Life Eater

About

Life Eater is a single player role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by Strange Scaffold and was released on April 16, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 290 reviews

story86 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Truly unique concept done well, with a satisfying and compelling story.
The art style and voice acting are top tier, enhancing the emotional impact of the narrative.
The gameplay loop, while simple, is engaging and allows for a thoughtful exploration of the characters' lives.

The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, often relying on trial and error.
The tutorial is unhelpful, leaving players confused about mechanics and objectives.
The game is very short, with some players feeling it doesn't justify its price due to limited content.

story
234 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The game's story is a dark and compelling narrative centered around a serial killer who must sacrifice neighbors to prevent the end of the world, with many players praising its unique concept and emotional depth. However, opinions are mixed regarding its execution; while some find the storytelling engaging and the voice acting superb, others criticize the predictability and brevity of the plot, feeling that the gameplay often detracts from the narrative experience. Overall, the story is seen as a highlight, but it may not resonate with everyone due to its pacing and integration with gameplay mechanics.
- “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.”
- “Amazing storytelling, almost had me in tears by year 10.”
- “Each level is made to tell an interesting story about the people you're stalking, and finding the little bits that tell you everything you need to know was very satisfying to me.”
- “The story was incredibly boring, and painfully predictable.”
- “For a story trying to take itself seriously, this is seriously dumb.”
- “Poorly explained mechanics, a 'story' that doesn't really explain anything, and a gameplay loop that you can just bypass by guessing and restarting over and over.”
gameplay
184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
56%
12%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its unique concept and investigative mechanics, which involve stalking and deducing information about potential victims. However, criticisms highlight a lack of depth and variety, leading to a repetitive experience that can feel monotonous and overly simplistic. While some found the gameplay engaging and immersive, others felt it fell short in execution, with poorly explained mechanics and a short playtime that left them wanting more.
- “The unique gameplay consists of stalking and learning about your potential victims in the form of a video timeline (similar to Premiere Pro), 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 shows of what this style of gameplay can do.”
- “Really fun and innovative gameplay loop and brilliant writing too - definitely check this game out!”
- “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 feels like trial and error, which is unsatisfying.”
- “The concept is really cool, but the gameplay is terrible.”
emotional
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 with emotional storytelling enhances its impact, leading to intense feelings of distress and connection to characters. Overall, it is described as a uniquely emotional experience that leaves a lasting impression, often provoking strong reactions and reflections long after playing.
- “The art and the voice acting is top tier with beautiful but haunting imagery and emotional scenes.”
- “You wouldn't expect it for a gory game, but the writing and voice acting is so moving I cried.”
- “An emotional experience through and through; I loved how uncomfortable this game made me feel, how intensely the story is shown to you in both the gameplay and cutscenes.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
45%
13%
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its high quality, featuring an unnerving and tragic tone enhanced by excellent voice acting, appealing visuals, and a memorable soundtrack. While some reviewers note a lack of variety, the overall ambiance effectively immerses players in a creepy and lonely experience, making it a standout aspect of the game. The combination of atmospheric storytelling and engaging puzzles further enriches the player's connection to the game's world.
- “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.”
- “My notes went from obsessively detailing their schedules to scribbled marks to denote where to cut...this game's atmosphere definitely gets into you.”
- “Great little game, a bit short and with fairly simple puzzles but very atmospheric and creepy.”
- “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.”
- “There also seems to be an endless mode which I would assume fixes at least one or two of the issues I've raised, but I can't really bring myself to finish the main game to see if this is the case, which sucks. However, I will certainly be checking out some of the dev's other works as I feel like this is just a slight miss when the story presentation and atmosphere hit so well.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
24%
13%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their captivating art style and consistent quality, which enhance the overall storytelling experience. Players appreciate the impressive voice acting and visuals, although some feel that the passage of time in the narrative isn't effectively represented visually. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm, despite some critiques regarding gameplay repetitiveness.
- “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.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
12%
The music in the game has received high praise for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that the soundtrack is both captivating and mood-appropriate. The voice acting complements the music well, contributing to an immersive experience that evokes a sense of tragedy and tension. Overall, the combination of stellar music and art style significantly elevates the game's appeal.
- “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.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the payoff, others feel that the investigation mechanics can become tedious and repetitive. The game manages to avoid excessive grind by keeping its length short, but the reliance on random selection for puzzles can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, it may appeal to those who enjoy a challenge but can frustrate players looking for a more engaging puzzle experience.
- “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.”
- “Sometimes it felt a little grindy, but ultimately the payoff is excellent.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
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. However, some critiques mention that certain character portrayals, like Johnny, feel less authentic despite strong vocal delivery. Overall, the engaging gameplay loop and emotional depth contribute positively to the game's optimization.
- “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.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of dark comedy and absurdity, with players finding amusement in the morally questionable actions they can take, particularly in the context of stalking. This juxtaposition of dark themes and humor creates a unique and entertaining experience for players.
- “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.”
- “Funny story: I put this game on a wheel for a thing I call 'short showcase' for my streams, a little event I do where I play 3-4 short games during a stream.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
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.”