IMSCARED
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Get on itch.io Store"Imscared is a single-player horror action game with a good story, humor, and a splendid atmosphere. It features high-quality graphics and unique game mechanics, but can be very grinding and emotionally intense. The game contains heavy themes, including suicide and loneliness, and recommends player discretion. Players are encouraged to visit the game's website or Discord server for support."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- story264 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is a complex and often cryptic narrative that engages players through unconventional storytelling methods, allowing for personal interpretation and emotional investment. While many players appreciate the depth and atmosphere, some find the plot confusing and lacking clarity, leading to mixed feelings about its overall coherence. Despite its flaws, the story is often described as thought-provoking and rich, contributing significantly to the game's immersive horror experience.
“I really adore this game, it's a very neat experience with a nice story to back it.”
“It always felt to me like an emotional journey, with more to the story than just scares.”
“The story is deep and actually well written and made; it doesn't feel like every other indie horror game out there where the story is 'oh no ______ died and now they haunt you' or 'oooooo look at that person, he's really a ghost/demon.'”
“The story isn't all that interesting because it's just another cryptic, obscure, dead people storyline that you've seen in every other horror game, but you don't play this for the story.”
“The only small complaint that I have is the fact that the story is way too open for interpretation and there are very few hints as to what is actually going on, but some players may find this aspect good too, probably.”
“I have no clue what actually happened in the story and the ending felt highly inconclusive.”
- gameplay202 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Imscared" is characterized by its innovative use of fourth-wall mechanics and file management, requiring players to think outside the game to solve unique puzzles. While the game offers a captivating atmosphere and engaging psychological horror elements, some players find the gameplay can be frustrating due to its abstract puzzles and occasional technical issues. Overall, it is praised for its creativity and immersive experience, making it a standout title in the indie horror genre.
“Amazing psychological horror with fun and interesting mechanics and surprising jumpscares that keep you engaged and terrified.”
“The combination of the good story, very cool and unique game mechanics and riddles makes this game a must play for everyone who loves horror.”
“Imscared is incredibly clever with its mechanics throughout and it is absolutely excellent at setting up scary scenarios and settings for its player to explore.”
“The gameplay puzzles in these sections also don't work well, and between the headache from puzzling about abstract ways to continue, from having to stare at the awful graphics and listen to the grating sounds, it's hard to find any reason to even continue.”
“Can't re-bind controls, character gets stuck on corners instead of gliding on them, the mechanics of the game seemed like a poor (and I do mean poor) man's Layers of Fear where you turn around and see a face, pictures change on the walls, etc. I applaud them for trying to do something different by making the game appear to crash with a blue screen of death, etc. but to me it was just an annoyance and didn't get into my head.”
“I really tried to like this game, in fact, I loved it up until the middle when even though I had 'solved' a puzzle, the mechanics of the game made it almost impossible to pass. I got to this point of the game without a walkthrough and to be driven to the point where I had to look up a walkthrough to make sure I was playing the game right, and to find out I was, infuriates me.”
- atmosphere178 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "imscared" is widely praised for its ability to create a deeply unsettling and immersive horror experience, enhanced by effective sound design and retro pixel graphics reminiscent of PS1 games. Reviewers highlight the game's unique blend of tension, creepiness, and innovative mechanics, although some express frustration with the reliance on jump scares. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its effectiveness as a horror title.
“This game is atmospheric horror done to perfection.”
“The atmosphere is absolutely amazing and the art is just as good.”
“This game really is one of the better indie horror games in recent memory, largely due to its atmosphere, which is utterly unique, and its experimental meta gameplay.”
“It seems alright at first, and kind of reminds me of the atmosphere of games like Ghoul's Forest, due to the ominous darkness in the game, but I don't think it provides a satisfying or believable setting in its visual design.”
“Unfortunately, that atmosphere was ruined multiple times for me as I died to frustrating/annoying things like getting caught on walls, not understanding puzzles with time components, etc.”
“There are different environments that you traipse through, each with a different atmosphere, but nothing felt intuitive or exciting.”
- graphics176 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Imscared" are characterized by a simplistic, pixelated art style that evokes nostalgia while effectively contributing to the game's eerie atmosphere. While some players appreciate the unique and unnerving aesthetic, others criticize the visuals for being poorly executed and difficult to interpret, which can detract from gameplay. Overall, the graphics serve to enhance the horror experience, demonstrating that effective sound design and atmosphere can outweigh the need for high-quality visuals.
“Imscared stands out in its sound design, art style, and gameplay even more than a decade later.”
“The graphics and audio are used well to maintain a spooky environment, and there isn't much to criticize this game for.”
“It's visual identity presents the player with extremely simple graphics that excel in being unnerving through creativity in the usage of color, lighting, darkness, fog, sprite silhouettes, and textures.”
“Many people consider graphics to be the selling point of a game, and if that's you, steer clear of this title.”
“The graphics aren't just bad, they're terribly done, to the point that it's really hard to read things, or to even figure out what some of the things you're looking at even are.”
“That would be fine except that the visuals are nauseatingly blurry and pixelated and the movement is super janky.”
- music60 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the unsettling atmosphere, with minimal yet effective sound design that contributes to the horror experience. While some players express frustration with specific segments, like the music box level, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack and ambient sounds significantly elevate the game's creep factor. The combination of eerie music and sound effects creates a menacing ambiance that resonates well with the game's aesthetic, making it a standout feature despite its limited use.
“The sound effects and music are really good and really support that unsettling vibe.”
“The few music tracks you hear throughout the game added to the atmosphere of the game very well.”
“The atmosphere is menacing, the scares are terrifying, the music is creepy and fitting, and the ending is unforgettable.”
“I hate the part with the music box.”
“Imscared doesn't really have music.”
“The damn music ruins the mood sometimes.”
- humor42 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable, particularly through quirky characters and absurd scenarios. However, others criticize aspects of the humor as annoying or unoriginal, particularly when gameplay mechanics disrupt the experience. Overall, while many appreciate the comedic elements, there are notable divides in how effectively they resonate with different players.
“Playing with your girlfriend and YOLOing is the best thing; it was very funny. Would recommend 10/10.”
“The people I meet in this game almost always create a funny scene I would never see in any other game. The gameplay is fun, it's balanced in its own way, and the characters are so good that I think of them every day in some sort of situation that fits their psychotic personality.”
“It's also quite hilarious to troll your friends because of the number of times you need to open and close the application.”
“Making my game close when I die is not impressive, not funny, not amusing; it's just simply annoying. I don't want to reopen this garbage 10 times.”
- emotional40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a profound journey that elicits a wide range of feelings, from fear to deep sadness, with many players reporting intense reactions such as crying and needing emotional support while playing. While some praise the game as an emotional masterpiece with a touching story and impactful endings, others criticize its plot coherence and the effectiveness of its emotional triggers. Overall, it is recognized for its ability to create an emotional rollercoaster experience that resonates with players long after they finish.
“It always felt to me like an emotional journey, with more to the story than just scares.”
“I won't go into the endings, but they are very emotionally raw, and I think the build-up throughout the game was done well.”
“It's one of the scariest games I've ever played, but it's also an emotional masterpiece, up there with the greatest movies and books.”
- grinding28 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the requirement to complete all achievements for the ending, which disrupts the game's momentum. Many reviews highlight that the puzzles are often boring and not worth the effort, contributing to a sense of annoyance and a lack of satisfaction. While some puzzles are noted as manageable, the general consensus is that the grinding experience detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I was liking it until the 'get all achievements to unlock the ending' part, absolutely killed the momentum and was overall tedious.”
“But this game is an absolute mess, just tedious, frustrating, and annoying.”
“The puzzles in here are painfully boring and tedious: because it's simply not worth racking your brain for a 2 euro indie game that by the end will give you a 'thanks for playing'.”
- replayability20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is generally considered low, as it is heavily narrative-driven and designed for a single impactful experience. While some players find enjoyment in revisiting the game for its puzzles and unique storytelling elements, many agree that once the story is fully experienced, there is little incentive to play again. The game may leave a lasting impression, but its limited endings and immersive nature discourage multiple playthroughs.
“Puzzles can be tricky, but once you get the hang of it, the game is very fun and easily replayable.”
“It has plenty of replayability value, at least for me.”
“I still love this game and the ambiguity in how it tells the story; the meta elements feel original and have good replay value that's made me avoid the bad ending 7 times now.”
“There isn't much replay value being a sort of 'gimmicky' narrative-driven game, so once you've experienced the full game and story once, there isn't much reason to go back.”
“It may shock and fascinate you on the first playthrough more than many other games, though its replayability factor is quite low.”
“Definitely short and lacks replayability, but it was an experience that kept me going throughout the whole thing.”
- stability16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous glitches and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some bugs are intentionally designed to enhance the gameplay's psychological elements, many are genuine programming errors that can lead to frustration. Overall, the instability hampers the enjoyment, making it difficult to recommend despite its clever concepts.
“There are a lot of fun and clever things about this game, but I can't recommend it simply based on the number of glitches and headaches.”
“Unfortunately, this game is buggy: it shows as 'running' in Steam even after it closes.”
“The game is buggy, which is a problem since you are meant to be deceived by bugs, but some of the bugs are genuine bugs and you may spend a while trying to see the 'metahorror' in them before you check a walkthrough and realize that actually it's bad programming.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that character development is intricately tied to the game's atmosphere, with the design of the "evil entities" and the overall tone of the levels contributing significantly to the player's sense of fear. However, there is little mention of character growth or depth beyond their roles as antagonists.
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game has received a recent optimization and remaster update, enhancing its performance and making it an appealing choice for players, especially with the Halloween season approaching.
“The game recently came out with a small optimization/remaster update, and with Halloween around the corner, now's a good time to play it.”
