Layers of Fear

About

"Layers of Fear: Masterpiece Edition" is a single-player horror point-and-click game with an intriguing story and good mechanics, set in a visually stunning and atmospheric Victorian-era mansion. As an insane painter, you uncover the secret of your madness while exploring a constantly changing environment with a heavy focus on story and exploration. The game features stunning music, but some bugs and grinding may hinder the experience. Despite these flaws, the game delivers a wholesome and fear-inducing story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,300 reviews

story1.4k positive mentions

optimization39 negative mentions

story
3,848 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The story of "Layers of Fear" is a complex and tragic narrative centered around a painter's descent into madness, exploring themes of obsession, loss, and the impact of mental illness. Players uncover the story through environmental storytelling, notes, and flashbacks, piecing together the protagonist's dark past and the haunting events that transpired in his family. While the game excels in atmosphere and visual design, opinions vary on the depth and originality of the story, with some finding it predictable and cliché, yet still engaging enough to keep players invested.
- “A fantastic game with an engaging and tragic story.”
- “The story is intriguing and left me with a craving for more, so I hope the devs continue to make great games like this or even add on to this one for some more exposition.”
- “Layers of Fear is a chilling story told in a very detailed and artistic way.”
- “The little story that exists is revealed right from the beginning in very unsubtle ways and barely added onto throughout the game as most of what occurs is just the same thing over and over again.”
- “The story, meant to be the game's main hook, didn't quite resonate with me.”
- “The story itself is not that complex or deep, so they made these puzzles to try and make a more interesting game than just walk and see.”
atmosphere
1,666 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The atmosphere in "Layers of Fear" is widely praised for its immersive and unsettling qualities, effectively combining haunting visuals, a chilling soundtrack, and clever sound design to create a sense of dread and psychological tension. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke fear through atmosphere rather than relying solely on jump scares, although some note that the latter can occasionally detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is recognized as a standout in atmospheric horror, drawing players into a beautifully crafted yet disturbing world that reflects the protagonist's descent into madness.
- “The atmosphere is incredible and the story is very well written.”
- “Layers of Fear excels in creating a truly unsettling atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere, visuals, audio... they're pristine.”
- “The game oscillates between open-every-drawer walking simulator and jump-scare ghost train ride (but the cheap kind that you have to walk through yourself) and every time it manages to build a little atmosphere, it is soon smashed to bits by over-acted and anachronistic voice acting.”
- “The original idea for a game with a spooky atmosphere, but with poor execution.”
- “The atmosphere is chilling and sinister; lighting, sound, and the amazing graphics truly make this game stand out.”
graphics
1,610 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
38%
1%
The graphics in "Layers of Fear" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning detail and artistic design, effectively creating an immersive and eerie atmosphere. Many reviewers noted the game's ability to blend beautiful visuals with psychological horror elements, although some pointed out issues with graphical optimization and repetitive asset use. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's unsettling experience.
- “The graphics are stunning and the atmosphere (sounds and music included) suck you in.”
- “Layers of Fear is a graphical work of art, but it disappoints in the horror aspect.”
- “The graphics are absolutely top-notch and a notable feat both from the development team and the Unity engine.”
- “The graphics might not be at the level of modern games, but they likely contribute to the game's eerie atmosphere.”
- “For a game centered around the theme of paintings, you're going to see repeats of the same artwork multiple times over.”
- “The graphics are pretty enough, but the environments have no variation.”
gameplay
1,086 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
71%
10%
The gameplay of "Layers of Fear" has received mixed reviews, with many players describing it as primarily a walking simulator that emphasizes exploration and atmosphere over traditional gameplay mechanics. While some appreciate the unique environmental storytelling and psychological horror elements, others criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay, simplistic puzzles, and reliance on jump scares, leading to a lack of engagement and depth. Overall, the game is seen as more of an immersive experience rather than a challenging or complex gameplay offering.
- “The walking mechanics, visuals, and sound effects were well-done, contributing to a solid atmosphere.”
- “While the story itself is fragmented and open to interpretation, the environmental storytelling is masterfully woven into the gameplay, encouraging exploration and rewarding attentive players with deeper understanding.”
- “The gameplay builds tension through exploration and puzzle-solving rather than action, keeping players anxious about what horror they'll uncover next.”
- “The gameplay mostly consists of walking from room to room, making it feel like a walking simulator.”
- “The story is flat and uninteresting, gameplay is clunky and boring, and for a game that advertises that it shapes itself to your agency, there are little to no 'choices' to be seen.”
- “The gameplay is linear, so you always end up in the right room, where you should search for items to move on.”
music
822 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
45%
1%
The music in the game has been widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience and contributing to the game's eerie ambiance. Many players noted the soundtrack's emotional depth, with compositions that range from beautiful piano pieces to unsettling soundscapes, which align perfectly with the game's themes of madness and despair. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, elevating the narrative and gameplay while immersing players in a chilling and immersive environment.
- “The soundtrack is darkly atmospheric and the game sound design in general is delicately tailored to enhance the insanity of the experience.”
- “The music is incredibly beautiful and fits extraordinarily well into the game's art direction.”
- “The haunting soundtrack adds an extra layer of tension, enhancing the overall sense of dread.”
- “The soundtrack is too short — it seems to me that it lasts about 30 to 40 minutes — most of it rules silence and abrupt clatters to induce trepidation.”
- “There are at least three points in the game where the sound/music really started to grate on my nerves and I had to mute my PC just to shut it up until I could advance the story.”
- “The music is simple but effective.”
replayability
184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
67%
11%
The game's replayability is primarily driven by its multiple endings and hidden collectibles, which encourage players to explore different paths and interactions. However, many reviewers noted that once the mechanics and scares are understood, the experience can become repetitive and less engaging, leading to mixed feelings about revisiting the game. Overall, while there is potential for replay value, particularly for achievement hunters or those seeking to uncover all story elements, many players expressed a lack of motivation to replay after their initial experience.
- “The three possible endings leave the game open to a great deal of replayability, and provide a great deal more emotional depth, with the real challenge being left open for players being brave enough to try to figure the game out without walkthroughs.”
- “With stunning visuals and immersive soundscapes, Layers of Fear sets a new standard for the genre, offering innovative gameplay mechanics and multiple endings that encourage replayability.”
- “Multiple endings and scattered enigmas make for good replayability.”
- “There's not really any replay value besides getting different endings (if you're wondering, apparently you have to do specific actions and deliberately pick up certain objects while skipping others) which I could just find on YouTube, so I most likely won't come back to this.”
- “It stubbornly aspires to be replayable — it's full of hidden collectibles and has multiple endings — but once you know exactly where the scares are and what triggers them, the magic is gone; replaying can actually spoil the experience a bit by demystifying it.”
- “The game has basically no replay value once you are done with the main game and DLC; there is nothing more.”
emotional
125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its deeply personal and haunting narrative, which resonates with players on various levels, often evoking strong feelings of sadness, anxiety, and empathy. Many reviewers noted that the story's exploration of madness and trauma, combined with its atmospheric design and music, creates a profound emotional journey that can leave players feeling drained yet fulfilled. However, some critiques mention a lack of emotional depth in character portrayals and narrative coherence, which can detract from the overall impact.
- “But if you’re after a haunting, visually stunning, and emotionally heavy journey, this game delivers in spades.”
- “The story is beautiful and heart-wrenching, but the real winner is the amazing level design.”
- “Layers of Fear is an intense, emotional horror game with a very interesting and disturbing story.”
- “Boring story, not scary at all.”
- “It's just one boring door opening simulator with boring jump scares, boring story, and boring gameplay.”
- “Has a shallow and boring story.”
optimization
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
46%
33%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its performance and visual effects, while others report significant issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and poor performance on both high-end and low-end systems. Many users noted that despite the game's impressive graphics, it struggles with optimization, particularly on certain hardware configurations, leading to an inconsistent gameplay experience. Overall, while some players enjoyed smooth performance, a substantial number experienced frustrating technical problems that detracted from their enjoyment.
- “The game runs pretty well without any performance hiccups, and I didn't encounter any bugs or glitches.”
- “Amazing performance, environment.”
- “The performance of the game is outstanding, and it has given me renewed hope in Unity-based horror games.”
- “It's a Unity game, so... be prepared for optimization issues.”
- “The only part I don't like is that it is a bit badly optimized for lower-end PC users (like me) who do not have a GTX 1080 or something of that sort installed on their machine.”
- “Unfortunately, it is poorly optimized and will not run at >30fps on my PC.”
humor
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
3%
The humor in the game is largely unintentional, with many players finding themselves laughing at predictable jump scares and absurd moments rather than feeling scared. While some scenes aim for horror, they often come off as ridiculous, leading to a mix of laughter and frustration. Overall, the game is described as more amusing than terrifying, with players enjoying the comedic aspects of their reactions and the game's quirks.
- “By the end, I was laughing or getting mad at every new jumpscare that came along as each one got more ridiculous than the last.”
- “I can't tell you how many times I ended up laughing instead of being frightened.”
- “The only part I actually enjoyed was this moment where a little girl or doll runs towards a wall and hits her head then dies, and it's supposed to be scary, but I found myself laughing my ass off instead.”
- “I find myself looking back on my videos just so I can laugh at the jump scares (which were not funny at the time, of course). Good lord, can I just say well done to the creators and everyone who worked on this for the baby room scene (and every other scene as well).”
- “The humor in this game falls flat; it tries too hard to be funny but ends up being cringeworthy instead.”
- “I expected some lighthearted moments, but the jokes felt forced and often missed the mark.”
grinding
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
12%
85%
The reviews consistently highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious, with many players feeling that the repetitive tasks, such as searching for collectibles and solving puzzles, detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the game's atmosphere and story, the excessive backtracking and lack of engaging gameplay elements lead to a sense of boredom and frustration, making it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. Overall, players suggest that the game requires a significant time investment for minimal reward, often describing it as a "grind" that can feel exhausting.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game itself does not generate much playtime (maybe 4 hours? if you do all the endings) from there on it's grinding for collectibles/achievements.”
- “But as the never-ending hallways started blurring into identical patterns and design layouts, the gimmick wore off very quickly and progressing the game became tedious ad nauseam.”
- “By the end of the game, you are frustrated from solving the most boring and painfully tedious puzzles while finding small objects in dark rooms, meanwhile the camera just keeps turning on its own.”
stability
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
4%
87%
The stability of the game is mixed, with some players reporting a smooth experience free of major bugs or glitches, while others encountered significant issues such as freezing, camera glitches, and problems with achievements. Overall, many users noted that while there are occasional minor glitches, the game generally runs well, especially for an indie title, though some players experienced frustrating performance problems.
- “For a Unity game, the graphics are better than expected and it runs smoothly with no glitches, crashes, or any other issues worth mentioning.”
- “Did 2 playthroughs, no glitches or bugs to report at all, fulfilling and rewarding experience, soundtrack and scenery are beautiful!”
- “Although it is still in early access, it runs great even on lower spec machines.”
- “Sometimes when he’s losing his mind, the screen gets all wobbly (or glitches with a strange electronic effect that feels insanely out of place in a setting where the most advanced piece of technology is a rotary telephone).”
- “This game does not run at all on a GTX 980M and Steam refuses to refund even though I have been unable to play since it freezes after a minute or two.”
- “Well written, well directed and with a great art style... sadly let down by one of the poorest optimization/buggy engines I've seen in a game for quite a few years.”
character development
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
Character development in the reviewed games is praised for its depth and unique presentation, often utilizing art and environmental storytelling to enhance the narrative. While some titles may not significantly advance the plot, they effectively convey character transformations and emotional complexity, leading to a more immersive experience. Comparisons to other games highlight that longer narratives can provide even greater opportunities for character exploration and player empathy.
- “It has great character development and a very unique way (yet simple) to present its main protagonist, who happens to be a crippled man.”
- “I really enjoyed the story; it's simple, but it has character development through notes and paintings, which I thought was good.”
- “Good psychological terror, nice character development story using art as a concept.”
- “It's not artsy or anything to not leave room for character development.”
- “It's just not complete; just for example, look at Silent Hill 2 or Cat Lady. Those games are longer, therefore they can show more. More character development brings more sympathy for the characters, more complexity and depth.”
- “There is more character development in the details of 'Layers of Fear' than in most games out there.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for feeling exploitative, with players encountering excessive busywork and minimal rewards, leading to a sense of frustration. The game is perceived as a low-effort "asset flip" that relies on cheap tactics to maintain player engagement, rather than offering meaningful content or immersion. Overall, it appears to prioritize profit over player experience, resulting in a lackluster and repetitive gameplay experience.
- “What you get instead of immersion is the equivalent of those cheesy horror ads that try way too hard to keep your attention.”
- “Yet another Unity engine asset flip cash grab.”
- “Shameless advertisement, I know.”