Gate to Site 8

About

Gate to Site 8 is a single player simulation game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Derek Golliher • Orange Crow Studio and was released on September 9, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Gate to Site 8" is a narrative-driven game that explores the story of a troubled individual returning to their childhood home. The game features a slower-paced, emotive experience with horror elements, encouraging players to uncover the protagonist's past and reconcile with their childhood trauma. With unique storytelling prompts and a runtime of 30 minutes to 1 hour, the game is best experienced in one sitting with headphones. The game's haunting soundtrack is composed by Jurrivh.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 46 reviews

story10 positive mentions

optimization2 negative mentions

The game offers a poignant and emotional story that effectively explores childhood memories and dark secrets.
The atmosphere is beautifully crafted, with impressive visuals and sound design that enhance the experience.
Players appreciate the subtle horror elements and unexpected twists, making it an engaging short adventure.

The gameplay can feel monotonous due to the repetitive cabin layouts and lack of significant variation.
Technical issues such as low audio mixing and unreliable controls detract from the overall experience.
Some players found the story predictable and the pacing too slow, leading to a lack of tension in the horror elements.

story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
53%
11%
The story is centered around a basic yet emotionally charged narrative involving memories of an abusive father and the protagonist's relationship with their brother, which some players found engaging despite its linearity and simplicity. While the game is described as more of a psychological experience than a horror title, the contrasting upbeat background music detracts from the intended dark atmosphere. Overall, players appreciated the story's depth and emotional resonance, even if the gameplay itself was minimal and the graphics underwhelming.
- “A wonderful experience driven by the story.”
- “One of the best games I've played at any price, not based on anything but story and ending.”
- “For a play time of roughly 45 minutes, the story engrosses you with all elements from love to the horrors of one's mind.”
- “The story is pretty basic; you go through your memories of the past that involve your brother and an abusive, alcoholic father.”
- “It just doesn't match the claims for a 'dark story' and 'horror elements'.”
- “Short, extremely linear story with a generic environment, including a few houses that have identical layouts and furnishings.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The graphics in the game are generally considered decent, with some users noting a minimal difference between high and medium settings, but a significant drop when switching to low. While the visuals are described as crisp, issues such as inconsistent brightness transitions and performance problems when adjusting settings detract from the overall experience. Additionally, players expressed a desire for the game to save graphic settings between sessions to improve convenience.
- “The graphics are crisp and the background music soothes the soul.”
- “The graphics were pretty decent, but there wasn't much difference between high and medium, and then a huge gap from medium to low.”
- “It would be nice to have the settings saved instead of having to change them every time you start a new game, especially since it took the game a while to change between graphic settings for me.”
- “I didn't like the constant change in brightness when going inside and outside (which was much more noticeable with low graphics).”
- “Downsides: graphics aren't great, as well as the performance; it has a quite unnecessary plot twist at the end.”
- “It would be nice to have the settings saved instead of having to change them every time you start a new game (especially since it took the game a while to change between graphic settings for me).”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The music in the game is described as calming and beautiful, with a standout piano theme that enhances the relaxing atmosphere. However, some players feel that the upbeat and soothing background music detracts from the game's potential for tension and immersion, suggesting that a more ominous score would better suit the narrative's themes. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its aesthetic qualities, it may not align well with the game's intended emotional impact.
- “Also, the piano theme song is absolutely fantastic.”
- “Relaxing soundtrack.”
- “The graphics are crisp and the background music soothes the soul.”
- “I get that there is a story to be experienced, but the background music was just too happy and calming, which makes the game feel more like a regular ordinary walking sim.”
- “It perhaps would have done better with more ominous or somber music, especially considering the plot.”
- “It's a bit too slow-paced with calming background music to be considered any kind of scary.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its impressive sound design and immersive world-building, effectively creating a spooky yet not overtly scary environment. While it leans more towards a story-driven experience than traditional horror, players appreciate the atmospheric elements that enhance the overall experience.
- “The game dev has created a truly atmospheric world.”
- “The use of sound and sound effects in these moments (and across the game) is very impressive and adds so much to the atmosphere.”
- “Alrighty.. I played both games and they were pretty cool and atmospheric, more story-driven rather than actual horror, which was nice!”
- “The game is a walking sim, so I don't expect a scary atmosphere (and there wasn't, though perhaps one very light half jumpscare?).”
- “It was nice to see the attempt at creating a spooky atmosphere.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The gameplay is characterized as a stripped-down walking simulator focused on exploration and item collection, which triggers emotional monologues related to childhood memories and dark secrets. This indie game emphasizes a personal narrative, creating a somber and introspective experience for players.
- “Another somber, quiet, emotional, and sad little indie game about childhood memories, strange happenings, and dark secrets that seems very personal to the dev; using the genre of stripped-down walking sim/exploration games and the collecting of items which trigger monologues as its only gameplay mechanic.”
- “Another somber, quiet, emotional, and sad little indie game about childhood memories, strange happenings, and dark secrets that seems very personal to the dev; using the genre of stripped down walking sim/exploration games and the collecting of items which trigger monologues as its only gameplay mechanic.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is described as a deeply emotional and somber indie experience that explores themes of childhood memories, strange occurrences, and dark secrets, reflecting the developer's personal narrative. Utilizing a minimalist walking simulator format, it engages players through item collection that triggers poignant monologues, enhancing its emotional depth.
- “Another somber, quiet, emotional, and sad little indie game about childhood memories, strange happenings, and dark secrets that seems very personal to the dev; using the genre of stripped down walking sim/exploration games and the collecting of items which trigger monologues as its only gameplay mechanic.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received criticism for subpar graphics and performance issues, which detract from the overall experience. Additionally, some players found the plot twist at the end to be unnecessary, further impacting their enjoyment.
- “The graphics aren't great, and the performance is lacking, which detracts from the overall experience.”