Kraven Manor
- September 25, 2014
- Demon Wagon Studios
Get on SteamKraven Manor is a first-person puzzle-based horror adventure game. Players explore a creepy manor, piecing together the story of its mysterious past. The game features a unique mechanic where the manor physically rearranges itself based on the player's actions, creating a dynamic and immersive experience. The atmosphere is ominous and tense, with intricate puzzles that will challenge and engage players.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great atmosphere and sound design that effectively creates tension and unease.
- Innovative gameplay mechanic of reshaping the manor adds a unique twist to the horror experience.
- Despite its short length, the game delivers genuine scares and a memorable ending.
- The game is extremely short, typically taking around an hour to complete, which may not justify the price.
- Technical issues such as crashes and poor optimization detract from the overall experience.
- Limited replay value and a lack of depth in the story and puzzles make it feel more like a prototype than a full game.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay features innovative mechanics, such as the puzzle/room interactions and the unique book mechanic in the library, which add depth to the experience. However, players feel that the game doesn't fully utilize its potential, leading to a sense of repetitiveness once the mechanics are understood. While the atmosphere is praised for its creepiness and the graphics are well-executed, the lack of a compelling story and the restrictive nature of certain gameplay elements detract from the overall experience.
“The mechanic that allows you to interact with miniature rooms in order to gain entrance to the same rooms in the manor is innovative and brings a fresh breath to the genre.”
“The graphics are great, the game mechanics are sound, it's a game that had an obvious amount of love invested in it.”
“The antagonist is effectively creepy until you figure out the mechanic behind the attacks and how to stay safe... and at that point, the game suddenly begins to feel like a rail haunted house ride.”
“It's a really clever idea that lends itself well to an exciting scope of gameplay possibilities... or at least it could, it never really gets used to its full potential here.”
“Well, the biggest issue I had was the fact that the mannequin is indeed lethal, but there are mechanics that just didn't seem to agree with me.”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its eerie and tense qualities, effectively immersing players in a horror experience that keeps them on edge. With strong sound design and a sense of foreboding, it creates a compelling environment that enhances gameplay and encourages replayability. Overall, the dark and creepy atmosphere is a standout feature that captivates players and heightens their desire to explore and survive.
“Great eerie atmosphere and sound design, easy puzzles but have a great potential for replay value.”
“Feel spooked by the creepy atmosphere; it lures you into wanting to survive.”
“What makes this game an absolute must-have in your library is the dark and creepy atmosphere and the general feeling that there is someone, something behind you the whole time.”
- story18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as sparse and linear, with little backstory, which detracts from the overall experience despite its interesting and ominous themes. While some players appreciate the fun gameplay and good ending, many criticize the brevity and lack of depth in the narrative, leading to a feeling of underwhelming engagement. Overall, the level design is praised, but the story leaves much to be desired.
“Ominous, with a very interesting storyline.”
“You're there to experience a mostly linear story, and you can do it in relative safety.”
“The game is creepy, well orchestrated, has some neat layout mechanics, and gives a nice feeling of unease throughout the story.”
“The story is sparse, and the graphics are passable.”
“The reason I don't recommend this game is that it is a terribly short experience with a threadbare story and few real action pieces.”
“Sparing plot with little backstory; the game excels in its level design.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received high praise for their quality, with many reviewers noting the impressive visuals and attention to detail, especially considering its indie origins. Players appreciate the beautiful textures and effective use of particle effects, contributing to an immersive atmosphere. However, some comments suggest that while the graphics are generally strong, there are moments where they can be considered passable.
“The graphics are extremely good (the game from a pile of students so they did a good job) and the audio is nice.”
“A very beautiful game with gorgeous graphics that will make you forget it's an indie one.”
“The graphics are great, the game mechanics are sound, it's a game that had an obvious amount of love invested in it.”
“The story is sparse, and the graphics are passable.”
- music10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and suitability to the settings, enhancing the overall experience. However, users noted an issue where background sounds remain unchanged when adjusting the music or sound effects sliders.
“Great music.”
“The music does a good job.”
“Good music matches with the settings.”
“Not to mention the background sounds not being affected when you turn down the music or sound effects sliders.”
“Music and background noises are poorly balanced.”
“The music does not blend well with the overall sound design.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability due to its short length and minimal content, making it more suitable for a rental experience rather than a permanent addition to a library. While it features a captivating atmosphere and sound design, the easy puzzles do not significantly enhance its replay value.
“Great eerie atmosphere and sound design, easy puzzles but have a great potential for replay value.”
“However, the game does not have that much content and has probably limited replay value, so it is debatable just how valuable it is to hold onto in a permanent library.”
“This is a really well done, very short game with relatively little replay value... it would be a rental if such things still existed.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the immersive mechanics, such as cranking the flashlight, but find the repetitive damage from wood puppets while trying to progress to be tedious and frustrating.
“The amount of damage you take from the wood puppets while trying to figure out what to do next gets tedious fast.”
“Grinding in this game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users attributing performance issues to poor development choices rather than hardware limitations. Many players express frustration over the game's inability to run smoothly on capable systems.
“No devs, it is not my gaming rig, it is your poor optimization.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences notable stability issues, with players reporting glitches that can cause enemies to freeze permanently, hindering progress and creating frustrating gameplay scenarios.
“There are a few glitches. On more than one occasion, I had a particular enemy permanently freeze on me, which might almost sound like a 'good' or opportunistic thing, but it's decidedly less so when you require that enemy to cause damage to something in order for you to progress.”
