Life Eater

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 145 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • emotional
Life Eater Game Cover
Starting at €14.79Buy now
Get on Steam Get on itch.io Store

"Life Eater" is a horror fantasy kidnapping simulator, where you play as a modern-day druid in suburbia, conducting an annual ritual to prevent the world's end. Use a video editing-inspired interface to uncover the story of your human targets' lives, and decide when to abduct them. With a blend of authored and generated stories, and a fully voiced story mode, players must balance their time and resources to prevent the apocalypse. But be careful, the dark god you serve may not even be real.

  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 145 reviews
story43 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • The game features a truly unique concept with a compelling and satisfying story that keeps players engaged.
  • The art style and voice acting are top-notch, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional impact of the game.
  • The gameplay loop, while simple, offers an interesting mix of resource management and puzzle-solving that can be quite satisfying once mastered.
  • The game is very short, with many players feeling it doesn't justify its price due to the limited content and replayability.
  • Gameplay can feel repetitive and trial-and-error based, leading to frustration when trying to figure out the correct actions or answers.
  • The tutorial is unhelpful, leaving players confused about mechanics and how to progress effectively, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • story117 mentions

    The game's story is a compelling blend of dark themes and unique concepts, featuring a serial killer tasked with sacrifices to prevent the end of the world. While many players appreciate the engaging narrative and strong voice acting, some criticize the predictability and brevity of the story, feeling it lacks depth and memorable moments. Overall, the storytelling is seen as the highlight of the game, despite gameplay mechanics that some find repetitive or lacking in complexity.

    • “The story is captivating, being that you play a serial killer who needs to sacrifice his neighbors every year to satisfy his god to prevent the end of the world.”
    • “The voice acting made this game amazing on top of the already engaging story.”
    • “A clever puzzle game wrapped in a delightfully dark story.”
    • “I can't tell you what the actual story is in this game.”
    • “The story was incredibly boring, and painfully predictable.”
    • “For a story trying to take itself seriously, this is seriously dumb.”
  • gameplay92 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its unique mechanics and intriguing concept, particularly the investigative and puzzle elements. However, several critiques highlight issues such as a lack of depth, repetitive mechanics, and an unhelpful tutorial, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel monotonous and underdeveloped. While some players found the gameplay engaging and immersive, others felt it fell short of its potential, leaving them wanting more complexity and variety.

    • “The unique gameplay consists of stalking and learning about your potential victims in the form of a video timeline, making it a puzzle game to plan out the right opportunity to kidnap the victim without being caught by police while also getting to know the victim enough to perform the ritual right.”
    • “I often found myself disturbingly immersed in the investigative portions, and some levels are really good showcases of what this style of gameplay can do.”
    • “A unique puzzle gameplay loop and interesting level design paired with a decent horror story.”
    • “The tutorial is entirely unhelpful in explaining how to play, and what little gameplay there is feels like it has no thought put into it.”
    • “The gameplay proved to be frustratingly vague.”
    • “The gameplay is stale and the sacrifice mechanic can be arbitrary.”
  • emotional16 mentions

    The game is praised for its top-tier art and voice acting, creating haunting imagery and emotionally charged scenes that resonate deeply with players. While some predictability in the story's climax exists, the integration of gameplay enhances the emotional impact, leading to intense feelings of distress and connection to characters. Overall, it is described as a powerful emotional experience that evokes strong reactions, making players reflect on their actions and the narrative's weight.

    • “The art and the voice acting is top tier with beautiful but haunting imagery and emotional scenes.”
    • “It's not hard to predict the events that will transpire at the climax of the story, but the way that Life Eater ties it into the gameplay made the emotional impact so much greater.”
    • “You wouldn't expect it for a gory game, but the writing and voice acting is so moving I cried.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its high quality, featuring an unnerving and tragic tone enhanced by excellent voice acting, striking visuals, and a memorable soundtrack. While some reviewers note a lack of variety, the overall ambiance effectively immerses players, contributing to a sense of hopelessness and loneliness that resonates throughout the experience. Despite some gameplay shortcomings, the atmospheric elements are highlighted as a standout feature that deeply engages players.

    • “It has an eerie atmosphere and very appealing visual design.”
    • “Great little game, a bit short and with fairly simple puzzles but very atmospheric and creepy.”
    • “There's this unnerving atmosphere and air of tragedy that lingers throughout all the very amazingly voice acted cutscenes, with cool art and a great soundtrack to boot.”
    • “Personally, I enjoyed figuring out the little tricks to 'stalking' people myself; it really added to the hopeless and lonely atmosphere of the game.”
    • “My notes went from obsessively detailing their schedules to scribbled marks to denote where to cut...this game's atmosphere definitely gets into you.”
  • graphics8 mentions

    The graphics of the game are highly praised for their captivating art style and consistent quality, which enhance the overall experience. While the visuals and voice acting contribute significantly to the game's appeal, some players noted that the passage of time in the story isn't effectively represented visually. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, complementing the engaging narrative and gameplay.

    • “I really liked the art style, which suits the game incredibly well, but was especially immersed by the soundtrack.”
    • “The acting had me captivated the entire time, the graphics are always on point, and the theme song slaps so hard.”
    • “The voice acting and visuals have only added everything to this underrated gem of a title.”
    • “The only small gripe I have is that the game takes place over 10 or so years; this isn't super well shown in terms of visuals.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with a soundtrack that is both captivating and mood-appropriate. Reviewers highlight the impressive voice acting and the overall immersive experience created by the combination of stellar music and art style, contributing to a haunting and engaging gameplay experience.

    • “There's this unnerving atmosphere and air of tragedy that lingers throughout all the very amazingly voice acted cutscenes, with cool art and a great soundtrack to boot.”
    • “Great soundtrack, and every track is great and mood and scene appropriate.”
    • “Wonderful music and atmosphere, and some very fun logic puzzles to solve based on limited provided information.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the game features some enjoyable elements, the grinding aspect can be tedious, particularly in the investigation phase, which feels more like a random selection process than a true puzzle. However, the game's brevity helps prevent the grind from becoming overly burdensome, leading to a satisfying payoff for those who appreciate its core concept. Overall, players may find the experience either engaging or frustrating, depending on their tolerance for repetitive tasks.

    • “Sometimes it felt a little grindy, but ultimately the payoff is excellent.”
    • “So, yeah, the investigation aspect is incredibly tedious and not really a puzzle but is more just a 'pick random time periods and hope you find the right one' simulator.”
    • “Less scary and more tedious.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The optimization of the game is generally well-received, with players praising the beautifully illustrated narrative and standout voice performances that enhance the storytelling experience. The gameplay loop is engaging, and even the tutorial is noted for its high-quality execution, contributing to an overall immersive experience.

    • “Even the tutorial has a really stellar performance from the lead actor and the gameplay loop has me hooked.”
    • “Stellar idea wrapped up in a great scenario with great performances.”
    • “This is all juxtaposed against a (surprisingly) beautifully illustrated narrative with standout performances by both Jarret Griffis and Xalavier Nelson Jr. as the two leads - the glimmer of time spent with them in the cutscenes adds a wealth of humanity and heartbreak to the whole experience.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark themes and absurdity, creating a unique comedic experience. Players find it both amusing and unsettling, particularly in the contrast between the serious actions required and the ridiculous choices available for stalking characters.

    • “Funny story: I put this game on a wheel for a thing I call 'short showcase' for my streams, a little event where I play 3-4 short games during a stream.”
    • “This game is equally dark in the things we must do to please Zimforth and hilarious in the things we choose to do to stalk people.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game currently offers limited replayability, primarily appealing to those who wish to re-experience the story. However, an upcoming endless mode is expected to significantly enhance replay value.

    • “It's very short with little replayability outside of wanting to re-experience the story.”
    • “There's an endless mode due next week, so that should add a lot more replayability.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Life Eater

Videos

Similar Games