Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 231 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel Game Cover
A great entry into the survival horror genre, Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel serves up the frights good and proper.
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In "FOBIA: St. Dinfna Hotel," explore a haunting hotel filled with horrors and supernatural phenomena. Scavenge for supplies, evade monsters, and delve into a complex narrative filled with puzzles and conspiracies. Uncover the dark secrets of the hotel using a camera that reveals different timelines, all while navigating the dangers of the past, present, and future.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 231 reviews
story30 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fantastic atmosphere and engaging puzzles, reminiscent of classic survival horror titles.
  • The graphics and level design are impressive, creating an immersive experience for players.
  • The unique camera mechanic adds an interesting layer to exploration and puzzle-solving.
  • The combat feels clunky and lacks variety, with only a few enemy types that can become repetitive.
  • The game suffers from excessive backtracking and a lack of a map, making navigation frustrating.
  • Some puzzles can be overly complex or obscure, leading to confusion and aimless wandering.
  • story110 mentions

    The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it intriguing and well-written, while others describe it as convoluted and confusing, often requiring players to read numerous documents to piece together the plot. Many appreciate the atmospheric elements and the homage to classic survival horror games like Resident Evil, but criticisms arise regarding the pacing, clarity, and overall coherence of the narrative, particularly towards the end. Overall, while the story has potential and offers engaging moments, it often leaves players feeling lost or unsatisfied.

    • “Another little gem among the puzzle horror with a very well-written story and original game elements to use.”
    • “The story is solid and I think has a lot of promise; I honestly couldn't bring myself to finish it as I found the gameplay too frustrating, but I want to give credit where it's due.”
    • “In my opinion, this is a great survival horror game with an intriguing story that pays homage to classic survival horror games while doing its own thing that makes it just as good, if not better.”
    • “The story is very convoluted and messy, and the endings are really bad; by the time I got my revenge on a certain stalker, I had no clue what any of it meant.”
    • “The story felt like it was trying to do a lot, and while I could piece together a large majority of it, it was also trying to do too much, making it quite easy to lose track of all the plot threads, which left me confused by the end.”
    • “The story lacks a lot; there is a lot unexplained and feels left open. I really wished there was more to it.”
  • gameplay55 mentions

    Gameplay in the game is heavily inspired by Resident Evil 7, featuring solid mechanics, engaging puzzles, and an intriguing camera system that enhances exploration. However, players have noted issues such as confusing puzzle solutions, frustrating navigation, and a lack of item drops from enemies, which can detract from the overall experience. While the game offers a lengthy and atmospheric journey, some mechanics feel clunky and can lead to a tedious gameplay experience.

    • “For such a small team, they managed to make a game with fun puzzles, a good story, and enjoyable gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay feels a lot like a Resident Evil or some related AAA horror game.”
    • “The gameplay is great, and the graphics are amazing.”
    • “If I were to mention negative points, it would basically be the delay in pulling up the night vision, the lack of item drops from enemies (I personally don't like this type of mechanic unless it's included in a separate difficulty), and the excess of puzzles. This is the most serious issue in my opinion, as depending on their complexity, it makes the gameplay very tedious.”
    • “I'd say 3 hours of my gameplay was just looping around floor 1 and the rat maze that is floors 4-6 to find one or two items I missed or a puzzle I finally found the item for.”
    • “The story may not make much sense, the puzzles may be unintuitive, and the gameplay may be repetitive and boring, but underneath all those issues is a game with fun exploration that is sure to please horror fans craving another first-person Resident Evil experience, especially for the price.”
  • atmosphere40 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its tension and immersive design, effectively combining elements like sound, graphics, and environmental storytelling to create a gripping experience. While some players note issues with artificial difficulty and backtracking, the overall mood and supernatural elements contribute to a compelling survival horror vibe. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to keep players on edge, making exploration both engaging and unsettling.

    • “The strengths here lie in the atmosphere and puzzles, both of which are done very well.”
    • “With a terror atmosphere like no other and a very interesting level design based on a lot of puzzles, this game has an amazing survival horror vibe!”
    • “The game oozes atmosphere and feels tense walking through the hotel, this is accompanied by creaking floorboards and doors and a creeping soundtrack that feels like it doesn't overstay its welcome.”
    • “Cheap jump scares without setting up any atmosphere.”
    • “Also, the game's atmosphere is lackluster in the horror category.”
    • “The atmosphere, the art direction and style, the combat and survival elements, exploration, all combine together to make a top-notch 9.5/10 experience.”
  • graphics40 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive visuals, atmospheric design, and attention to detail that enhance the overall experience. While some minor issues with lighting and character animations were noted, the game's optimization and graphical options, including ray tracing, contribute to a visually stunning environment that resonates well with players. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, elevating the game's aesthetic and immersion.

    • “Magnificent graphics; you really feel like you're in an antique hotel.”
    • “Fantastic atmosphere and graphics.”
    • “There are some questionable design choices such as the washed out graphics settings (very fixable with suggestions in the steam forum) and the horrible head bob with currently no option to turn it off, though they said they would address that.”
    • “No matter what I set my gamma to or what graphics settings I modified, the game looks washed out.”
    • “The graphics maxed out with ray tracing, the puzzles, the story, the environment, the atmosphere, all perfect.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While many players report excellent performance with stable frame rates and impressive visuals even on lower-end hardware, some users have experienced significant performance issues, including stuttering and choppy gameplay. Recent patches appear to have improved the situation for some, but others still find the optimization lacking, particularly in specific scenarios.

    • “Other than that, I hardly had any performance issues at high settings, and the frame rate remained at a stable 60 with or without DLSS.”
    • “I mean, the game has RTX, but even though I'm running it on my GTX 1050 Ti, it still has very realistic (and impressive) reflections and it runs at 70+ FPS with high graphics configuration, which is absolutely insane; the game is so greatly optimized.”
    • “I will say as of the recent patch, the performance issues are, as far as I can tell, completely resolved.”
    • “The performance of the game is awful.”
    • “The performance especially interacts badly with this design choice as when the character is lurching back and forth, the game chugging and stuttering just makes it feel horrible.”
    • “Would love to give it another go if it got a technical/performance pass as it seems like there was some care put into it, it's just too rough to love at the moment though unfortunately.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric soundtracks that enhance the tension, particularly during key moments like boss fights. However, others criticize the lack of ambient sound and the reliance on cheap musical stings, suggesting that the background music needs significant improvement. Overall, while the music contributes to the game's atmosphere, it falls short in consistency and depth.

    • “The game oozes atmosphere and feels tense walking through the hotel, this is accompanied by creaking floorboards and doors and a creeping soundtrack that feels like it doesn't overstay its welcome.”
    • “Music fits nicely.”
    • “+ soundtracks”
    • “However, as you proceed, you find yourself getting more and more well equipped, and unfortunately, the psychological scares start to give way to attempts at cheap spooks and musical stings.”
    • “Some music tracks gave me dissonant vibes (not in a 'fits the horror mood' sense).”
    • “The background music department needs a lot of work.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability through features like multiple endings and a New Game+ mode that allows players to carry over weapons. Additionally, the potential for speedrunning and achievement hunting further enhances its replay value, appealing to a dedicated player base.

    • “It certainly adds to the replayability of it.”
    • “It also has a New Game+ mode which gives replayability to the game, and there are multiple endings.”
    • “The New Game+ mode with our weapons carrying over is nice; it gives the game some good replay value.”
    • “If you are a collector of achievements, you will have to play it three times, so good luck.”
    • “It has a New Game+ mode which adds to the replayability of the game, and there are multiple endings.”
    • “I see this game becoming a speedrun title with a cult-like following, similar to the early Resident Evil titles!”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to excessive backtracking and a lack of guidance, which can lead to frustration during exploration. The absence of a map exacerbates the issue, making navigation cumbersome and detracting from the overall experience. While the game features a gripping storyline and rich atmosphere, the repetitive nature of traversing the environment can diminish its enjoyment.

    • “But it was very tedious, lots of backtracking and the game doesn't do a great job at guiding you.”
    • “The only big problem is the backtracking: the game lasts way more than it needs to be and it's pretty tedious to traverse the map, especially when a lot of ways are stuck or become inaccessible.”
    • “- It does get less scary and more tedious when you're just running around blind trying to figure out where to go because there is no map you're carrying around as you do in almost every survival horror game. A map would certainly be helpful with the size of the levels you will go through for a huge chunk of the game.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by unintentional hilarity, particularly through the main character's antics and amusing glitches, especially in the Dinfna hotel. While some Easter eggs provide a good laugh, others are overly obvious, detracting from the overall immersion.

    • “The main character is unintentionally hilarious.”
    • “The Dinfna Hotel has some janky character animations and funny glitches, but it is a really nice game.”
    • “Funny thing, up until that point, there was no way of saving the game.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The stability of "Dinfna Hotel" is mixed, with users reporting janky character animations and occasional glitches, such as falling through the world. While some players experienced significant bugs, others noted that the game runs well overall and features impressive graphics.

    • “The graphics are very nice, and the game runs great for me.”
    • “I experienced no crashes or bugs during my playthrough, which made for a smooth gaming experience.”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, ensuring that gameplay is fluid and enjoyable.”
    • “I really wanted to like this game, but I came across several janky and buggy interactions.”
    • “In terms of glitches, I fell through the world once and was able to 'leave' the hotel, running towards the moonlight without a care in the world.”
    • “The character animations in 'Dinfna Hotel' are janky, and there are some funny glitches, which detracts from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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