Graveyard Shift

About

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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 253 reviews

story14 positive mentions

stability14 negative mentions

The game has a great atmosphere and visuals, creating a spooky and immersive experience.
There are effective jump scares that can genuinely frighten players, making it enjoyable for horror fans.
It's a fun, short game that can be completed in about 1-2 hours, making it suitable for a quick gaming session.

The game is very short and feels incomplete, with many players expressing disappointment over its brevity and lack of depth.
There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with item interactions and game progression.
The story is often criticized for being nonsensical and poorly written, with many grammatical errors that detract from the overall experience.

story
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
61%
18%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it short, predictable, and lacking depth. While some appreciated the atmospheric setting and initial intrigue, they noted that the narrative often felt disjointed, nonsensical, or abruptly concluded, leaving many plot points unexplored. Overall, the game is seen as an interactive experience with minimal storytelling, relying heavily on jump scares rather than a cohesive plot.
- “I enjoyed every single bit of the story. I liked it a lot; I was hoping it would be longer, but I was satisfied with the spooks and scares. It was good enough to take screenshots of parts of the story.”
- “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 pacing, music, art, and story were 10/10.”
- “The story is really short.”
- “The story is a bit all over the place; a lot of stuff just is never explained.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
25%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive, and eerie qualities, effectively enhancing the horror experience. Many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and sound design that contribute to a tense and unsettling environment, although some note that reliance on jump scares can detract from the overall impact. Despite some technical issues and gameplay shortcomings, the atmospheric elements remain a standout feature, making it appealing for fans of the genre.
- “The best thing this game has going is the atmosphere; it's amazing!”
- “Great atmosphere, jump scares, everything needed for this genre.”
- “The atmosphere was thrilling, and I had an uncomfortable feeling the whole time.”
- “While the design and lighting drips with atmosphere, it's just another walking simulator with some decently set up jump scares.”
- “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.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
33%
7%
The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the stunning visuals and atmospheric design that effectively create a spooky environment. However, some users noted issues such as graphical glitches and inconsistencies, suggesting that while the aesthetic is strong, it could benefit from further refinement and optimization. Overall, the game is recognized for its impressive graphics, particularly for an indie title, but it also faces criticism for technical shortcomings.
- “The graphics are nice, as for UE5 title the lumen and nanite are in action making a realistic atmosphere and scary vibe.”
- “Amazing looking horror game, graphics are 10/10.”
- “Pros: the visuals are stunning, creating a rich and tense atmosphere.”
- “There are also massive amounts 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... the graphics are poor, the game was short, the story was nonexistent, the game was just horrible in every way possible.”
gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
79%
10%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its lack of depth and linearity, with many players noting that it feels incomplete and underdeveloped, featuring numerous unused mechanics and game-breaking bugs. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and basic fun, the overall experience is marred by a short playtime of around one hour and a lack of engaging content, leading to a sense of disappointment among users.
- “Gameplay is very familiar, allowing players to understand it all quickly, but it uses mechanics 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.”
- “The gameplay path can feel a bit dull, with very little background story, and the object interactivity prompt is barely noticeable due to its small size.”
- “Overall a very nice and atmospheric game, but I ran into several game-breaking bugs during the gameplay.”
- “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.”
- “The gameplay path can feel a bit dull, there is very little background story, and the object interactivity prompt is barely noticeable because it's so small and has no margin of error, meaning you need to click on that exact pixel.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably poor, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by players, including crashes, graphical issues, and progression-blocking errors. While some users found the game enjoyable despite these problems, many expressed disappointment, suggesting it feels unfinished and not worth the current price. Overall, the stability issues significantly detract from the experience, making it a gamble for potential players.
- “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.”
- “Since I wasn't able to progress in the game, I'm very disappointed with the quality and glitches; this shouldn't be considered a finished game.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and instability, even on systems that meet or exceed the recommended specifications. Many players noted that the game consumes excessive GPU resources and suffers from poor design choices that hinder gameplay. Overall, the optimization is deemed disappointing, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The graphics are great, and it was optimized for UE5, which enhances the overall experience.”
- “I did experience some performance issues, especially in the security hut, despite my laptop exceeding the recommended specifications.”
- “It consumes too much GPU, indicating that it is not very well optimized.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is primarily derived from its unintentional comedic elements, such as NPCs not moving their mouths while speaking and poor grammar, which players find amusing. Additionally, the game features funny jumpscares that contribute to its overall lighthearted tone, making it more entertaining than scary. Overall, while the humor is appreciated, some players suggest improvements to the graphics and jump scare mechanics to enhance the experience further.
- “Game wasn't scary; it was funny.”
- “Okay, at first it was very funny because the NPCs don't move their mouths while talking.”
- “The poor grammar is absolutely hilarious.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some players praising the great soundtrack and overall integration with the game's pacing and story, while others feel that only the radio song at the end stands out.
- “Great soundtrack.”
- “The pacing, music, art, and story were 10/10.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, overshadowing the immersive atmosphere. The overall unpolished feel contributes to a lack of engagement, making it difficult to stay invested in the gameplay.
- “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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for lacking replay value, leading some users to suggest waiting 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
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game requires significant improvement in its character development, alongside the plot and voice acting, suggesting that the characters lack depth and engagement.
- “It is very clear there is much work to be done on this game's plot, voice acting, and character development.”