FLATHEAD
- May 30, 2024
- DreadXP
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"FLATHEAD" is a game where players pull levers to see numbers and guess if the next one is higher or lower, aiming to gain points before a timer runs out and the Sunken approach. With potential rewards of extra time or points, the game aims to distract players from the grim reality of their existence in this strange, oppressive world. The game's atmosphere is grim, but its mechanics focus on simple, engaging gameplay as players hope for a chance at escape.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features an incredible atmosphere and sound design that effectively builds tension and dread.
- It's a unique and engaging horror experience that combines gambling mechanics with a creepy narrative, making it highly replayable.
- For its low price, the game offers a polished experience with intriguing lore and a fun gameplay loop.
- The gameplay can become repetitive and relies heavily on luck, which may frustrate some players.
- Some players have reported issues with game mechanics, such as delays in pulling the lever and unfair difficulty spikes.
- The game may feel too short for some, lacking depth and additional gameplay elements to keep it fresh over multiple playthroughs.
- gameplay60 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a tense and nerve-wracking RNG-based loop that combines elements of gambling with horror mechanics, creating a unique and unsettling experience. While some players find the gameplay engaging and addictive, others criticize it for being tedious and overly reliant on luck, leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers a mix of challenging puzzles and replayability, with a strong atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
“Gameplay is always high with tension, but it also feels well-balanced in terms of difficulty and available strategy.”
“The gameplay is simple yet nerve-wracking: guess right to earn points and potentially escape, but guess wrong and face the terrifying consequences.”
“The challenging puzzles were thoughtfully crafted, adding depth and engagement to the gameplay.”
“Game is not fun, the gameplay is tedious and boring; it is not scary, you have to get lucky otherwise it makes you start over. The story might be cool, but I don't know because RNG keeps messing me up.”
“The main gameplay loop is just gambling on numbers that don't mean much with a time limit (while a monster is walking towards you), with extra gameplay elements that make the monster walk faster for removing numbers on the screen that could be your guess.”
“I've seen gameplay of it and decided to pick it up, yet for some reason when I try to play it, the basic functions seem to be completely unfair.”
- atmosphere44 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie, tension-filled design, combining powerful visuals and sound to create a sense of dread and anxiety that enhances the gameplay experience. Reviewers describe it as a creepy masterpiece that effectively immerses players in its unsettling world, making even simple mechanics feel more impactful. Overall, the game's atmospheric elements are considered its strongest feature, contributing significantly to its appeal despite some criticisms regarding gameplay depth.
“The game's style, atmosphere, and graphical fidelity are superb, and the sound design is extremely good.”
“For starters, I love the eerie and anxiety-inducing atmosphere from both the sound design and visuals, which fits into the main gameplay loop really well as it helps to build the tension you feel whilst playing it.”
“I loved Flathead for its masterful use of atmospheric tension and immersive storytelling.”
“I will sadly be refunding this, but keeping a close eye on future games or projects put out by Tim Oxton. I enjoy the style and think they have a knack for creating that kind of atmosphere, but need to see more out of a game to be convinced.”
“Obviously running on influences from the likes of Inscryption and Buckshot Roulette, whilst it misses the mark on what makes those titles quite so compelling to play, there's just no one hitting the same atmosphere of dread in games like Tim Oxton right now.”
“The scariness is in the atmosphere, the feeling that sticks with you after you've walked away from the game.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics and sound design of the game are widely praised for their superb quality, unique art style, and ability to create an eerie atmosphere that enhances the overall horror experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's graphical fidelity and attention to detail, noting that it effectively immerses players in its unsettling world. Overall, the visuals and audio work together to build tension and evoke strong emotional responses, making it a standout feature of the game.
“The game's style, atmosphere, and graphical fidelity are superb, and the sound design is extremely good.”
“Fantastic atmosphere, tension, and graphics.”
“I played on normal and put the game on the lowest possible graphics settings to get rid of any possible lag I could prevent, but issues immediately arose once I started playing.”
“The visuals and sound design are pretty kino though, so if you only care about that stuff, play it for a couple of runs and see how you like it.”
“The visuals, sound design, and level of detail for a small project deserve to be commended.”
- story24 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed feedback, with some players finding it intriguing and well-developed, particularly praising its in-depth lore and atmospheric storytelling. Others, however, feel that the gameplay detracts from the narrative experience, citing tedious mechanics and randomness that hinder their enjoyment of the story. Overall, while many appreciate the compelling characters and plot, the execution of the gameplay may overshadow the narrative for some players.
“What really surprises me is how in-depth the lore goes for a game with such a low price point, and I found the story offered here to be rather intriguing.”
“This game made me fall in love with the story it was trying to convey; the pieces are all there and it allows a normal dude like me to timeline it all and figure out what the hell is even going on.”
“The compelling characters and intriguing plot drew me deeper into the game's mysterious world.”
“Story is just weird.”
“This game made me fall in love with the story it was trying to convey, the pieces are all there and it allows a normal dude like me to timeline it all and figure out what the hell is even going on.”
“Quite the gem if you are a fan of something like buckshot roulette; you'll feel right at home with Flathead. Honestly, at times this game was able to make me more tense due to the RNG present with the numbers. Plus, for the price, you definitely can't go wrong. You have a decent amount of lore to dig through and story, plus several endings to get. Playtime can vary, but you'll definitely get at least 2 to 3 hours worth of content, well worth the asking price.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -10 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability for its low price, with a fun and engaging gameplay loop that encourages multiple playthroughs. However, its short length limits the variety of experiences, primarily leading players to chase achievements and uncover bonus lore. Overall, while enjoyable, the replay value may feel constrained without additional content or mechanics to enhance the experience.
“For just $1.99, this bite-sized horror experience offers high replayability and a unique thrill.”
“Gameplay loop is devious and fun with a decent amount of replayability.”
“Very fun gameplay loop and a good amount of replayability with bonus lore and secrets.”
“This experience is so drastically short, and while replayable, there is not much to do in these replays other than hunt for Steam achievements.”
“The game lacks depth, making replayability feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
“After completing the game once, I found little incentive to go back, as the content doesn't change significantly.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unengaging, often feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment and narrative experience. The reliance on luck and repetitive gameplay leads to a sense of frustration, making victories feel hollow and unfulfilling.
“Wanting to see what lies behind that objective, I've blasted through a couple of easy trials, but the wins are shallow and grindy feeling.”
“Game is not fun; the gameplay is tedious and boring. It is not scary, and you have to get lucky; otherwise, it makes you start over. The story might be cool, but I can't tell because RNG keeps messing with me.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its accuracy and ability to enhance immersion, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere alongside impressive sound design and graphics.
“The incredibly accurate soundtrack immerses the player even more in the setting.”
“The sound, music, creature design, graphics, just amazing.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely absent, with players noting a lack of comedic elements and a pervasive sense of dread that overshadows any potential for levity. The comparison to "buckshot roulette" highlights the game's grim tone rather than any humorous aspects.
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is frequently praised for its exceptional optimization, particularly as an Unreal Engine title, indicating that it runs smoothly and efficiently on a variety of hardware configurations.
“This is the most optimized Unreal Engine game I've ever played.”
“The optimization in this game is truly impressive, making for a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
“I can't believe how well-optimized this Unreal Engine game is; it runs flawlessly on my system.”
