Joe's Diner

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In Joe's Diner , you work as a holiday replacement at a diner built over an old Indian cemetery, where you must keep the peace between two rival chieftains through 30 night shifts. The game features atmospheric graphics, innovative gameplay, and the challenge of laying the chieftains to eternal rest. Keep the diner calm and avoid their wrath to succeed.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

42%

Audience ScoreBased on 49 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

The atmosphere of the game is well done, creating a sense of isolation and intrigue.
The concept of managing tasks in a diner with supernatural elements is interesting and has potential.
Some players find the game enjoyable and fun, especially if they appreciate simple, repetitive gameplay.

The gameplay is extremely repetitive, with little variation across the 30 levels, leading to boredom.
The game lacks genuine horror elements, with jump scares being underwhelming and not effectively executed.
Controls are clunky and the sound design is poor, making it difficult to navigate and interact with objects.

gameplay
14 mentions
29 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its repetitive and simplistic mechanics, primarily revolving around pressing a single key and managing time without significant variation or depth. While some players find it enjoyable as a challenge, many feel that it lacks innovation and quickly becomes tiresome, especially in later levels where randomness can hinder progress. Overall, the gameplay is seen as forgettable and frustrating, detracting from the intended horror experience.
- “I have mixed feelings about this game; I believe it can be fun for a certain group of people who rather enjoy a challenge than actual story or gameplay.”
- “Definitely recommend this game; fun and pretty scary considering I played it, but this is my opinion if you want to see the way the gameplay looks.”
- “Gameplay ramps up at about level 10, and it's mostly RNG as to whether you can get all the trash thrown away before the timer runs out.”
- “Your 'innovative' gameplay consists of pressing E a hundred times.”
- “The only thing that changes is that you get noises from different places, but the gameplay is exactly the same.”
- “The sense of danger disappears, and the feeling of dread gets replaced by irritation, because of repetitive gameplay.”
humor
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by the antics of the mischievous ghost 'laughing bird,' who creates chaos by activating noisy appliances and leaving quirky items like rubber ducks and mouse traps around. Players find the ghost's playful yet annoying behavior amusing, with moments of levity stemming from his antics and cheeky personality, making the overall experience enjoyable and occasionally funny.
- “Making the task all that more difficult is the mischievous prankster ghost 'Laughing Bird' who loves to turn on noisy appliances in the hopes of awakening ill-tempered 'Grim Feather' who will apparently scare you with a picture of himself.”
- “It seems 'Laughing Bird' has learned how to leave crisp packets, rubber ducks, and mouse traps around the floor.”
- “I'd even call this game cute at some point, because the spirit that is constantly calling a sex line while chuckling lasciviously is such a playful poltergeist!”
story
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, featuring only a brief introductory cutscene, which has led to mixed reviews; some players find it lacking depth and engaging content, while others suggest it may appeal to those prioritizing challenge over narrative. Overall, the story is considered weak and unsatisfactory by many.
- “As for the story, you get a small intro cutscene and that's it.”
- “Not scary and has a terrible story... do not buy!”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users appreciating its immersive quality that evokes a sense of nostalgia and charm, particularly in settings like an old, shabby restaurant. Overall, it contributes positively to the gaming experience.
- “The atmosphere is very good.”
- “Thumbs up for the atmosphere; it didn't crash on me! :D”
- “It attracts me with the atmosphere; I enjoy my experience in an old, shabby restaurant. It feels great.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, indicating that it can become a monotonous and unenjoyable experience.
- “It's tedious.”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive.”
- “I find myself doing the same tasks over and over just to progress.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is hindered by significant graphical issues, particularly with shadows and reflections, which are described as distracting and buggy, despite its indie status from 2015.
- “Even though it's an indie game from 2015, the shadows and reflections in the game are absolutely obnoxious and buggy, honestly distracting at times.”
graphics
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally well-received, with users noting that they are visually appealing.