Inmates

Inmates had ambitious intentions and a few good ideas, but these were not executed well at all. Fear and thrills were extinguished by the questionable ‘shaking head’ effect and the game’s puzzles remained overly simplistic and did not feel challenging or rewarding to complete. In addition, I encountered a number of bugs that stopped me from progressing, at points. While this game may be attractively short for some, I cannot recommend the experience.

52%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

gameplay, music

52% User Score Based on 112 reviews

Critic Score 48%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Inmates is a single-player horror simulation game with a good plot and unique atmosphere, built using Unreal Engine 4. You play as Jonathan, awakening in a seedy prison cell with no memory of how you got there. Interact with the environment to uncover disturbing imagery and truths, and solve intense, mind-bending puzzles in this frightening and high-quality game. Controller support included."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

story29 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game has a decent atmosphere and some interesting story elements that keep players engaged.
Puzzles are simple and not overly difficult, making it accessible for players new to the horror genre.
The game is relatively short, making it a quick experience for those looking for a brief horror adventure.

The walking speed is painfully slow, which can lead to frustration during exploration.
The graphics and character models are subpar, detracting from the overall experience.
The game lacks genuine scares and relies on predictable jump scares, making it feel more like a walking simulator than a horror game.

story
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
55%
9%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-structured, while others criticize it for being predictable, poorly executed, or lacking depth. Many noted that while the narrative has potential, it often falls short due to clumsy exposition and disjointed elements. Overall, the story is described as short and atmospheric, with some interesting concepts, but it struggles to stand out in a crowded genre of psychological horror games.
- “The story literally caught me off guard.”
- “But, as the story unfolded and when it came together at the end I was inspired.”
- “Beyond impressed on the story with Jonathan's nightmare unfolding into a series of memories.”
- “I fail to see what any of it has to do with the story, though.”
- “Most of the dialogue just falls flat or is bizarrely dumb, and the plot itself is conveyed with such clumsy, banal exposition that even if it were incredibly original (it's not) you'd still cringe with how the information is delivered.”
- “If the story was salvageable, the shallow gameplay would be acceptable, but it's more of the same tried-and-true 'amnesiac with a predictable plot twist' scenario.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
69%
10%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while there are some decent visuals and unique moments, overall quality is often described as poor, with laughable character models and a grainy filter that detracts from the experience. Several users express disappointment in the game's inability to deliver on its graphical promises, citing dim lighting and lack of options as significant drawbacks. Overall, the consensus suggests that the graphics are underwhelming, lacking the polish expected from modern titles.
- “Atmosphere: There is a gloomy, menacing atmosphere in the game, and the graphics and sound effects enhance it remarkably.”
- “Graphically speaking, my humble laptop was able to give me an enjoyable scary playground on the lowest setting.”
- “Graphically, the game looks pretty good.”
- “The graphics are hideous; poor Unreal Engine 4 is maimed beyond recognition.”
- “The graphics are pretty dismal even at max settings with Unreal Engine.”
- “Don't be too fooled by the graphics in the screenshots and trailers on the store page; they're not as spectacular as they may seem.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
40%
15%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its gloomy and menacing tone, enhanced by effective graphics and sound design, creating an immersive experience. While some players appreciate the eerie ambiance and occasional jump scares, others feel that the lack of real danger undermines the tension, leading to a perception of the game as more atmospheric than engaging. Overall, it is recognized as a solid atmospheric experience, particularly for fans of walking simulators and psychological horror, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics.
- “The atmosphere had me engrossed in the world.”
- “There is a gloomy, menacing atmosphere in the game, and the graphics and sound effects enhance it remarkably.”
- “It's a nice little walking simulator with an eerie atmosphere.”
- “First, keep in mind that this game only has a couple of pretty mild scares and most of the time it isn't even trying for a scary atmosphere.”
- “It becomes painfully obvious that despite all the atmosphere of dread, you are in no physical danger whatsoever, and a menacing atmosphere means nothing if there's no bite to it.”
- “I guess this is a variation on the torch you often find in games like this to supposedly create a spooky atmosphere.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with minimal interaction, featuring light puzzles that many players find overly simplistic and uninspired. While the atmosphere is praised, the lack of engaging mechanics and slow movement detracts from the overall experience, leading to a sense of boredom for some players. Despite its potential, the gameplay feels shallow and lacks polish, leaving many reviewers disappointed.
- “Short but awesome story and gameplay.”
- “Well worth it, if you're after atmosphere, and if you're not a baby about some imperfect gameplay mechanics (matches are super annoying), given that this was developed by an extremely small team, and delivers a great experience nonetheless.”
- “- gameplay is smooth”
- “No gameplay, almost just walking.”
- “Except for one chase sequence in a maze (almost at the conclusion), you will find yourself just wandering around picking up books (which you can't interact with beyond looking at the covers), solving very light puzzles (most of which are painfully obvious) and opening doors. It becomes painfully obvious that despite all the atmosphere of dread, you are in no physical danger whatsoever, and a menacing atmosphere means nothing if there's no bite to it.”
- “Unfortunately, this title starts out promising but quickly declines over the first hour of gameplay (roughly 2-3 hours total to finish it).”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The music in the game is generally described as decent but not particularly memorable, with some users noting it contributes to the eerie atmosphere. While some appreciate the ambient sounds and their role in enhancing the game's spookiness, others find the soundtrack lacking, comparing it unfavorably to other titles with more engaging music. Overall, the music serves its purpose but does not stand out.
- “Nice music and atmosphere.”
- “The music in the background does add to its eeriness.”
- “Ambience/soundtrack is 'sorting algorithm earrape version 2 hours'.”
- “If you want a 'find the pages' game with a better story, great usage of the UE4 engine and a far better soundtrack, pick up a copy of The Fidelio Incident.”
- “There’s no music, just the usual ‘spooky’ noises droning away in the background, the heavy breathing of the character, and the odd random jump scare, because why not.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Overall, the optimization of the game is considered good, but there are notable issues such as FPS drops even on low settings and inconsistent technical performance despite underwhelming graphics. While the game shows promise, further enhancements in optimization, along with improvements to the menu and additional controls, could significantly elevate the experience.
- “For what it's worth, the optimization is excellent, although the menu could use a bit of sprucing up as well.”
- “Good graphics performance”
- “Still, it’s an ambitious beginning for a single-developer team, and some enhanced optimization, volume/lighting controls, and some more explanation about the story fodder found in the prison would go a long way towards turning my not recommended over to recommended.”
- “The voice acting is mediocre at best; the graphics are a long way from anything to write home about; the technical performance is a bit wonky considering how underwhelming the graphics are; and the character models are ugly in the extreme (and not always in a deliberate way).”
- “Still, it’s an ambitious beginning for a single-developer team, and some enhanced optimization, volume/lighting controls, and more explanation about the story elements found in the prison would go a long way towards turning my not recommended into a recommended.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely criticized, with many users finding it not just unfunny, but genuinely poor in quality. Overall, the comedic elements fail to resonate, leaving players disappointed.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is criticized for its low replayability, with users noting that it is short and lacks substantial content, making it unlikely for players to return after completing it.
- “It's very short, very sparse content-wise and has zero replay value.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game has been reported to have stability issues, with users noting the presence of bugs that affect overall performance.
- “The game was also a bit buggy.”
- “I experienced frequent crashes that made it unplayable.”
- “There were numerous glitches that disrupted my gameplay.”