Near Midnight

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Near Midnight is a narrative-driven, atmospheric horror game. You play as a detective investigating a series of mysterious disappearances in a small town. The game features a unique sketch-style aesthetic and a haunting soundtrack, immersing you in a chilling and suspenseful experience. Uncover the town's dark secrets and face your own fears as you race against time to solve the case.

Genres & Tags

Indie

Play Modes

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

Reviews

33%

Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews

story8 positive mentions

graphics1 negative mentions

The game has a creepy mansion atmosphere that some players found enjoyable.
For its low price, some players felt it was worth the experience, especially for speedrunning.
There is potential for the game to improve if the developers continue to work on it.

The game is extremely short, lasting only 2-5 minutes, which many players found disappointing.
There are numerous technical issues, including poor controls, texture problems, and an abrupt ending that leaves players frustrated.
The game has been criticized for being a low-effort asset flip with misleading marketing and a lack of meaningful content.

gameplay
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being extremely short, lasting only 2-3 minutes, and lacking creativity and immersion, with players often finding more enjoyment in exploring out-of-bounds areas than in the intended experience. While the mechanics are generally smooth, there are issues such as hang-ups in doorways, and the overall atmosphere fails to deliver the intended eerie tension. Reviewers express a desire for more content and a fleshed-out story to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “Overall, the look and tone of the game is pretty good. If the story were fleshed out a bit, it seems to have some potential, and the gameplay is pretty smooth with the exception of some hang-ups in doorways and such (also typical in early development).”
- “I just hope there are more rooms in the future or a spooky mechanic that extends the play area later on.”
- “The intro needs to be voiced over and once played, go directly to gameplay.”
- “2 years later, the game is still the exact same length and ends extremely abruptly after 2-3 minutes of gameplay.”
- “The actual gameplay is much brighter to the point that you don't need the flashlight at all, and what eerie tension is showcased doesn't exist at all.”
- “3€ for 3 minutes of non-creative, non-immersive running through a house to find the same annoying mechanics over and over again.”
story
14 mentions
57 % positive mentions
21 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The game's story has potential but feels underdeveloped, with players noting a lack of coherence and depth despite a promising backstory. While the overall tone and visuals are appreciated, inconsistencies in the environment detract from the narrative experience. Some players found enjoyment in exploring the game world, indicating that the gameplay may overshadow the story's shortcomings.
- “Great backstory.”
- “I like the backstory.”
- “Overall, the look and tone of the game is pretty good. If the story were fleshed out a bit, it seems to have some potential.”
- “The funnest part of the game for me was getting out of bounds, which says a lot about the story and gameplay.”
- “The second thing I noticed about the textures is that the house is way too destitute for what the backstory provides.”
- “No sense, no story, just useless.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating the creepy mansion setting. However, some users express concerns that prioritizing atmosphere may detract from overall immersion, suggesting a need for balance in design.
- “I actually like the creepy mansion atmosphere.”
- “Good atmosphere”
- “Decent atmosphere”
- “I get going for atmosphere, but at the cost of immersion is always a bad decision.”
graphics
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
83 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game's graphics options are misleading, as all settings yield the same visual quality, rendering the selection process pointless. Additionally, setting the graphics to the lowest quality results in a game crash, which users have found frustrating and humorous. Overall, the graphics experience is seen as a poorly executed joke by the developers.
- “When you first load the game, it asks you what graphics quality you would like. This is actually a huge prank by the developers, as all graphics options are literally the exact same. The only difference is that if you set the graphics to the lowest quality, it makes the game crash... jokes on us.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely unintentional, as players find it more amusing than frightening, leading to a comedic experience rather than the intended horror.
- “This game was meant to be scary but instead was kind of funny.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game currently exhibits some visual glitches typical of an in-development stage, which are expected to be resolved as further updates and refinements are made.
- “There are some visual glitches that are normal for an in-development game and will likely disappear as more work is done.”