Post Mortem

About

Post Mortem is a single-player mystery point-and-click game with an engaging plot, where players investigate grisly murders in 1920s New Orleans. Despite its atmospheric setting, the game is marred by lame graphics and numerous bugs. It is the first entry in the Still Life series, followed by Still Life and Still Life 2.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

49%

Audience ScoreBased on 136 reviews

story40 positive mentions

graphics10 negative mentions

The game features a compelling story with intriguing twists and a dark atmosphere that keeps players engaged.
Cinematics and voice acting are well done, adding to the overall immersive experience.
The game allows for multiple dialogue choices and paths, providing a sense of agency in the investigation.

The gameplay is marred by frustrating puzzles, pixel hunting, and a cumbersome inventory system that makes item management tedious.
Technical issues abound, including crashes, unskippable dialogues, and compatibility problems on modern systems.
The narrative can feel disjointed, with dialogue options that sometimes lead to confusion and a lack of coherence in character interactions.

story
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
7%
The game's story is described as engaging and intriguing, with a mix of interesting plot twists and a classic detective narrative set in 1920s France. However, many players noted that the execution suffers from clichés, confusing progression, and bugs that hinder the overall experience. While some appreciated the non-linear storytelling and character development, others found the narrative disjointed and the gameplay mechanics outdated, leading to frustration rather than immersion.
- “An underrated game with an interesting story.”
- “Interesting story with a good choice of dialogue that makes the story less linear.”
- “The story really manages to attract your attention from the beginning to the end.”
- “It really is a contender for the most bad puzzles and agonizing amounts of pixel hunting to be placed in just one game, and with a story that is about as clichéd as they come in the adventure genre.”
- “The story does not always make sense in its puzzle solving and I had to eventually rely on a walkthrough.”
- “The story and characters are so predictable and shallow, the so-called puzzles are so dull, that I can't even be bothered to consult a walkthrough.”
graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
68%
25%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated and subpar, even for its release period in 2002, with many users noting issues such as blurry backgrounds, missing visual assets, and clunky animations. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and acknowledge that the graphics do not detract significantly from the overall experience, others express disappointment in the lack of polish and detail. Overall, the visuals are considered a low point, but fans of the genre may still find enjoyment in the story and gameplay.
- “For fans of older games with good graphics for their time, and also for fans of detective stories, I highly recommend it.”
- “The horror story is strong and the graphics, while dated, do much to support the atmosphere.”
- “Clearly, although obviously lower budget, some polish and love went into the visuals, art style, and sound design.”
- “The box in the hotel that Gus uses to get upstairs is just a white box, the clairvoyant woman's door has no graphic assets, Hulot's paintings puzzle is impossible to pass because the paintings are just plain white boxes and you can't interact with them.”
- “The animation is something out of the 90s, not 2000s. This game was released in 2002, and I recall much better games with much better graphics for the time.”
- “The graphics have not aged well, but the storyline is still magic.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
71%
16%
The gameplay is primarily a point-and-click experience with simple mechanics, but it suffers from clunky controls, frustrating puzzles, and a lack of meaningful choices in dialogue. While some players appreciate the unique movement mechanics and engaging story, many find the gameplay tedious and riddled with bugs, leading to a recommendation to watch a playthrough instead. Overall, the gameplay is seen as dated and often disappointing, overshadowing the game's narrative potential.
- “Overall, this is a fun game which has a well-written and engaging story, but the game mechanics are quite dated.”
- “The gameplay is also highly different from Still Life - there is a lot less clicking to search for items, and more focus on dialogue and talking to people.”
- “As for the actual game, it takes an interesting approach to movement mechanics in a 3D world: '360 degree' hotspots that you can jump between, rather than a fluid world of polygons.”
- “Even if this game had been seen as at least a 'good game' at the time it was released, its gameplay, story (the first three hours doesn't mean that you experienced all the story, I know, but I don't care), and music make this game boring to play.”
- “Besides, the gameplay does not exist.”
- “Good story, but due to bad gameplay, bugs, and the difficulty of even getting this game running on a modern system, I recommend you just watch a let's play instead.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
18%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its dark, immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the storytelling and puzzle-solving experience. While some players note that the graphics and dialogues may feel dated or lackluster, the overall ambiance—characterized by creepy sounds and a strong horror narrative—remains a standout feature that captivates players. Despite its age, the game successfully evokes a compelling sense of place and tension, making it memorable for those who appreciate atmospheric storytelling.
- “One of the things that really made me turn around and love Still Life is the really well done atmosphere, which is kind of missing in Post Mortem.”
- “Although not generally touted as a horror game, it is dripping with atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is on point, the puzzles are challenging, a bit buggy here and there, but I think it's overall 10/10 (taking into consideration it came out around 20 years ago).”
- “One of the things that really made me turn around and love Still Life is the really well-done atmosphere, which is kind of missing in Post Mortem.”
- “There are also some puzzles which vary in difficulty, and the atmosphere is always dark and rather scary from time to time, playing an important role in attracting your attention.”
- “Sad, because the game had some potential when it comes to atmosphere and some story elements and characters.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
45%
20%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric and fitting tracks, while others find it repetitive and annoying, particularly due to jarring transitions between eerie and cheerful tunes. While certain pieces are noted for their creepiness and emotional impact, the inconsistency in the soundtrack's presence and quality detracts from the overall experience for many. Overall, the music is seen as a significant flaw, with some tracks being memorable but others becoming grating over time.
- “Some of the music fits the mood of the game.”
- “Beautiful art and good music, especially for when it was made.”
- “The game is pretty quiet overall, only filling the blanks with a pretty good original soundtrack.”
- “Even if this game had been seen as at least a 'good game' at the time it was released, its gameplay, story (the first three hours doesn't mean that you experienced all the story, I know, but I don't care), and music make this game boring to play.”
- “Music feels random at times.”
- “- repetitive and after all rather annoying music.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs and technical glitches that hinder gameplay, including issues with dialogue options and startup freezes. While some players appreciate the overall experience and story, the prevalence of these stability problems has led to frustration and disappointment, particularly when compared to previous entries in the series.
- “Also, some of the dialogue options are buggy and give away stuff you haven't uncovered yet.”
- “Buggy mess of a game and a massive step down from the previous two in the series.”
- “Good thing I got this game for so cheap because I can't even get it to start up before it freezes.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurd and over-the-top voice acting, which some players find both entertaining and off-putting due to its lack of immersion. The characters are described as comically inept, contributing to a story that is more ridiculous than dark, with amusingly poor lip syncing adding to the overall hilarity.
- “As for the voice acting, it's hilarious, of course; and I can't say if it's a bad thing or not.”
- “I enjoyed it for sure, but it was not immersive; I found the story kind of ridiculous and hilarious instead of dark and twisted.”
- “The lip syncing to the actors' voices is strangely hilarious.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking in engagement, often requiring multiple playthroughs to uncover missed elements necessary for achieving good endings. This repetitive nature can detract from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than an enjoyable exploration.
- “This also makes replaying the game more tedious – but it’s clear that the devs intended for you to replay the game, either to see how different approaches turn out, but more likely because you realize at the end of your first playthrough that you missed clicking on a pixel that represents a piece of evidence that you’ll need for the good endings.”
- “Tedious with little interaction is the best way I can describe this.”
- “It's incredibly tedious to read through.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a desire for increased replayability, particularly in relation to bundled games like Still Life 1 and 2, indicating that they hope these titles offer more engaging gameplay experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs.