Safe House

About

Safe House is a single player action game. It was developed by Labs Games and was released on May 22, 2018. It received negative reviews from players.

"Safe House" is a spy-themed simulation game where you manage a secret headquarters, recruit and train agents, and complete various espionage activities. The game features a variety of spy-themed puzzles, such as decoding messages and forging documents, and offers a non-linear story campaign. Your decisions and actions will shape the events and outcomes of the game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

31%

Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews

humor1 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features a unique concept of managing a CIA safe house with engaging mini-games that provide variety and keep the gameplay interesting.
The sound design and retro-noire aesthetic are well-executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
Despite its flaws, some players find the game enjoyable for its simplicity and potential for replayability through different story paths.

The game suffers from a lack of content and repetitive gameplay, with many mini-games feeling simplistic and uninspired.
Numerous bugs and a clunky interface hinder the overall experience, making it frustrating to navigate and interact with the game.
The graphics and presentation are considered subpar, with many players expressing disappointment over the visual quality compared to initial promotional materials.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
84%
8%
The game's story is minimal and often lacks depth, primarily serving as a backdrop for a series of simplistic mini-games. Players manage operatives on missions that can succeed or fail based on their skills, but the narrative progression is limited and often feels disconnected from gameplay, leading to a lack of engagement. While there are some interesting elements and moral decisions, the overall experience is deemed unsatisfactory, with many reviewers expressing disappointment in the story's execution.
- “The story is interesting, and where the mini-games are so simplistic that by themselves they would not really entertain, the format that has one rushing to complete them as quickly and efficiently as possible so as to maximize the number completed each 'night' gives them some life.”
- “In addition to making some profit with the tasks, you have goals to complete before you can move on with the story.”
- “The story mode tells the tale of American operatives in a central African country, while an endless mode is more freeform.”
- “The story is nothing to really marvel at, either -- there are some basic moral decisions over the course of the plot.”
- “Overall, this wasn't a great experience and I'm not really inclined to dig deeper to see if the other story paths make it any better -- which I really doubt, given the experience I've had so far.”
- “The story was really what I was hoping to be its saving grace, but it immediately failed to interest me.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Gameplay in the reviewed games offers a mix of engaging mechanics and thematic aesthetics, particularly in titles like *Evil Genius 2*, which combines retro-noir elements with management challenges. However, some players find that certain games, such as *Safe House*, suffer from repetitive tasks and a lack of proportional rewards for time-consuming activities, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel slow and less rewarding over time. While there are some bugs present, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience, making these games suitable for short play sessions.
- “I love a game that is set in that whole 'retro-noir' genre; and enough variety in the gameplay to keep you interested.”
- “If you need a fix of mid-century spy thriller aesthetics with some compelling management mechanics throughout, stick to Evil Genius 2.”
- “The gameplay starts out very simply, but as you continue building your house, things will get more complicated as you get more and varied tasks to complete.”
- “There is a solid idea behind the safe house, but unfortunately it is marred by gameplay that quickly wears out its welcome.”
- “The task-based reward amount really should be varied to reflect the length of time it takes to complete the task. The infirmary and bomb-making tasks are very time-consuming, while the receiving and interrogation tasks are very brief. Since trying to complete as many as possible in the allotted time is the main game mechanic motivating the mini-games to be worth playing, it is important that you get a much larger proportional reward for completing much more time-consuming tasks.”
- “Gameplay feels very slow.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the stylized soundtrack reminiscent of classic Bond themes, others find it repetitive and overshadowed by long stretches of silence. Many users prefer the ambient environmental sounds over the music, indicating that the overall audio experience may not meet expectations.
- “I do like the stylized artwork and I really like the soundtrack.”
- “There's something about just turning off the music in this game and listening to the ambient environmental effects.”
- “It gives me no pleasure to say that apart from the soundtrack, this game was an utter letdown.”
- “There is one major music track you'll hear over and over, and many parts of the game are scored by silence or near silence.”
- “If you like simplistic old Bond-style music.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs leading to unregistered clicks and an overall feeling of being unfinished. Players find the experience frustrating and dull due to these persistent technical problems.
- “This game is buggy and just outright boring to play.”
- “The game feels unfinished and buggy.”
- “Buggy, clicks don't register.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of *Evil Genius 2* feature a stylized art style that complements its mid-century spy thriller theme, though some users find the visuals to be unattractive and the controls unintuitive. Overall, the aesthetic is appreciated, but it may not appeal to everyone.
- “I do like the stylized artwork, and I really like the soundtrack.”
- “Ugly graphics and unintuitive escape controls.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game offers significant replayability through multiple endings based on player choices, encouraging players to experience different outcomes. However, design flaws and errors may limit the overall enjoyment and willingness to replay beyond a couple of times.
- “I played the entire game through twice, making different decisions in order to experience different endings; it retained that much replayability.”
- “I played the entire game through twice, making different decisions in order to experience different endings; it retained that much replayability, but some design flaws and errors made that the most I could bring myself to play.”
- “After finishing the game once, I found little incentive to go back. The choices felt superficial, and the endings didn't vary enough to warrant another playthrough.”
- “While the game offers multiple paths, the lack of meaningful differences in gameplay mechanics made replaying it feel tedious rather than exciting.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the game's unique approach but find the grinding aspect tedious and repetitive, leading to frustration and limiting enjoyment to only a few play-throughs due to various technical issues.
- “In all, I found the game worth playing for a while as someone who wanted a different kind of game than what seems ubiquitously out there. However, game errors, interface, and coding issues ultimately made the game only enjoyable for a couple of playthroughs before it became too tedious, repetitive, and frustrating to continue.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “After a few hours, the repetitive tasks started to feel like a chore rather than fun gameplay.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by dry wit and random events, which, while not as engaging as the humor in "Papers, Please," still contribute to an interesting exploration of morality within a stereotypical communist Russia setting.
- “It really is a shame, I had been waiting for this game for a year. It promised to be close to 'Papers, Please,' which is a fantastic game with a stereotypical communist Russia setting. The dry humor, random events, and the thought of the morality of your actions help keep it interesting.”