Homeless

About

Homeless is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Darkphobia Games and was released on August 3, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Homeless" is a psychological horror game where you play as a man named Albert, a night shift security guard at a Brooklyn subway station. While checking the security cameras, Albert notices a strange figure lurking in the restricted railway are a skinny man in dirty clothes, oddly Tall! Initially, Albert thinks he's dealing with a harmless and vulnerable homeless person, as usual. But as he unco…

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 217 reviews

story13 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

Excellent atmospheric horror with strong, immersive sound design and lighting that effectively build tension.
Realistic and detailed environments with impressive graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5, capturing a 1990s New York vibe.
Compelling psychological narrative with intriguing themes and a chilling, memorable villain; well-paced for a short game.

Very short gameplay duration with limited interactivity, mostly a linear walking simulator with minimal puzzles.
Inconsistent and sometimes weak jump scares; the late introduction of combat felt unpolished and out of place.
Some technical issues including bugs, awkward controls, repetitive level design, and occasional graphical or audio inconsistencies.

story
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
71%
10%
The story is generally considered simple, linear, and brief, with some players appreciating its atmospheric, psychological horror elements and unsettling setting, while others find it underdeveloped, predictable, and lacking depth or originality. Many reviews note an interesting premise and effective mood but critique the lack of narrative complexity, replayability, and meaningful character development. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the immersive horror experience rather than a fully fleshed-out plot, leaving room for potential continuation or expansion.
- “The plot of this game initially presents itself as both original and promising, offering a more grounded and psychological approach to horror that grabbed my attention right away.”
- “As the story progresses, players uncover hints of a disturbing past involving crime, trauma, and unresolved guilt.”
- “Its gritty depiction of 1990s New York and its focus on immersive storytelling make it a standout entry in the walking simulator genre, even if it falls short in terms of gameplay variety and narrative depth.”
- “It's very linear, mechanically simple, and doesn’t do much beyond moving from point to point while triggering story beats.”
- “I'm not saying that the narrative had to be groundbreaking to be good, but there's really just nothing that entices you to care about the actual narrative or any of the 'big moments.' Furthermore, the story quickly becomes bogged down by painfully obvious plot beats and predictable jumpscares.”
- “The story fizzles out fast, the gameplay is shallow, and the overall experience feels rushed and undercooked.”
atmosphere
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
36%
5%
The game consistently receives praise for its strong, immersive atmosphere, characterized by effective sound design, detailed visuals, and a tense, unsettling mood. While many appreciate its slow-burn psychological horror and grounded setting, some find it lacking in scares, depth, or progression, with a few noting short playtime and occasional immersion-breaking elements. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the game's standout quality, creating a compelling and eerie experience despite some narrative and mechanical limitations.
- “Sound design complements the visuals well: humming lights, distant sirens, echoing footsteps, and subway cars rumbling past all help sell the setting and maintain atmosphere.”
- “A haunting indie experience - the visuals are beautifully crafted and the sound design wraps you in a crippling, almost scary atmosphere, every moment feels heavy and immersive, a work of art in mood and tone.”
- “Overall, homeless succeeds as a tense, atmospheric psychological horror experience that emphasizes mood, realism, and slow-burn dread.”
- “Despite strong imagery and atmosphere at times, the game often feels like it’s going through the motions rather than fully committing to its psychological potential.”
- “The same posters and graffiti are plastered across nearly every wall, the textures are bland, and there’s no real sense of atmosphere or progression.”
- “There are typos everywhere, inconsistent formatting, and awkward, sometimes outright broken English that kills any sense of immersion, especially in papers or notes meant to add context or atmosphere.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
26%
8%
The graphics receive widespread praise for their beautiful, photorealistic quality and strong atmospheric contributions, effectively enhancing the horror and immersive experience. While some note minor issues like pixelation effects or bugs, overall the visuals are considered a standout feature, complemented well by sound design to create a gripping and memorable mood. However, a few reviewers felt the visuals alone couldn't fully elevate the game beyond its short length or narrative weaknesses.
- “Tremendous graphics and a genuinely menacing and unforgettable villain make this a must buy for indie horror fans.”
- “The atmosphere, initially unsettling, is enhanced by breathtaking graphics and exceptional sound effects that manage to keep you on edge, creating palpable tension.”
- “It combines cyberpunk and horror which blend together perfectly with the photorealistic graphics and amazingly designed levels.”
- “I got the game 75% off at $1.74. I wouldn't suggest paying any more than that, to be honest. The visuals are just okay, the jump scares are weak, the sound effects are corny. It's an easy trophy completist but it's nowhere near as good as their games 'Amenti' and 'The Lightkeeper,' which were made only a year apart, so these devs really got their act together for sure.”
- “Once you spend more than five minutes actually playing the game, it becomes clear that the graphics are basically a facade.”
- “See my review for 'Graveyard Shift' for how to get rid of the 'pixelated' effect in the graphics.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The gameplay is primarily a simple, linear walking simulator with minimal mechanics and straightforward puzzles, focusing more on atmosphere and storytelling than interactive depth. While some appreciate its pacing and immersive setting, many find it lacking in variety, challenge, and meaningful player engagement, resulting in an experience that feels short, safe, and underdeveloped.
- “Homeless is a compact psychological horror experience that relies heavily on atmosphere, pacing, and environmental storytelling rather than complex mechanics or prolonged runtime.”
- “Gameplay mechanics are intentionally minimal and serve primarily to support the atmosphere.”
- “The puzzles are straightforward and rarely demanding, ensuring that pacing remains smooth and that players are not pulled out of the experience by mechanical frustration.”
- “It’s very linear, mechanically simple, and doesn’t do much beyond moving from point to point while triggering story beats.”
- “The story fizzles out fast, the gameplay is shallow, and the overall experience feels rushed and undercooked.”
- “As for gameplay, it’s basically a walking simulator with a couple of half-hearted “puzzles” thrown in just to pad things out.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's stability is inconsistent, with several users reporting bugs and glitches such as door issues that require level resets. While some find it generally stable and enjoyable, these technical problems can hinder the experience.
- “The game is totally worth it when on sale, again a good indie game with good atmosphere and no glitches.”
- “I truly like the game but hated how I had to press F9 to reset the level because of door glitches where I couldn't leave a room.”
- “The graphics are nice but the game is buggy.”
- “Buggy, don't buy!”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect evokes moments of atmosphere and unsettling tension, occasionally resonating with players' feelings, but overall it struggles with flow and impact, leaving a frustrating experience rather than a meaningful connection.
- “It flickered every 8 seconds, which conveniently synced with my heartbeat and emotional breakdown.”
- “Dev team, I do think you are good at atmosphere, and with a bit of touching up, you can make some very unsettling walking simulators - you have little sprinkles of good throughout this release but it doesn't flow or end well.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game can be quite time-consuming and tedious, often requiring multiple play sessions to progress, which some players find repetitive.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The end was a bit tedious but I managed to finish in 3 sittings.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a limited replayability experience, with few branching outcomes and contained story threads. While it sets up potential for a sequel, players seeking extensive replay value may find it lacking.
- “Some story threads feel as though they could have been explored further, and players looking for replayability or branching outcomes may find the experience too contained.”
- “Would very much like a sequel, as there is no replay value here, but it's set up nicely to continue the story.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features beautiful graphics and offers extensive performance tweaking options, but overall optimization is poor and the experience feels very linear.
- “Graphics are beautiful, and there’s a ton of options in the menu if you want to tweak performance.”
- “Very linear and badly optimized.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music is generally perceived as generic, with ambient sounds lacking depth and presence, resulting in inconsistent audio that disrupts immersion.
- “Music cues feel generic, ambient sounds lack depth or presence, and there’s a general inconsistency that constantly pulls you out of the experience.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is limited due to the game's brevity, which helps maintain tension but reduces narrative depth.
- “This brevity allows the developers to maintain tension without padding or filler, but it also limits character development and narrative depth.”