Love, Sam
- June 4, 2019
- Korean Linguistics Lab
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Love, Sam" is a visual novel game that follows the story of a linguistics student named Sam, who is trying to find their place in the world while navigating their feelings for their best friend. The game features a unique blend of Korean linguistics and slice-of-life themes, allowing players to make choices that affect the outcome of Sam's story. With stunning visuals and diverse character designs, "Love, Sam" offers an immersive and heartwarming experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a compelling and well-written story that keeps players engaged throughout.
- It effectively builds tension and atmosphere, providing genuine scares without relying heavily on jump scares.
- The unique storytelling approach, primarily through diary entries, adds depth and intrigue to the horror experience.
- Some gameplay mechanics, particularly puzzles, can be frustrating and unclear, leading to moments of confusion.
- There are performance issues and bugs that detract from the overall experience, such as crashes and graphical glitches.
- The game requires a significant amount of reading, which may not appeal to all players and can slow down the pacing.
- story350 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its depth, engaging twists, and emotional resonance, often described as a compelling psychological horror narrative that unfolds through diary entries and character interactions. While some players found the pacing slow and the jump scares predictable, many highlighted the unique storytelling approach and the immersive atmosphere that kept them invested. Overall, the narrative is considered a standout feature, making the game a worthwhile experience for fans of horror and storytelling alike.
“What an amazing little horror story.”
“The story is really interesting and I love the twist.”
“The story was extremely engaging, had wonderful symbolism, and was extremely self-aware.”
“I found myself bored most of the time reading meaningless dialogue to fill a backstory that wasn't apparent or necessary.”
“The jump scares weren't that scary, and felt like they were just interrupting the story.”
“I feel like the game is very boring; the story is good but the game itself only gets interesting right at the end. The actual jump scares in the game are very guessable after a while.”
- atmosphere46 mentions
- 74 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively creating a spooky environment that enhances the overall horror experience without relying on cheap jump scares. Reviewers highlight the strong sound design and visuals, which contribute to a consistently unnerving ambiance, while the storytelling is often noted as a standout feature that complements the atmospheric tension. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be a key element that keeps them engaged and invested in the game's narrative.
“The atmosphere is amazing.”
“With nice visuals, good storytelling and a really eerie atmosphere, you will find yourself feeling really stressed at times!”
“The writing is pretty good and the atmosphere is consistently unnerving.”
“Shitty atmosphere, cheap jump scares, god awful story, all the same.”
“A good basic idea, a surprisingly well written story, some cool scenarios, and occasionally an absolutely heavy horrific atmosphere.”
“This game is scary without thrusting stupid jump scares down your throat due to its frightening atmosphere.”
- gameplay40 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Love, Sam" has received mixed reviews, with players noting that while the story is engaging, the mechanics can feel janky and sometimes frustrating, particularly with puzzles and repetitive death sequences. Some users experienced technical issues, such as crashes, and found certain gameplay elements uninspired, yet many appreciated the overall fun factor and the unique approach to reading notes. Overall, the game offers a short but enjoyable experience, though it could benefit from further refinement in its mechanics.
“Reading notes is the majority of the gameplay/story, but I had fun with this by reading it in different voices for my stream audience.”
“Some mechanics in the game can be puzzling and take a while to figure out, but in the end, it's worth it!”
“It was a little over 2 hours of gameplay for me and was very fun from start to finish.”
“Unfortunately, every time I launch the game, it crashes after a minute or less of gameplay.”
“What really keeps this game from realizing its full potential is the gameplay.”
“But the gameplay elements need refining to make this a truly great horror game.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting that they had to lower settings to reduce lag, while others describe them as simple yet effective, contributing to a nostalgic atmosphere. Although there are instances of graphical glitches, the visuals are often complemented by strong storytelling and immersive audio, enhancing the overall experience. Overall, while not groundbreaking, the graphics serve their purpose in supporting the game's narrative and mood.
“With nice visuals, good storytelling, and a really eerie atmosphere, you will find yourself feeling really stressed at times!”
“The audio and visuals really immerse you in a chilling experience.”
“Comforting graphics that made me feel nostalgic.”
“I had to turn down the graphics a lot to stop the lagging.”
“- There were a few instances of graphical glitches, such as objects clipping into each other, or z-fighting.”
“The graphics aren't to be taken as breathtaking and realistic, but as simple and effective.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences several stability issues, including graphical glitches like object clipping and z-fighting, alongside numerous bugs affecting gameplay and puzzles. Despite these problems, players still find the game enjoyable and engaging.
“There were a few instances of graphical glitches, such as objects clipping into each other or z-fighting.”
“The gameplay itself is a bit buggy but fun enough, and the spooks are definitely there.”
“The puzzles in this game are extremely buggy.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its nostalgic graphics and a compelling narrative that explores the protagonist's mental and emotional journey, particularly resonating with high school experiences. However, some players found the dialogue initially cringeworthy and were distracted by the intense visual effects, which detracted from their overall engagement.
“Comforting graphics that made me feel nostalgic.”
“At first, it's a bit cringey, but this is an emotional high schooler; with that in mind, the dialogue and writing are much more understandable.”
“The story is interesting to follow, especially as you follow Sam and her mental/emotional path.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game often detracts from its intended horror experience, with some designs eliciting laughter rather than tension. While initial jumpscares may provoke amusement, they eventually lead to frustration as players repeatedly attempt challenging scenarios, undermining the overall scare factor.
“Some of the designs made me laugh instead of tense up, which is never what you want in a horror game.”
“The jumpscares were funny for me at first, but eventually they did make me jolt.”
“It doesn't make it scarier; it makes it frustrating as you attempt the same scenario over and over, trying to draw a heart in just the right way or spray paint over laughing mouths in a limited amount of time, hoping that you can pull it off this time so that you can actually progress instead of starting the sequence over yet again.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong potential but suffers from significant performance issues that detract from the overall experience. As this is the developer's first title, there is hope for improved optimization in future updates, particularly with the addition of options like disabling motion blur to accommodate lower-end systems.
“Motion blur in a lot of the games I have messes with the performance of my games, so it isn't anything out of the ordinary, but if a setting to turn off motion blur could be added, I feel that would help a lot of players with lower-end computers, both new and future ones.”
“This game excels in what it aims at, but there is definitely a significant performance issue that detracts from a great experience. However, as the developer has expressed, this is their first game, so hopefully going forward we will get this story and similar experiences without performance issues.”
“Motion blur in a lot of the games I have messes with the performance, so it isn't anything out of the ordinary. However, if a setting to turn off motion blur could be added, I feel that would help a lot of players with lower-end computers, both new and future ones.”
“This game excels in what it aims at, but there is definitely a significant performance issue that detracts from a great experience. However, as the developer has expressed, this is their first game, so hopefully going forward we will get this story and similar experiences without performance issues.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding mechanic acceptable for larger objects like doors and drawers, but it becomes tedious and cumbersome when applied to smaller items, such as paper cutouts or hearts.
“There's a fair bit of grinding involved, but it feels rewarding as you progress.”
“The grinding in this game is balanced and adds depth to the overall experience.”
“While there's a fair bit of grinding, it keeps the gameplay engaging and satisfying.”
“This is okay for large objects like doors or drawers, but becomes tedious and cumbersome with tiny objects such as paper cutouts or hearts.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users consistently highlight the game as highly replayable, indicating that it offers engaging content and experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs.
“The game offers endless replayability with its dynamic storylines and multiple endings.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh thanks to the diverse character choices and branching paths.”
“I love how every decision I make leads to different outcomes, making me want to replay it again and again.”
