PARANOID

46%
Game Brain Score Based on 114 reviews
  • story
  • optimization
  • gameplay
PARANOID Game Cover
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"Paranoid" is a single-player Action game with poor optimization and numerous bugs. Players follow the psychedelic horror story of Patrick Calman, a man with paranoid schizophrenia who lost his family and receives a phone call from his long-missing sister. Explore Patrick's apartment and decide whether to confront the potential hallucination or risk his own sanity. The game references other horror titles like "Puppet House," "Tormentor," "Agony: Lords of Hell," and "Succubus."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

46%
Audience ScoreBased on 114 reviews
story12 positive mentions
optimization15 negative mentions
  • The game features an intriguing lore connected to the Agony and Succubus universe, providing a unique narrative experience.
  • The psychological horror elements, particularly the portrayal of paranoid schizophrenia, create a deeply immersive and unsettling atmosphere.
  • There are two distinct story routes that enhance replayability, allowing players to experience different gameplay styles and endings.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, making it frustrating and at times unplayable.
  • Combat mechanics are poorly executed, feeling clunky and unsatisfying, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The story is often confusing and lacks coherence, leaving players feeling unsatisfied with the narrative resolution.
  • story50 mentions

    The game's story is described as chaotic and poorly executed, with many players feeling it lacks depth and coherence, despite having two distinct routes that offer some replayability. While some appreciate the psychological themes and disturbing elements, others criticize the abrupt endings and unresolved plot points, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction. Overall, the narrative seems to struggle with optimization and clarity, leaving many players wanting a more fleshed-out experience.

    • “Paranoid has two different ways of playing the game that offer a unique approach and conclusion: you can either choose to leave your apartment, in which case you journey through the game melee fighting condemned-style and solving light puzzles on a linear path through the city, or you can choose to remain in your apartment, while experiencing the game’s story through lots of light puzzles.”
    • “Still, my thumbs up for another peek into the disturbing world of agony and above all for two storylines in one game (you can leave or stay in your apartment and the outcome is very different - like two different games).”
    • “I can't say that I understand the story so far but I like the way that the game makes me feel and the way that it uses mental illness as the main gimmick for everything in the game!”
    • “Storywise, this game on its own feels like a horrid chaotic mess; however, I assume the other games from this developer expand on the universe in which this game is set - so maybe by playing other games you could at least understand the story.”
    • “The game puts a lot of focus during the story that you do not want to hurt people, yet all you do is kill a bunch of people. You are supposed to sneak for most of the combat, but as soon as you get the hang of combat, you can stunlock enemies with anything, making sneaking worthless.”
    • “But the story very clearly sets itself up for a clear structure and a path ahead after the first hour or so, then the game explains everything about itself and doesn't follow through on its promises for the next hour and just abruptly ends.”
  • optimization28 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and numerous bugs that persist even after patches. Many users noted that the game runs poorly on high-end hardware, with some experiencing unplayable conditions due to these technical flaws. Overall, the lack of effective graphics settings and persistent glitches detract from the gaming experience, leaving players frustrated.

    • “Love the concept of the game but definitely needs the optimization fixed still.”
    • “I was one of the few that enjoyed the unrated edition because it was actually optimized, ran at a decent framerate and introduced some quality of life improvements.”
    • “If you can live with the current unstable performance and don't mind waiting for some patches, it really is worth the price of the current sale going at the time of this writing.”
    • “The game was poorly optimized; the story wasn't appealing, bad character animations, too much 'jank'.”
    • “Buggy, poor performance, and the v1.1 patch from January fixed virtually nothing.”
    • “Unoptimized game making my GPU fans spin like crazy.”
  • gameplay20 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players highlighting significant issues such as bugs, glitches, and clunky controls that detract from the overall experience. While some find the mechanics interesting and enjoyable, particularly in puzzles and combat, others criticize the tediousness and lack of variety, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a major flaw, overshadowing the game's potential and intriguing story.

    • “Some amusing gameplay gimmicks.”
    • “Gameplay-wise it's extremely enjoyable, both the puzzles and combat.”
    • “The graphics look awesome, sounds very nice, gameplay is not too difficult for me, it's perfect.”
    • “Gotta say that the story looks interesting, but the gameplay is so buggy and glitchy that it is too annoying.”
    • “The final product is completely different from the first trailers - worse graphics, worse atmosphere, worse gameplay.”
    • “Feels like it's just thrown together, full of bugs, obnoxious gameplay, terrible audio, very tedious puzzles that are extremely boring and simple; overall the game is very short, took me 2.5 hours to beat.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the disturbing visuals and animations, particularly for horror enthusiasts, while others criticize the performance issues, such as lag, low-resolution textures, and poor object loading. Many users report needing to adjust settings to achieve playable performance, leading to a disconnect between the game's promotional materials and the final product. Overall, while there are moments of decent graphics, the technical execution leaves much to be desired.

    • “The graphics are good, the animations too, the ambient and the sounds are supreme and the way they managed Patrick's schizophrenia is excellent; they couldn't do a better job at it.”
    • “The graphics look awesome, sounds very nice, gameplay not too difficult for me; it's perfect.”
    • “Decent graphics when they work.”
    • “The final product is completely different from the first trailers - worse graphics, worse atmosphere, worse gameplay.”
    • “The constant blur effect, the framey mouse movement, there's zero graphics reduction setting options... sure, there's that FSR thing that gives you performance/off/quality choices, but I'm fully convinced it does nothing.”
    • “Stuttering graphics, textures not loading in, or maybe they are just low res to begin with.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly disrupt gameplay. Many players experience frequent crashes and freezing, even on high-end hardware, leading to frustrating restarts and hard resets. Overall, the game is perceived as unfinished and plagued by technical problems that overshadow its potential.

    • “Buggy, poor performance, and the v1.1 patch from January fixed virtually nothing.”
    • “Even with the lowest settings, the game freezes at the beginning (in the apartment)…it not only freezes the game, but the Steam Deck itself, forcing me to do a hard reset which I don’t like having to do.”
    • “Technical side - poor performance, visual glitches, some hard crashes, game settings not working properly.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unsettling and immersive qualities, effectively capturing a sense of urban horror and the psychological turmoil of a paranoid character. While some players note that the final product falls short of initial expectations in terms of graphics and gameplay, the overall ambiance, sound design, and thematic elements remain strong highlights, despite persistent bugs and optimization issues.

    • “I've only played a couple of hours so far, and I've encountered some bugs, but overall the game is still rather enjoyable if you are looking for an atmospheric horror.”
    • “I really feel the atmosphere of a game where your thoughts are constantly tormenting you; it's a good touch to emphasize that you are playing the character of a paranoid schizophrenic.”
    • “Pros: the atmosphere and setting are unsettling and creepy (as they are intended to be), so good job on that.”
    • “The final product is completely different from the first trailers - worse graphics, worse atmosphere, worse gameplay.”
    • “It’s sad because the story and atmosphere look promising.”
    • “Everything can be overlooked, the glitches, the storyline, but the horror atmosphere fused with sex and nudity has to be amazing.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by absurd and unexpected moments, such as the protagonist's exaggerated reactions and the game's quirky animations, like leaning in mid-air while attempting to open a door. Players find the comedic elements to be a highlight, especially in the context of the game's chaotic performance issues, which add to the overall hilarity.

    • “Which is funny because the last game they tried to launch on Steam, they managed to get it banned on release day.”
    • “Simply put, the performance is wonky and horribly bad; one minute you can be at 100fps and then it just drops down. The stuttering is what breaks it for me (3070ti), and some animations appear really wonky. For example, if you try to open a locked door, you lean in the air—funny stuff like that.”
  • music3 mentions

    The game's music is highly praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, effectively reflecting the protagonist's paranoid state. Players commend the top-notch sound design, including haunting voiceovers and impressive music tracks that contribute significantly to the overall experience.

    • “The atmosphere, along with how a paranoid character acts and reacts, combined with the music and overall style of the game, is top-notch.”
    • “The game looks good and has excellent sound design, with the voices in Patrick's head hassling you and some really good music tracks so far.”
    • “Main theme music.”
    • “The main theme music is forgettable and fails to leave a lasting impression.”
    • “The atmosphere is undermined by repetitive music that doesn't enhance the gameplay experience.”
    • “While the overall style of the game is commendable, the music feels out of place and detracts from the immersion.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization of the game is heavily criticized, with users labeling it as an unfinished cash grab that is plagued by numerous bugs. Many feel it follows the typical pattern of Madmind Studio's games, emphasizing profit over quality.

    • “Unfinished cash grab.”
    • “Typical Madmind game, but doubles down on being a cash grab.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game appears to be lacking, as players express frustration with gameplay mechanics that lead to unfair deaths and a lack of engagement. Initial impressions are negative, with some players feeling disillusioned and unwilling to continue until significant bugs are resolved.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unenjoyable, citing a lack of depth in puzzles and overall gameplay that feels rushed and buggy. The short playtime of around 2.5 hours further contributes to the perception of a lackluster experience.

    • “Feels like it's just thrown together, full of bugs, with obnoxious gameplay, terrible audio, and very tedious puzzles that are extremely boring and simple. Overall, the game is very short; it took me 2.5 hours to beat.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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