S.O.V: Passenger 23

About

S.O.V: Passenger 23 is a single player role playing game. It was developed by IGNUS NEX ENTERTAINMENT and was released on March 13, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Passenger 23 is a horror game centered around a student working at a rest stop.Your first shift is about to begin, and what awaits you is far more terrifying than you ever imagined. Traces of the Past23 passengers and a dark secret... The Midnight VisitorThe answers are dark, the questions even darker. Your shift has started!No matter what happens late into the night, you must keep m…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews

optimization3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Passenger 23 effectively builds tension through atmospheric storytelling and environmental design, creating a sense of unease that resonates with players.
The game features a unique retro aesthetic and engaging gameplay, combining horror elements with a convenience store simulator that keeps players entertained.
Players appreciate the minimalist approach, which focuses on exploration and psychological dread rather than traditional jump scares, making for a memorable horror experience.

The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in under an hour, leading to concerns about replayability and depth.
Some players find the pacing too slow and the interactivity lacking, with minimal branching choices or complex mechanics to enhance the experience.
Technical issues such as volume control problems and the inability to pause or adjust settings during gameplay detract from the overall experience.

story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
Passenger 23 delivers a compelling psychological horror experience through its atmospheric storytelling and environmental cues, favoring subtlety over exposition. While some players appreciated the intriguing narrative and character development, others felt that certain elements, like text messages, detracted from the overall impact. Overall, the game is praised for its effective brevity and focus on tension, making it a noteworthy entry in the horror genre.
- “Passenger 23, developed and published by Ignus Nex Entertainment, is a small-scale psychological horror experience that trades spectacle for subtle tension and atmospheric storytelling.”
- “Ultimately, Passenger 23 succeeds as a short, self-contained horror story that understands the value of restraint.”
- “Narratively, Passenger 23 keeps its storytelling ambiguous, relying on environmental cues and subtle hints to convey its themes.”
- “The game avoids lengthy exposition or cutscenes, preferring to let the environment tell the story.”
- “Getting the texts did nothing for the game, added nothing to the story; no jump scares when putting the phone down, they just existed.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay of Passenger 23 emphasizes minimalist horror through exploration and atmospheric tension, focusing on environmental storytelling rather than traditional survival mechanics or complex interactions. While some players appreciate the eerie ambiance and engaging discovery elements, others criticize the slow pacing and lack of interactivity, noting the absence of puzzles or branching choices. Overall, the game offers a unique experience that prioritizes atmosphere over action.
- “The simplicity of the mechanics allows the atmosphere to take center stage, forcing the player to focus on every flicker of light, every echo in the dark, and every seemingly mundane object that feels just a little out of place.”
- “At its core, Passenger 23 is a minimalist horror game designed around exploration and tension rather than traditional survival mechanics.”
- “There are no elaborate puzzles or combat encounters; instead, the gameplay revolves around discovering environmental clues and piecing together fragments of an unfolding mystery.”
- “Some players may also find the pacing too slow or the interactivity too sparse, as there are no branching choices, dialogue systems, or complex mechanics to deepen the experience.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Passenger 23 excels in creating a tense and immersive atmosphere through its minimalist design and subtle storytelling, prioritizing psychological unease over traditional horror elements like jump scares. The game's focus on atmospheric details, such as flickering lights and eerie sounds, enhances the player's experience, making it accessible even on modest hardware. While this restraint contributes to its strength, it also limits the complexity of gameplay.
- “Passenger 23, developed and published by Ignus Nex Entertainment, is a small-scale psychological horror experience that trades spectacle for subtle tension and atmospheric storytelling.”
- “While Passenger 23’s strength lies in its atmosphere and restraint, its minimalist approach also defines its limitations.”
- “It doesn’t rely on jump scares, loud sound effects, or gore to create fear—instead, it unsettles through pacing, atmosphere, and implication.”
- “The simplicity of the mechanics allows the atmosphere to take center stage, forcing the player to focus on every flicker of light, every echo in the dark, and every seemingly mundane object that feels just a little out of place.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
40%
40%
The graphics are characterized by a simple yet effective retro aesthetic, utilizing pixelated visuals that enhance the game's horror atmosphere without overshadowing the experience. While not featuring cutting-edge technology, the cohesive art direction and minimalism contribute positively to the overall mood, making it a strong example of effective indie design.
- “The graphics are simple yet effective, serving the mood rather than drawing attention to themselves.”
- “While it may not showcase cutting-edge visuals or complex physics, its cohesion between tone, art direction, and sound makes it a strong example of how minimalism can serve horror when executed with intent.”
- “A short indie horror with pixellated retro-style visuals, where you work in a roadside rest stop and spooky events begin to happen.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is praised for its uncluttered interface, which enhances immersion, and for maintaining stable performance consistently.
- “The interface is uncluttered, keeping immersion intact, and performance remains stable throughout.”
- “The game runs smoothly on a variety of hardware, making it accessible to a wider audience.”
- “Load times are impressively short, allowing for a seamless gaming experience.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity, featuring bizarrely designed characters who frequently appear in unexpected situations, such as using public transport for mundane activities like shopping and bathroom breaks.
- “The game features hilariously weird-looking characters who keep showing up on buses to buy things and use the restroom.”
- “The humor is offbeat and quirky, making every encounter a delightful surprise.”
- “I couldn't stop laughing at the absurd situations and the bizarre antics of the characters.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is minimal, with a focus on ambient sounds that create an unsettling atmosphere, such as rustling wind and faint footsteps. This deliberate sound design enhances the overall experience by using eerie music and ambient noises to evoke discomfort.
- “The sound design is equally deliberate: there is very little music, but ambient noises—rustling wind, faint footsteps, the low hum of fluorescent bulbs—fill the void with discomfort.”
- “Eerie music and ambiences.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is relatively short, typically completed in one sitting, and lacks significant replayability, making it less appealing for players seeking extended engagement.
- “The game is short, with most players able to complete it in a single sitting, and it offers little in the way of replayability.”