Graveyard Shift

About

Graveyard Shift is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by Darkphobia Games and was released on December 2, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Graveyard Shift" , you play as Gary, a night security guard at the eerie Whispering Winds Cemetery. Starting at 5 PM, you must survive until 8 AM the next day. As strange occurrences unfold, both on camera and in person, Gary realizes this job will challenge his sanity and endurance. This game bankers on responsibility and genuine fear, offering realistic graphics and immersive 3D sound, rather than relying on vague puzzles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 422 reviews

atmosphere68 positive mentions

story22 negative mentions

The game has a stunning atmosphere and impressive graphics that create a rich and eerie environment.
Some jump scares are effective, providing genuine moments of fright despite their predictability.
The game is a fun, short experience that can be enjoyed in a single sitting, making it suitable for casual play.

The game is very short, often completed in under two hours, leaving players wanting more content.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including problems with item interactions and unclear objectives.
The story feels incomplete and poorly written, with many grammatical errors that detract from immersion.

story
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
64%
20%
The game's story is generally criticized for being short, simplistic, and lacking depth, with many players feeling it ends abruptly without proper resolution. While some appreciate the atmospheric setting and potential of the narrative, others find it nonsensical and poorly executed, often overshadowed by repetitive jump scares and gameplay bugs. Overall, the consensus suggests that the story could benefit from more development and coherence to enhance player engagement.
- “Short story about a man starting work as an overnight shift cemetery caretaker, where the ghosts lead him into unraveling the mystery behind it and the demon that torments its paranormal residents.”
- “The theme and story may be familiar, but I enjoyed the couple of hours I spent in this game.”
- “I liked this game very much, the story was good and also the way you use the cameras.”
- “The jump scares get incredibly tiresome because it's all the game can seem to do to attempt to keep the player on edge, but since the story is totally nonsensical and the game doesn't make you think or react at all, I found myself completely uninterested in any of it and just wanted it to end.”
- “The 'story' is uninspired and the few notes you are able to find are in broken English, grammatically incorrect, or just don't make sense.”
- “Anyways, very short gameplay, had no ending or conclusion to the story.”
atmosphere
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
29%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and effective sound design that contribute to a haunting experience. While some found the reliance on jump scares to detract from the overall tension, the general consensus is that the game successfully creates a rich, spooky environment that enhances the horror elements. However, a few critiques mention that despite the strong atmosphere, the gameplay and story execution could use improvement.
- “Great value for money, atmosphere was top tier, and the scares weren't too far behind.”
- “The atmosphere was thrilling and I had an uncomfortable feeling the whole time.”
- “For a horror game it's a 10/10, the atmosphere of being in a haunted graveyard, and figuring out what is going on is a truly terrifying experience!”
- “I guess that the only good thing about this game is the atmosphere, but everything else is horrible.”
- “I wish the game was less reliant on jump scares - I think a thick, creepy atmosphere does a lot more than just the typical loud noise plus scary face jumping at the camera which we have seen a million times before.”
- “If you got 6 bucks then get ready for 2 hours of walking, eh atmosphere & really predictable jump scares.”
graphics
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
31%
8%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their quality and ability to create an eerie atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the realistic visuals and effective sound design. However, there are notable criticisms regarding graphical glitches and inconsistencies, which detract from the overall experience. While some players found the visuals stunning, others felt they fell short of expectations, particularly given the game's use of Unreal Engine 5 technology.
- “Amazing graphics, sound effects, story.”
- “Graphics are good; as for UE5 title, the Lumen and Nanite are in action making a realistic atmosphere and scary vibe.”
- “Pros: the visuals are stunning, creating a rich and tense atmosphere.”
- “There are also a massive amount of graphics glitches throughout the game that are impossible not to see.”
- “Terrible graphics and weak storyline.”
- “For the life of me, I don't understand how anyone liked this game. It's clunky, the graphics are poor, the game was short, the story was nonexistent, and the game was just horrible in every way possible. It wasn't scary; it wasn't any good.”
gameplay
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
86%
7%
The gameplay is criticized for being overly simplistic and linear, with many mechanics feeling underutilized or incomplete, leading to a sense of a rushed project. Players report a short playtime of around one hour, with numerous bugs and glitches affecting the experience. While the atmosphere and graphics are praised, the lack of depth and interactivity detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “Gameplay is very familiar, allowing players to understand it quickly, but it uses this familiarity artfully and with subtle regard.”
- “The game is fun and scary, definitely worth the price, but there are still some bugs and glitches during gameplay that need addressing.”
- “Definitively should not cost more than Scanner Sombre, a dungeon crawler/explorative horror game with only one mechanic that you actually have fun seeing in use for its 5 hours of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay area feels a little underexplored, and combined with the lack of items for designated keybindings makes me suspect that it was a project cut short - no oil for a lantern?”
- “Its incomplete state can be seen on numerous occasions, like in the incredible amount of features never used or used only once: there is a map, but you have to use it 2 times in the whole game; there is an HP bar, but you never lose HP; there is a sprint action, but you never need to sprint; there are sound and visual cues for a fear-related altered status that have no effects; there is a mechanic where you have to follow steps in the mud used only once; there is a fully programmed driving mini-game, used once; the ghosts can disable the cameras and this is used only once.”
- “So basically the game was very linear to a fault and lacks any real gameplay apart from checking the cameras.”
stability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including crashes, graphical issues, and gameplay interruptions that can force players to restart from earlier saves. While some users found the experience enjoyable despite these problems, the overall stability is a significant concern, with many recommending caution regarding its price given the game's short length and technical issues.
- “I would have liked to play this game but it was super buggy and it kept crashing.”
- “There are also massive amounts of graphics glitches throughout the game that are impossible not to see.”
- “The game is fun and scary, definitely worth the price, but there are still some bugs and glitches during the gameplay, some of which allow players to go out of bounds, and some doors were not properly locked, leading to unintended exploration. Falling off the map leaves you with no choice but to restart the save.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as a standout feature, with many players finding the jumpscares and poor grammar to be amusing rather than frightening. While some suggest improvements to the graphics and jump scare mechanics, the overall consensus is that the game's comedic elements make it enjoyable and worth trying.
- “Game wasn't scary; it was funny.”
- “The poor grammar is absolutely hilarious.”
- “Pretty good game, with some funny jumpscares; worth a try!”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with users reporting performance problems even on systems that exceed the recommended specifications. Many players experienced excessive GPU usage and bugs, leading to a disappointing overall experience.
- “Consume too much GPU (not very well optimized)”
- “This is an extremely disappointing and mediocre 'horror game' that is full of bugs, bad optimization, and cheap jumpscares.”
- “Very bad - 1 hour of content, no screamers at all, bad optimization.”
- “I did suffer from some performance issues, especially in the security hut for whatever reason. I ran it on medium even though my laptop exceeded recommended specifications.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users highlighting a great soundtrack, while others feel that the only standout piece is the radio song at the end. Overall, the music seems to be a notable aspect for some, but not universally appreciated.
- “Great soundtrack”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, overshadowing the otherwise immersive atmosphere. The unpolished mechanics contribute to a sense of annoyance, making it difficult for players to stay engaged with the horror elements.
- “While the atmosphere is quite detailed and immersive, literally just about everything else here is tedious and annoying.”
- “I tried pushing through, but honestly, the unpolished overall feel of this game was so tedious I forgot I was playing a horror game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is generally considered to lack replayability, with multiple users suggesting that it may be best to wait for a sale or free access to fully enjoy the experience.
- “This game doesn’t have any replay value, so I recommend waiting until it’s on sale or free to enjoy it.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviews indicate that the game suffers from significant shortcomings in character development, with many players noting that improvements are needed in the plot and voice acting as well.
- “It is very clear there is much work to be done on this game's plot, voice acting, and character development.”