Receiver

About

Receiver is a single player survival shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Wolfire Games and was released on April 29, 2013. It received positive reviews from players.

Receiver was created for the 7-day FPS challenge to explore gun handling mechanics, randomized levels, and unordered storytelling. Armed only with a handgun and an audio cassette player, you must uncover the secrets of the Mindkill in a building complex infested with automated turrets and hovering shock drones.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,357 reviews

gameplay350 positive mentions

graphics39 negative mentions

Unique and intricate gun mechanics that require manual operation, enhancing immersion.
Tense atmosphere with a sense of urgency, as players must navigate a dangerous environment with one-hit deaths.
Randomly generated levels provide replayability and a fresh experience with each run.

Limited content with only three guns and two enemy types, leading to repetitive gameplay.
Frustrating difficulty due to random enemy placements and one-hit kill mechanics.
Lack of tutorials or guidance for new players, making it challenging to learn the controls.

gameplay
1,088 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The gameplay of "Receiver" is primarily centered around its intricate and realistic gun mechanics, requiring players to manually handle every aspect of their firearms, from reloading to aiming. While the mechanics are praised for their depth and realism, the overall gameplay experience is often described as repetitive and lacking in variety, with minimal objectives and limited enemy types. Despite its shortcomings, the game offers a unique challenge that appeals to those interested in mastering complex mechanics, though it may not provide enough content to sustain long-term engagement.
- “The gameplay loop is pretty simple; you are given a gun of questionable usability and are to locate 11 tapes across a procedurally generated map, while fighting off drones and turrets.”
- “The game’s minimalist approach and reliance on the player’s skill to manage everything makes it a fresh experience, especially for those who appreciate intricate mechanics.”
- “Receiver is an incredibly unique and engaging game with mechanics that really stand out.”
- “The gameplay itself is shallow; you fight two types of enemies and collect tapes in a slender game fashion to beat the game.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay really brings it down; it's a straight line of randomly chosen structures, interconnected through some entries, with ammo and quest critical tapes spread around.”
- “The gameplay is very focused on how the guns work, but outside of that, it feels like something thrown together in Unity over a weekend.”
story
400 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
The story in "Receiver" is delivered through a series of collectible audio tapes, which provide a vague and cryptic narrative about a dystopian world and a looming threat. While some players find the minimalist storytelling intriguing and open to interpretation, many criticize it for being underdeveloped and lacking depth, often feeling more like a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling plot. Overall, the narrative serves as a loose framework for the game's mechanics, with varying opinions on its effectiveness and engagement.
- “The story is a really fun one to unveil and beating the game takes a lot of focus and dedication.”
- “There is a fantastic score, very interesting nonlinear story, and some very fitting world building that really immerses you.”
- “There’s no real story to uncover, only cryptic recordings muttering about 'the threat', which sound profound until you realize they lead absolutely nowhere.”
- “The story is very basic and once you've heard all the tapes, the story is not exactly always refreshing.”
- “The only hook into the plot (what little plot there appears to be) is from audio tapes that have a poor voice over that you may or may not find near the beginning of your adventure.”
graphics
247 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
69%
16%
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing them as simplistic, untextured, and reminiscent of early 3D titles. Despite the low visual quality, some players appreciate the game's atmosphere and unique mechanics, suggesting that the graphics do not detract significantly from the overall experience. However, performance issues and poor optimization further exacerbate the graphical shortcomings, leading to frustration among players.
- “The graphics are stylish, the soundtrack is excellent, and the story is the exact kind of metaphysical experience I love.”
- “Despite the sparse world and somewhat rudimentary graphics, sound design and aesthetics are brilliant, and I haven't been so kinetically into a game since the days of Atari 2600.”
- “The graphics are very spartan and the lighting (or lack of) can be frustrating; however, the gun mechanics, enemies, and level design make this game definitely worth a shot.”
- “Despite the graphics being on par with a Roblox game, Receiver absolutely cooked my poor laptop GPU.”
- “Graphically, it is trash; the shadows are terrible even on the highest settings, guns look okay, but nothing impressive even for its time.”
- “The graphics are incredibly flat, enemy weak points seem to be hit or miss, and the story is so pretentious I think it could make a hipster cum by proxy.”
optimization
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
53%
34%
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with many users reporting severe performance issues, including significant frame rate drops and stuttering, even on high-end systems. Despite some updates aimed at improving performance, the game remains poorly optimized, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. Overall, while the game has potential, its technical shortcomings hinder enjoyment and accessibility.
- “Not only does the game run smoothly now, but it's so much pleasing to simply look at after you're done with an encounter.”
- “The recent September update has improved performance and I applaud their efforts because not many developers would update such a niche and long-abandoned product.”
- “It needed simply some optimization which was given and they even prettied up the game a little.”
- “It's fantastic as an experiment in gameplay, but the performance of this game is where it falls short.”
- “It's a long review, so here's the tl;dr: amazing concept, very fun and satisfying (though also very limited) weapons, good gameplay, decent atmosphere, extreme difficulty, slightly buggy, very badly optimized, not worth $5, but if you like the concept and it's on sale, go for it.”
- “The optimization makes this game unplayable, so if you didn't get this game for free, don't buy it.”
atmosphere
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
47%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is a prominent highlight, often described as eerie, tense, and immersive, effectively enhancing the gameplay experience despite its simplistic graphics and mechanics. Players appreciate the chilling sound design, minimalistic environments, and the sense of dread created by limited resources and unpredictable enemies, which contribute to a unique and addictive atmosphere. While some reviews note a lack of content and polish, the overall consensus is that the game's atmosphere is compelling enough to keep players engaged and on edge.
- “The atmosphere is foreboding but electrifying, and the story and graphics use simplicity to their benefit.”
- “The atmosphere in this game is thick enough to cut with a knife, and I really enjoyed getting immersed in the story and setting while listening to tapes from another receiver.”
- “Receiver has a cerebral storyline, a chilling atmosphere, and terrifying enemies.”
- “Instead of tension, the emptiness creates boredom; instead of atmosphere, you get silence and confusion.”
- “The atmosphere is bleak, but bleak to the point where it is beyond what the developers may have intended.”
- “The rest of the game is pretty basic; textures are a luxury, geometry is flat and neutral, the atmosphere is eerie in a Deus Ex way, and the lore behind the recordings is rather interesting.”
music
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
62%
3%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance the overall experience, particularly in creating tension and a cyberpunk vibe. However, some players noted that the limited soundtrack can become repetitive over time and may even hinder gameplay by masking important audio cues. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, its repetitiveness and minimal variety are common points of critique.
- “The soundtrack and environment work together to make you feel the tensions rise.”
- “Coupled with the plain gray walls, harsh lighting, and subdued electronic soundtrack, this sinister setup gives the game an absolutely fantastic atmosphere for your somber treks.”
- “The music sets the atmosphere just right and the gunplay feels tight with all the mechanics working in unison.”
- “The music, while indeed creating tension, is repetitive and just gets on your nerves after a couple of minutes.”
- “One thing I'll say is to turn the music off; it actually gets in the way of the game because it will sometimes muffle the sounds of drones flying or turrets turning, plus it's more atmospheric without it.”
- “There's very little music, and it's nothing special.”
replayability
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the randomization of maps, enemies, and items that contribute to a fresh experience each playthrough. However, some reviewers note that the limited content, such as a small number of weapons and simplistic mechanics, can diminish long-term replay value. Overall, while there are elements that enhance replayability, such as mod support and procedural generation, the game's depth and variety may leave some players wanting more after a few sessions.
- “Receiver is strikingly simple, and endlessly replayable.”
- “The mods made this game much more replayable and fun, with the addition of the firing range, you get to experiment with those new weapons and figure out how they work.”
- “Replayability is high as item spawns, enemies, and the entire map are random each time.”
- “However, this replayability can be hampered by the lack of tile/map variation.”
- “The randomly generated worlds make the game almost new every time you play it, but once you beat it, there really is no replay value at all.”
- “Despite random level generation, the game doesn't have much replayability.”
stability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by numerous stability issues, including frequent glitches, freezing during level transitions, and poor optimization, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some players appreciate the underlying concepts and gameplay mechanics, the overall execution suffers from significant bugs that detract from enjoyment. Despite updates and community mods attempting to address these problems, many users still find the game unpolished and challenging to play without encountering technical issues.
- “It's buggy and laggy to high hell!”
- “The game itself is a bit buggy but the modding community has made a mod that fixes a couple of bugs and adds weapons.”
- “There's a load time between some rooms that freezes the game for a few seconds; the resulting disorientation has gotten me killed many times.”
grinding
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with environments and enemy encounters lacking variety, leading to a sense of monotony. While some appreciate the realistic gun mechanics, the overall gameplay experience is often described as shallow and laborious, with many actions feeling unnecessarily drawn out. Despite occasional moments of fun, the consensus leans towards the grinding being a significant detractor from immersion and enjoyment.
- “It’s not immersive; it’s tedious.”
- “Exploration is tedious due to environments looking too similar and fighting enemies quickly becomes a chore, as they are just a tracking stationary turret and a beelining drone (they both kill you in one hit, by the way).”
- “The gun handling mechanic is fun, but walking around in the randomly generated levels devoid of anything but droids and cameras became tedious super fast.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as clever and often absurd, with players finding amusement in the chaotic interactions with drones and the unpredictable difficulty levels. The combination of clumsy mechanics, unexpected bugs, and dark political satire adds to the comedic experience, making moments of frustration also yield laughter. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its challenging gameplay, creating a uniquely entertaining atmosphere.
- “Sound design is amazing; that beep the drones make will quickly become the most terrifying noise you know, and the panic of having one fly at you while trying to remember how to put bullets in your gun is hilarious.”
- “It's also a game completely unabashed in giving you hilariously variable difficulty on a run-to-run basis without any regard to your inclinations.”
- “Receiver will have you laughing, crying, and smashing your keyboard in frustration at those goddamn flying taser robots.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its ability to evoke feelings of accomplishment and desperation simultaneously. The heart-wrenching narrative and immersive mechanics, such as the detailed reloading system, enhance the emotional experience, making players feel both empowered and vulnerable. However, some critiques mention a lack of emotional connection due to the game's combat mechanics and music.
- “This game is undeniably one of the most heart-wrenching games out there.”
- “11/10 would cry again.”
- “Fumbling up feels heartbreaking in life/death situations.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is seen as a double-edged sword; while it adds depth and a rewarding gameplay experience reminiscent of classic shooters, it also suffers from intrusive ads and a push towards purchasing a "full" version, similar to low-quality mobile apps.
- “The price of every crappy app on a cell phone that does nothing but pester you to buy the 'full' version while smothering you with ads.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
Character development in this game is primarily centered around weapon mastery, with players focusing on learning and managing their firearms rather than traditional character growth. The complexity of controls dedicated to weapon manipulation suggests that the gameplay experience is heavily reliant on this aspect rather than on character progression.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly immersive, allowing players to truly connect with their characters as they evolve throughout the story.”
- “I love how the choices I make impact my character's growth, making each playthrough feel unique and personal.”
- “The depth of character development is impressive, with well-written backstories and meaningful interactions that enhance the overall experience.”
- “Learning this weapon and keeping it fed is all the character development you really need, given the addition of maybe a dozen extra control buttons devoted purely to manipulating the firearm.”