style and atmospheric music, some reviews highlight significant graphical issues, including errors and a lack of polish, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are a mixed bag, with some finding charm and others criticizing them as simplistic or poorly executed.

    • “With its hand-drawn graphics reminiscent of an artist's intimate diary, the game crafts a unique visual experience that feels like a painting brought to life.”
    • “With its hand-drawn visuals, atmospheric music, and emotionally charged narrative, the game encapsulates the journey of an old man seeking redemption from his haunted past.”
    • “Good artwork with a creepy atmosphere.”
    • “Not to mention all the graphical, text, spelling, and grammatical errors.”
    • “Way too short, bad graphics, incredibly simplistic gameplay, and unsatisfying plot.”
    • “Ugly visuals, awkward interface, poor writing, no puzzles (you don't call something obvious a puzzle, do you?), lame attempts at making screamers, ridiculous 'achievements' one can't miss, glitches from the very beginning, overall nonsense.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating music and hand-drawn visuals, effectively immersing players in a haunting and emotionally charged environment. While many reviewers highlight the strong atmospheric elements that enhance the narrative and gameplay, some feel that certain aspects detract from the overall experience, making it feel sluggish at times. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the standout feature, contributing significantly to the psychological horror and emotional depth of the game.

    • “The somber symphony of the game's atmospheric music casts a captivating spell, immersing players in an environment where every note serves as a bridge between the past and present.”
    • “With its hand-drawn visuals, atmospheric music, and emotionally charged narrative, the game encapsulates the journey of an old man seeking redemption from his haunted past.”
    • “The atmosphere is the best part about this game.”
    • “Instead of adding to the atmosphere, this makes it feel like you are slogging through to get to the next plot point.”
    • “The environment feels lifeless and fails to immerse you in the game world.”
    • “There’s a lack of detail in the surroundings, which detracts from the overall experience.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game evokes strong emotional responses through its haunting melodies, atmospheric music, and a poignant narrative centered on redemption. While the emotional depth is commendable, some players feel that the gameplay could have been enhanced with more diverse mechanics to deepen engagement. Overall, it leaves a lasting emotional impact, despite some shortcomings.

    • “The haunting melodies provide an emotional resonance that lingers long after the final puzzle is solved.”
    • “With its hand-drawn visuals, atmospheric music, and emotionally charged narrative, the game encapsulates the journey of an old man seeking redemption from his haunted past.”
    • “The gameplay, although emotionally charged, could have benefited from more diverse mechanics to engage players on a deeper level.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, likening it to a walking simulator. However, the relatively short duration of about an hour mitigates some of the frustration.

    • “The gameplay is as repetitive and tedious as it could possibly be.”
    • “It's a bit tedious, like a walking simulator, but it only takes an hour, so there's that...”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game lacks significant replayability, with many users suggesting it is best purchased on sale due to its short length and limited content. Comparisons to other titles highlight a similar experience, but ultimately, players may feel disappointed if expecting more replay value.

    • “No real replay value to it, so I personally suggest this one as a sale buy or you may end up feeling a bit let down.”
    • “It is a short game with no replayability value, and I notice it's similar to 'Home', a 2D exploration/horror game I've thoroughly enjoyed.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, stability reviews are mixed; while some users report significant glitches and a lack of polish in visuals and interface, others note that gameplay is relatively glitch-free, though inventory item visibility could be improved.

    • “Ugly visuals, awkward interface, poor writing, no puzzles (you don't call something obvious a puzzle, do you?), lame attempts at making screamers, ridiculous achievements one can't miss, glitches from the very beginning, overall nonsense.”
    • “At least in terms of the gameplay, I had no issues in terms of glitches/bugs - but I do wish they'd not make the items in your inventory so transparent since it's hard to see what's there.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from unintentional elements, such as amusing spelling and grammar errors that evoke laughter, as well as comically exaggerated walk cycles that add to the overall comedic experience.

    • “There were strange spelling and grammar errors that completely killed the mood and made me laugh out loud.”
    • “The walk cycles are so hilarious it hurts.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

4hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
1-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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