Schastye
- August 27, 2020
- Garage_Heathen
Get on Steam"Schastye" is a single-player Horror Interactive Fiction game, set in 2004 Nizhnewartovsk, Russia. The game takes you through the story of a car mechanic, with a good plot inspired by Lovecraft and Castaneda. It features an atmosphere of the early Russian 00s, unique music, and localization in English, German, and Russian.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The story and environment are interesting, providing a unique narrative experience.
- The game has a compelling atmosphere and intriguing lore, especially for fans of the Garage Heathen multiverse.
- It's a short, cheap experience that can be enjoyable for those who appreciate unconventional storytelling.
- The typing mechanic is cumbersome and can lead to physical discomfort, making the gameplay tedious.
- The game can feel boring and repetitive, with many players finding it lacks engaging gameplay elements.
- Technical issues, such as crashes and lack of autosave, can disrupt the experience and lead to frustration.
- story202 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as an interesting, albeit short, narrative that explores themes of spirituality and existentialism, often drawing comparisons to Lovecraftian elements. However, the gameplay mechanic of typing out the story by mashing keys has been criticized for being tedious and detracting from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about the story's engagement and depth. While some players found the narrative captivating and immersive, others felt it was overshadowed by the monotonous typing requirement, resulting in a lack of investment in the plot.
“The story captivated me and I almost disappeared alongside the main character in the game.”
“This is exclusively a story game, but nonetheless I still recommend it because of the amazing design and story writing.”
“The pixelated art is beautiful and the sounds of the game put you in a perfect ambience for what is the main mechanics: looking at the computer screen and reading a story about hallucinogens and existence.”
“This might genuinely be the most boring and bad game I've ever played; all you do is sit there and spam buttons on your keyboard and watch a story get written on the computer.”
“The story is too boring to actually be followed and half of the time feels incredibly AI-generated and pretentious.”
“I didn't even read the whole thing because the pain and the boredom ended up winning, so I don't know, maybe the story the developer is trying to tell is actually a masterpiece or something, but it's behind such a stupid and annoying mechanic that it is not worth it.”
- gameplay72 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is primarily centered around a typing mechanic that requires players to mash random keys to progress through the story, which many find tedious and cumbersome. While the narrative and atmosphere are praised, the execution of the typing mechanic detracts significantly from the overall experience, leading to physical discomfort and frustration. Overall, the gameplay is seen as lacking depth and could benefit from more efficient interaction methods.
“The core gameplay of the game is sitting down at a singular desktop and 'typing' a story.”
“The pixelated art is beautiful and the sounds of the game put you in a perfect ambience for what is the main mechanics: looking at the computer screen and reading a story about hallucinogens and existence.”
“I would recommend for anybody looking for a quick and interesting story; if you're looking for something with dynamic gameplay, it may not be for you though.”
“I didn't even read the whole thing because the pain and the boredom ended up winning, so I don't know, maybe the story the developer is trying to tell is actually a masterpiece or something, but it's behind such a stupid and annoying mechanic that it is not worth it.”
“Very cool concept, yet exceedingly poor execution on the most vital part of the gameplay... you just keep keyboard smashing for literally 10-15 minutes straight while each key struck progresses the text on screen like you're 'typing'.”
“However, Schastye could have just as easily been a film or a book, and the primary reason for that is the infernal gameplay, which boils down to mindless mashing of keys.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the pixel art style and atmospheric changes throughout the day/night cycle. While some players appreciate the unique aesthetic reminiscent of early 2000s games, others criticize aspects like blurriness and overall quality. Despite the visual appeal, some reviewers felt that the graphics were not enough to compensate for the game's shortcomings in gameplay.
“I really love the graphics and audio changes in the day/night/progression cycle of the environment around you.”
“The core idea behind the game is brilliant, and I love the graphics and the space in the apartment.”
“Mixing the exploration of the sensorial and the experimental, 'schastye', aims at the balance between the terror of spiritual/existential awareness with the wonder of spiritual/existential awareness, using a pixelated and dithering aesthetic, something like a revival or 'lost game' from the PSX era or early 2000s PC games.”
“This was the most exhausting visual novel I've ever played; moving on, the graphics were just bad, but I did genuinely think the story was pretty decent.”
“I personally did not like the blurry art style; however, the developer has a weird art style in all his visual novels, so I cannot fault that as it is personal preference.”
“Very interesting story and art style, but gameplay is boring.”
- atmosphere24 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting its captivating worldbuilding and calming soundscapes. While the graphics and mood are considered strong points, some players feel that the typing mechanic detracts from the overall experience, making the gameplay feel mechanically tedious despite the engaging narrative. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that enhances the indie game's appeal, especially when experienced with headphones.
“Lovely atmosphere, fascinating worldbuilding in the garage heathen universe.”
“First of all, this game nails the mood and atmosphere instantly.”
“It seemed like an interesting game at first; the graphics and the atmosphere seemed cool, but sadly that's all there is to this game, at least for me.”
“The game is indeed mostly about reading a short story (there's some minor interactions elsewhere in the virtual rooms that add to the atmosphere) which you manifest by fake typing.”
“Also the suddenly music that starts as if it were a Sunday afternoon in a square, orange sky, the atmosphere is calm, I can breathe.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players overwhelmingly find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and exhausting, often leading to physical discomfort such as wrist pain. This repetitive gameplay detracts from the overall experience, overshadowing the game's otherwise engaging story.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It isn't fun; it's tedious, and I ended up with pain in my wrist.”
“Wish it didn't make my hand cramp up a minute into playing as the gameplay gets tedious very fast.”
“It is so tedious it takes you out of the actually good story because you just want all the spamming to be done.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its ability to create a serene and immersive atmosphere, reminiscent of a calm Sunday afternoon. Players feel a strong connection to the environment, with the music enhancing the realism of the experience, even during moments of silence. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's emotional depth and ambiance.
“This universe felt so real; even when the music stopped and I didn't hear the kids anymore, I felt strange. But seconds later, the rain starts. That's so real. I don't know, whoever made this game did a good job.”
“The suddenly music that starts as if it were a Sunday afternoon in a square, orange sky, the atmosphere is calm, I can breathe.”
“This universe felt so real, like, even when the music stopped and I didn't hear the kids anymore I felt strange, but seconds later the rain starts, that's so real, I don't know, whoever made this game did a good job.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as a key feature, with users consistently describing it as a "funny typing game," suggesting that the comedic elements are effectively integrated into the gameplay experience.
“This is a hilarious typing game that keeps you entertained!”
“I can't stop laughing while playing this funny typing game!”
“The humor in this typing game is top-notch and makes it so enjoyable!”
