FM | Game Brain — video game discovery

About

FM is a single player puzzle game with a horror theme. It was developed by Jordan B Cutler and was released on May 29, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

FM is a short first-person psychological horror experience with a huge emphasis on narrative and environmentally-based puzzles. FM takes heavy inspiration from and, in some aspects, is intended to be a low-budget spiritual successor to P.T. WARNING: THIS GAME CONTAINS FLASHING LIGHTS AND IMAGES THAT MAY MAKE IT UNSUITABLE FOR THOSE WITH PHOTOSENSITIVE EPILEPSY OR OTHER SIMILAR CONDITIONS. PLAYE…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

story11 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game delivers a creepy and unsettling atmosphere with a story told through radio broadcasts that keeps players engaged.
Puzzles are generally interesting and solvable using audio clues, offering a good blend of challenge and reward.
It is a decent homage to P.T. with solid scares and suspense, enjoyable as a short horror experience.

Controls and gameplay are slow, clunky, and sometimes inconsistent, making progression frustrating and tedious.
The horror elements, including jump scares and atmosphere, are often weak or predictable and lack originality.
Technical issues such as bugs, poor detection of interactable objects, and a demanding audio setup reduce accessibility and immersion.

story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
44%
12%
The story is generally dark and atmospheric with a gripping premise, often conveyed through radio broadcasts that integrate narrative clues into gameplay. While some players found the plot engaging and effectively eerie, others considered it predictable, slow-paced, and sometimes incoherent, with puzzles and pacing detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the story is short, simple, and blends well with the game's exploration, though it may not satisfy those seeking a deeply rich or unique narrative.
- “I liked the story a lot and the puzzles were also interesting.”
- “Nicely done game with pretty dark story and good atmosphere.”
- “The game has a great premise, homicide-suicide story with narrative as you explore a hallway that leads to distant memories of a story beginning to unfold as you progress.”
- “The game storyline is completely familiar and often used by Russian asset flippers: you're in a spooky apartment building or house, wandering around, looking at stuff, doing lightweight adventure game clicking, and getting an occasional jump scare.”
- “The concept for the puzzles is that you listen to the radio telling you about the story and you're supposed to find a relevant object, but one of the first puzzles didn't even make sense.”
- “The story elements are very dry, incoherent at times, very slow paced, and the interactive parts aren't compelling.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay is characterized by creative but inconsistent mechanics, with issues in control responsiveness and technical glitches that hinder smooth interaction. Players found it straightforward but sometimes slow and repetitive, with frustrating progression due to unclear objectives and limited engaging elements. Overall, while the game offers decent value and atmosphere, the gameplay lacks polish and depth, reducing its impact and satisfaction.
- “The mechanics were creative, but inconsistent at times, such as getting stuck on the locker part.”
- “The gameplay mechanic used to keep you engaged involves listening to audio cues and holding right mouse button to look at a corresponding object.”
- “The gameplay is straightforward enough, though it took quite some time to find the dog.”
- “It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
- “Unfortunately, this is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing.”
- “All things considered it's a decent horror game but my issue with it was finding the right thing to zoom on to trigger progression; my 2-hour gameplay consisted mostly of walking around aimlessly trying to find what to zoom on.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for being creepy, dark, and well-crafted, effectively building tension without relying heavily on jump scares. However, some users feel the atmosphere is lacking, noting odd design choices like upside-down furniture and overused red lighting that don't contribute to the intended mood.
- “Been meaning to play this for a while. So far I played Act One and I like it very much—creepy, atmospheric, and I will be making more videos on this game soon. Stay tuned.”
- “Nicely done game with a pretty dark story and good atmosphere.”
- “Sets up an atmosphere rather than relying on jumpscares.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Stability is a significant issue, with frequent bugs affecting gameplay and puzzle-solving. While the experience is enjoyable for some, technical problems and overly dark visuals detract from overall quality.
- “Some of the examined objects were a little buggy but ultimately a good creepy experience that I truly enjoyed.”
- “A buggy mess that's way too dark.”
- “Solving puzzles is buggy.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect tedious and slow, with repetitive clicking to trigger events contributing to a frustratingly sluggish gameplay experience.
- “The clicking areas to trigger events are just tedious.”
- “It's tedious and incredibly slow paced to an already slow paced game.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics receive high praise for their atmospheric and haunting visuals, effectively enhancing the eerie and sinister mood of the game. The dimly lit hallways and dark environments contribute to a truly immersive and chilling experience.
- “From the haunting experience of walking down dimly lit hallways and the eerie visuals of staring down completely dark hallways waiting for the main antagonist to show themselves, as well as the sinister storyline that will make even some of the most hardened fans of the genre shiver.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is well-received, earning an 8/10 rating for its quality and contribution to the overall experience. Players find the soundtrack engaging and fitting for the game's atmosphere.