Seraphim Slum

About

"The slums are rotting. You are spilling out." Ezekiel has moved into the slums. She finds herself enamored with its inhabitants: three girls, in particular. Befriend a girl, fall in love, and break them by awakening them. Teach them to go against their mental constraints, to fight back against their oppressors. Push them over the edge. It's not a matter of if they fall... but how t…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews

story13 positive mentions

The game features stunning art and voice acting, creating a beautiful and eerie atmosphere that enhances the storytelling.
The writing is deeply engaging, with rich themes of love, sin, and spirituality, making it a memorable experience.
It offers a unique gameplay mechanic where choices can lead to different routes and endings, encouraging replayability.

Some players found the philosophical concepts superficial and the character interactions lacking depth, making it hard to stay invested in the narrative.
The intentional game crashes as a mechanic can be frustrating and may confuse players who mistake them for bugs.
The art style received mixed reviews, with some sprites appearing rough compared to the otherwise beautiful event CGs.

story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
12%
The game's story is widely praised for its captivating and hauntingly beautiful narrative, rich in philosophical themes and emotional depth, particularly in its portrayal of love and horror. Players appreciate the unique art style and voice acting, which enhance the storytelling experience, while some find the philosophical elements superficial. Overall, the narrative is described as memorable and layered, with intriguing character arcs and subtle hints that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “The writing is hauntingly beautiful; I found myself fascinated by the story and uncovering how these angels ended up in the slums.”
- “Beautiful game, loved it, such a surreal story to get lost in...”
- “Artworks are great, the story is interesting, very passionate and unique in its genre, well written and it's fully voiced.”
- “Very evil story.”
- “I'm not very excited about the whole 'play with their heart in god's name' attitude and I don't really understand why the other gamers here were so in love with the story (to be fair, I'm an atheist) but I'm still going to give it a fair review.”
- “- If you make a story-related mistake, the game will throw you back to Steam's game library and you have to wait almost a whole minute until it starts again (the main reason why I thought the game was broken).”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create an eerie yet beautiful atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience with high-quality compositions that complement the visuals and narrative. While some players found the repetitive nature of the soundtrack annoying, many appreciated the fitting use of elements like church bells to evoke powerful imagery. Overall, the music, along with voice acting and art, contributes significantly to the game's unique and unforgettable ambiance.
- “The music is tinged with an underlying unease and yet filled with a serene beauty, twisting and wrenching at the voices and noises to snap the player out of their trance in that atmosphere.”
- “The sound design is amazing, and the original soundtrack is wonderful.”
- “But seriously, everything about the game: the art, the music, the voice acting, the characters, the writing; perfectly creates this eerie atmosphere that resulted in a very unique and unforgettable experience!”
- “Personally, I found the soundtrack constantly repeating to be annoying, and the speed at which text moves could be difficult for some.”
- “The graphics, art, way the words are written across the screen, and the music create an unnerving atmosphere.”
- “I would've really liked a paid OST DLC.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique and mesmerizing art style, often described as watercolor-esque, which enhances the storytelling and atmosphere. While some players found the mix of styles somewhat clashing, the overall visual presentation, combined with strong music and voice acting, creates a memorable and immersive experience. However, not all players were fond of the art style, indicating a divide in opinion.
- “Story-rich and beautiful art style.”
- “First, I really like the watercolor-esque art style, which creates a very free-flowing and loose feeling that matches the atmosphere very well.”
- “I wasn't keen on the art style.”
- “The visuals are a bit of a mix of styles that I found somewhat clashing.”
- “The graphics, art, way the words are written across the screen, and the music create an unnerving atmosphere.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a haunting beauty, blending serene music with unnerving soundscapes and watercolor-inspired visuals that evoke a sense of unease. Players appreciate how the art, music, and writing work cohesively to create a unique and immersive experience, enhancing the emotional depth and thematic elements of the narrative. Overall, the atmosphere is described as chaotic yet captivating, leaving a lasting impression on players.
- “The music is tinged with an underlying unease and yet filled with a serene beauty, twisting and wrenching at the voices and noises, snapping the player out of their trance in that atmosphere.”
- “Everything about the game: the art, the music, the voice acting, the characters, the writing; perfectly creates this eerie atmosphere that results in a very unique and unforgettable experience!”
- “I love the atmosphere, and the soundtrack is gorgeous.”
- “The music is so tinged with an underlying unease and yet filled with a serene beauty, the way it twists and wrenches at the voices and the noises and the silence of its soundscape to snap the player out of their trance of drifting in that atmosphere.”
- “The graphics, art, the way the words are written across the screen, and the music create an unnerving atmosphere.”
- “Not only is the writing excellent, but the game mechanics only go to support this by creating a chaotic atmosphere.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The gameplay is standard for a short indie visual novel, featuring a unique mechanic where failing character interactions leads to a simulated game crash, which can become tedious. While the mechanics reinforce the game's atmospheric storytelling, some players find the lack of engaging corruption mechanics disappointing. Overall, the gameplay supports the excellent writing and chaotic atmosphere, though it may not be enjoyable for everyone.
- “What seems at first to be a simple quality-of-life mechanic (preventing the player from having to replay scenes a bunch of times to get all the correct answers) turns out to be a way of reinforcing the game's atmosphere and theming: Ezekiel will say anything to have these girls fall in love with her, but does she even have any choice in the matter?”
- “Not only is the writing excellent, but the game mechanics only go to support this by creating a chaotic atmosphere.”
- “The way it portrays horror is immaculate for the story that it is - the watercolor style washes away certainty, exposes bone and flesh beneath, it melds and fuses and makes such strong contrasts to the mechanical droning of God's laundromat, the sad, pedantic bore that he is.”
- “The gameplay is pretty standard for a visual novel, especially for a short indie one.”
- “The gameplay wasn't too enjoyable; if you fail a character interaction, it closes your game, which was original once or twice but got old fast.”
- “The only real problem I have with this mechanic is that the way it restarts is by simulating the game crashing to desktop and then restarting on the title screen (this is what the 'continue' button is for--the game doesn't let you load saves from the main menu).”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deep emotional resonance, with every surreal element serving a meaningful purpose rather than feeling arbitrary. It explores profound themes such as free will, love, and faith, creating an incredibly touching experience that is both spooky and ethereal.
- “I never got the impression (as I have from some other surreal stories) that aspects were added randomly just to be 'weird'; everything has emotional meaning and purpose.”
- “An incredibly touching game about free will, love, and faith.”
- “Weird, spooky, ethereal, scary, emotional.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that the optimization of the game's audio experience is exceptional, with users praising the ensemble of performances that create a blissful listening experience.