Scorch

About

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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 223 reviews

story34 positive mentions

The game offers a short and enjoyable detective experience, perfect for filling 20 to 40 minutes of free time.
The graphics are visually appealing with a nice art style, and the voice acting is decent for a free indie title.
The gameplay mechanics of collecting evidence and piecing together the mystery are engaging, making it a fun little mystery to solve.

The game is very short with minimal replayability, as the outcome remains the same regardless of the player's choices during the final questioning.
The voice acting can feel monotonous and lacks emotional depth, which detracts from the overall immersion of the story.
The final evidence linking mechanic can be confusing, leading to frustration when players fail to answer correctly without clear feedback.

story
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
46%
4%
The story of the game is generally viewed as intriguing and well-structured, though many players feel it is too short and lacks depth, with some describing it as a simplistic whodunit. While the atmosphere and world-building are appreciated, several reviews highlight a desire for more complex character development and plot progression. Overall, the narrative is engaging but could benefit from further elaboration and replayability.
- “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.”
- “It's a whodunnit with only two suspects but a sufficient amount of evidence to collect against both of them, and the story is certainly engaging enough.”
- “It feels like a free 30-minute version of 'Firewatch' except far less story quality and depth.”
- “Most of the story is not just hidden, but completely absent.”
- “The story is so short it can't be called 'a game', 'a story', or 'a narrative' by any standard.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
40%
7%
The graphics of the game are generally described as low-poly and simplistic, yet visually appealing, with a charming art style that evokes comparisons to titles like *Firewatch*. While some players appreciate the smooth aesthetics and beautiful visuals, others find the graphics to be just okay, with performance issues reported on lower-end systems. Overall, the art style is well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite its lack of intricate detail.
- “The graphics alone remind me of the popular game 'Firewatch', another narrative walking simulator that's coincidentally also about fire.”
- “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.”
- “Love the visuals, they're gorgeous.”
- “The game runs like hot garbage even at the lowest graphical setting on my i5; I got between 10 and 30 fps max. The story is meh, and it's so hard to see more than 6 feet in front of you that I missed most of the objects in the game.”
- “The graphics are just okay.”
- “The visuals are okay and the voice work is unimpressive and uninspired.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The gameplay of "scorch" is primarily narrative-driven, featuring a cohesive blend of story and mechanics that enhance the detective experience. While the game offers a decent pace and enjoyable elements, it suffers from minimal replayability and issues with voice acting, which detracts from immersion. Overall, it is a polished, short murder mystery that could benefit from expanded gameplay options to enhance its potential as a full-fledged title.
- “An interesting short game with some good gameplay mechanics that feel very cohesive with the story of the game. I like the fact that the game gives you an ending even if you don't make all the matches correctly while solving the puzzle.”
- “The game mastered the detective gameplay!”
- “Great gameplay and concept.”
- “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.”
- “Absolutely zero replayability after ~30 minutes 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).”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game is generally praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, with a consistent piano melody that enhances the overall mood. While some reviews note that the voice acting and sound design are average, the soundtrack effectively contributes to the game's immersive experience, creating a unique setting that complements the narrative. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, adding depth and tension to the gameplay.
- “The music is also nice; a calm melody from a piano is played pretty much throughout the entire game and gives a relaxed mood even more emphasis.”
- “The music and the atmosphere in the game, and even the cutscene when you get to the end, is just perfectly executed.”
- “Its a calm and relaxing game; it's got a good bit of story, and the music and theme feel very well done.”
- “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.”
- “The music stopped when I picked up the newspaper.”
- “Voice and music.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its minimal replayability, with many players noting that the experience is largely the same after the initial playthrough. While some elements, like different dialog options, offer slight variations, the lack of achievements, changing scenarios, or significant gameplay differences means that most players find little incentive to replay. Despite being a free game, the consensus is that it offers limited value for repeated play.
- “I will say there is a big replay value.”
- “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.”
- “While it is a free game and this shouldn't be expected, replayability and render distance were the biggest things I found wrong.”
- “I finished the game in around half an hour and it doesn't have much replay value.”
- “I realize this one chance scenario plays into the storyline, but it severely limits replayability.”
- “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).”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, lovely atmospheric sounds, and decent voice acting, creating an immersive experience reminiscent of titles like Firewatch and Gone Home. Players appreciate the combination of music and environmental design, which enhances the narrative and problem-solving elements, making it a captivating short walking simulator. Overall, the atmosphere is described as cute, engaging, and effectively executed, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The atmosphere is lovely, and you find yourself actually interested in solving the case.”
- “The music and the atmosphere in the game, and even the cutscene when you get to the end, is just perfectly executed.”
- “The atmosphere of the game seems to take some inspiration from other popular narratives; Firewatch and Gone Home come to my mind as clear influences in this game's design.”
- “The music and the atmosphere in the game, including the cutscene at the end, is just perfectly executed.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
Overall, players report a stable experience with no significant glitches or bugs, allowing for smooth gameplay and responsive interactivity. The game is described as bug-free, ensuring that it can be completed without any major issues.
- “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 primarily stems from the voice acting, which many players find to be unintentionally hilarious, especially in the English version. However, the overall narrative and dialogue are often criticized for being underwritten and uninteresting, with the humor overshadowing any dramatic elements.
- “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%
Reviewers noted a significant lack of emotional depth in the voice acting, with a monotonous delivery that undermined the intended emotional impact of the script. This diminished the overall immersion in the characters and the story.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report occasional frame rate drops and stuttering during intense gameplay. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be satisfactory but may require further improvements for a consistently seamless experience.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making it accessible for a wider range of players.”
- “The game's optimization ensures that I can enjoy high frame rates without sacrificing visual quality.”
- “The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
- “The optimization is so bad that loading times are excessively long, making it hard to stay engaged.”