Sagebrush

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 367 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.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 367 reviews
story106 positive mentions
optimization6 negative mentions
  • Sagebrush offers a compelling narrative that effectively explores the dark themes of cults and their impact on individuals, creating an immersive experience.
  • The lo-fi aesthetic and atmospheric sound design contribute to a heavy sense of unease, enhancing the overall storytelling.
  • 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 the cult leader, is often criticized as lacking depth and professionalism, which detracts from the immersion.
  • Some players found the gameplay to be overly simplistic, with linear key-fetching mechanics that can feel repetitive and predictable.
  • The darkness in certain areas can make navigation frustrating, leading to moments where players may feel lost or hindered in their exploration.
  • story317 mentions

    The story of Sagebrush is a compelling exploration of a fictional cult, drawing inspiration from real-life events and effectively utilizing environmental storytelling to engage players. While some reviewers noted its predictability and reliance on familiar tropes, many praised its immersive atmosphere, emotional depth, and the way it unfolds through exploration and discovery. Overall, the narrative is described as gripping and well-executed, making it a standout feature of the game despite some technical and design flaws.

    • “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 wonderful game with a story that will have you hooked until the very end.”
    • “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.”
    • “The ending also goes on way too long, with a backstory dump that doesn't add anything, since that's the point of the game and it tells us nothing that couldn't be inferred already.”
    • “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.”
  • graphics144 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a lo-fi, low-poly aesthetic reminiscent of PS1-era titles, which many players find charming and atmospheric, enhancing the overall immersion and mood. While some critiques mention the visuals can be unclear or amateurish, the retro style effectively complements the game's dark themes and storytelling, making it a nostalgic experience for fans of pixelated graphics. Overall, the graphics serve the narrative well, though opinions vary on their appeal and execution.

    • “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.”
    • “It uses lo-fi, 32-bit era pixel visuals to great effect to convey the bleakness of the story.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere125 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its heavy, unsettling quality, effectively immersing players in a world reminiscent of real-life cults and psychological horror. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create tension and paranoia through minimalistic sound design, haunting visuals, and environmental storytelling, making it a compelling experience without relying on jump scares. Overall, the atmosphere is described as deeply engaging, eerie, and impactful, contributing significantly to the narrative and emotional weight of the game.

    • “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.”
    • “I really enjoyed this game - it's a wonderful, atmospheric game that really encourages immersion and speculation about what happened at the compound.”
    • “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.”
    • “A deeply unsettling story with a tense and unsettling atmosphere.”
    • “While never outright horror, the game develops and maintains a lonely, disturbing atmosphere, and a central mystery that will carry you to the end.”
  • gameplay63 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 have noted the linear and simplistic nature of the gameplay, which consists mainly of key-fetching tasks and minor puzzles, leading to a short overall experience of about two hours. While the atmosphere and story are praised, many reviewers feel that the gameplay lacks depth and polish, making it less engaging.

    • “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' in 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.”
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with a moody soundtrack that evolves in intensity and effectively builds tension throughout the experience. While some players noted a lack of music in certain areas, the strategic use of silence and haunting soundscapes contributed to a chilling ambiance that left a lasting impression. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many expressing a desire to listen to it outside of the game.

    • “The moody soundtrack that changes in intensity the further you go keeps you wired to the end.”
    • “The music is decent and in certain moments it really creeped me out to the point where I had chills running down my spine, which is impressive considering most indie horror games throw a bunch of jumpscares at you, but this 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.”
  • emotional20 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is deeply impactful, with a narrative that evokes strong feelings and explores complex themes without offering easy answers. Players report a haunting experience that elicits empathy for both main 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, making it a standout in its genre.

    • “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.”
  • optimization18 mentions

    The optimization of the game is lacking, with poor audio quality and minimal asset design detracting from the overall experience. While the main voice performance is praised as one of the best in indie games, other voice roles are described as lackluster, and the controls could benefit from better optimization. Overall, the game's presentation feels "lo-fi" and underdeveloped.

    • “This was honestly one of the best performances that I've ever heard in an indie game - and considering that I've played many hundreds of them, that probably means something.”
    • “Her weary, authentic delivery is truly the highlight of this game... I don't think I would have bothered finishing if not for her performance.”
    • “There is no cursor, and the controls could be optimized better (I did not play with a controller, though).”
    • “"lo-fi" doesn't even begin to describe the rest of the presentation with very lackluster voice performances by pretty much every other role and the absolute bare minimum of asset and level design.”
    • “Funnily enough, it's the developer himself, and his performance is the weakest in every way.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with many players expressing little desire to revisit the story. However, the engaging environment and art style encourage exploration, making it appealing for casual revisits.

    • “Replayability-wise, I don't think I would go through the story again, but I would definitely like to just kind of go in and walk around the environment because I think it's really interesting, and I enjoy the art style.”
    • “Replayability-wise, I don't think I would go through the story again, but I would definitely like to just kind of go in and walk around the environment because I think it's really interesting, and like I said, I enjoy the art style.”
    • “[Insanely short, linear gameplay, no replayability]”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy Sagebrush

Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2hMain story
2hCompletionist
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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