Our Secret Below
- March 31, 2019
- DarkStone Digital
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Our Secret Below" is a thriller-horror escape room game where you play as Nia Davis, a woman who has been abducted and held captive in the basement of a mysterious house. You must search for clues, unlock doors, and uncover the dark past of your captor to escape before time runs out. Strange occurrences and supernatural elements add to the tension and mystery as you piece together the story.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features challenging and well-thought-out puzzles that provide a rewarding experience for players who enjoy escape room mechanics.
- It has a compelling story with unexpected twists and multiple endings, enhancing replayability and engagement.
- The atmosphere is tense and immersive, with effective horror elements that contribute to the overall experience without relying heavily on jump scares.
- The game can be frustrating due to some convoluted puzzles and a lack of clear guidance, which may lead to players feeling lost or stuck.
- There are technical issues, such as bugs that can hinder gameplay and a save system that may cause players to lose significant progress.
- Some players find the requirement to replay sections to unlock all endings tedious, as it can involve repeating puzzles and cutscenes.
- story70 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its unexpected twists and multi-layered narrative, which enhances the overall experience, especially for a horror-themed escape room setting. While some elements may feel contrived and require multiple playthroughs to fully appreciate, the story is generally considered engaging and well-presented, surpassing many AAA titles. However, the reliance on finding documents for backstory can detract from immersion for some players.
“The story is compelling and just when you think it's going to go one way, it goes another.”
“Everything in this game is extremely well premeditated and the story is an exceptional multi-layered brilliance that you peel off piece by piece.”
“It cannot be stressed enough that, despite its flaws, the story is enjoyable and stronger than what you get in many AAA titles.”
“A lot of the story is made up of flimsy contrivances to justify stitching key bits together.”
“Even worse, some of the requirements for the extra endings (which are more like critical story beats on the way to the true ending) are comically contrived and completely immersion breaking.”
“This isn't a fun horror game that draws you in with the story and keeps you on the edge of your seat; it's a horror game where you have to find documents laying around and read half a novel before you even know the backstory, and even then it's a miss.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a variety of puzzles that are engaging and non-repetitive, though some users experienced issues with puzzle functionality. A "game over" mechanic requires players to return to a specific panel to avoid losing, and a limited puzzle skip option adds a layer of strategy. Overall, players report around four hours of gameplay, with mixed feelings about the mechanics and puzzle effectiveness.
“The puzzles are not lame at all (I needed to turn on the hints system) and the mechanics for solving each one are different, so they don't feel repetitive.”
“Good 4 hours of gameplay, if not more depending on each person.”
“Enjoyed the gameplay, story, and graphics overall.”
“There is a mechanic that lets you skip some puzzles on subsequent runs, but you're only allowed to use it three times, again for no good reason.”
“There is a 'game over' mechanic where you have to constantly go back to a panel in the corner of the room and press a button or you lose the game.”
“Gameplay...shit...so a lot of the puzzles don't work.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective tension, immersive horror elements, and engaging lore, making it a standout in the genre. Players appreciate the combination of good jump scares and a well-crafted environment that enhances the overall experience, appealing particularly to long-time horror fans. The atmosphere, alongside challenging puzzles and a compelling story, contributes to a memorable indie gaming experience.
“With good scares, a tense (in a good way) atmosphere, plenty of secrets, interesting lore, and want-to-know endings.”
“This game opts to build more of an atmosphere, which, in my opinion, is the more effective method for long-time horror fans.”
“Tl;dr challenging puzzles, immersive location, atmospheric horror, and a well-written story make a standout indie game that expands and evolves a genre in new ways.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of "Mortuary Assistant" particularly frustrating due to the enforced timer and the repetitive nature of the tasks, which many describe as tedious and annoying. This design choice has led to a negative reception, with users questioning the necessity of such grinding elements in the gameplay.
“The biggest difference is that Mortuary Assistant puts you on an actual timer and forces you to repeat tedious actions much, much more.”
“What an annoyingly frustrating and tedious game.”
“Why would you add such a tedious thing?!”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its significant stability issues, with players reporting frustrating bugs that hinder gameplay, such as being unable to progress due to a bug blocking essential features. This has led to wasted time and a generally negative experience for users.
“The game is too buggy to play; I wasted an hour looking for a password when it was just a bug that blocked the enter circle.”
“The game is riddled with bugs, making it nearly impossible to enjoy.”
“Frequent crashes and glitches ruin the overall experience.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics have received positive feedback, with users appreciating their quality alongside the gameplay and story elements. Overall, the visual presentation contributes to an enjoyable gaming experience.
“Enjoyed the gameplay, story, and graphics overall.”
