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Gylt

GYLT is packed with great atmosphere, music, and spooks galore, but the juvenile theming leaves the narrative wanting.
83%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, replayability
96% User Score Based on 766 reviews
Critic Score 70%Based on 16 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchXbox OneXbox OneSteam DeckSteam Deck

About

"Gylt is a single-player Horror Role Playing game with an intriguing story and great mechanics. As Sally, a little girl searching for her missing cousin in a creepy, surreal world, players can choose to confront or avoid twisted creatures based on Sally's fears. With wonderful graphics, good music, and a perfect atmosphere, Gylt is a highly emotional, narrative-driven adventure game with puzzles, stealth, and action."

Gylt screenshot
Gylt screenshot
Gylt screenshot
Gylt screenshot
Gylt screenshot
Gylt screenshot

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 782 reviews
story196 positive mentions
stability12 negative mentions

  • The game features excellent graphics and a charming art style reminiscent of horror cartoons, creating an engaging atmosphere.
  • The narrative tackles heavy themes like bullying and depression, providing a heartfelt story that resonates with players.
  • Gameplay mechanics are simple yet enjoyable, allowing for a mix of stealth and combat that keeps the experience fun and accessible.
  • The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in around 5-7 hours, which may leave some feeling it lacks depth.
  • Collectibles are often required to unlock the best ending, which can be frustrating and lead to backtracking without clear guidance.
  • Enemy AI is simplistic, making encounters less challenging and reducing the overall tension of the horror experience.
  • story
    386 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Gylt" is centered around themes of childhood bullying, loneliness, and emotional struggles, effectively blending horror elements with a heartfelt narrative. While many players appreciate the engaging storytelling and atmospheric world, some criticize the plot for being straightforward or reliant on clichés, with significant portions conveyed through collectibles. Overall, the game is noted for its emotional impact and relatable themes, making it a compelling experience for those who enjoy story-driven gameplay.

    • “The storyline tackles the issues within a grade school setting, combined with gameplay where you're alone, cornered, scared, and trying to navigate a bleak world while avoiding enemies trying to hurt you, and it essentially gives the same feels of getting bullied.”
    • “Alright the likes, the story is absolutely fantastic; it's beautifully written as it delves into its themes of bullying, depression, isolation, and peer pressure. It feels beautiful and heartfelt and almost made me cry.”
    • “The search for Sally's missing cousin, Emily, drives the story forward, and the game successfully explores themes of guilt, fear, and friendship.”
    • “The story is bland and characters, of which there are only three, are boring and uninteresting.”
    • “This game is what happens when you take an interesting topic of bullying, streamline the story to be as simple and safe as possible, and put it on gameplay rails that are both easy and flawed.”
    • “The story unfortunately is quite basic and things happen because the game needs them to happen.”
  • gameplay
    240 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Gylt" is characterized by a blend of basic stealth mechanics and puzzle-solving elements, drawing inspiration from titles like "Alan Wake" and "Little Nightmares." While the combat allows players to counter enemies using a flashlight, many reviewers noted that the mechanics lack depth and can feel repetitive, with a linear progression that may not challenge seasoned players. Overall, the game is polished and visually appealing, but its simplistic gameplay may not satisfy those seeking a more complex experience.

    • “The gameplay is really good; it takes some inspiration from Alan Wake.”
    • “The game seamlessly blends puzzle-solving with stealth mechanics, keeping you engaged at every turn.”
    • “I give the game a positive review as the gameplay mechanics were enjoyable, especially after being given tools to fight back, and the enemies were pretty unique from one another.”
    • “I hate very simple gameplay & I hate stealth, and Gylt has both of those!”
    • “Sneaking is ruined by rudimentary gameplay, mundane locations, and aggressive UI that constantly shows AI awareness, rendering any sense of suspense obsolete.”
    • “This game is what happens when you take an interesting topic of bullying, streamline the story to be as simple and safe as possible, and put it on gameplay rails that are both easy and flawed.”
  • graphics
    168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their detailed and charming art style, often compared to the aesthetics of Tim Burton's works like "Coraline." Players appreciate the immersive atmosphere created by the visuals, which are described as colorful and cartoonish, yet effectively convey the game's darker themes. While some critiques mention occasional jankiness in animations, the overall consensus is that the graphics are polished and enhance the gameplay experience significantly.

    • “The graphics are great, especially the shadow effects.”
    • “Gylt showcases beautiful graphics with meticulous attention to detail in the art style that enhances the game's immersive nature and captivates players from start to finish.”
    • “Praise where praise is due, the graphics are very detailed and very snappy and pleasing to the eye.”
    • “This game is what happens when you take an interesting topic of bullying, streamline the story to be as simple and safe as possible, and put it on gameplay rails that are both easy and flawed. While the graphics and high detail may attract a few players to try it, I cannot see this game being a topic of discussion, fading away into obscurity not as some hidden gem, but as a very mediocre product.”
    • “Gylt is a nice little game that tries very hard to be like Little Nightmares, but falls flat due to the very childish and Disney-like art style, as well as a lack of any real feeling of danger when dealing with the monsters.”
    • “- Too kiddie-like, everything from the monster designs to the graphics makes the game feel like a kids' movie, and not a good one.”
  • atmosphere
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming art style, immersive sound design, and effective use of tension, creating a captivating and eerie environment reminiscent of titles like "Little Nightmares" and "Coraline." Players appreciate the balance of spooky elements without relying on jump scares, highlighting the strong voice acting and well-crafted visuals that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as engaging and memorable, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “Really liked the game, its eerie atmosphere and the short yet memorable story are beautifully crafted.”
    • “Incredible atmosphere, good story and well-acted protagonist more than make up for this game's simplistic stealth gameplay.”
    • “The 'stranger things'-esque atmosphere is super immersive, and the soundtrack really elevated the experience.”
    • “It is simplistic to the point where it gets the atmosphere and tension where it needs to but no further.”
    • “The spooky atmosphere is passable and the environments are varied.”
    • “An eerie puzzle-adventure with a horror-lite atmosphere similar to the likes of Voodoo Vince.”
  • music
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in the narrative. While many reviewers noted that the soundtrack is beautiful and reminiscent of films like "Coraline," some expressed disappointment that it is not utilized frequently enough throughout the gameplay. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and voice acting contributes significantly to the game's eerie and engaging atmosphere.

    • “The music was good with plenty of great haunting soundtracks that just takes you back to movies like Coraline.”
    • “The striking visual design coupled with a haunting soundtrack creates an ambiance that lingers, immersing you deeper into the narrative.”
    • “Amazing soundtrack, the story is good, sound gameplay, collectibles are fun to get and not too obscurely hidden.”
    • “4/10 music”
    • “Music is decent, could be better”
    • “Displays just enough creepy to cringe at the music and possibly jump at least once.”
  • emotional
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of *Gylt* is highlighted by its heartfelt storytelling and exploration of heavy themes such as bullying, depression, and isolation, resonating deeply with players. Many reviewers appreciate the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, describing it as a beautiful and emotional horror adventure that effectively conveys the impact of childhood trauma. However, some critiques point to a disconnect between the emotional scenes and character animations, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “Gylt offers an emotional insight into the impact bullying can have on a child using thought-provoking art to convey concepts of loneliness, anger, and paranoia.”
    • “Alright the likes, the story is absolutely fantastic; it's beautifully written as it delves into its themes of bullying, depression, isolation, and peer pressure. It feels like if Silent Hill was written by Ray Bradbury or Katy Towell; it just feels beautiful and heartfelt and almost made me cry.”
    • “The beautiful relationship between Sally and Emily is a significant aspect of Gylt, adding depth and emotional resonance to the game's narrative.”
  • stability
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is praised, with many players reporting a smooth and polished experience free of significant bugs or crashes. However, a few users noted isolated instances of buggy behavior in specific sections, but these were not widespread. The game's optimization is generally considered good, allowing it to run well even on older hardware.

    • “From a technical point of view, I have zero complaints. The game is virtually bug-free, the graphics are nice, and the optimization is good.”
    • “It's worth mentioning that Gylt is remarkably polished, with no glitches or bugs, providing a smooth gameplay experience.”
    • “Runs great on my PC, which is about 4 years old now.”
    • “That section felt really buggy; I wasn't even in the spotlight and it would just snap to me.”
    • “That was fortunately the only spot that felt rather buggy for me.”
    • “Gameplay: while using inhalers to heal and fighting monsters with a flashlight and a fire extinguisher (which somehow freezes enemies solid) was a fun concept, the game felt pretty easy once you've gotten the option to really fight back.”
  • optimization
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting excellent performance, zero crashes, and no bugs or frame drops during gameplay. However, there are some mixed opinions, as a few users noted that optimization could be improved. Despite these minor criticisms, the technical aspects, including graphics and controls, received positive feedback.

    • “The game is quite optimized, and I didn't experience a single bug, glitch, or frame drop during my entire playthrough.”
    • “From a technical point of view, I have zero complaints; the game is virtually bug-free, graphics are nice, and optimization is good.”
    • “Perfect performance on ultra, zero crashes.”
    • “Optimization seems to be a bit bad.”
    • “Optimization seems to be a bit bad.”
  • replayability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally considered low, with most players noting that it primarily revolves around collectibles and multiple endings. While some achievements, such as completing the game without taking damage or without defeating enemies, offer additional challenges, they may not be enough to significantly enhance replay value for all players. Overall, the game's length is seen as justifying its price, but replay incentives are limited.

    • “Gives great replayability :)”
    • “There are also apparently different achievements for beating bosses with no hits (I managed to get one on my first blind playthrough) and beating the game without killing any enemies (how????) so the replayability is there for anyone who feels like doing that.”
    • “Replayability and length: the game's length justified its price.”
    • “There is no replay value apart from collectibles and endings.”
    • “Replayability is low; however, apart from a few collectibles and different endings, there's not much to the game.”
    • “There are also apparently different achievements for beating bosses with no hits (I managed to get one on my first blind playthrough) and beating the game without killing any enemies (how????), so the replayability is there for anyone who feels like doing that?”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is highlighted by its stunning graphics and unique art style, reminiscent of stop-motion films like Coraline and ParaNorman. Reviewers appreciate the intricate character designs and vibrant use of color, which contribute to a captivating and immersive world that feels original and authentic. Overall, the character design plays a significant role in drawing players into the game's atmosphere.

    • “I was drawn to the game by the character design and Little Nightmares vibes, but this was no copy knock-off; this was a game true to itself.”
    • “The graphics art style is really good and beautiful; it has this stop motion feel to it like Coraline and ParaNorman, especially when it comes to its character designs.”
    • “It also has incredible uses of color, scenery, and character designs, and just the overall design of the graphics.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspects of the game to be a mixed experience; while the stealth mechanics can lead to prolonged and repetitive hide-and-seek scenarios that some deem tedious, the inclusion of engaging puzzles helps maintain interest. Overall, the game manages to avoid becoming monotonous, though certain players feel that the reliance on stealth can detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “While I had a lot of fun with it, at some points I felt the game was relying too much on stealth situations, making it slightly boring in some areas where you find yourself 30 minutes of continuous and tedious hide and seek stealth situations with enemies.”
    • “(I 100%ed the game in my playtime. Not achievements though. Screw that tedious nonsense.)”
    • “While I had a lot of fun with it, at some points I felt the game was relying too much on stealth situations, making it slightly boring in some areas where you find yourself 30 minutes of continuous and tedious hide and seek stealth situations with enemies.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing approach to item distribution, particularly healing items, which are plentiful to the point of being comical. Players find it funny how generous the game is with these items, creating a lighthearted atmosphere while also acknowledging the potential seriousness of running out in critical moments.

    • “They were very, very generous with items (healing and battery); it got outright humorous just how many extra things were laying around on the map that I didn't need. But it was a good call, because on the off chance that you managed to run out of items, I think you might be screwed, actually, depending on where you were! Lmao.”

Buy Gylt

8h Median play time
8h Average play time
8-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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