Murder House
- October 22, 2020
- Puppet Combo
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Murder House" is a survival horror game that simulates a 5th gen survival horror experience with tank controls, third-person cinematic camera angles, and a low poly graphical style reminiscent of the PS1 era. Players become part of a news crew investigating an abandoned home with a dark past, facing the possibility of being stalked by a notorious serial killer. The game is fully voice acted and features a retro synth soundtrack, gore, bloody murders, and multiple camera modes. Savings are manual and limited, increasing the tension and challenge.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Beautifully tense & immersive survival horror gem that captures the essence of 80s slasher films.
- Incredible voice acting and retro graphics that enhance the nostalgic experience.
- Short but sweet gameplay that doesn't overstay its welcome, making it a fun and engaging experience.
- The game is quite short, lasting only about 2-3 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Controls can be clunky and frustrating, especially with tank controls and camera angles that can hinder navigation.
- Some puzzles may feel unintuitive, leading to confusion and extended playtime without clear direction.
- graphics446 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a nostalgic homage to the PS1 era, featuring low-poly visuals and a VHS aesthetic that effectively enhance the horror experience. While some players appreciate the retro style and its ability to evoke a creepy atmosphere, others find the graphics mediocre and the controls janky. Overall, the game's visuals are praised for their charm and ability to create a surreal, unsettling ambiance that aligns well with its slasher themes.
“The classic low-poly graphics are incredibly charming, and in combination with the brilliant sound design make for an experience unrivaled by many of the more popular horror games you'll ever play.”
“The graphics and old school presentation really enhance the fear and creepiness of this intimate farmhouse setting.”
“The retro graphics and mechanics are spot on to the classics and prove that you can have a scary experience with very little.”
“The graphics are mediocre, the controls are janky, and the plot was decent up until the ending where it was impossible to kill the final boss.”
“There are a few graphical bugs present such as half of some textures disappearing like windows and things.”
“The one large immersion issue that Murder House had was graphical glitching - some walls and floors liked to clip in and out of existence.”
- story380 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a nostalgic homage to 80s slasher films, featuring a news crew investigating a haunted house linked to a serial killer known as the Easter Ripper. While the plot is often predictable and simple, it effectively captures the campy horror vibe, complete with engaging twists and a chilling atmosphere. Overall, players appreciate the blend of humor and horror, though some critique the story's execution and pacing, wishing for a more developed narrative.
“Great story, great gameplay, good twist at the end.”
“10/10 good horror, amazing storytelling, lots of fun playing, good characters, good plot twist, amazing game in general.”
“Murder house is a love letter to the slasher movies of the 1970s and 1980s and the PS1 era of survival horror games, combined with a good story, deadly killer, and fun gameplay.”
“Everything story-wise is really predictable, and the gameplay doesn't do anything to make up for it with puzzles that are simultaneously really obtuse and simple.”
“The story is bad.”
“Many aspects of the story didn't make too much sense.”
- music244 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its ability to create a chilling atmosphere, effectively enhancing the horror experience with a nostalgic 80s slasher vibe. Reviewers noted the soundtrack's excellent use of synth-heavy compositions that evoke feelings of suspense and dread, reminiscent of classic horror films. Overall, the sound design and music are considered standout elements that significantly contribute to the game's immersive and terrifying ambiance.
“Incredible atmosphere, beautiful and horrifying music, a simple yet great storyline, vague yet easy puzzles, an overall extremely solid game.”
“The soundtrack enhances the visuals by adding tension, suspense, and invokes fear into the atmosphere of the game.”
“Jesus Christ, this is one of the best soundtracks for a game I've heard; I can literally compare it along the lines of Stranger Things quality, it's that good.”
“The annoying scary music...”
“One of the puzzles in the mall took me way longer than it should have simply because the background music in the room that I needed to be in was giving me a headache.”
“Spent the entirety of my 17 minutes of ownership running around a dark mall trying to find a use for a key while the music slowly built to a shrieking, screeching crescendo.”
- gameplay242 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Murderhouse" is a nostalgic homage to classic survival horror titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, featuring fixed camera angles, tank controls, and a mix of exploration and puzzle-solving. While some players appreciate its retro aesthetic and atmosphere, others criticize its clunky mechanics, predictability, and short length, with gameplay often feeling padded with busywork. Overall, it offers a chilling experience that captures the essence of 90s horror games, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its archaic design choices.
“Terrific gameplay inside an amazing atmosphere, I've played it over and over sitting on the edge of my seat each time.”
“The gameplay is basically a mix of Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Clock Tower, and you get the classic tank controls and static camera views.”
“Impressively, it doesn't just evoke the gameplay and graphical standards of the time, it nails the existential dread of early survival horror games.”
“Everything story-wise is really predictable, and the gameplay doesn't do anything to make up for it with puzzles that are simultaneously really obtuse and simple.”
“They pad out the gameplay with a bunch of busywork to try and get you past the refund window.”
“You feel stalked the entire time by the easter ripper and you are powerless to defend yourself, leaving only the option of running and hiding for a majority of the gameplay.”
- atmosphere214 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke a chilling and immersive horror experience, effectively utilizing retro aesthetics, sound design, and music to enhance tension and unease. Many reviewers highlight the successful blend of humor and horror, alongside the nostalgic nods to classic survival horror titles, creating a uniquely engaging environment. Despite some criticisms regarding controls and camera angles, the overall consensus is that the game excels in crafting a captivating and eerie atmosphere that keeps players on edge.
“Incredible atmosphere, beautiful and horrifying music, a simple yet great storyline, vague yet easy puzzles, an overall extremely solid game.”
“The atmosphere is phenomenal, the soundtrack is great, everything about this feels like a retro game in modern time.”
“What this game nails is atmosphere; it's downright creepy.”
“Weak on plot - strong on scares, Murder House succeeds thanks to its sinister atmosphere and antiquated design.”
“The atmosphere is bone chilling and legitimately scary.”
“The soundtrack enhances the visuals by adding tension, suspense, and invokes fear into the atmosphere of the game.”
- humor72 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending intentionally cheesy dialogue and campy character interactions reminiscent of 80s slasher films with genuinely funny moments. Players appreciate the balance between horror and humor, noting that the voice acting and ludicrous story add a lighthearted touch to an otherwise terrifying experience. Overall, the game successfully combines scares with comedic elements, making it both entertaining and engaging.
“It's both intentionally funny and legitimately scary.”
“Genuinely liked it, and in addition to the scares, there were quite a few humorous situations thrown in for flavor, which added a bit of brevity to what was otherwise a terrifying game.”
“Ludicrous story and a great combination of humor and horror; I was pleasantly surprised by this one.”
- stability24 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs that lead to significant frustration, including game freezes, stuck doors, and a problematic camera system. Many users experienced lost progress due to glitches, while others noted minor graphical issues that, although not game-breaking, detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game's stability issues have led some players to abandon it entirely.
“Also, this game is extremely buggy and made me lose most of my progress.”
“I had a lot of glitches that caused me to lose progress and redo a few parts of the game, which was really frustrating - game freezes, doors would get stuck and I couldn't pass through, and the camera jumps around so wildly sometimes it's dizzying - the final boss is a real exercise in frustration due to the controls and camera.”
“I can't open doors, my screen goes black, I can't interact with the characters, I can't bring up the inventory screen, and the game freezes!!!!”
- replayability24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with many players noting that it offers little incentive to play again after completing it, aside from appreciating the visuals and atmosphere. While some enjoyed the short experience and found it fun, the lack of multiple endings or additional content left many feeling that it was not worth the price for repeated playthroughs. Fans of retro horror may still find value in the initial experience, but the consensus is that the game is best enjoyed once.
“I think this is a nice buff to replayability (I will definitely be replaying this game!!)”
“Bite-sized adventures where the replay value lies mostly in just wanting to play it again is a great direction for the genre, and I hope other indie developers take note.”
“Multiple endings could've been nice for some extra replayability.”
“It is a short game, and once complete, I'm not sure if there is much replay value.”
“The first time you play it, it will be fun and scary, but sadly there's no replayability; also very short for the price.”
“Worth picking up if you're a fan of survival horror games from that era, although I would say pick it up on sale as you can fly through this in 30 minutes or less and there is no replay value.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game has a tense atmosphere and shows care in its design, the grinding elements can feel tedious and directionless, leading to frustration and a desire to finish quickly. Players express that the gameplay may require significant time investment, which can detract from overall enjoyment.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I am not a huge fan of Puppet Combo; I think a lot of his games have some good ideas behind them, but they are sometimes so tedious to play that I don't care to finish them.”
“Well made and clear the creator really cares; however, I did find much of the gameplay tedious, and by the end, I just wanted to be done.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively evokes strong emotions, successfully instilling fear and even leading some players to tears. While it may falter towards the end, the overall stress and enjoyment it generates make it highly recommendable, with a nostalgic nod to cheesy Italian horror films through its soundtrack and voice-over.
“This game made me cry.”
“It kind of stumbles a bit towards the end, but honestly the stress the game made me feel while playing makes it really easy to recommend despite that.”
“The soundtrack and intentionally bad voice-over made me feel like I was watching one of those cheesy Italian horror movies I love, like opera or stage fright.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is mixed; while there are no significant performance issues reported, the graphics and rendering are not well-optimized for the first-person view, which some players prefer over the less favorable third-person dolly-camera perspective. The atmosphere and gameplay mechanics are appreciated, but the camera controls detract from the experience.
“Rewind or Die has a better atmosphere; Deadly Night treats the whole format (going around a house finding things to find other things to get to the way out) a bit better; and, god, the third-person dolly-camera thing is a pain, but thankfully you can permanently set it to first-person view (which I did) even though the graphics/rendering clearly isn't optimized for it.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers express disappointment that the game lacks a significant advertising campaign, suggesting it deserves more recognition. They appreciate its authenticity and originality, contrasting it with the prevalent trend of monetization strategies that prioritize profit over quality in modern gaming.
