Misery Mansion

About

"Misery Mansion" is a first-person puzzle game where players navigate through a haunted mansion filled with deadly traps and mysterious puzzles. As the Manic Mouse, players must uncover the dark secrets of the mansion and its twisted inhabitants while avoiding gruesome fates. With permadeath and limited saves, each playthrough is a tense race against time and danger. Good luck!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 82 reviews

graphics12 positive mentions

gameplay6 negative mentions

The game features an impressive atmosphere and well-executed audio-visual elements that enhance the horror experience.
For a first game by a solo developer, it showcases a lot of effort with great graphics and a creepy environment that keeps players on edge.
The gameplay includes engaging puzzles and a simple yet effective story that drives the player to explore the mansion.

The game suffers from frequent frame rate drops and stuttering, which can disrupt the immersion and gameplay experience.
Many players found the enemy AI frustrating, as it can slow down the player excessively and lead to awkward encounters.
The game is relatively short, with some reviewers feeling that the price does not justify the length of gameplay.

gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, highlighting both strong mechanics and notable issues. While some players appreciate the smooth performance and engaging elements, others express frustration with stuttering problems and the lack of challenge posed by the monster. Overall, the game offers a decent length of playtime, but the high price point and persistent gameplay hiccups may deter potential players.
- “It was amazing, great game with very good mechanics.”
- “There's a good hour and a half of gameplay here and it felt the perfect length.”
- “When it comes to gameplay, the game performs very well, it's smooth and works well.”
- “Since the game has been out for over 2 years and the stuttering is still a problem, I cannot recommend it to others with a high price point of $17.99 and under two hours of gameplay.”
- “I’ve never been this frustrated with the mechanics of a game before.”
- “There is just one mechanic that kinda annoyed me.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
41%
45%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant issues such as micro stuttering, frame rate drops, and performance hiccups, which detract from the overall experience. Despite some enjoyment of the gameplay, many reviewers feel that the poor optimization makes it hard to recommend, especially given the game's price point and short duration. There is hope for improvement with an upcoming patch, but as it stands, the performance issues are a major drawback.
- “There are some performance issues that will cause the game to hiccup and lag at times, but as it's his first solo release, give him a break and push on through; it's worth it!”
- “I did have some performance issues as well near save points and whatnot, but my PC is also not the best.”
- “This game was suggested by a friend and I enjoyed it for what it was. While I did enjoy it, it is rather short, and there were some performance issues; the character and AI movement felt slow in terms of walking, and with the AI, I felt it was more of a hindrance than something to fear.”
- “Since the game has been out for over 2 years and the stuttering is still a problem, I cannot recommend it to others with a high price point of $17.99 and under two hours of gameplay.”
- “This is one of the worst optimized indie horror games I have ever played.”
- “Mostly though, the poor optimization and constant massive frame rate drops ruined it for me.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
25%
15%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their stunning visuals, detailed art style, and atmospheric effects, showcasing a high level of polish. However, players have reported significant performance issues, including frequent frame rate drops and stuttering, even on high-end hardware and lower settings, particularly during area transitions. Overall, while the graphics are impressive, technical performance detracts from the experience.
- “The game is extremely polished and ran perfectly, very atmospheric and graphics are gorgeous.”
- “Its graphics look stunning and all the effects and amount of love to detail put into this game is just crazy to me.”
- “- very good art style and monster creation.”
- “I am using an RTX 2080 and an i9 processor, and I was getting constant huge frame rate drops down into the 20s-30s from just turning around or entering a new area, even when lowering every single graphic setting to low.”
- “Mostly because of the way too frequent heavy stutters, even on the lowest graphic settings.”
- “Graphics: my only issue, and it was possible because I was playing in 1440p, was that the game struggled during parts of the game.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and creepy environment, particularly within the context of a dilapidated mansion setting. Reviewers note that while it excels in creating a believable and polished atmosphere, it may not deliver enough scares for those seeking a more intense horror experience, as it focuses more on ambiance than frequent jumpscares. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, enhancing the game's horror elements effectively.
- “The game is extremely polished and ran perfectly, very atmospheric and the graphics are gorgeous.”
- “Misery Mansion is one hell of an atmospheric first-person horror game.”
- “So in closing, the game delivers a believable, lived-in space, some solid atmosphere, and a smattering of well-paced jumpscares.”
- “If your intention is to have a horror game focused on the puzzles with a little bit of horror, then you did the job, but if you really want to scare someone, pay attention to the atmosphere and, like I said before, the jumpscares.”
- “I dug the resource management and the atmosphere was certainly present, but it's just too frustrating being taken out of the excitement each time you turn a corner.”
- “- creepy atmosphere based on a dilapidated and abandoned mansion!”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game's story is generally described as simple and somewhat superficial, lacking depth but effectively serving its purpose. Players appreciate the suspenseful elements and the inclusion of notes that enhance the narrative as they progress. Overall, while not groundbreaking, the story complements the horror experience and is well-received by fans of the genre.
- “I recommend this game to every horror lover that wants some amazing looking game with a cool story and some very good scares.”
- “The game works smoothly and has a nice little story.”
- “The story isn't too inventive.”
- “Story-wise it's a simple story but it does its job.”
- “Story: simple but suspense-filled, with little notes littering the player's journey, developing the story as you go.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent freezes and performance drops despite initially high frame rates. While there are some positive elements, the overall experience is marred by these persistent bugs, rendering it largely unplayable.
- “A few good ideas in a buggy, unplayable mess.”
- “It's so strange, I usually had like 60-90 fps and then suddenly the game freezes for some seconds.”
- “Albeit there are positives here, but the performance and constant freezes just ruin the experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the humor in the game leans towards a cartoonish style, particularly highlighted by the stalker's overt visibility and exaggerated chuckling, which detracts from the intended suspense and mystique.