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PROXIMATE

PROXIMATE Game Cover
94%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, character development
94% User Score Based on 945 reviews

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PROXIMATE Game Cover

About PROXIMATE

PROXIMATE is a single player simulation game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Cain Maddox and was released on November 8, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

PROXIMATE is a dread-driven narrative game where you investigate a deep sea laboratory and piece together the events that lead to the research team’s demise. You'll be required to wear an image recognition visor that only tells you the bare minimum information you need to succeed — and sometimes less. Use text information, proximity data and audio clues to form a mental map of your surroundings an…

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Reviews

94%Audience ScoreBased on 945 reviews
story147 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • Unique and inventive gameplay mechanic where player navigates a dark environment using an AI visor that describes surroundings with uncertainty percentages, creating immersive horror through limited visuals and evocative sound design.
  • Well-written, realistic characters and dialogue blending humor, emotional depth, and queer representation, resulting in a compelling narrative that deeply resonates with many players.
  • Atmosphere and sound design excellently build tension and dread without relying on cheap jump scares, making it a memorable and effective psychological horror experience in a concise runtime.
  • Gameplay can be frustrating due to clunky controls, confusing navigation especially after the map is removed, and the core horror mechanic being underutilized with few monster encounters reducing the sense of threat.
  • Writing and story tone can feel uneven or clichéd, with some finding the humor and relationship drama intrusive or immature, sometimes undermining the horror and emotional weight.
  • Some players find the game too short and lacking in depth or payoff, with an abrupt ending and insufficient exploration of the promising premise and themes.

  • story

    301 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    49% positive mentions, 49% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions

    The story is widely praised for its compelling, well-written characters and engaging narrative that blends horror, sci-fi, and queer themes through environmental storytelling and chat logs. While some find the humor and political elements divisive or feel the plot becomes disjointed or rushed, overall it is considered the game's standout feature, delivering emotional depth, tension, and a memorable experience despite its short length. The narrative's layered, realistic portrayal of human relationships and moral questions resonates deeply with many players, making it a must-play for story-driven game fans.

    • “An elegant and charming game with an engaging story that managed the impressive feat of getting me to care deeply about a cast of characters that you can only interact with via old chatlogs and notes.”
    • “Proximate's strength lies unequivocally in its incredible story, deep worldbuilding, and masterful atmospheric horror.”
    • “The story is in my opinion the actual highlight of the game and some of the most "real" character writing I've seen out of a video game.”
    • “I went in blind but the story feels self-righteous and the plot doesn't even make you the main character; you're just listening in on relationship drama instead of worrying about living or dying.”
    • “The story doesn’t save it either since the premise is okay, but the writing is terrible.”
    • “The game seems far more focused on telling a half-assed story that’s 30% about some evil hole that they never actually elaborate on and 70% some relationship between a girl and a trans girl that also goes nowhere.”

  • gameplay

    219 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    42% positive mentions, 55% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The gameplay is widely praised for its unique and innovative mechanic centered around navigating with an unreliable visor, creating a tense, immersive, and disorienting experience that effectively enhances the atmosphere and narrative. While some find the mechanics clever and engaging, others feel the gameplay is overly simple, occasionally frustrating, and underutilizes its horror potential due to lack of difficulty or monster threat. Overall, it's seen as a short but compelling experience that balances storytelling and gameplay well, though some wish for deeper mechanical complexity or longer playtime.

    • “The gameplay gimmick might be intimidating for some but it is actually really fun and it really tests out your ability to figure out the place you're exploring; by the end of the game, you should be pretty familiar with the controls and layout to explore without getting lost despite not being able to see anything.”
    • “The visor mechanic is just challenging enough to keep things interesting without spoiling the fun; the horror in this game is found in the questions that go unanswered.”
    • “Quickly introduces its unique mechanic, gradually tightens the screws on that mechanic, whilst telling a short but complete story.”
    • “There was so much more that could have been done here, it feels a little sad that possibly one of the coolest concepts for a horror game is bogged down with such a subpar gameplay loop.”
    • “Soo bad controls are horrible and gameplay is hot garbage, only the lore is interesting, never buy this game.”
    • “The player is left with glaringly obvious and clunky gameplay loop.”

  • humor

    118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    99% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The game's humor is widely praised for its sharp, dark, and relatable wit that skillfully balances and enhances the horror and emotional depth without undermining tension. While some find the frequent jokes occasionally disrupt immersion or feel repetitive, most appreciate the clever, realistic dialogue and social commentary that add personality and levity to the experience. Overall, the humor is seen as an integral, distinctive strength that makes the narrative more engaging and memorable.

    • “A short and deeply personal horror game with a unique mechanic, excellent humor and personality in the character writing, and terrific atmosphere especially for the first half.”
    • “One of the game's most impressive qualities is its balance between dark humor and horror.”
    • “The humor never weakens the tension; instead, it highlights the frightening indifference of the organization responsible for the disaster.”

  • atmosphere

    87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 37% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive, tense, and claustrophobic horror vibe, expertly crafted through exceptional sound design and minimalist visuals. It effectively balances oppressive dread with moments of humor, creating a unique blend of psychological horror and quirky storytelling. While some wish for deeper development or more varied encounters, the overall consensus highlights the game's strong, memorable atmosphere as a standout feature that elevates the short narrative experience.

    • “I really liked this, the atmosphere was tense, the soundscape exceptional, and the story was very real for me regardless of the necromancy and eldritch nightmares (in a very good way IMHO).”
    • “Combined with strong writing, immersive atmosphere, memorable world-building, and effective psychological horror, it creates a distinctive experience that stands out among modern indie horror releases.”
    • “This game's atmosphere is incredible; the dev has a real talent for cultivating an immersive sense of place just from a few sound effects and onscreen text.”
    • “Perhaps I ask for too much, but I just wish that the game did more to both develop its oppressive atmosphere, and to make use of that oppressive atmosphere once developed.”
    • “Speaking of destroying the tension - I knew that the game had the 'funny' tag coming in, but the fact that the game keeps cracking jokes every five minutes really ruined the atmosphere and made it hard to take anything seriously.”
    • “However the tone feels mostly comedic and in general doesn't really build an effective horror atmosphere.”

  • emotional

    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game delivers a deeply emotional experience through authentic, nuanced writing that balances humor, heartbreak, and tension, often evoking strong feelings including crying. While some characters and tonal shifts received mixed reactions, the overall storytelling effectively conveys realistic emotional struggles, creating a memorable and immersive atmosphere. Its concise, powerful narrative resonates profoundly despite its short length, making it both haunting and heartfelt.

    • “The conversations feel authentic and help establish emotional investment in the unfolding events.”
    • “Ezra's apathy, Willow's distress, Ella's anger, and Simon's desperation all felt so achingly real, and I cannot believe that the final 'league tonight?' actually made me feel something.”
    • “Surprising amount of emotional beats that are conveyed with nuance and realism.”

  • graphics

    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    30% positive mentions, 55% neutral mentions, 15% negative mentions

    The game features minimal to no traditional graphics, relying heavily on excellent sound design, text-based descriptions, and a distinctive pixel aesthetic to create a deeply immersive and tense horror atmosphere. This unconventional approach effectively stimulates the player's imagination, proving that high-fidelity visuals are unnecessary for impactful interactive storytelling. While some criticize its simple visuals and interface readability, most agree the game's art style and audio work beautifully complement its eerie, unsettling mood.

    • “This game is the proof that you don't need realistic graphics to create a horror game.”
    • “The gameplay, visuals and audio made this short game an outlier compared to other short horrors.”
    • “The visuals are very simple but within the context of the game immerse you perfectly.”
    • “The quirky 'unsure if it's an art style or a technical issue' pixel rendering, lack of scaling options, and nearly unreadable font produce an interface somewhere between a holistic accessibility issue and an otherworldly regressive-futuristic look, pushing the game far out of 'horror game' territory for me, into an exploratory joyride.”
    • “I got the one where you go to the hole, and in my opinion, the mediocre graphics really sell the protagonist's relationship with it.”
    • “A grisly sci-fi horror short with implications as bleak and dark as its visuals.”

  • music

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    75% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's music is highly praised for enhancing the overall atmosphere and storytelling, with particular acclaim for the ending and credit songs, which leave a strong, positive impression.

    • “Everything in the game, story, music, and sound effects are merged to create a good and logical experience.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and premise have been crafted extremely well, and the storytelling shines in combination with the unique mechanic this game brings to the table.”
    • “The credit song is amazing.”

  • grinding

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game features some grinding elements that can feel tedious and slow down the experience, though its unique format and simplicity help mitigate this drawback to some extent.

    • “Apart from that, very tedious.”
    • “A really compelling concept, held back by meh writing and tedious navigation.”
    • “A little tedious though.”

  • character development

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Character development is conveyed mainly through logs, messages, and records found throughout the facility, providing background and depth indirectly rather than through direct interactions.

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Play Times

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
5-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

PROXIMATE is a simulation game with horror and mystery themes. Common tags for PROXIMATE include indie, lgbtq+, surreal, psychological, exploration and others.

PROXIMATE is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing PROXIMATE.

PROXIMATE was released on November 8, 2024.

PROXIMATE was developed by Cain Maddox.

PROXIMATE has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked PROXIMATE for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

PROXIMATE is a single player game.