Sagebrush

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 181 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
Sagebrush Game Cover
Sagebrush delivers on an interesting plot that draws you into the game. However, the gameplay is not quite enough to carry the rest of the game. It’s short length and limited gameplay options cut a bit into what was an overall positive experience. I just wish that there was a bit more to experience.
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"Sagebrush" is a single-player Horror Role Playing game with a fabulous story and exceptional visuals. You explore the abandoned Black Sage Ranch, former home of Perfect Heaven, a Millenialist cult that committed mass suicide. Inspired by real-world apocalyptic cults, the game offers a complex and immersive 3D world to investigate, shedding light on the diverse and varied hopes and fears of the cult members.

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Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 181 reviews
story52 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • Sagebrush offers a compelling narrative experience that effectively explores the dark themes surrounding cults, drawing players into its unsettling atmosphere.
  • The lo-fi aesthetic and sound design contribute to a haunting ambiance, enhancing the overall immersion and emotional impact of the story.
  • The game is concise, with a playtime of around 1.5 to 2 hours, making it a perfect choice for those looking for a short yet engaging experience.
  • The voice acting, particularly for some supporting characters, is inconsistent and can detract from the overall immersion of the game.
  • The gameplay can feel overly simplistic, relying heavily on key-fetching mechanics that may lead to predictability and a lack of challenge.
  • Some players may find the darkness in certain areas frustrating, as it can hinder navigation and exploration, making it difficult to progress.
  • story157 mentions

    The game's story is a compelling exploration of a fictional cult, effectively conveyed through environmental storytelling, notes, and audio recordings. While it features engaging themes and a haunting atmosphere, some players found the narrative predictable and reliant on familiar cult tropes, leading to mixed feelings about its originality. Overall, the story is praised for its emotional depth and immersive quality, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “The story was creepy and engaging enough to stand out in the hordes of relatively short walking simulator games out there, and how it executes its plot was very well done in my opinion, especially with its use of implication.”
    • “A well-told story about a doomsday cult and what they do to people who become a part of them.”
    • “It's a game with a story that is very much worth experiencing and everything inside of it works together beautifully to create an unforgettable experience.”
    • “While I'd still recommend it especially on a sale price, the main interest in this style of a game, the story, is pretty predictable and generic if you're familiar with its subject matter.”
    • “As a result, the story ultimately (and very unfortunately) fails to provide any new insights to players who have already experienced or at least read about these things.”
    • “The story needed more depth.”
  • graphics71 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming lo-fi aesthetic reminiscent of PS1-era visuals, which some players find enhances the atmospheric and narrative experience. While the low-poly, pixelated style may not appeal to everyone, many reviewers appreciate how it complements the game's themes and storytelling, creating an immersive environment despite some critiques regarding clarity and polish. Overall, the retro graphics are seen as a fitting choice that adds to the game's eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

    • “Amazing walking sim with some simple puzzles, great atmospheric graphics, and a story that far exceeded my expectations.”
    • “The graphics, the atmosphere, the story, the voice acting, the sound design, all amazing and pretty immersive.”
    • “The game has a unique, pixelated graphical style which added to the deserted quality of the location.”
    • “Graphics look like games from decades ago.”
    • “The large pixels for graphics in the game made it somewhat unclear what I was looking at and trying to activate.”
    • “Incredibly short, terrible graphics, but fascinating look at cults.”
  • atmosphere62 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its dark, immersive quality, effectively creating a sense of unease and tension without relying on jump scares. Players appreciate the combination of haunting sound design, retro graphics, and environmental storytelling, which together enhance the unsettling experience of exploring a narrative centered around a cult. Overall, the game is recognized for its ability to evoke strong emotions and maintain a gripping atmosphere throughout its short playtime.

    • “The atmosphere of this game is...heavy.”
    • “The atmosphere varies from a sense of near-tranquility accented by the unshakable feeling that *something* isn't right, to the sense of awful realization once you piece everything together.”
    • “The sound design is great and helps create a really unsettling atmosphere that makes you always look behind you because it feels like someone is always following you.”
    • “While never outright horror, the game develops and maintains a lonely, disturbing atmosphere, and a central mystery that will carry you to the end.”
  • gameplay30 mentions

    The gameplay in Sagebrush is primarily a walking simulator with minimal interaction, focusing on exploration and narrative through reading notes and listening to audio recordings. Players often find the mechanics simplistic, involving key-fetching and minor puzzles, which can lead to frustrations such as character navigation issues and a lack of depth. While the short gameplay experience (around 2 hours) allows for a quick engagement with the story, it may leave some players wanting more in terms of gameplay complexity and challenge.

    • “I cannot stress how much this has stuck with me since the handful of times I've already played it, just enough gameplay of finding items and fitting things together, but ultimately it's the story, and wow, what a story!”
    • “Sagebrush is a walking simulator with some minor puzzles sprinkled in; as such, this venture is much less about any mechanical depth and is alternatively more concerned with its retro aesthetic influencing its dark atmosphere and slowly drip-feeding the narrative.”
    • “While Sagebrush lacks the inventiveness and innovation that made some of David Szymanski's walking sims so memorable, its gameplay never gets in the way and lets you appreciate its masterful pacing.”
    • “There is very little 'gameplay' to Sagebrush, with much of what you do consisting of going from one location to the next, reading notes, journal entries, and diaries left behind by the residents who no longer live there.”
    • “The gameplay needed a lot more depth.”
    • “Let's talk about the gameplay, which consists of a fairly linear sequence of 'finding a key that opens access to an area where you find the next key', with a few inventory puzzles and a number lock thrown in.”
  • music14 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with a standout soundtrack that players would enjoy outside of the game. The judicious use of haunting and moody soundscapes effectively builds tension and creates a chilling ambiance, often relying on silence to amplify the horror experience. While some found the music decent but not groundbreaking, many agreed that it significantly contributes to the game's unsettling and immersive environment.

    • “The soundtrack is killer, and the moody soundtrack that changes in intensity the further you go keeps you wired to the end.”
    • “Sound and music are great; they definitely add a lot to the setting and atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The music creates a chilling atmosphere just by the notes you read and unsettling music and audio design.”
    • “The lack of music outside of some haunting records playing in a couple of rooms, and atmospheric music during key moments is a really smart choice as the silence is more haunting than any soundtrack could be, especially as you consider the events that took place on the land you walk on.”
    • “This game kept me perpetually on edge, with its isolating lo-fi graphics, paranoid sound design, and judicious use of music.”
    • “Accompanying the visuals, the soundscapes and music add to the setting in a way that builds tension.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is deeply impactful, with a narrative that evokes strong feelings and explores complex themes without offering easy resolutions. Players report a haunting experience as they connect with both the main story and side characters, despite some critiques of the writing and voice acting. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to create a profound emotional journey, effectively capturing the weight of its dark subject matter.

    • “Despite touching such a complex subject, it avoids giving easy answers and simple motives.”
    • “Even some of the side characters I felt for, but knowing what happens to them makes it heartbreaking.”
    • “The plot is dark and honestly quite emotional as you learn more about the compound and the cult.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    The optimization of the game is mixed; while the main voice acting performance is praised as one of the best in indie games, other voice roles suffer from poor quality and lackluster delivery. Additionally, the overall presentation is described as minimalistic, with issues such as the absence of a cursor and subpar control optimization noted.

    • “Voice acting was overall decent, the girl was believable and had an otherwise decent performance but audio quality wasn't the best, and good lord the so-called charismatic cult leader was the opposite.”
    • “Funnily enough, it's the developer himself, and his performance is the weakest in every way.”
    • “There is no cursor, and the controls could be optimized better (I did not play with a controller, though).”
  • replayability1 mentions

    While the story may not entice players to replay it, the game's captivating environment and art style encourage exploration, making it enjoyable to revisit for casual wandering.

    • “The game offers so many different paths and choices that I can see myself playing through it multiple times to experience everything.”
    • “With various character builds and strategies, each playthrough feels fresh and exciting, making me want to dive back in again and again.”
    • “Replayability-wise, I don't think I would go through the story again, but I would definitely like to just walk around the environment because I find it really interesting. I enjoy the art style.”
    • “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay or story on subsequent playthroughs, making it feel repetitive and less engaging.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to replay it, as the side quests and additional content don't offer much variety.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2hMain story
2hCompletionist
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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