PAGER

About

PAGER is a single player survival simulation game with a horror theme. It was developed by bilge and was released on August 6, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

ABOUT THE DEMO Thank you so much for playing the prototype and providing feedback!Thanks to your support, PAGER now has a 10-floor demo! I hope you enjoy it, and I’d love to hear what you think. If you like the demo, please consider adding PAGER to your wishlist. Thank you! ABOUT THE GAME PAGER is a 1-bit 3D Kafkaesque horror game set in a 90s office building.It’s your first day at work, an…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+13

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 91 reviews

graphics17 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and striking art style that creates an unsettling atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
It offers a quirky and surreal exploration of office life, filled with humorous moments and clever puzzles that keep players engaged.
The sound design effectively contributes to the eerie ambiance, with minimalistic audio that heightens tension during gameplay.

The gameplay can feel monotonous and lacks depth, with many levels offering little more than simple tasks without meaningful choices or consequences.
The level select system is confusing and detracts from the overall experience, making navigation feel cumbersome.
Despite its psychological horror label, the game often fails to deliver genuine scares, leaning more towards absurdity than true horror.

graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
16%
13%
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique blend of low-poly 3D models and 1-bit visuals, creating a haunting yet aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. While many players appreciate the art style and its ability to evoke a sense of unease, some have noted that the overdone dithering filter can be visually overwhelming and cause discomfort. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as a standout feature, contributing to its engaging and surreal experience.
- “What drew me in at first were the beautiful yet haunting 1-bit graphics, and it very much delivers on that front.”
- “The graphics create an amazing atmosphere.”
- “The low-res art style, while seemingly simple, creates an effective sense of unease.”
- “Low poly 3D models combined with 1-bit graphics create an incredibly unique visual style.”
- “Really enjoying this one... like a more refined version of indecision with a singular unifying (anti)narrative and aesthetic theme.”
story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The game's story is characterized by a lack of clear plot and character development, leaving players with an impression of unfinished narrative threads and missed opportunities. While there are elements of environmental storytelling and surreal themes related to office life, many reviewers express a desire for a more cohesive and engaging storyline. Overall, the atmosphere is praised, but the absence of a compelling story detracts from the overall experience.
- “The level design is generally interesting with environmental storytelling, visual gags, and creepy imagery around every corner.”
- “Quick little surrealist story about office life and drudgery.”
- “Story doesn't develop too much but has a general thread you're following.”
- “Why bother constructing any semblance of a story, progression, or context to anything?”
- “This game is best summarized as a collection of unfinished story threads and disappointment.”
- “It's like listening to someone tell a story, except they have commitment issues so debilitating they can't even stick to a plot line.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The gameplay is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many reviewers noting its monotonous and shallow mechanics. While there are occasional interesting concepts and gags, the overall experience feels repetitive and unfulfilling, leaving little room for progression or meaningful interaction. Despite its appealing visuals, the novelty quickly fades, resulting in a gameplay experience that many find underwhelming.
- “This game is very consistent and does what it does -- it has a few good gags, and the mini-games sometimes have interesting mechanics.”
- “The concept is enjoyable, and there are times where it starts to brush up on some really interesting concepts and mechanics, but it doesn't really delve into anything long enough for me to feel like I've learned anything or done much at all.”
- “Gameplay: good”
- “It was just one convoluted level select screen to seemingly random levels with little gameplay depth.”
- “From a gameplay perspective there isn't a whole lot to discuss.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly shallow, and the pager isn't used nearly enough to be the namesake of the game.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as charming and often funny, with a surreal office-themed aesthetic that includes bizarre encounters and quirky elements. While some players appreciate the comedic moments and the game's overall lightheartedness, others feel that the humor can be inconsistent, with randomness not always translating to fun. Overall, it offers a mix of amusing scenarios and a unique, whimsical atmosphere.
- “Lovely aesthetic and humor.”
- “The surreal 90s office setting, the mysterious pager, and the bizarre encounters (yes, even the caffeine-addicted butterflies) make every floor feel strange, funny, and disturbing at the same time.”
- “If you like exploration games, I recommend this one; it has humor to it.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The atmosphere of Pager is characterized by its unsettling yet cozy blend of horror and absurdity, enhanced by a unique 1-bit visual style. While the game excels in creating immersive vibes, some players feel it lacks depth in plot and character development, suggesting that its surreal atmosphere may overshadow other elements. Overall, it successfully evokes a psychological horror experience with a relaxed exploration focus.
- “Even though it's an ominous 'psychological horror' game, it feels a little cozy as there is lots of exploring and no time limit - I really like the no pressure atmosphere.”
- “The graphics create an amazing atmosphere.”
- “The 1-bit visual style may look simple at first, but it creates an incredibly unsettling atmosphere once you step into the game.”
- “Immaculate vibes and atmosphere, but lacking in overall plot and characters.”
- “If the dev just meant to create a surreal atmosphere and nothing else then they succeeded, but if they meant to do more then they dropped the ball.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have reported issues with stability, particularly highlighting frustrating experiences with troubleshooting setups, such as difficulties related to microphone configurations. Overall, the stability of the game appears to be a mixed bag, with some players encountering unexpected challenges.
- “I spent like fifteen minutes troubleshooting my setup before accidentally walking through the door.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I encountered multiple bugs that completely broke my progress.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers highlight the music as a powerful tool in the game, effectively enhancing emotional engagement by creating comfort or unease as needed. The ability of the soundtrack to distort or fade away contributes to a sense of isolation in critical moments, further immersing players in the experience.
- “I think music would be the easiest and most effective way to enhance the experience, as it can be designed to make you feel more comfortable with the audio, but also unsettle you when needed, or disappear/distort to create a sense of isolation in certain situations.”
- “Expanding on this specifically, I think music would be the easiest and most effective way to do so, as it can be designed to make you feel more comfortable with the audio but make you feel unsettled when needed or disappear/distort to make the player feel more alone in certain situations.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to a mini-game that interrupts the flow between levels. Many feel that the overall experience is not enjoyable, especially given the short playtime, leading to a perception that the game's price is unjustified.
- “There's a tedious mini-game between every level.”
- “For a game that isn't fun, is pretty tedious, and a playthrough lasts for just about an hour and a half, 14.50 AUD feels like highway robbery.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the emotional engagement in the game is limited, with only one puzzle providing a sense of genuine discovery and learning. The overall experience lacks unique solutions that evoke deeper feelings, leaving players wanting more emotional connection.
- “There was only one puzzle that made me feel like I was learning something I shouldn't.”