Postmortem: One Must Die (Extended Cut)

About

"Postmortem: One Must Die " is a narrative-driven game where players must manipulate a group of survivors and cause conflict to progress. The game takes place in a small town during the Cold War, where a mysterious organization plans to cause a nuclear war. Players must choose which character to sacrifice to prevent the impending disaster. The game features unique puzzle mechanics, branching storylines, and multiple endings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Postmortem: One Must Die (Extended Cut) screenshot

37%

Audience ScoreBased on 153 reviews

story9 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features an interesting premise where players must choose who to kill, leading to various consequences that reflect on the political and social climate of the fictional world.
The writing is well-crafted, with engaging dialogue that allows players to explore different perspectives and moral dilemmas.
The art style and character designs are appealing, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.

The game is extremely short, with most players able to complete it in under an hour, making it feel more like a demo than a full game.
There is a significant amount of text to read, which can become tedious and overwhelming, especially for those who prefer more interactive gameplay.
Technical issues such as limited resolution options, lack of customizable controls, and numerous spelling and grammar errors detract from the overall experience.

story
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
6%
The story of the game is characterized by its heavy reliance on dialogue and character interactions, offering a unique premise where players, as a representation of death, make choices that influence the fates of various characters. While some players appreciate the depth and backstory provided, many criticize the brevity of the narrative and the lack of meaningful consequences for their choices, leading to a sense of incompleteness and a desire for more complex storytelling. Overall, the game presents an intriguing concept but falls short in execution, leaving players wanting more substantial character development and plot progression.
- “The story is very fleshed out and there is a lot of information packed into such a tiny game.”
- “I really enjoyed it, both for its own sake and as a fascinating indie experiment in game design, world building, and storytelling.”
- “Every person you encounter affects the story in some way or another, and also, what you choose to say to each person affects the outcome as well.”
- “A very simplistic story with watered-down problems and no complex issues.”
- “Postmortem is also incredibly short, even after multiple playthroughs, and with no investment in the characters or story there's just nothing to recommend it.”
- “Reading through the conversations is tedious and I didn't feel attached to the characters or story at all.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
43%
17%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the simplistic and lackluster 2D art assets that fail to meet modern standards, especially for a 2024 PC title. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and find the character portraits and art style decent, others feel that the overall visual quality is subpar and detracts from the gaming experience. Despite the varied opinions, a consensus suggests that the graphics could benefit from significant improvements to enhance gameplay enjoyment.
- “An incredibly well put-together game, with refreshing dialogue, music, graphics, and mystery.”
- “I recommend buying this game if you like murder mysteries, dialogue and story-driven games, rich characters, charming graphics and soundtrack, and an engaging story overall.”
- “Art style is fantastic.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game in 2024, such poor quality 2D graphics in the 3D era just aren't good enough, whether it's a deliberate design fault on behalf of the developer or they just couldn't manage to do any better; this is a compromise gamers shouldn't have to put up with.”
- “The game uses a somewhat primitive sprite-based 2D isometric graphical style, which for some reason or another, randomly experiences slowdown while walking.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
65%
18%
The gameplay of "Postmortem" has been criticized for its heavy reliance on text and narrative over interactive mechanics, leading to a significant amount of time spent reading rather than engaging with the game itself. Players report that the actual gameplay is minimal, often amounting to less than two hours, with some suggesting it feels more like a brief experience than a fully realized game. While the mechanics are straightforward, the overall execution lacks depth and value, leaving many feeling that the game does not justify its price.
- “Gameplay in Postmortem simply involves wandering around in an isometric world slathered in Victorian decor, scavenging details from news articles strewn about and talking to the patrons of the gala.”
- “[i]Game mechanics:[/i] 8 out of 10, simple enough WASD to move around, E for interacting, Q for notebook, Tab for taking a person's life.”
- “It's long enough to show its gameplay concept fully and make you interested about it, but too short to fulfill your desire to experience more interesting situations.”
- “The developers failed one of the most basic, fundamental requirements of game design: 'show, don't tell.' You'll spend a huge amount of time not playing the game, but clicking through endless lines of poorly written visual novel text cutscenes because the developers couldn't figure out how to relate their narrative through the game mechanics.”
- “However, the biggest drawback is that, even at such a low price, I don't think it was worth the brief gameplay available.”
- “Presentation is a bit cheap and gameplay is very short (less than 2 hours).”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
43%
21%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its classy and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere, while others criticize its repetitiveness and limited variety. Voice acting is present, adding to the immersive experience, but some players feel that a higher budget for audio could have improved the quality. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect by many, contributing positively to the game's charm and storytelling.
- “An incredibly well put-together game, with refreshing dialogue, music, graphics, and mystery.”
- “The music and ambient noises give a classy, upperclassmen vibe, and this is probably one of the better parts (the soundtrack is actually very good and probably the best part of the game).”
- “I recommend buying this game if you like murder mysteries, dialogue and story-driven games, rich characters, charming graphics and soundtrack, and an engaging story overall.”
- “Royalty-free music was appropriate, but I would have appreciated if some actual budget went into the audio as well.”
- “Well, unless you want to stand around and listen to the snippets of classical music that make up Postmortem's soundtrack.”
- “There's only two soundtracks in the game, both very basic and quite repetitive; the graphics look decent with an isometric camera and nice-looking character portraits.”
replayability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers multiple endings and some variation through dialogue choices, many players find it limited due to its short length and the quick discovery of major outcomes. Some reviewers appreciate the potential for replaying to explore different scenarios, but others feel that the lack of substantial content diminishes the incentive to replay.
- “The replayability is rather good, but I would prefer more scenes and story arcs that would influence each other.”
- “This kind of game should possess great replay value - you can choose different dialogue options and kill different characters after all.”
- “Despite the shortness of the game, there is a bit of replayability to find different outcomes within the game.”
- “Yet, this very short game loses its replayability once you discover the major effects from your choice.”
- “★ — 5/10 - not entirely bad but little replayability despite the possibility of different outcomes.”
- “Potentially a good game, but possibly one of the shortest I have ever played with little to no replay value whatsoever.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its diverse cast of characters, each with unique backgrounds and beliefs, which fosters a deep connection among them. The substantial backstory and intricate relationships enhance the emotional depth, indicating that significant thought was invested in character development.
- “Guests come from all walks of life and have their own political beliefs and emotional attachments.”
- “A hefty amount of backstory and information links the characters together, whether psychologically, socially, or emotionally. A fair amount of thought went into all this.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect tedious and unengaging, feeling that the single scenario fails to create attachment to the characters or story, making the experience less enjoyable.
- “The single scenario just doesn't work for me, nor does the grinding aspect.”
- “Reading through the conversations is tedious, and I didn't feel attached to the characters or the story at all.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game's atmosphere is criticized for relying on poorly written text that fails to engage players, leading to an unsatisfying experience. Reviewers suggest that those seeking a compelling political atmosphere should look elsewhere, such as in "Papers, Please."
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the world with its stunning visuals and haunting sound design.”
- “Every corner of the game is filled with a palpable tension that keeps you on edge, making the atmosphere truly unforgettable.”
- “The atmospheric storytelling combined with the rich environmental details creates a sense of place that feels both alive and haunting.”
- “Totally not worth it; the game tries to build up the atmosphere with poorly written walls of text, only to abruptly end.”
- “If you want the political atmosphere, go for Papers, Please!”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is characterized as brief and absurd, with players noting that the short dialogues contribute to a comically exaggerated experience.
- “This game is hilariously short, with ludicrously impactful short dialogue.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, making every moment a joy.”
- “I couldn't stop laughing at the witty one-liners and clever puns throughout the game.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is heavily emphasized in the game, requiring players to engage with the narrative and character arcs, which may not appeal to those who prefer less reading and deeper character exploration.
- “If you dislike reading and character development, then this game is not for you.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I found the character arcs predictable and uninspired, which diminished my overall enjoyment of the game.”