Palmyra Orphanage

About

Palmyra Orphanage is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by Steppe Hare Studio and was released on September 24, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"Palmyra Orphanage" is a narrative-driven psychological horror game. Players uncover the dark secrets of the orphanage as they step into the shoes of a investigative journalist. The game features a distinctive art style and immersive atmosphere, with puzzles and story developments that will keep players on their toes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 308 reviews

story39 positive mentions

optimization6 negative mentions

The game offers a surprisingly engaging story with multiple endings that keeps players invested.
The atmosphere is well-crafted, with decent graphics and sound design that enhance the horror experience.
For its low price, the game provides a solid amount of gameplay, with effective jump scares and a creepy setting.

The game relies heavily on jump scares, which can feel cheap and predictable at times.
Some gameplay mechanics, like the hiding system and puzzles, are overly simplistic and may not challenge experienced players.
There are issues with performance and bugs, including inconsistent AI behavior and lighting problems that detract from the overall experience.

story
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-connected, particularly appreciating the lore conveyed through notes and the multiple endings. However, many criticize the plot for being predictable and convoluted, often feeling rushed or poorly translated, which detracts from the overall experience. While some enjoy the atmosphere and thematic elements, others feel the story lacks depth and originality, making it less impactful in the horror genre.
- “The game heavily focuses on lore items such as letters to convey the orphanage's backstory in order to build player intrigue.”
- “The story was surprisingly interesting and it has several endings that all feel significant, given what you've learned about the characters and the situation they're in.”
- “I liked learning about the story, the endings, and collecting the achievements that I missed, but most of all I enjoyed the atmosphere!”
- “It's a shame that the plot was so predictable.”
- “Sadly for myself and my partner, being dropped in a quickly established predictable plot and controlling a protagonist with zero personality didn't work for us.”
- “As for the plot... it's kind of really really dumb. It was already hard enough to take it seriously with the terrible grammar (it seems the developer speaks Russian as a first language), but then if you were not interested in reading the notes laying around with a bit of broken English on them... the entirety of this silly plot is explained to you near the end by a narrator, then you are given a choice of 4 'different endings' by method of doors in front of you, but all endings are virtually identical, so it makes no sense why even give this choice in the first place.”
atmosphere
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepiness and immersive qualities, with many players highlighting the effective use of sound and visuals to enhance tension. Set in unique environments like an abandoned orphanage during an ebola pandemic, the game successfully creates a chilling experience that balances atmospheric horror with jump scares. However, some critiques mention that the overall execution can feel inconsistent, with issues in lighting and UI design detracting from the otherwise strong atmospheric elements.
- “Honestly, the atmosphere was terrifying.”
- “This game's atmosphere is outstanding!”
- “I love the setting of this game; it takes place in an abandoned orphanage and is combined with an Ebola pandemic that is spreading death, creating a tense and scary atmosphere.”
- “Solid atmosphere early on, but there is very little to do. Nothing is telegraphed properly, so it feels like you are wandering around a college game design major's capstone project. Lighting issues become apparent with bare-bones UI/UX design, making this feel cheaper than what you paid the developers for.”
- “I love the setting of this game; it takes place in an abandoned orphanage and is combined with an Ebola pandemic that is spreading death, contributing to a tense and scary atmosphere.”
- “In the highly oversaturated market of early access indie horror games, this is actually a pretty good game, mainly due to the good graphics, high-resolution textures, unique post-Soviet environment, and creepy atmosphere.”
gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
76%
5%
The gameplay has been described as lacking originality and excitement, with many mechanics feeling trivialized, such as the overly abundant lighter fluid that diminishes the tension. While some players appreciated the atmospheric elements and intuitive controls, others found the linearity and reliance on common horror tropes to be uninspired. Overall, the game offers a short experience with decent mechanics but fails to stand out in a crowded genre.
- “Gameplay: 9/10. The controllers are really responsive, but in a few places you can't squeeze into because of the character model, but it's not really an issue.”
- “I played for 15 hours because my dog needed attention (the game doesn't really take 15 hours to complete lol), but it's a super interesting premise, good sneak mechanics, and a nice mix of atmospheric and jumpscare horror!”
- “The balance between atmosphere and jumpscares is well maintained, and the gameplay is very intuitive.”
- “If you like hide & seek gameplay, Alien Isolation or Outlast has this game beat with better quality visuals, actually tense moments, and more bang for your buck.”
- “There's a lighter fuel mechanic, but the game provides you with so many that you can honestly ignore it and keep your lighter on the whole game.”
- “This game has that overused mechanic of indie horror where you have a light source and need to constantly look for fuel for it... but the light source has such a long life that it was very pointless looking for fuel at all.”
graphics
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
37%
8%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the atmospheric visuals and unique settings, particularly the post-soviet aesthetic and effective lighting mechanics. While some players note that the graphics are decent for a small budget indie title, others criticize them as dated or mediocre. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's creepy atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience despite some technical issues.
- “The scenery is pretty unique while the atmosphere and the graphics wrap a great experience overall.”
- “In the highly oversaturated market of early access indie horror games, this is actually a pretty good game, mainly due to the good graphics, high-resolution textures, unique post-soviet environment, and creepy atmosphere.”
- “This game shows promise from the word 'go': fantastically atmospheric sound and visuals, with a simple-yet-effective lighting mechanic requiring one to conserve lighter fluid by illuminating candles spread about the place.”
- “The sound is well done - the graphics are pretty mediocre.”
- “The graphics are very dated, maybe by 8 - 10 years.”
- “There were a multitude of bugs including graphical, focusing and AI.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising it for not overloading their PCs, while others criticize it for poor performance, low FPS, and lack of essential features like FOV adjustment. Many players express frustration over the game's playability issues and emphasize the need for optimization updates to improve their experience.
- “Great optimization - didn't make my PC work overtime (something else I hate in some indie games).”
- “If I don't read in 'patch updates' about ultra wide, multi-screen, and FOV optimization fixes, then I will not consider this game again.”
- “Terrible optimization.”
- “Just not playable with no FOV adjust, low FPS, and terrible optimization.”
- “If I don't read in 'patch updates' about ultra-wide, multi-screen, and FOV optimization fixes, then I will not consider this game again.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game offers decent replayability primarily through multiple endings and achievements, providing around two hours of gameplay. While some players feel that replay value is limited, others appreciate the option to revisit the game for additional content and experiences, especially for horror fans seeking a quick thrill. Overall, the value for the price is considered generous.
- “In fact, the full price is pretty generous for what you're getting here - around two hours of quality entertainment, with decent replayability - and I can't see many horror aficionados being bitterly disappointed.”
- “There is replay value in achievements and extra content if you are bored and want to complete a spooky game in under an hour.”
- “Other than some achievements, there is no replay value.”
- “There is replay value in achievements and extra scares if you are bored and want to finish a spooky game in under an hour.”
- “You get about two hours of gameplay depending on how you play it, and multiple endings mean the replay value is pretty decent.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the atmospheric elements and environmental sounds, others feel that the lack of music detracts from the experience and suggest that more ambient noise would enhance the overall atmosphere.
- “The atmosphere and music were great.”
- “The atmosphere and music were great.”
- “I would like to hear more ambient noise and music; it's lacking in that regard, in my opinion, and would also benefit from more puzzles and/or game mechanics overall.”
- “Music doesn't exist, but the environmental voices are too good.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game often stems from its unintentional comedic elements, particularly the low-poly character designs that are more amusing than frightening, especially during jumpscares. Players find that the combination of these awkward visuals and loud sound effects creates a humorous rather than a terrifying atmosphere.
- “The few jumpscares that it has amount to sudden low-poly faces; the woman looked so bad she was honestly more funny than scary, even with the jumpscare factor on her side.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The reviews indicate a consensus that the character development in the game is lacking, with multiple users expressing dissatisfaction with the depth and growth of the characters.
- “The character development is lacking and feels rushed.”
- “I found the character development to be very poor and unengaging.”
- “There is a significant lack of depth in character development.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is perceived as lacking depth, with users indicating that it fails to engage them on a meaningful emotional level.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a second life to complete it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding for minimal rewards.”