GREYHAT - A Digital Detective Adventure

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 167 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • grinding
GREYHAT - A Digital Detective Adventure Game Cover
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In GREYHAT, you play as yourself, an infamous hacker-for-hire with skills and abilities that allow you to infiltrate any computer. One day, you complete a job only to discover that you have crossed some very powerful people, and in their revenge your daughter is taken. To right this wrong you must hack into other people's computers, look through their files, read their emails, mess with their sof…

  • Mac OS
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 167 reviews
story83 positive mentions
grinding15 negative mentions
  • Engaging and varied puzzles that challenge players' logic and reasoning skills.
  • Intriguing storyline with emotional depth and unexpected twists that keep players invested.
  • Impressive execution for a solo developer, showcasing creativity and attention to detail.
  • Some puzzles can be frustratingly difficult or poorly explained, leading to potential player frustration.
  • The tunneling mini-game can become tedious and repetitive, detracting from the overall experience.
  • Certain dialogue and character interactions feel unrealistic or cringe-worthy, impacting immersion.
  • story206 mentions

    The game's story is generally praised for its engaging and intriguing narrative, with many players appreciating the emotional depth and unexpected twists. However, some found it predictable or felt that the storytelling became tedious at times, particularly when overshadowed by repetitive puzzle mechanics. Overall, the narrative effectively ties together the various missions, keeping players invested in the overarching plot while navigating through a series of clever puzzles.

    • “The story is very rich and the puzzles, trust me you will not be disappointed.”
    • “The story was incredibly gripping, with twists I did not see coming.”
    • “The story is engaging and the puzzles are the right amount of difficult, though it was very helpful at times playing this game with someone else to talk things through and call out intersections during the car chase sequence.”
    • “Unfortunately, after the first level, you're just hammering the same keys on your keyboard to progress the story.”
    • “You have no investment in the cases you're solving, because you only care about the story of the game outside of them.”
    • “I found myself not caring at all about any of the story and just wanting to do the puzzles, but the puzzles went by quite quickly and it felt like I spent most of my time clicking through dialogue I had no interest in.”
  • gameplay32 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a mix of innovative mechanics and engaging puzzles, though some players found certain elements underexplained or frustrating, particularly in later stages. While the game offers a unique concept and a captivating story, the execution can be uneven, with some mechanics feeling underdeveloped or overly simplistic. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its variety and challenge, making it enjoyable for those willing to navigate its complexities.

    • “Great gameplay with an engaging story.”
    • “The gameplay and puzzles are the real stars here; cleverly constructed so that there is always an answer to be found, while still requiring you to make logical deductions that will have you high-fiving yourself when you figure them out.”
    • “A brilliant investigation game that constantly presents new ideas and mechanics around the conceit of hacking.”
    • “Didn't offer much of anything to gameplay.”
    • “But I found that the limited UI hindered the gameplay by just making things harder than they actually were, especially in the later missions' minigames.”
    • “Repetitive, boring, contrived 'time' mechanic and way too hard.”
  • grinding15 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the endless text and mini-games that require excessive clicking or key pressing. While the puzzles and story are appreciated, many reviewers feel that the gameplay mechanics detract from the experience, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge. The lack of variety and audio satisfaction further contributes to the sense of monotony.

    • “This is supposed to be some hacking game, but it's really just endless walls of text to click through, and really tedious interface.”
    • “I get that there are actually story reasons for this, but if the meat of your game is a bunch of tedious puzzles you're ultimately just trying to get out of the way for another 'breadcrumb' of story, that's probably not a good sign.”
    • “A lot of developer decisions regarding gameplay were almost certainly made to try and fulfill the 'hacker fantasy', but these decisions become tedious quickly.”
  • music14 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to create an immersive atmosphere and evoke strong emotions, while others criticize it for being repetitive or annoying. While certain tracks are described as superb and reminiscent of classic adventure games, there are complaints about the inability to turn off distracting background music. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, despite some notable shortcomings.

    • “The music is great; at some point, I got goosebumps, which I rarely ever get.”
    • “Subtle and simple music sets a good scene without being too overbearing and invasive.”
    • “The music cues, the timing of messages and emails arriving, and the way the interface changed at key points all came together to create an immersive experience that few games can match.”
    • “The hardcoreness and lack of audio satisfaction makes me hesitant about recommending it to anyone, as it may get a bit tedious (especially the music) from time to time.”
    • “I also didn't understand why the annoying background music couldn't be turned off.”
    • “The sonic background and theme music are just terrible.”
  • emotional11 mentions

    Players have noted that the game features a surprisingly emotional story that resonates deeply, often leading to tears during the impactful ending. Despite some gameplay frustrations, the clever writing and emotional depth create a strong attachment to the characters and story, culminating in a satisfying and touching conclusion that many found worth the journey. Overall, the emotional experience is a standout aspect that enhances the game's appeal.

    • “Not gonna lie, the ending made me cry.”
    • “Greyhat proved its clever writing by getting all of us to have the same emotional reaction to the major story beats, and we were all genuinely sad when we completed the game and had to stop playing.”
    • “By the way, Mr. Lim: the emotional chord that you struck at the very end was exactly what I wanted to see and what brought the game to a sense of completeness for me.”
  • graphics11 mentions

    The game's graphics are intentionally pixelated, evoking a nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of earlier bitmap style games, which enhances immersion despite their simplicity. While some users noted issues like messy Photoshop effects, the overall design effectively supports the game's themes of detective work and interactive storytelling. The dynamic graphical elements, such as filters and low-resolution puzzles, contribute to a unique experience that feels genuine and engaging.

    • “I felt immersed even though the graphics are purposefully pixely.”
    • “The 'reassemble the picture' puzzle also comes to mind, where the developers take the data and abstract it into an unreadable low resolution graphic piece, so that it doesn't feel cheap as the puzzle is completed.”
    • “This plot and graphics/display are great too!”
    • “The 'reassemble the picture' puzzle also comes to mind, where the developers take the data and abstract it into an unreadable low-resolution graphic piece, so that it doesn't feel cheap as the puzzle is completed.”
    • “Graphics aren't great - lots of messy Photoshop embossing - but they get the job done.”
    • “Graphics are generally modeled on earlier bitmap style games, and the remote logins to custom alternate brands reflect this.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game offers a unique replayability experience, with puzzles that change subtly each time, thanks to live updates of critical data clues and graphical variations. While some players may find this artistic approach to replayability appealing, others may perceive it as lacking depth, leading to mixed opinions on its overall replay value.

    • “One of the cool things that has really captivated me about this game is the replayability and how when you return to a puzzle it can be different in some interestingly subtle ways.”
    • “The puzzles are incredibly detailed and thought out, and also passwords and other details change each time you play so you can easily get a ton of replayability out of it.”
    • “But the game takes its replayability seriously, and isn't set on its intel at all -- the game live adds the critical data clues, and adds graphical layers and filters so that it can change the facts (and thus the outcome), all while keeping the information feeling genuine, unlike other games that try to employ this technique.”
    • “This replayability mechanic is actually really artistically done, but it might take a more mature player to appreciate the considerations made to properly pull it off.”
    • “- replay value: 1/5 - very low”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users noting its unique charm and the evident care put into its design. While some dialogue may feel unrealistic, the overall ambiance is enhanced by effective music that complements tense moments, contributing to a strong immersive experience.

    • “This is a great puzzle game with a unique atmosphere; you can tell it was made with love.”
    • “Some of the dialogue is unrealistic, but the story is nice and the atmosphere is good.”
    • “The music is simple, but never felt repetitive, and really helped with the atmosphere during the tenser moments.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, featuring clever details like a Nigerian prince scam and amusing password choices, which add to its charm. However, some players feel that while the initial comedic elements, such as faux-typing and chat dialogs, are entertaining, they can become repetitive over time. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the gameplay experience, though it could benefit from further refinement.

    • “Could be a little more polished, but besides that, the greatest game ever: A+ gameplay, humor, and story.”
    • “The way you faux-type your way through the 'tunneling' and the chat dialogs is pretty hilarious at first but does get old.”
    • “There are a couple of funny details like a Nigerian prince scam in everyone's emails, as well as some official people having funny, easy-to-guess passwords.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users have reported technical glitches affecting stability, particularly with the email interface, which can unexpectedly scroll and hinder reading. While a workaround exists, it is considered inconvenient and detracts from the overall experience.

    • “All praise aside, there were some technical glitches.”
    • “The email interface is sometimes buggy; when scrolling, it snaps up or down without input, making it difficult to read what you need. There is a workaround by constantly holding the left mouse button while reading, but it's annoying.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy is criticized for relying heavily on intrusive elements like spam and popup ads, which evoke a nostalgic yet frustrating experience reminiscent of early 2000s internet practices.

    • “The constant barrage of ads and microtransactions makes the game feel more like a cash grab than a genuine experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see that progress is often locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, with in-game purchases being pushed at every turn, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

10hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
4-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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