Ontotis

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 71 reviews
  • story
  • atmosphere
  • gameplay
Ontotis Game Cover
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"Ontotis is a single-player action game set in a haunting, atmospheric environment. As the caretaker Robert, grappling with his wife's death, you investigate strange occurrences in a remote property. Solve puzzles, discover clues, and unlock secrets to uncover the past and shape the story's outcome."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 71 reviews
story19 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, with great sound design and visuals that enhance the horror experience.
  • The game offers an interesting story with multiple endings, encouraging exploration and replayability.
  • Considering it was developed by a solo developer, the game is commendable for its quality and the developer's responsiveness to feedback.
  • The flashlight mechanic is frustrating, as batteries drain quickly, leading to immersion-breaking moments and tedious gameplay.
  • The game suffers from poor optimization, with frame rate drops and issues that detract from the overall experience.
  • Many players found the puzzles to be tedious and the story lacking depth, making the gameplay feel more like a chore than an engaging horror experience.
  • story42 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its intriguing atmosphere, multiple endings, and the depth provided by in-game clues, while others criticize it as cliché and lacking in originality. Many enjoyed the challenge of piecing together the narrative through exploration, although some found the overall execution and character development to be minimal and unengaging. Overall, the story is seen as a blend of interesting elements and common tropes, appealing to those who enjoy a dark, puzzle-driven experience.

    • “The story of the game was really interesting and made me seek everywhere to find clues and extra backstory.”
    • “With 2 endings and achievements, it made me replay the game once more and also made me realize much more about the story and how much detail and thought has gone into crafting this world.”
    • “It follows a very interesting story and provides two endings, which gives the hero a closure of what someone could consider dark or light in their own subjective ways.”
    • “Not scary, terrible puzzles, story is bad.”
    • “There aren't any scares unless you find the same three noise 'jumpscares' to be frightening, the story isn't interesting or new, the characters are cliched (and I'm pretty sure voiced by a text-to-speech program), and the gameplay is minimal.”
    • “There are a lot of in-game clues that you need to watch out for so that you get the whole story, but you can complete the game without those.”
  • atmosphere24 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively enhancing the storytelling and puzzle-solving experience. Many players appreciate the dense mystery and sound design, which contribute to a creepy and engaging environment. However, some critiques note that the atmosphere can feel limited, with certain elements like thunderstorms and occasional figures failing to fully deliver on the game's atmospheric promises.

    • “The atmosphere and the music of this game is absolutely on point and what really made the difference for me.”
    • “Overall considering this was made by one developer who listened to feedback and fixed the problems, I would really recommend this if you enjoy games with great atmosphere, story, different endings, and some scares.”
    • “For a game that describes itself as 'focusing on atmosphere', the only atmosphere is that there's a thunderstorm happening and occasionally a figure appears.”
    • “The atmosphere is pretty creepy, dark just enough my mind played tricks on me with objects I thought were people but really weren't, and some moments had me a bit on edge despite there being no real need.”
    • “The atmosphere is dense with mystery, each clue an eerie breadcrumb leading deeper into the haunting tale of a cursed residence.”
  • gameplay22 mentions

    Gameplay in "ontotis" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it heart-pounding and suspenseful, while others criticize it for being tedious and minimal, particularly due to outdated mechanics like battery collection. The puzzle-solving elements are appreciated as a challenge, but the reliance on repetitive jump scares and cliched characters detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, some players noted frustrating design choices in certain chase sequences that hindered gameplay flow.

    • “The gameplay is heart-pounding, filled with suspense at every turn.”
    • “The narrative is as compelling as the gameplay is chilling, making 'ontotis' an unforgettable journey that haunts the soul and enlivens the darkest curiosities.”
    • “The puzzle-solving mechanics are what should be for these kinds of games, and completing all the achievements is a nice challenge to add, gameplay and story-wise.”
    • “Lonely is the horror fan who finds collecting batteries to be the most tedious form of gameplay.”
    • “There aren't any scares unless you find the same three noise 'jumpscares' to be frightening, the story isn't interesting or new, the characters are cliched (and I'm pretty sure voiced by a text-to-speech program), and the gameplay is minimal.”
    • “I have no idea why any developer would implement such an outdated gameplay mechanic in a puzzle-heavy horror game.”
  • graphics14 mentions

    The graphics in Ontotis are generally praised for their quality, contributing to a spooky and immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate the eerie visuals and the ability to interact with the environment, although some have noted the need to adjust settings for optimal performance. However, there are mixed feelings about the overall artistic value, with some reviewers feeling the game lacks depth and challenge despite its graphical appeal.

    • “The spooky vibe had me on edge and the graphics are so good.”
    • “Graphically it looks good and there's also some voice acting.”
    • “It's a good horror game with really good graphics. If you like puzzle-solving, story-driven games, then this is for you. You can interact with many elements around and inside the house, the story is interesting, and the environment itself and the items you interact with are all connected to the story.”
    • “I had to lower the graphic settings way down in order to play in 4K resolution.”
    • “I really want to be kind, I just can't; it's too short to warrant any money being spent on it. It has nothing to be fearful of, nothing to really challenge you, no gripping story, and no beautiful artwork to admire.”
    • “There is an atmosphere to Ontotis and some creepy visuals here and there.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game, particularly tasks like collecting batteries, to be tedious and unenjoyable, detracting from the overall horror experience and making gameplay feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge.

    • “Lonely is the horror fan who finds collecting batteries to be the most tedious form of gameplay.”
    • “However, when I attempted to complete the entire game, it was not really scary and more of a tedious chore to try and figure out what to do.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised, particularly for its effectiveness in enhancing the atmosphere, especially towards the end. Reviewers note that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the overall experience, making it a standout feature.

    • “The atmosphere and the music of this game is absolutely on point and what really made the difference for me.”
    • “The music was really good, especially near the end.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is derived from the absurdity of its design choices, particularly the lack of gamma settings and the finite light source, which leads to comically frustrating situations when players run out of batteries. This blend of poor design and the resulting player experiences adds an unintended comedic element to the gameplay.

    • “The designers of this game made some hilariously stupid decisions; no gamma settings and a finite light source means if you run out of batteries, you either load a checkpoint or, well... run around blind.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The optimization of the game is widely criticized, with multiple users noting that it is lacking and unsatisfactory.

    • “To begin with, optimization is poor.”
    • “To begin with, optimization is poor.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The presence of two distinct endings significantly enhances the game's replayability, encouraging players to experience different outcomes.

    • “Having two endings enhances the replayability.”
    • “The multiple endings significantly boost the game's replay value.”
    • “The option to choose different paths encourages players to replay the game.”
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