Iron Lung

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 6,093 reviews
  • atmosphere
  • gameplay
  • story
Iron Lung Game Cover
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"Iron Lung" is a short horror game set in a claustrophobic one-man submarine, where you must navigate an ocean of blood and take photographs of key locations while avoiding unknown dangers. With minimal sensory input, players must rely on an incomplete map, proximity sensors, sound, and a primitive external camera to survive. The game aims to build dread and paranoia, featuring experimental gameplay and an original soundtrack inspired by Aubrey Hodges' work on Doom 64.

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Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,093 reviews
atmosphere659 positive mentions
replayability30 negative mentions
  • atmosphere1,001 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Iron Lung" is widely praised for its oppressive, eerie, and immersive qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and isolation within the confines of a submarine navigating a blood ocean. Reviewers highlight the game's exceptional sound design and minimalistic visuals, which enhance the tension and contribute to a uniquely unsettling experience. While some players found the gameplay tedious, the overwhelming consensus is that the atmosphere is the game's standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror.

    • “Iron Lung offers an oppressive, threatening, and dense atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredible and the creator knocked it out of the park.”
    • “The atmosphere is thick enough to cut with a knife, and it's achieved with drastically fewer assets and gameplay elements than the average release.”
    • “The eerie atmosphere created by the situation quickly dissipates once you realize there’s actually no threat.”
    • “Extremely tedious gameplay and boring atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is thick enough to be cut with a knife, I really felt like a schmuck desperately trying to pilot my rusty coffin as it barely held together.”
  • gameplay720 mentions

    The gameplay of "Iron Lung" is characterized by its simplicity and minimalism, focusing on navigating a submarine using coordinates and a limited interface, which some players find engaging while others deem it tedious. The mechanics effectively build tension and enhance the horror atmosphere, but the repetitive nature and lack of complexity can lead to a sense of monotony. Overall, while the gameplay may not appeal to everyone, it is praised for its unique approach to horror and its ability to create a claustrophobic and immersive experience.

    • “The gameplay is simple but done very nicely.”
    • “The gameplay, lore, mechanics, and to make it short... everything about this game was pure perfection!”
    • “The gameplay is simple yet engaging, keeping you on your toes while navigating through a space you cannot actually see.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly simple and extremely unique for being so simple.”
    • “The gameplay is dreadfully boring.”
    • “The gameplay is just tedious and monotonous with no interesting or meaningful changes from beginning to end.”
  • story360 mentions

    The story of "Iron Lung" is characterized by its minimalist yet intriguing narrative, set against a backdrop of cosmic horror and isolation. Players navigate a claustrophobic submarine in a blood ocean, piecing together a vague but compelling lore that invites speculation and imagination, though some feel it lacks depth and resolution. While the atmosphere and sound design enhance the storytelling experience, many reviewers express a desire for a more fleshed-out plot and additional content to explore the game's rich potential.

    • “The story is very interesting and straight to the point, and the game is really fun and easy to finish.”
    • “The story, while vague, is also pretty interesting.”
    • “The story is so intricate, in fact, that I think it could warrant a sequel or spin-off of sorts.”
    • “The player understands the same amount going into the story as they do when coming out of it; the only difference is that they’re a lot more afraid on the way out.”
    • “The story is quite vague and it's not said straight to the player.”
    • “The ending leaves the player with no resolution or impact on the overarching story and comes off as a trashy and disappointing cop out.”
  • graphics240 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a low-poly, retro aesthetic reminiscent of PS1-era visuals, which many players find enhances the overall atmosphere and horror experience. While some critiques mention the simplicity and limitations of the graphics, they are often praised for effectively contributing to the game's sense of dread and immersion. Overall, the minimalist design is seen as a strength, allowing sound design and narrative to take center stage in creating a captivating horror experience.

    • “The graphics make the atmosphere of the game phenomenal.”
    • “The low-poly art style is something which Szymanski has mastered to its fullest, and it works wonders to the aesthetic of Iron Lung.”
    • “The classic PS1-style graphics add to the experience, but the game doesn't rely on the nostalgic art style alone to be an enjoyable experience.”
    • “The graphics are very limited and it leaves a lot of what's going on to your imagination.”
    • “The graphics are simple yet effective.”
    • “Fitting of an indie title, the graphics are low polygon and low-resolution.”
  • music125 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create a creepy and immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall tension and horror experience. Many reviewers noted its dark ambient qualities, with comparisons to classic titles like Doom 64, and highlighted how the sparse yet effective soundtrack contributes to a sense of dread and claustrophobia. Overall, the sound design and music are considered standout elements that significantly elevate the game's emotional impact and player engagement.

    • “Constant tension and a great soundtrack that complements the atmosphere to a disturbing degree.”
    • “The dark ambient soundtrack is as gorgeous as it is anxiety-inducing - and works just as well outside the context of the game.”
    • “The soundtrack adds to this, making you feel hesitant to take a picture or even look behind you.”
    • “The music is also creepy and uneasy, but unfortunately there is not much of it.”
    • “The music and soundtrack: there is none, fuck you give David your hard earned dollars for that soundtrack paypig.”
    • “As you make your way around, spooky music sometimes plays for a bit, and you hear weird sounds from the outside (the repertoire for these sounds is very small so it gets repetitive very fast).”
  • replayability89 mentions

    Overall, the game has been widely criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that it offers a short experience of about 1-2 hours and minimal incentive to play again beyond achieving completionist goals. While some players appreciate the unique atmosphere and compelling narrative, the consensus is that once completed, there is little reason to revisit the game.

    • “It has enough replayability to go through it once or twice afterwards for secrets and achievements.”
    • “So yea, the replay value isn't too high (unless you go looking for those apparent unmarked photo locations), but that doesn't bother me in the slightest because of how unique this game is and how much I thoroughly enjoyed playing it through.”
    • “Even though it's short, and there might not be much replay value, it's still worth checking out.”
    • “From what I can tell, there's almost zero replayability (besides wanting to get that last achievement).”
    • “The game is extremely short and doesn't have a whole lot of replay value aside from an achievement or your own curiosity.”
    • “Ultimately, Iron Lung is a very short game with very little replay value.”
  • grinding80 mentions

    The aspect of "grinding" in the game "Iron Lung" is described as a polarizing experience; while some players find the tedious navigation and gameplay to be a frustrating chore, others appreciate it for building atmosphere and tension. Many reviews highlight the repetitive nature of the tasks, which can detract from the horror experience, yet some argue that this grind contributes to a unique sense of dread. Overall, the gameplay is often seen as monotonous, with a lack of meaningful rewards, leading to mixed feelings about its effectiveness in delivering a compelling horror experience.

    • “Took about an hour from start to finish, but wasn't as tedious as I expected.”
    • “The gameplay is just tedious and monotonous with no interesting or meaningful changes from beginning to end.”
    • “It's just 50 minutes of the most tedious and boring gameplay ever with some minor spooky things happening like a loud sound or some eerie picture appearing.”
    • “The experience is tedious and boring.”
  • humor41 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding joy in its quirky elements, particularly the "funny fish" and unexpected jumpscares that elicit laughter rather than fear. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to blend comedy with gameplay, making it a lighthearted experience, though some note that the humor can sometimes overshadow the intended suspense. Overall, the game is seen as a fun, entertaining way to pass the time, filled with amusing moments and memes.

    • “The only good part of the game was the fish jumpscare which was so hilariously bad it sent me into hysterics for a good 3 minutes.”
    • “I didn't find it scary, dreadful, or suspenseful at all, to be honest, and the ending made me laugh, which is probably not the intended effect.”
    • “It was really funny when I was looking at the coordinates and suddenly it was turning red around me, and I was like 'hmm why is it getting all red?' for like a minute and I turned around and it was on fire, lmao.”
    • “I can't wait for the Markiplier movie (also insert unfunny Ocean Gate joke).”
    • “Poopy came out my bummy, David. That's not funny, not funny at all!”
    • “Not funny :(”
  • emotional38 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a profound sense of fear, claustrophobia, and vulnerability, with players expressing feelings of being trapped and hunted. While the atmosphere and sound design effectively build tension and suspense, some players felt let down by the lack of payoff, particularly with abrupt endings or cheap scares. Despite these criticisms, many found the experience to be deeply impactful, evoking strong emotions ranging from joy to heartbreak, and fostering a sense of nostalgia and academic excitement.

    • “No other game I know of is like this, nor has any other game made me feel such emotions.”
    • “I screamed, I cried, my friends made fun of me for screaming and crying.”
    • “This game made me feel hunted and claustrophobic.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its solid performance, with users reporting no bugs or glitches. Players on various systems, including an M1 Mac Mini, noted good compatibility and satisfactory performance throughout their experience.

    • “Performance in this game was solid throughout (as David's games usually are), and I didn't run into any bugs or glitches.”
    • “I played this game on an M1 Mac Mini using Whisky/GPTK and was very happy with the compatibility and performance.”
    • “The performance was good, and I didn't face any issues.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “I encountered numerous performance issues that made the game nearly unplayable at times.”
    • “The optimization feels rushed, resulting in long loading times and inconsistent performance.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users labeling it a "cash grab" and suggesting a lower price point of $2-3, while others acknowledge the quality of the game but question its overall value. Additionally, the game's advertising has been praised as impressive.

    • “This should be $2-3 max. I wouldn't say it's a cash grab because it's really well done; I just don't think there's a lot of value here for most people.”
    • “Cash grab.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with most players reporting a smooth experience and minimal bugs or glitches. However, some users noted occasional graphical issues that detracted from the overall aesthetic.

    • “The glitches and bugs, much like the damaged public places I once reveled in, served as a stark reminder of the fragility of our digital illusions.”
    • “Although the game offers some nice graphics and a pleasant aesthetic, there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

1hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
1-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 23 analyzed playthroughs

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