Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place

About

Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place is a single player action game. It was developed by White Blanket Games and was released on March 19, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place" is a Horror Fiction Adventure game that explores themes of isolation and loneliness. Players take on the role of Phil, a young man plagued by nightmares, as he confronts terrifying truths buried within him. The game features adventure elements, encouraging players to explore and interact with their surroundings in this dark and intense tale.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place screenshot

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews

story48 positive mentions

The game features a compelling and emotionally charged story that explores themes of mental health, loneliness, and family dynamics, with a surprising twist at the end.
The pixel art and sound design are praised for their quality, contributing to a haunting atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience.
Despite being less interactive than previous entries, the game is still engaging and well-paced, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

The gameplay is more linear and less interactive compared to earlier installments, with lengthy reading sections that some players found tedious.
The story takes a while to pick up, and some players felt that the protagonist's actions and motivations were confusing or unlikable.
The absence of a save feature frustrated some players, as it forced them to complete the game in one sitting, which was not ideal for everyone.

story
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The story in "Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place" is a haunting exploration of mental health themes such as loneliness, jealousy, and the struggle for freedom, delivered through a well-paced narrative that gradually unfolds. While some players noted that the plot takes time to gain momentum, many found it compelling and unique, with a satisfying twist that diverges from typical horror tropes. The game's rich storytelling, combined with beautiful pixel art and atmospheric sound design, makes it a strong recommendation for fans of narrative-driven horror adventures.
- “However, I was still intrigued by the story and wanted to find out what its ending would be - and it didn't disappoint!”
- “I was really intrigued by the entire storyline as it uncovered themes such as jealousy, longing, and depression, and one might think it is easy for anyone to simply get out of their bedroom and explore the truth of life, when life can be too scary to approach for some people; no one understands you like you do!”
- “Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place spends the majority of its runtime telling a queasy and uncomfortable story of someone struggling with their mental health, before flipping the script in jarring fashion.”
- “If you're like me and love a clear and understandable plot that doesn't scam you with an anticlimactic ending, then you don't want this game. At the start, Phil was hiding in his room for months from his abusive family, and it goes through his 'dating' Noelle, who is starting to get feelings for her stalky neighbor Brian. As time goes on, the parents aren't listening to him or his sister about getting mental help, and his dad canceled his bank account to try to get him out. Later, the mom brought in a priest to help instead of a therapist.”
- “In my opinion, the very real parts of the story that affected me are a little undercut by the horror themes at some point, relieving all that stress.”
- “I do take issue with some of the cheaper jumpscares, and there are bits of foreshadowing that lead nowhere, including several explicit references to the previous games, which may raise too many expectations over the trajectory of the story, which is a lot quieter and sadder than said expectations.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their excellent pixel art, which achieves a detailed and visually pleasing aesthetic, often reaching an uncanny valley effect. The art style, combined with intelligent writing and cinematic editing, enhances the overall experience, making it a standout title for horror adventure fans. The visuals contribute significantly to the game's creepy atmosphere without relying on cheap jump scares.
- “Excellent pixel graphics, getting detailed when they need to, to an almost uncanny valley level.”
- “I am deeply impressed with the intelligent writing, as well as the art style and cinematic editing and tempo.”
- “The graphical style is really visually pleasing too.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The gameplay in Midnight Scenes is characterized by its simplicity and minimal interactivity, primarily consisting of clicking through dialogue with few easy puzzles. While some players appreciate the effective narrative and charming pixel art, others find it less engaging than expected due to the lack of challenging mechanics. Overall, it caters more to fans of narrative-driven experiences than traditional gameplay.
- “Midnight Scenes are short narrative games with minimal gameplay that has some lovely pixel art and horror vibes.”
- “There are not many puzzles (or other challenging mechanics) and they are easy when they are present.”
- “Far less interactive than I'd hoped, and most of the gameplay is just clicking through dialogue.”
- “The gameplay is simple but yet incredibly effective.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
9%
8%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its exceptional writing, sound design, and art, which collectively create an engaging and anxiety-inducing experience. Players feel a strong attachment to the characters, with the sound effects and music enhancing the overall vibe and emotional impact throughout the gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is described as immersive and expertly crafted, contributing significantly to the game's success.
- “The sound design, atmosphere, and story were spot on, once again.”
- “The art is great, sound effects, and music add to the atmosphere with perfection; excellent writing and story, very good animation.”
- “The anxiety-inducing atmosphere stressed me out throughout, and I became very attached to the characters.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, seamlessly blending with the pixel art and sound effects. Reviewers highlight its contribution to the overall tension and storytelling, noting that it remains a strong point of the game's design. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the game's artistic elements effectively.
- “The art is great, sound effects and music add to the atmosphere with perfection, excellent writing and story, very good animation.”
- “As always the art and music were great, but you always do that part well, not to take it away from you.”
- “The music is class and overall well worth a fiver.”
- “The pixel art and music continue to go from strength to strength, coupled with writing that weaves effortlessly between brooding tension and full boil terror.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a surprisingly deep emotional experience, diverging from the developer's previous lighter titles to explore heavy psychological themes that resonate personally with players. The narrative's unexpected resolution and organic character interactions create a memorable and impactful journey, blending humor and tension effectively. Overall, it stands out as one of the more emotionally charged horror games in recent memory.
- “The end result is one of the more memorable and emotionally impactful horror games I’ve played in a very long time.”
- “I have been following Octavi Navarro for several years and I love that you are still dedicated to your craft. After all these years, still doing the show gimmick, which is so rare to see in the gaming spectrum. While I liked your previous games, I never found them to be particularly complex or unique, but this game is an exception. I loved the ending and how emotionally charged it was leading up to it.”
- “You see, I thought I knew where the game was going. This is not the first game I play where you lock yourself in a room due to some emotional damage; it's actually a concept I see very often. But you didn't go with the usual conclusion - the story has a different type of resolution for the narrative, definitely not what I expected.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mixed bag, with some moments landing well and others falling flat, such as the genealogy scene. While character interactions are praised for their organic and wholesome nature, there are instances where the humor feels forced or awkward, suggesting a need for refinement in the writing. Overall, the balance of humor with more serious themes adds depth, but inconsistencies in execution detract from the experience.
- “The interactions with the characters felt very organic and wholesome; there is a nice balance of humor, rage, and many moments of tension.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development is praised for its uniqueness and depth, with distinct designs and meaningful motivations that enhance the narrative rather than merely serve the plot. This attention to detail contributes to a more immersive and believable world.
- “I love how unique all the character designs feel; even small details add to the world, and people's motivations make sense and feel real instead of just aiding the plot.”