Locks

About

Locks is a single player platformer game with a horror theme. It was developed by CarelGames and was released on February 5, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

KEY FEATURES A combination of two horror styles. New mechanics with moving scenery. Musical accompaniment for each action in the style of dark fairy tales. The game is not trying to scare the puppet, as it usually happens in platformers, but you, that is, the viewer of the show. GAMEPLAY Boss fights. Not with monsters and dragons, but with a Ferris wheel, pipes and, for example, a jaw. You…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 23 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The art style is visually stunning and creates a captivating atmosphere.
The puzzles are creative and engaging, offering a mix of challenge and enjoyment.
The sound design enhances the overall experience, contributing to the immersive environment.

Some puzzles are frustratingly difficult, leading to random deaths and confusion.
Technical issues, such as glitches and poor optimization, hinder gameplay and enjoyment.
Certain sections of the game feel poorly designed, with hitboxes and mechanics that can lead to cheap deaths.

graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and surreal art style, which enhances the overall experience with captivating visuals and a creepy atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the diorama aesthetic and the variety of bizarre environments, noting that the art design significantly contributes to the game's appeal. Overall, the combination of striking visuals and effective sound design creates an engaging and memorable artistic experience.
- “The art design and overall aesthetic are truly captivating.”
- “The art style of the game is amazing.”
- “Great art style and creepy atmosphere.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining a great art style with effective sound design that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of creepy elements and emotional depth, noting that the music, particularly classical pieces, adds authenticity and richness to the atmosphere. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as fantastic, engaging, and integral to the gameplay experience.
- “That atmosphere gave me lots of positive emotions.”
- “Blends with a great horror atmosphere, great sound design, and some clever puzzles.”
- “The sound design complements this perfectly, creating an immersive atmosphere that keeps you hooked.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The gameplay is characterized by its unique mechanics and charming visuals, drawing inspiration from Tim Burton's style, which creates an engaging atmosphere. While the puzzles can feel repetitive and occasionally awkward, many players appreciate the straightforward and intuitive design that allows for enjoyable experiences without significant frustration. Overall, the game offers a blend of interesting mechanics and a creepy ambiance that keeps players intrigued.
- “The concept is simple and the mechanics are quite different, but interesting.”
- “Really unique style for puzzle games, and I especially appreciated the visuals and music; the mechanics kept me interested due to being somewhat unusual at first.”
- “Creepy atmosphere and interesting gameplay.”
- “However, sometimes gameplay was kind of awkward; puzzles are all the same. But anyway, when you know that it is the first project, you may just appreciate the adorable style of the author who was greatly inspired by Burton.”
- “It fits well with the game since a similar mechanic is used during gameplay, but it just felt inconvenient to me.”
- “It fits well with the game since a similar mechanic is used during gameplay, but it just felt inconvenient to me.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The music in the game is highly praised for its unique style and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with players noting the authenticity of the piano and violin sounds. It effectively contributes to the game's horror elements, creating an engaging experience that complements the unusual mechanics of the puzzle gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that elevates the game's appeal.
- “Really unique style for puzzle games, and I especially appreciated the visuals and music (music especially). The mechanics kept me interested due to it being somewhat unusual to me at first.”
- “The horror builds up in a really cool way, and the music makes it even better.”
- “The fact is that this challenge is not only bound to music, but it is random at times, so even if you try to memorize it, you'll still get random deaths.”
- “Really unique style for puzzle games and I especially appreciated the visuals and music (music especially).. the mechanics kept me interested due to it being somewhat unusual to me at first.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic—the sounds, the piano, the violin (I’m not well-versed in classical music, but it all feels incredibly authentic).”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The story is primarily conveyed through visual storytelling, which some players find vague and lacking emotional depth. While the narrative could benefit from more character interactions to enhance engagement, the accessible challenges allow players to appreciate the story and ambiance without frustration. Overall, the story's impact is mixed, with room for improvement in clarity and character development.
- “It's refreshing to play a game where the challenges are accessible, allowing you to appreciate the story and ambiance without getting stuck.”
- “Maybe the story would be more enjoyable if the two characters did more things together leading up to the ending.”
- “I want to understand the story and what it all means, but the puzzles are so difficult that they make me forget what the game is about.”
- “The narrative is pretty much 100% visual storytelling. It kind of works, but I don't feel strongly about it one way or another; it was very vague.”
- “Maybe it could have used some cozy story moments between two characters to set it up better.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is criticized for a lack of thorough playtesting, leading to sporadic difficulty spikes, poorly designed puzzles, and numerous small glitches. Players report issues such as problematic hitboxes and environmental glitches that can cause players to get stuck, although checkpoint resets are sometimes available. Overall, these stability concerns detract from the overall experience.
- “The first 90 minutes or so were decent, but the second half of the game felt like it wasn't playtested properly, often having sporadic difficulty or puzzles that could use better hints, in addition to many small glitches.”
- “I get the feeling that this game was barely playtested; you could easily encounter hitbox issues 100 times during a playthrough, along with many small glitches, multiplied by a 7-second respawn time between each attempt. It's not the best feeling.”
- “I ran into a good number of environmental glitches; you can get stuck in places, but usually you can reset a checkpoint (although not always). It's really those few specific areas that can potentially sour the whole experience.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game is likened to a well-orchestrated puppet theater, suggesting that it runs smoothly and effectively, enhancing the overall performance and experience for players.
- “It really is a puppet theater and a performance within it!”
- “- optimization.”