Knock-knock
- October 3, 2013
- Ice-Pick Lodge
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"Knock-Knock" is a single-player horror platformer game with a spectacular story and phenomenal visuals. As the latest Lodger, you must stay awake and sane until dawn, avoiding the unknown creatures that have taken over your cabin. The game features hide-and-seek gameplay, with the goal of reaching morning while still sane, while uncovering the truth behind the strange occurrences in the cabin. The game has a stellar atmosphere, filled with suspense and mystery.
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Reviews
- The game has a unique and captivating atmosphere that keeps players engaged.
- The art style is beautifully crafted, reminiscent of Tim Burton's work, adding to the eerie experience.
- The game encourages exploration and personal interpretation of its story, making each playthrough feel fresh and intriguing.
- The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, with players often feeling lost or unsure of what to do next.
- There is a lack of clear instructions or guidance, leading to frustration and confusion for many players.
- The game can be punishing, with a game over state that forces players to restart if they fail to meet certain criteria.
- gameplay108 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "knock-knock" is characterized by its simplicity and repetitiveness, primarily involving mechanics of hiding from monsters and managing light sources in a surreal, atmospheric setting. While some players appreciate the unique art style and the challenge of discovering mechanics through trial and error, many find the lack of clear instructions and the reliance on RNG frustrating, leading to a tedious experience that can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game appeals to those who value atmosphere and exploration over traditional gameplay depth, but it may not satisfy players seeking engaging mechanics or a clear narrative.
“The gameplay is effectively walking from room to room, turning on lights and materializing furniture that you can hide from said monstrosities behind.”
“The core gameplay of 'knock-knock' is solid; you go from darkened room to darkened room, replacing flickering or altogether broken lightbulbs, revealing objects, and hiding from a number of truly twisted creatures that emerge from the shadows.”
“With simple gameplay mechanics, a difficulty that increases excellently with the progression the player makes, beautiful art style, and a story that is not essential for you to understand it to enjoy the game.”
“Good atmosphere, but tedious gameplay.”
“Not to mention the almost complete lack of explanation as to the basic gameplay loop, combined with dependence on good RNG to progress through several timed levels; it really feels like the project should've seen more work done before release.”
“Unfortunately, after 6+ hours of gameplay, I am unable to get any ending to the game.”
- atmosphere80 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Knock-Knock" is widely praised for its eerie, unsettling quality that enhances the horror experience, often overshadowing gameplay elements. Reviewers highlight the game's unique art style and sound design, which contribute to a tense and immersive environment, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror. However, some players note that the atmosphere can become repetitive over time, potentially detracting from overall enjoyment.
“The game's horror relies on atmospheric tension and an unreliable narrator.”
“In the end, Knock-Knock excels at its eerie atmosphere, and its art style and tension will keep you on edge.”
“I love the atmosphere of this game that makes you question what is reality and what isn't, blurring the lines.”
“The atmosphere was kind of creepy at first, until after the beginning hour and everything starts getting repetitive, with the monster, or 'guest,' designs being kind of a joke.”
“Atmosphere is okay, but other than that it feels mediocre and too repetitive to enjoy.”
“The atmosphere of the game is like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, yet another game where the player has no clue about what is going on or even how to play.”
- story79 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized as vague and open to interpretation, often leaving players to piece together its narrative through diary pages and environmental clues. While some appreciate the atmospheric horror and the mystery surrounding the protagonist, others find the storytelling lacking in clarity and depth. Overall, it offers an intriguing but fragmented experience that prioritizes atmosphere over a straightforward plot.
“The story is a favorite of mine because they don't really give you much of one explicitly.”
“The player character is very relatable, and you quickly become immersed in their story.”
“An unsettling creepy game that doesn't stop being unsettling, taking place deep in the character's psyche, it leaves a lot up to the player to figure out the story and context, which a lot of games feel the need to explain everything to the player.”
“The story is unclear, vague, and leaves you to fill in a lot of it with your own imagination, but I was invested and wanted to play to the end.”
“You can't tell what's story related or what's 'hint' related (if there even is a story) because the two seem to blend together.”
“If you like a full, fleshed out story laid out in front of you, this game probably isn't for you.”
- graphics63 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of "knock-knock" are widely praised for their unique and captivating art style, reminiscent of Tim Burton and Laika films, which effectively contributes to the game's eerie atmosphere. Players appreciate the beautiful, 2D animated visuals that, despite their simplicity, create a haunting and surreal experience, enhancing the overall tension and engagement with the narrative. The combination of striking artwork and well-placed sound design elevates the game's ambiance, making it a standout in the indie horror genre.
“The art style is especially fun to look at, with 2D animated graphics that look as if they could be at home in a Laika or Tim Burton film.”
“The art style shines, each entity drawn with unsettling perfection.”
“I really dig the art style and the atmosphere is unsettling as heck.”
“The graphical style actually kept me from buying the game for a while - not because it was bad, but because I expected something in the vein of 'Don't Starve', another stylized game with a much lighter atmosphere.”
“F'ing terrible experience... which is unfortunate because the art style actually drew me in.”
“I initially bought the game based on the premise and artwork, but I've never felt so unfulfilled after completing a game.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to moments of frustration and boredom. While some appreciate the unique atmosphere and rewarding elements, many feel that the lack of direction and repetitive gameplay detracts from the overall experience.
“Is there an award for the most tedious game on Steam?”
“Once you learn what you need to do in the game, it just becomes very tedious.”
“Eventually the gameplay does get tedious with nothing new to add or offer after a while.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is minimal yet effective, enhancing the overall atmosphere with haunting audio cues rather than traditional soundtracks. Players appreciate how the sparse musical elements contribute to a tense experience, complementing the game's unique graphical style and eerie settings. Overall, the audio design is praised as one of the standout features, creating a memorable and immersive environment.
“Every other playthrough, there was always a new experience, different creatures, different house layout, and the radio and gramophone can play haunting music on its own...”
“I love both the graphical and audio designs; the art style feels warped but also normal at the same time, and the audio... it's one of the better, if not the best, I have experienced. There aren't exactly any soundtracks or chase songs; at best, the only thing you'd have would be audio cues.”
“This game is simply amazing. The setting is good, and the music—ahh, the music! It's a good indie horror game, one of the best.”
“The soundtrack is almost non-existent to give a climate of terror to the game.”
“This is such a strange title; it's not really a scary game, but the few bits of music and the setting make for a fairly tense evening every time I decide to play it.”
“The sound effects and music (what little there is) fit well, and you can see great examples of the graphics on the store page - they're stylized and kinda cartoony, but they work surprisingly well for such a tense game.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the presence of multiple endings and various playstyles, many feel that it lacks significant replay value due to unfair gameplay and limited incentives to replay. Collectibles offer some motivation, but the experience may not be compelling enough for repeated playthroughs.
“It is also replayable since there are multiple endings, and the game even has good endings as well.”
“You can use different playstyles to complete the game, and there are plenty of collectibles to keep replayability an option.”
“Knock-knock offers a bit of replayability with a few different endings, and the good ending made me feel warm inside; not many games can do that.”
“Little to no replay value.”
“Barely any replay value.”
“Knock-knock contains not much replay value and sometimes the gameplay can be unfair.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional depth of the game compelling, as it immerses them in the protagonist's struggle with sanity and attachment to his environment. The unique art style enhances the unsettling experience, evoking feelings of confusion and empathy. The game's multiple endings, particularly the positive one, leave a lasting emotional impact, making it stand out in the gaming landscape.
“It's like you're walking through an unfamiliar house in pitch darkness, trying to feel your way through with just your hands, uncertain of what you're really touching but trying to get a sense of it.”
“But back to the main point, I can relate to the lodger's insanity, yet sanity all in all. His struggle to find his diary and his emotional attachment to his work and his house all make for an interesting subject matter that isn't seen in full release games on the market.”
“Knock-Knock offers a bit of replayability with a few different endings, and the good ending made me feel warm inside; not many games can do that.”
“Some may see only a boring story about turning lights on and off here.”
“The emotional depth of the characters felt shallow and unconvincing.”
“I expected a heartfelt journey, but instead, I was met with clichés and predictable outcomes.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally good, with smooth performance and no significant graphical issues, even on lower-end systems. However, players have reported occasional bugs, such as audio glitches and movement restrictions after certain actions, particularly when alt-tabbing frequently.
“The game flows smoothly overall; there should be no graphical difficulties for anyone who wishes to purchase and play it. My low-end computer runs it great!”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes the gameplay feel very stable and enjoyable.”
“The performance is consistent, and I appreciate how well it runs even during intense moments in the game.”
“Other than that, there are a few bugs here and there, like footstep audio playing multiple times. If you alt-tab too much, the game freezes and you have to close and restart.”
“After hiding behind something, the game glitches out and no longer allows you to move left or right, even though every other button continues to work just fine.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be comforting and enjoyable, noting that it transforms the experience into something lighthearted rather than frightening.
“Funny enough, when I play it now, it's nice and comforting and not scary anymore at all.”
