Ghostly Matter

About

Ghostly Matter is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Small Bros and was released on July 12, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Ghostly Matter" is a puzzle-adventure game where players take on the role of a paranormal investigator. Using a special vacuum device, players collect ghostly matter to solve puzzles and uncover the mysteries of a haunted mansion. With a spooky atmosphere and challenging brain teasers, it's a game that will keep you engaged and entertained.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews

story12 positive mentions

Ghostly Matter features a captivating story with numerous references to horror classics, enhancing the overall experience.
The game offers a nostalgic old-school metroidvania feel, with challenging gameplay and rewarding power-ups that keep players engaged.
The art style and atmosphere are praised for their creativity, making the game visually appealing and immersive.

The controls, especially for keyboard users, are poorly configured and cannot be customized, leading to frustration during gameplay.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including game-breaking glitches that hinder progress.
Level and map design can be overly complex and confusing, making navigation difficult and detracting from the overall enjoyment.

story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-executed, featuring rich dialogues and intriguing plot twists, while others criticize it for being bland and unhelpful to gameplay. Many noted that the narrative often feels forced, with players feeling compelled to progress without fully engaging with the story, leading to a disconnect between the gameplay and the narrative experience. Overall, while there are moments of interest and homage to various horror and fantasy themes, the execution leaves some players wanting more depth and integration with the gameplay.
- “Old school metroid-vania with a solid storyline and substantial power-ups.”
- “The graphics are simple but nice and expressive, the tunes are good, the story is simple but well-executed, and there are several nice homages to all kinds of horror and fantasy stories, from Ghostbusters to Lovecraft and Twin Peaks.”
- “The story is engaging and interesting.”
- “The problem is that the story isn't helpful to the game; it's made with way fewer puzzle aspects, and there are so many monsters that pop out of nowhere.”
- “It's bland, it lacks enticing gameplay and puzzling aspects, and it tries to stuff a story down your throat that, if you even found interesting at first, is drowned out by the search to find the one thing you need to click on to progress the story to the next part.”
- “The story forces you to progress once you've gotten the clues to the next area; what I mean is you don't really have to learn anything to progress.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay is criticized for being bland and lacking engaging mechanics, with a tedious tutorial that fails to reflect the excitement promised in trailers. Players find themselves repetitively using the core mechanic of shifting into the ghost realm, which drains health and battery, leading to frustrating experiences due to poor level design and unavoidable damage from enemies. Overall, the gameplay feels unrefined and unenjoyable, detracting from the potential narrative experience.
- “The central mechanic in this game allows you to shift into the ghost realm by hitting RB, which lets you see hidden enemies and different paths forward, but doing so costs you health and battery power, so you can't keep it on all the time.”
- “The combination of both of these features results in gameplay that is essentially me hitting B and RB constantly while I walk around the levels, and it's wearing out my fingers.”
- “It's a minor issue, but considering some puzzles use these mechanics, it would be nice to know the length.”
- “It's bland, it lacks enticing gameplay and puzzling aspects, and it tries to stuff a story down your throat that, if you even found interesting at first, is drowned out by the search to find the one thing you need to click on to progress the story to the next part so you can leave, hoping the next place isn't going to let you down like the last one.”
- “The game suffered from a very long and drawn-out tutorial that had very little of the gameplay seen in the trailers.”
- “Alas, when the core mechanic pulls from two resource pools, when the jumps are NES-style in some points, when enemy placement is, 'yep, I'm going to take damage no matter what I do here,' when map/level design is this poorly done and when it works against anyone just trying to sit and play a game ... that's just not a fun experience.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The graphics are generally praised for their expressive and simple design, with many reviewers highlighting the nostalgic old-school art style and numerous references to horror classics. While the visuals are considered outstanding and contribute positively to the overall experience, some critiques mention that the game design itself may not match the quality of the graphics. Overall, the art style is a standout feature that enhances the game's storytelling and atmosphere.
- “The graphics are simple but nice and expressive, the tunes are good, the story is simple but well-executed, and there are several nice homages to all kinds of horror and fantasy stories, from Ghostbusters to Lovecraft and Twin Peaks.”
- “Story is A+, rich in dialogues and some plot twists; graphics are for the most part outstanding.”
- “The art style is amazing.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the overall experience, with many users highlighting its quality and ability to complement the game's design. Overall, it contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, making it enjoyable for players.
- “Good feeling, awesome art, and great music!”
- “Love the design, love the music, and I plan on finishing this game ASAP!”
- “Good feeling, awesome art, and great music!”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, featuring memorable moments such as a skeleton character sporting a leather jacket and mohawk. It captures a vintage charm that resonates with players, blending humor with challenging gameplay reminiscent of classic titles.
- “The humor lands well and features some funny moments, like the skeleton with a leather jacket and mohawk.”
- “Very vintage in all of its aspects, funny and challenging, like all the best old games.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight a strong emotional connection fostered by the creator's genuine care for quality, making players feel valued and appreciated. This attention to detail enhances the overall experience, contributing to a deeper emotional engagement with the game.
- “He really cares about the quality of this title and made me feel like a valuable customer.”