Joe's Diner

About

Joe's Diner is a single player survival action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by VIS-Games and was released on March 31, 2015. It received negative reviews from players.

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

Skip User Reviews

33%

Audience ScoreBased on 124 reviews

humor13 positive mentions

gameplay11 negative mentions

The game has a unique premise that combines time management with a supernatural theme.
The graphics and atmosphere of the diner are well-designed, creating a suitable setting for the game.
The game can be entertaining for those who enjoy repetitive task-oriented gameplay and casual challenges.

The gameplay quickly becomes monotonous and repetitive, with little variation across the 30 levels.
The controls are clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to interact with objects and complete tasks.
The horror elements are poorly executed, with a lack of genuine scares and a disappointing game over sequence.

gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
55%
33%
The gameplay in "Joe's Diner" is characterized by repetitive mechanics that involve picking up trash and turning off noisy appliances, with little variation or depth throughout the game. Players often find the controls frustrating and the experience tedious, especially as the game progresses, leading to a sense of irritation rather than engagement. While some may appreciate the challenge, the overall consensus is that the gameplay lacks innovation and quickly becomes monotonous.
- “The 'innovative' gameplay consists of clearing a certain amount of dishes and leftovers from tables in a diner while trying not to make too much noise while a ghost periodically sets traps and turns on loud objects that you need to turn off.”
- “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.”
- “Definitly 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.”
- “There is no depth to the mechanics and the game doesn't evolve in any way after 9 rounds.”
- “The devs didn't even animate the killer appearing or some kind of animation, nothing, because they are lazy with this game (and the unbearably repetitive gameplay only encourages this impression).”
- “While the premise might be interesting, the dull, repetitive gameplay and the lack of scares make Joe's Diner a tedious affair.”
story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
47%
35%
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and poorly executed, primarily consisting of a brief intro cutscene followed by a clichéd and racially insensitive premise involving two chieftains and a diner built on an old burial ground. Players find the plot weak and the objectives tedious, with many expressing disappointment over the lack of depth and atmosphere, leading to an overall negative reception of the narrative aspect.
- “Now at this point, you would assume that's a sufficient premise for a horror game, but then the narrator keeps going into a strangely specific story about two chieftains buried here, and apparently you need to clean the tables of the diner or one chieftain will throw things around and Chieftain Grim Feather will kill you because of it.”
- “There is not much of a storyline, but being hunted by an Indian ghost because you couldn't fulfill your duties in the restaurant was priceless.”
- “It's a shame... with a little more variety to the missions or a few more surprises along the way, I think I would have liked this.”
- “As for the story, you get a small intro cutscene and that's it.”
- “It's starts off telling you the cliché and racist story of Joe's Diner being built on an old Indian burial ground where two rival chieftains were buried.”
- “The setup for the game was nice, but their being no story and dumb jumpscares made it stupid.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 obstacles like rubber ducks on the floor, leading to both comedic and frustrating moments. Players find the blend of humor and challenge engaging, with some describing the ghost's antics as both hilarious and absurd, while others appreciate the playful nature of the spirit despite the game's overall tone being more focused on skill and strategy than outright comedy. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay, making it enjoyable even if it doesn't dominate the experience.
- “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 the ill-tempered 'Grim Feather' who will apparently scare you with a picture of himself.”
- “At the same time, another ghost (let's call him 'the funny guy') plays pranks on you and tries to get you killed by switching on all kinds of loud diner inventory or even placing rubber ducks and other stuff on the floor for you to walk over and make even more noise.”
- “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!”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Overall, the atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews. While some players appreciate its eerie and immersive qualities, likening it to a comfortable yet unsettling experience, others criticize it for being dull and lacking depth. The aesthetic of rundown locations is praised by some, but there are significant complaints about the absence of engaging elements and scares.
- “This game has a cool atmosphere and is somehow scary.”
- “Enjoyed the atmosphere and rundown rest stop aesthetic.”
- “It attracts me with the atmosphere; I would enjoy my experience in an old shabby restaurant, feels great.”
- “There is no atmosphere, no story, the graphics are just meh and we can't even speak about real gameplay.”
- “Pineview Drive at least had an eerie atmosphere, Joe's Diner is just dull in my opinion.”
- “It's as dull as it sounds and the noisy obstacles just add annoyance to it; couple this with the lack of scares or atmosphere and you'll see why I can't recommend the game.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them dull and lacking in detail, while others appreciate the smoothness and atmospheric design, particularly in settings like Joe's Diner. However, criticisms highlight bland textures and poor shadow and reflection quality, leading to an overall average rating of around 5/10.
- “It's smooth, pretty good graphics, controls are easy (if you're a right-hander, as it's the standard WASD + mouse control) and the premise is easy to follow.”
- “Enjoyed the atmosphere and rundown rest stop aesthetic.”
- “Graphically, Joe's Diner is very cool and does hold a sense of the thriller atmosphere.”
- “Graphically, the game looks dull with bland textures and assets that feel lifted from a pack on the Unity Store.”
- “There is no atmosphere, no story; the graphics are just 'meh' and we can't even speak about real gameplay.”
- “Graphics 5/10”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews consistently highlight the grinding aspect of Joe's Diner as tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over the lack of engaging gameplay and scares. Many feel that the game fails to capitalize on its potential, resulting in a monotonous experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.
- “It's tedious.”
- “While the premise might be interesting, the dull, repetitive gameplay and the lack of scares make Joe's Diner a tedious affair.”
- “It's the most tedious game I have ever played, and this is considering that Steam sells Visceral Cleanup Detail.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is criticized for having significant issues, particularly with shadows and reflections, which are described as obnoxious and buggy, leading to distractions during gameplay.
- “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.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game effectively builds tension, creating an engaging atmosphere, though it is not perceived as scary. Overall, it is well-crafted and enhances the gaming experience.
- “Not scary, but the music and sound design build up a nice tension, and it's well made.”