Irony Of Nightmare
- December 12, 2017
- Steppe Hare Studio
Get on SteamIn "Irony Of Nightmare" , you explore a lonely, ominously decorated house, solving puzzles to uncover its eerie secrets and evading an unseen menace. The game offers a chilling Christmas horror atmosphere, with hidden messages and unsettling rooms adding to the air of mystery. Solve their puzzles to reveal the house's secrets and earn a different ending.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a decent atmosphere and some effective jump scares, making it a fun experience for horror fans.
- At its low price point, the game provides a short but enjoyable horror experience, with multiple endings to explore.
- The graphics and sound design are commendable for an indie title, contributing to the overall creepy vibe of the game.
- The game is very short, with gameplay lasting around 30 minutes, which may leave players wanting more.
- The story is minimal and often confusing, lacking depth and coherence, which detracts from the overall experience.
- There are technical issues, such as clunky controls and glitches, that can hinder gameplay and immersion.
- story42 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in this game is largely criticized for being minimal or incoherent, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and clarity. While some players found the narrative intriguing or appreciated its potential, others described it as nonsensical or poorly executed, often feeling like a collection of random elements rather than a cohesive plot. Overall, the game's story is seen as a weak point, with many suggesting that players seeking a rich narrative experience should look elsewhere.
“Eventually, your brain power silences the scares, making the story so intriguing!”
“There's a creepy story behind it all, with varied endings.”
“This game is short but has a great story; I loved playing the game.”
“The story is basically nonexistent.”
“There's barely any story and the monster design is rubbish.”
“In terms of story, there's very little to go on; you're alone in the house and your family has decided that they want you to stop spending so much time on the computer.”
- atmosphere28 mentions
- 82 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in this horror game is generally praised for being effective and immersive, with many players noting its ability to create tension and unease through sound design and lighting. While some reviews mention a lack of genuine scares or a sense of danger, the overall consensus highlights the game's strong atmospheric elements, complemented by well-executed jump scares. Despite its short length, the game successfully evokes a chilling ambiance that resonates with horror fans.
“The game is really short, but the tension and atmosphere is top notch.”
“It's humble, but it uses what it has very effectively by creating a dark atmosphere with nice jumpscares.”
“Even though it is super short and only delivers roughly 30 minutes worth of gameplay, the atmosphere is fantastic and something horror fans would love to check out.”
“This 2017 horror game fails to deliver on any real scares or atmosphere.”
“It kinda ruins the atmosphere when something happens in every room!”
“The initially positive (call it festive) atmosphere quickly turns to nightmare.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and immersive quality, often attributed to the use of Unreal Engine 4. Reviewers highlight the impressive monster designs and overall visual appeal, although some mention minor graphical glitches. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's spooky atmosphere and engaging gameplay experience.
“Great visuals, very cool monster design, great soundtrack (peep that Mr. Ballen theme) and a great time!”
“Immersive, great graphics.”
“10/10 for graphics, realistic and the game has some good scares. Highly recommend and hope the creators of the game release more games!”
“Has its graphical glitches.”
“To simply summarize the graphics, it is very similar to 'Emily Wants to Play' and 'Boogeyman', which both use Unreal Engine 4.”
“In terms of graphics, Irony of Nightmare is as basic as most of these indie horror games get.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its unique mechanics and atmosphere, particularly for its low price, while others criticize it for being overly short, glitchy, and lacking depth in puzzles and story. Players noted that the game feels more like a student project, with limited environmental puzzles and a reliance on object retrieval, leading to a less engaging experience overall. Despite some interesting elements, many felt it did not deliver a satisfying gameplay experience.
“Nice indie graphics, gameplay, level design, and sound for a 2-developer team.”
“Gameplay consists of puzzle solving, and along the way, you are presented with jumpscares and the opportunity to see some gory stuff.”
“Even though it is super short and only delivers roughly 30 minutes worth of gameplay, the atmosphere is fantastic and something horror fans would love to check out.”
“Gameplay is glitchy; there is a backstory but it's not depicted or explored in depth at all. It feels like 'random nonsense go!'.”
“Overall, 'Irony of Nightmare' felt like a student project. Considering its price and gameplay time (the speedrun would be about 5 minutes), you can still give it a try, but I didn't enjoy it at all.”
“Literally minutes of gameplay, assets used in many free indie games, and no real coherent story or plot aside from 'you are on the computer too much'.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's music has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the chilling soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and tension, others criticize the lack of audio controls, making it difficult to manage the background music. Notably, the inclusion of a "Stranger Things" OST and effective music cues during gameplay contribute positively to the overall experience, despite some limitations in sound effects and voice acting.
“Great visuals, very cool monster design, great soundtrack (peep that Mr. Ballen theme) and a great time!”
“It has jump scares throughout the game and conveys the feeling of tension when moving throughout the house with music cues to bolster the feeling of tension while playing.”
“Bewilderingly, the game doesn't include proper audio controls, so you can't turn off the annoying background music; you'll need to alt+tab out and stop the music using the Windows sound mixer.”
“The sound of the Christmas music in the background added to the uneasy feeling.”
“No voice acting and a limited selection of sound effects, but at least the soundtrack was just as chilling as the rest of the story.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, delivering good performance without any noticeable instability or glitches. Reviewers highlight its polished nature and effective atmosphere, contributing to an overall solid experience.
“The performance is good.”
“Outside of that, as I said, it was pretty well polished, with good performance, an uneasy atmosphere, and solid jumpscares.”
“The performance never showed signs of instability or any form of glitches.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, while the game generally maintains stable performance without significant instability, players have reported occasional graphical glitches and specific gameplay issues, such as characters getting stuck in doors.
“I encountered some weird glitches, namely with the uninvited guest being stuck inside a door, then he appears right in front of you and you die.”
“It has graphical glitches.”
“The performance never showed signs of instability or any form of glitches.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being exploitative, with accusations of plagiarism and a lack of credit to original creators, leading to perceptions of it as a soulless cash grab. Despite positive reviews, players feel misled by the game's early access status, which they believe is misused to mask its low-quality content.
“The developers here didn't credit any of the artists and real, actual game developers who created the assets, so this is plagiarism as well as a cash grab.”
“I got this game because of the high percentage of positive reviews, but I should have known better; it's just another soulless, cheap cash grab that misuses the early access flag.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is praised for its depth and complexity, with users highlighting the fantastic character design that adds to the overall experience, though some note it may feel somewhat fragmented.
“Great character development.”
“Character design is fantastic, with a unique and intriguing style.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game lacks replayability due to its simple puzzles and minimal story, leading players to feel that there is little incentive to revisit the experience.
“The puzzles are simple, the story is nearly non-existent, and there's no replayability.”
“The replay value didn't really feel like it was there.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features self-deprecating humor that effectively breaks the fourth wall, providing players with amusing easter eggs that enhance the overall experience. Many users find the humor engaging and enjoyable, especially when tied to the game's puzzles.
“If you're good with the puzzles (I'm an idiot and I figured it out, so you should too), you'll uncover an easter egg where they smash the 4th wall down with self-deprecating humor.”
“It's funny :)”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that poor games often struggle with grinding, leading to tedious and boring experiences that diminish any initial excitement or momentum.
“However, really bad games can't find their stride and wind up becoming tedious and boring, sapping whatever momentum and energy they had just built up to that point.”
