Scorch

About

Scorch is a single player casual simulation game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by NeoTalon and was released on August 15, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

It's been 30 years since a terrible arson attack erased an entire family. Until today the culprit has been on the loose. You are sent to investigate a similar incident in this narrative exploration game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 224 reviews

story36 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Engaging short detective mystery with a good storyline and relaxing atmosphere, suitable for a quick 20-30 minute play session.
Beautiful art style and graphics, with well-done ambient sounds and music that enhance the immersive experience.
Free to play with minimal bugs, offering a cohesive gameplay mechanic of collecting and arranging evidence to solve the case.

Very short gameplay length with limited replayability since the ending does not significantly change regardless of choices.
Voice acting is often described as monotone, stiff, or lacking emotion, reducing immersion in the narrative.
The evidence-linking mechanic at the end can be confusing and unintuitive, with minimal feedback on correct answers and poor control responsiveness.

story
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The story is generally described as short and somewhat simplistic, offering a relaxing and intriguing whodunit experience with a decent plot and atmosphere. While many appreciate its cohesiveness and engaging mystery, several note it lacks depth, complexity, and emotional impact, feeling too brief and underdeveloped for greater immersion or replayability. Overall, it's seen as an enjoyable but limited narrative suitable for a brief, casual game.
- “The story draws you in as you piece the clues together, which makes for an intriguing detective experience.”
- “The plot is surprisingly complex for something this size, with an ending that I failed to guess because I fell for a red herring.”
- “Honestly the game was impressive and even though short, it told an amazing story that really connected well with the audience. I am hoping to see more from these developers in the future.”
- “The world building wasn't big enough, there was no story, and at the end you just kind of throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.”
- “It is so short it can't be called "a game", "a story" or "a narrative" by any standard.”
- “Sometimes it won't let you pick up evidence, doors open and go through walls, the story is pretty underwritten and completely uninteresting, the dialogue was more funny than dramatic, and the voice acting was pretty bad.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
38%
7%
The game's graphics feature a simple, low-poly, and cartoony art style that is consistently described as charming, smooth, and visually appealing, though not highly detailed or technically impressive. Many praise the aesthetic and lighting for creating a relaxing and immersive atmosphere, with some comparisons to similar narrative games like Firewatch. However, performance issues and basic visuals led a few users to find the graphics only adequate rather than outstanding.
- “The visuals, although not extremely detailed, give off a nice smooth look that's easy on the eyes and prove that simplistic art styles can also be beneficial.”
- “The graphics alone remind me of the popular game 'Firewatch', another narrative walking simulator that's coincidentally also about fire.”
- “All tho the graphics are very simple, the art style and lighting are very beautiful and the story is very good.”
- “It has low-poly graphics, and pretty decent voice-acting.”
- “Easy to navigate; basic "sims-like" graphics.”
- “The game runs like hot garbage even at the lowest graphical setting on my i5. I got between 10 and 30 fps max. It's so hard to see more than 6 feet in front of you that I missed most of the objects in the game.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The gameplay is centered on a narrative-driven detective experience with cohesive mechanics and an enjoyable mystery-solving structure, suitable for a short 25-30 minute session. While praised for its concept and polish, it suffers from limited replayability, minimal player agency, stiff voice acting, and a lack of depth that prevents sustained immersion beyond an initial playthrough. Overall, it’s a well-executed free game with potential if expanded further.
- “An interesting short game with good gameplay mechanics that feel very cohesive with the story. I like that the game gives you an ending even if you don't make all the matches correctly while solving the puzzle.”
- “It features elements of mystery that work well with the detective-style gameplay.”
- “The game mastered the detective gameplay!”
- “If it weren't for problems with the mechanics and a misstep in the final reveal, I would be recommending this title.”
- “Overall, it is a free to play short murder mystery with a few 'red herrings' where if the case is incorrectly solved it leads to replays, but I found it difficult to get immersed into Scorch because of the voice acting and the one-directional gameplay that gave minimal character choices for solving the case.”
- “So, it is a good polished demo, done well, but after 20-40 min of gameplay you are done with it forever - there is nothing more to do.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calm, relaxing piano melodies and atmospheric sound design that enhance the overall mood and tension. While the voice acting receives mixed reviews, the soundtrack effectively supports the game's ambiance and storytelling, making it a strong point especially for a free, hobby project.
- “The music is a calm piano melody played throughout the entire game, giving the relaxed mood even more emphasis.”
- “The music and the atmosphere in the game, including the final cutscene, are perfectly executed.”
- “The music puts all the tension into the game, and it does so very well.”
- “The music, sound design, and voice acting aren't great, but given it's a free game I find it's okay to give a pass on finite details like this if this is a hobby project.”
- “Music stopped when I picked up the newspaper.”
- “(mostly for the music, but still)”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The game's replayability is generally considered minimal to nonexistent, as the core story and outcome remain the same each playthrough, limiting motivation to revisit it. Although some players note brief interest in exploring different dialogue or evidence orders, the single-chance scenario and lack of varied endings significantly reduce replay value. Overall, replayability is limited despite the game's short, engaging experience.
- “I will say there is a big replay value.”
- “I really liked the design and gameplay, was decently paced, playtime is around 25-30 min, replayability is minimal unless you want to go through and piece the evidence in different orders for different bits of dialog at the end.”
- “Absolutely zero replayability after ~30 min of core gameplay (maybe you will try once more to blame another suspect but what for - you are told everything in the end of the first run no matter how you handle the investigation).”
- “I realize this one chance scenario plays into the storyline, but it severely limits replayability.”
- “If this game was replayable (which it isn't, it's always the same murderer), maybe by adding more levels or by changing the murderer each try.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its beautiful visuals, lovely music, and immersive sounds that create a slow-paced, engaging experience reminiscent of titles like Firewatch and Gone Home. Despite its short length, players find the ambiance compelling and well-executed, enhancing both the storytelling and problem-solving elements.
- “It looks pretty, the atmospheric sounds and background music are lovely, and the voice acting is decent.”
- “The atmosphere of the game seems to take some inspiration from other popular narratives; Firewatch and Gone Home come to my mind as clear influencers in this game's design.”
- “The music and the atmosphere in the game and even the cutscene when you get to the end is just perfectly executed.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game is praised for its stability, with users reporting no glitches, bugs, or game-breaking issues. Movement and interactivity are responsive, allowing for a smooth and uninterrupted gameplay experience.
- “I personally experienced no glitches at all.”
- “No glitches or other issues on my playthrough.”
- “At least it's bug free, so the game can be completed without being broken.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game largely stems from its poorly executed voice acting and dialogue, which players find unintentionally funny rather than genuinely comedic. The writing is underwhelming, making the humor feel more like a byproduct of flaws than intentional wit.
- “The voice acting is hilarious if you're playing in English.”
- “The voice acting was humorous, to say the least.”
- “The dialogue was more funny than dramatic.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its monotonous voice acting, which fails to convey the intended emotions and diminishes immersion in the characters and story.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization is noted for its solid performance, ensuring smooth gameplay and efficient resource management.