Safe House
- May 22, 2018
- Labs Games
Get on Steam"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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique 'retro-noire' aesthetic and impressive sound design that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers a variety of mini-games and tasks that provide a refreshing change from typical gameplay, with good replayability due to multiple endings.
- Players can enjoy building and managing their safe house, which adds a layer of strategy and engagement to the gameplay.
- The game suffers from numerous design flaws, including a clunky interface, slow camera movement, and frustrating controls that hinder the overall experience.
- Many players find the gameplay repetitive and boring, with tasks lacking meaningful consequences or depth.
- There are significant technical issues, such as bugs, poor graphics, and a lack of developer support, which detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- story20 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story serves as a backdrop for a series of mini-games involving operatives on missions, where success depends on their skills and mission difficulty. While the narrative has potential, many players find it underwhelming and poorly integrated, as it often fails to provide meaningful progression or engagement, leaving them feeling confused and disappointed. Additionally, the inconsistent use of pronouns for characters detracts from the overall experience.
“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.”
“There is some element of 'story' to it and you can even send operatives (spies and spec-ops soldiers) out into the field to do missions and they may fail or pass depending on their skills and the mission difficulty.”
“Put as simply as possible, it is really a collection of mini-games of varying simplicity, packaged in a storyline.”
“You get no information from them, no advancement in the story...just some money to buy another room so you can play a different version of the same mini-game.”
“The story was really what I was hoping to be its saving grace, but it immediately failed to interest me.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its engaging retro-noire setting and variety, which keeps players interested. However, there are concerns about the reward system, as it should better reflect the time investment required for different tasks. While some bugs exist, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience, making it a recommendable game for a few hours of play.
“I love a game that is set in that whole 'retro-noir' genre; and enough variety in the gameplay to keep you interested.”
“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.”
“Some bugs, but they don't destroy gameplay.”
“It's a simple game, but I can recommend it for a few hours of gameplay.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players often prefer to turn off the game's music to fully appreciate the ambient environmental sounds, suggesting that the natural audio design enhances the overall experience more than the music itself.
“There's something about just turning off the music in this game and listening to the ambient environmental effects.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, allowing players to explore different endings through varied decision-making. However, some design flaws and errors may limit the overall enjoyment and willingness to replay it multiple times.
“I played the entire game through twice, making different decisions in order to experience different endings; it retained that much replayability.”
“The game offers a variety of choices that significantly impact the story, encouraging multiple playthroughs to explore all the possibilities.”
“With numerous branching paths and character interactions, each playthrough feels fresh and engaging, making you want to dive back in.”
“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.”
“The game has some replayability, but after a couple of playthroughs, the lack of meaningful choices and the repetitive gameplay made it feel stale.”
“While I enjoyed the different endings, the overall experience felt too similar on each playthrough, which diminished the replayability factor for me.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's unique approach but find the grinding aspect tedious and repetitive, often leading to frustration due to various technical issues. While it offers an interesting experience initially, many feel it becomes unenjoyable after a few play-throughs.
“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.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics have been widely criticized for being unattractive, and players have also noted that the controls, particularly the escape function, are not user-friendly.
“The graphics are ugly and the controls are unintuitive.”
“The graphics are ugly and the controls are unintuitive.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized as dry and subtle, reminiscent of "Papers, Please," and is complemented by random events that engage players in moral dilemmas, adding depth to the experience. While some players had high expectations, the humor's effectiveness in maintaining interest is noted positively.
“The game's dry humor, random events, and the thought of the morality of your actions help keep it interesting.”
“The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the narrative, making every decision feel both impactful and amusing.”
“I love how the game balances serious themes with lighthearted humor, creating a unique and engaging experience.”
