Left in the Dark: No One on Board

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 229 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • music
Left in the Dark: No One on Board Game Cover
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"Left in the Dark: No One on Board" is a hidden object puzzle adventure game set on a mysterious and abandoned cruise ship. As the player, you'll uncover the ship's ominous past and face supernatural forces while searching for hidden objects and solving intricate puzzles. With its eerie atmosphere and challenging gameplay, this game will keep you on the edge of your seat.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 229 reviews
story48 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • The game features charming dark ambiance and well-drawn graphics that enhance the spooky atmosphere.
  • Puzzles are enjoyable and accessible, making it a good entry point for newcomers to the hidden object genre.
  • The story, while simple, is engaging enough to keep players interested throughout the gameplay.
  • Voice acting is inconsistent and often detracts from the overall experience, with some performances being particularly poor.
  • The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in under three hours, leading to a feeling of insufficient content.
  • Some hidden object scenes can be frustrating due to poorly defined objects that blend into the background, making them hard to find.
  • story151 mentions

    The story in this hidden object game is generally considered average and predictable, often relying on clichés and familiar tropes from the genre. While some players found it engaging enough to keep their interest, many criticized the lack of depth, character development, and originality, leading to a mixed reception overall. The narrative is described as simple and straightforward, with a few intriguing elements, but ultimately fails to deliver a compelling or memorable experience.

    • “The story revolves around a young woman detective brought in to solve a case involving a ship and its missing crew.”
    • “I found myself being swept into it, as if I was the detective sleuthing around the ship and coast, looking for clues and piecing the story together so I could figure out what was behind all of it.”
    • “The game adds elements from a classic ghost story and from a classic slasher story to the mix, and there you have your mysteries to solve.”
    • “The story is predictable and the only one surprised by the hookman's identity is the detective, but the puzzles are fun and the hidden object scenes are nicely lit and have managed to find a nice way to have a bunch of random clutter without making the target items absurdly obvious.”
    • “The main character has zero backstory or personal investment in this game's story; it's just a job for her.”
    • “Very short playthrough, fairly run-of-the-mill puzzles, and a boring story that didn't really feel satisfying or conclusive in any way.”
  • graphics56 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric visuals and artistic style, while others criticize them as dated, low-resolution, and inconsistent in quality. Many noted that the artwork can blend into the gameplay, making it challenging to navigate hidden object scenes. Overall, while some found the graphics appealing and well-rendered, others felt they hindered the overall experience due to various technical issues and a lack of cohesive design.

    • “Beautiful graphics, clear and visually appealing hidden object scenes, and a fantastic map that allows you to jettison to particular areas within the game really get the thumbs up from me!”
    • “The game was made with hand-drawn graphics and art which is amazingly well done, and you can just see that there was a lot of love, time, and effort put into this game.”
    • “As always, the graphics were clear, sharp, and very well-drawn.”
    • “Graphics are dated, up to the point where it hinders the gameplay.”
    • “The graphics are kinda wonky like early Artifex Mundi hidden object games... there are weird lighting artifacts, wonky sizing and perspective, low resolution or blurry weird composites of images.”
    • “The graphics look terrible on a wide-screen monitor.”
  • music32 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric and creepy qualities, while others find it repetitive and annoying due to short looping tracks. While certain compositions are praised for enhancing the game's ambiance, many users express frustration over the lack of variety, leading to a desire to mute the music altogether. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a double-edged sword, contributing to the atmosphere but often falling short in execution.

    • “The game's visuals and the unsettling soundtrack add to the atmospheric experience.”
    • “Excellent mix of suspenseful music and threatening sounds.”
    • “The music is atmospheric and of high quality.”
    • “However, the background music does not fit the supposed spooky ambience of the game, and since it is a loop of about 30 seconds of music, it is very repetitive and becomes annoying after some time.”
    • “The music is fine, nothing special.”
    • “You'll wish desperately for a different music loop after about 5 minutes of the same 20-second sound clip.”
  • gameplay23 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a mix of simple puzzles and hidden object scenes, making it accessible for casual players, though it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of innovation. While some mechanics are enjoyable, the overall experience is hindered by dated graphics, a short playtime of around 2-3 hours, and a predictable formula that fails to engage players fully. Despite its intuitive nature, many reviewers found the gameplay boring and uninspired, leading to a general sense of disappointment.

    • “It offers a mix of puzzles, from relatively simple challenges to more intricate mechanical setups.”
    • “The gameplay itself is intuitive and fun, and the minigame puzzles are easy for beginners who are just looking for a taste of the hidden object game genre - or casual players like me who don't necessarily want a brain-busting challenge!”
    • “So there's your typical 'point and click adventure game'-style gameplay where you collect items and use them on objects in the game world in order to advance.”
    • “Graphics are dated, to the point where it hinders the gameplay.”
    • “Bad story, mediocre visuals, boring gameplay, and annoying music.”
    • “Hidden object scenes are so easy that it becomes boring after a while, and there is no alternating gameplay.”
  • atmosphere14 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by unsettling visuals and high-quality, atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience, creating a genuinely creepy and immersive environment. While some users noted issues like low-resolution graphics and poor voice acting that detracted from the atmosphere, many appreciated the dark, moody ambiance reminiscent of classic literature. Overall, the atmosphere is a highlight, making the game enjoyable for those who prioritize ambiance over narrative depth.

    • “The game's visuals and the unsettling soundtrack add to the atmospheric experience.”
    • “Genuinely creepy atmosphere.”
    • “Really bad voice acting; completely undermined the creepy atmosphere every time.”
    • “Atmosphere is mildly scary, with fitting, but average music.”
    • “The atmosphere reminded me of classic literature—dark, moody, and filled with mystery.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of unintentional comedy and absurdity, with players finding amusement in the ridiculousness of the story, poor voice acting, and laughable animations. While some moments are genuinely funny, others come off as so bad they're amusing, leading to a mixed reception where the humor often detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Anyway, the last boss... sorry, the bad guy... it was hilarious how he was defeated...”
    • “I busted out laughing when he started talking.”
    • “One hilariously bad scream in the finale, but other than that a quality game.”
    • “I don't really know how to convey the ridiculousness of this game - it's not funny, but it's also laughable.”
    • “The attempts at humor feel forced and often fall flat, leaving me more confused than amused.”
    • “I expected a lot of laughs, but instead, I found myself cringing at the awkward jokes.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    Overall, the emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players found enjoyment in the puzzle-solving experience, the voice acting often lacks the depth needed to enhance emotional engagement, resulting in a flat delivery during critical moments. The story is perceived as underwhelming and unsatisfying, contributing to a general sense of detachment rather than emotional investment.

    • “Gotta say, this game made me feel pretty damn good at solving puzzles and everything else... primarily because they weren't as challenging... but they were fun!”
    • “The playthrough was disappointingly short, with mundane puzzles and a story that felt unfulfilling and inconclusive.”
    • “The emotional depth was lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about the outcome.”
    • “I expected a gripping narrative, but instead, I was met with a bland story that failed to evoke any real feelings.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it enjoyable with decent replay value, others criticize it for being short and lacking in engaging content, resulting in a low replay value rating.

    • “Those gave the other ones really nice replay value.”
    • “A fun hidden object game with some replayability.”
    • “Was fun, but a little short with simple puzzles and no replayability.”
    • “The replay value for the game is low.”
    • “Replay value: 3/10”
  • stability3 mentions

    The stability of the game has been criticized for being plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly detracted from the overall enjoyment and experience for players. Many users reported frustrating issues that hindered gameplay, leading some to abandon certain sections entirely.

    • “It was so touchy yet so buggy.”
    • “I had to skip it, not because I didn't understand it, but because the middle lock was so buggy.”
    • “Honestly, there were often bugs and glitches that bothered me enough to impair my enjoyment of the game.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious rather than challenging, with puzzles that lack difficulty and contribute to a sense of monotony.

    • “The grinding feels endless and becomes more of a chore than an enjoyable part of the game.”
    • “I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which made the experience feel monotonous.”
    • “The amount of time required to level up is excessive, turning the game into a tedious grind.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization aspect of the game is noted to be average, with the protagonist's voice acting being consistent with previous Artifex Mundi titles, but not particularly standout.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

3hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
3-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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