[REC] Desolation

About

[REC] Desolation is a single player action game. It was developed by Perspektik and was released on February 27, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Desolation plunges you into the eerie Vandermere Mansion, haunted by a brutal past and unseen watchers. Explore haunting corridors, solve puzzles, and uncover newspaper clippings that reveal the mansion's dark history. This intense, atmospheric horror experience challenges you to survive the night and piece together terrifying secrets before it's too late.

Genres & Tags

Indie

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features impressive graphics and a well-executed found-footage aesthetic that enhances the horror atmosphere.
Some players found the game to be genuinely scary, with effective jump scares and a creepy ambiance that kept them on edge.
The sound design and ambient music contribute significantly to the unsettling experience, creating a tense atmosphere throughout the gameplay.

The game is very short, typically lasting around 25-40 minutes, which many players feel does not justify the cost.
Players reported issues with gameplay mechanics, such as lack of checkpoints, confusing navigation, and bugs that can lead to frustrating experiences.
The story is often described as generic and forgettable, with poorly formatted text that detracts from the overall immersion.

graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
8%
21%
The graphics of the game have received high praise for their beauty and immersive quality, with many reviewers highlighting the effective use of a found-footage aesthetic and polished visuals that enhance the horror experience. However, some users noted issues with graphical instability that could lead to reboots, and a preference for more varied lighting instead of predominantly black and white visuals. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its eerie atmosphere and tension.
- “The graphics are great and it is optimized fairly well (very important in regards to UE5, so well done on optimization). My favorite game of yours was Exanimum and hope to see more like that.”
- “The game excels in its first half with polished visuals and immersive audio that heighten every shadow and whisper.”
- “Amazing game for the price as the graphics are amazing and I love the recording cam style display on the graphics.”
- “The instability with graphics might force rebooting.”
- “They rely too much on jump scares to scare the player, lacking creepy ambient subtle noises and visuals.”
- “The graphics are really pretty, but I wish there were some areas in the game with light so you weren't in black and white mode most of the game after setting up camp.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its chilling and immersive qualities, effectively utilizing sound design and eerie environments to create a sense of intense horror. While many players appreciate the atmospheric tension and well-placed jumpscares, some feel that the experience is hindered by a lack of depth in storytelling and gameplay mechanics. Overall, it is considered a strong atmospheric horror experience, particularly appealing to fans of the genre, despite its brevity.
- “I wish it was a little longer, the atmosphere is intense; just by listening to the main character constantly trying to breathe in fear made my skin crawl.”
- “[rec] desolation draws players into a chilling world of atmospheric horror, where eerie environments and masterful sound design create an unsettling vibe from the start.”
- “The first two-thirds deliver a masterclass in atmospheric terror, making it worth playing for fans of the genre - even if the finale's ambiguity doesn't fully land.”
- “The game is a horror-themed walking simulator with a few jumpscares and a creepy atmosphere.”
- “At under an hour long, this is a bite-sized horror experience that prioritizes atmosphere over complexity and game mechanics.”
- “Now I play a lot of walking simulators, however this one just seemed uninspired as it tries to tell you a basic thriller story through notes found in the game world and no real atmosphere.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it basic and uninspired, relying heavily on notes scattered throughout the environment to convey a generic thriller narrative. However, others appreciated the tense exploration and clever environmental storytelling, particularly in the opening act, which contributed to an enjoyable experience despite the overall lack of depth. While the atmosphere and graphics were praised, the story itself was often deemed unremarkable.
- “The opening act shines with tense exploration, clever environmental storytelling, and moments of genuine dread.”
- “The soft monotonous music in the background, the sounds in general, the atmosphere, the notes and hints that you can find to unveil the story.”
- “Just finished the game; it's not my favorite by this developer, but aside from that, it's a really cool realistic horror with an awesome haunted mansion story, a scary creature chase, and incredible graphics!”
- “The story wasn't that good either.”
- “The story is basic/generic, nothing special.”
- “Now I play a lot of walking simulators; however, this one just seemed uninspired as it tries to tell you a basic thriller story through notes found in the game world and no real atmosphere.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and focus on atmosphere, featuring straightforward mechanics with minimal complexity, such as a single logic puzzle and no inventory management. However, some users have reported technical issues like stuttering during play. Overall, it offers a brief, bite-sized horror experience.
- “My condensed playthrough for anyone who may want to check out gameplay before purchasing.”
- “During gameplay, the game started to stutter for no reason.”
- “At under an hour long, this is a bite-sized horror experience that prioritizes atmosphere over complexity and game mechanics.”
- “Everything is straightforward—no complicated mechanics, no inventory management, and just a single logic puzzle.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The music in the game is characterized as ambient horror, creating a tense atmosphere with its constant looping and unsettling sounds, such as breathing and insidious background melodies. While some players appreciate the soft, monotonous tones that contribute to the storytelling, others find the repetitive nature of the music to be annoying.
- “The music creates an ambient horror atmosphere that immerses you in the game.”
- “The soundtrack loops constantly, enhancing the eerie experience.”
- “The constant breathing in my ear was quite annoying, along with the insidious music in the background.”
- “Music is ambient horror, but it loops constantly.”
- “The soft, monotonous music in the background detracts from the overall experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Overall, the game's optimization is commendable, especially considering its use of Unreal Engine 5, but players feel there is still room for improvement in performance.
- “The graphics are great, and it is optimized fairly well. This is very important in regards to UE5, so well done on the optimization.”
- “My favorite game of yours was Exanimum, and I hope to see more like that.”
- “However, it could use some performance boosting.”
- “The game frequently lags, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced numerous crashes that hindered my progress.”