Polterheist

15%
Game Brain Score Based on 86 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Polterheist Game Cover
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In "Polterheist," players assume the role of a burglar targeting a Kansas house with rumors of paranormal activity, specifically a poltergeist. The task is to locate and steal specific items, all while disregarding supernatural warnings. The game combines stealthy thievery with potential paranormal encounters for an intriguing and unique twist.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

15%
Audience ScoreBased on 86 reviews
humor1 positive mentions
gameplay5 negative mentions
  • The game has a unique concept of a burglar trying to steal items from a haunted house, which could be interesting if executed well.
  • Some players appreciated the graphics and atmosphere, noting that it looked decent.
  • There is potential for the game to be improved with updates, as some players expressed hope for future patches.
  • The game lacks clear instructions, tutorials, and control settings, making it frustrating and confusing for players.
  • The coughing mechanic is poorly designed, leading to instant deaths and detracting from the gameplay experience.
  • Many players reported numerous glitches, poor optimization, and a general feeling that the game is unfinished or a cash grab.
  • gameplay17 mentions

    The gameplay has been widely criticized for its poorly implemented mechanics, particularly the "coughing mechanic," which requires players to perform quick time events to avoid instant death from poltergeists. Many reviewers found the gameplay to be frustrating and lacking depth, with generic menus and a confusing environment that detracts from the overall experience. Despite a promising premise and atmosphere, the execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a consensus that the game feels incomplete and unenjoyable.

    • “Introducing the 'coughing mechanic' where you have to click either the left or right mouse button when prompted (like a QTE) to prevent your character from coughing.”
    • “Well, it turns out that mechanic is the best one in the game because poltergeists don't like coughing, so you stroll into this house (that's all unlocked, mind you) and if you miss that quick time event and cough - instant kill from a poltergeist.”
    • “I say that because this game has a coughing mechanic, where you must click either the left or right mouse button at the right time to stop from coughing, and the character blinks... a lot.”
    • “Menus are extremely generic and gameplay, it's simply not fun.”
    • “I understand that the developers were trying to make some sort of mechanic that would make the game somewhat challenging, but why did they make it impossible?”
    • “From the complete and utter lack of any form of legitimate gameplay mechanics to having most of your game so dark that you can't even see anything on your screen to blinking mechanics to a persistent 'cover your mouth while you cough' mechanic... because that's apparently a thing.”
  • graphics10 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as nice and promising, but many users report significant performance issues, requiring them to lower settings for smoother gameplay. Complaints about graphical glitches and visibility problems, particularly with the ghost character, detract from the overall experience, indicating that the game is poorly optimized.

    • “The graphics looked nice.”
    • “This game looked promising from its graphics and the overall premise.”
    • “While the graphics are decent, I hate the strong white colors that look as if they were emitting light.”
    • “I had to lower the resolution to about 1280 and turn down the graphics to get it to move without chugging.”
    • “So many graphical glitches, and I die randomly all the time.”
    • “Completely unoptimized, getting 20 fps on minimal graphics, Intel Core i5 10th gen, Intel UHD 640.”
  • story5 mentions

    The story is criticized for its lack of originality and depth, revolving around a clichéd premise of a burglar in a haunted house without any meaningful backstory or objectives. Reviewers note the absence of tutorials and poor game mechanics, leading to a disjointed experience that fails to engage players.

    • “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
    • “Sure it's creepy, but 'house in the middle of nowhere at night' isn't exactly unique or inspired, and as far as I can tell, the plot is 'you're a burglar, there's a haunted house, burgle the haunted house.'”
    • “Sloppily thrown together with terrible game mechanics, it gives you no backstory, no tutorial, no nothing.”
    • “No story, no tutorials, no customizable controls.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is described as inconsistent, with some reviewers noting a strong premise and moments of a "spoopy" vibe, while others criticize it as dark, unengaging, and lacking in excitement. Overall, the execution fails to deliver a compelling atmosphere, leading to a disappointing experience.

    • “This game had such a good premise; the atmosphere was great.”
    • “The plot and atmosphere will often drag me into a game, and this one isn't very strong in either.”
    • “I give it a 2/10 for a spooky atmosphere.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent graphical glitches and random character deaths, leading users to recommend that the developers address these problems before releasing it.

    • “This game is glitchy and not worth it. My advice to the developers is to focus on fixing the glitches before selling it.”
    • “There are so many graphical glitches, and I die randomly all the time.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game is perceived as well-optimized in terms of performance, but it suffers from a lack of content and difficulty issues, leading users to feel it is undervalued at its current price. Many believe that with community engagement and additional content, it could significantly improve its worth.

    • “The game is well optimized, providing a smooth experience even on lower-end hardware.”
    • “I appreciate the attention to detail in the optimization; it really enhances the overall gameplay.”
    • “The optimization allows for seamless transitions and minimal loading times, making the game enjoyable.”
    • “So my guess is it's poorly optimized or something like that.”
    • “The game runs like a snail on my high-end PC, which is frustrating.”
    • “I constantly experience frame drops and stuttering, making it unplayable at times.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being exploitative, with accusations of plagiarism and cash grabs through the use of uncredited assets. Additionally, there are concerns about the authenticity of user reviews, suggesting a coordinated effort to promote these low-quality products.

    • “The developers didn't credit any of the artists and real game developers who created the assets, which feels like plagiarism and a cash grab.”
    • “The reviews are all written in either Russian or broken English, appearing almost simultaneously shortly after the game launched on Steam. They all have a direct purchase of the game and are used consistently to write fake reviews for asset flips and other cash grabs.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and poorly explained, leading to frustration and a lack of engagement.

    • “Nothing is explained; it's way too tedious.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and lacks any meaningful rewards.”
    • “I spent hours grinding, but it just felt like a chore with no real progress.”
  • humor1 mentions

    Players find the humor in the game to be hit-or-miss, with some moments leading to unexpected laughter, often resulting in amusing videos.

    • “But, at least I got a funny video out of the game, lmao.”
  • music1 mentions

    The music in the game is noted for its calming and soothing qualities, providing a relaxing experience that can help players feel at ease.

    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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