Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place
- March 19, 2024
- Octavi Navarro
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"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.
Reviews
- 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 an immersive atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience.
- Despite being less interactive than previous entries, the pacing and character development keep players engaged throughout the approximately 90-minute gameplay.
- The gameplay is heavily focused on reading and lacks significant interactivity, which may disappoint fans of the more puzzle-oriented previous games in the series.
- The story takes a long time to build up, with some players feeling that the initial parts drag on and contain excessive exposition.
- There are complaints about the absence of a save feature, leading to frustration if players need to pause or if the game crashes.
- story43 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
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 it takes time to gain momentum, the writing and unique visuals captivated many, leading to a compelling and emotionally resonant experience. Overall, the game is praised for its rich storytelling and atmosphere, making 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.”
“Also, the story takes a long time to pick up steam.”
“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 a priest to help instead of a therapist.”
“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.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their excellent pixel art, which achieves a detailed and immersive aesthetic that enhances the overall creepy atmosphere. Reviewers commend the art style and cinematic editing, noting that the visuals contribute significantly to the storytelling and emotional impact, making it a standout experience for horror adventure fans.
“Still, it's an easy recommendation to any horror adventure fan - both writing and visuals are superb, managing to remain creepy without resorting to cheap tricks like jumpscares.”
“Excellent pixel graphics, getting detailed when they need to, to an almost uncanny valley level.”
“The graphical style is really visually pleasing too.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Midnight Scenes is characterized by its simplicity and minimal interactivity, primarily consisting of clicking through dialogue with few easy puzzles. While the narrative and pixel art are praised, players seeking more challenging mechanics may find the experience lacking.
“I'm new to gaming and was already a big Midnight Scenes fan from watching gameplay on YouTube, so I was excited to try this newest game out.”
“The gameplay is simple but incredibly effective.”
“Midnight Scenes are short narrative games with minimal gameplay that feature lovely pixel art and horror vibes.”
“Far less interactive than I'd hoped, and most of the gameplay is just clicking through dialogue.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
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, enhanced by the effective use of sound effects and music that perfectly complement the narrative. Overall, the atmosphere is described as immersive and well-crafted, contributing significantly to the game's impact.
“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.”
“The game’s atmosphere felt flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players.”
“Despite the potential, the atmosphere was dull and failed to evoke any real emotion or tension.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, complementing the pixel art and storytelling effectively. Reviewers note that the sound design, including music and sound effects, contributes significantly to the game's emotional depth and tension. Overall, the combination of music and art style is consistently recognized as a strong point of the game.
“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.”
“The art is great, sound effects and music add to the atmosphere with perfection, excellent writing and story, very good animation.”
“The music is classy and overall well worth a fiver.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
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. Reviewers highlight the organic character interactions and a unique narrative resolution that defies expectations, resulting in a memorable and impactful journey filled with a mix of humor, tension, and emotional weight.
“The end result is one of the more memorable and emotionally impactful horror games I’ve played in a very long time.”
“I loved the ending and I loved how emotionally charged it was leading up to it.”
“The interactions with the characters felt very organic and wholesome; there is a nice balance of humor, rage, and many moments of tension.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mixed bag; while some character interactions are organic and well-balanced with moments of tension, certain comedic attempts, like the genealogy scene, fall flat and may benefit from more careful editing. Overall, the writing is praised for its depth, but inconsistencies in humor and dialogue delivery 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 development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
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.
“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.”
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character as their stories unfold.”
“Each character's growth throughout the game is not only believable but also emotionally impactful, making every decision feel significant.”
