Serena

About

Serena is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by UltraVioletGames and was released on January 30, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Serena" is a single-player Horror Point and Click game with an intriguing and disturbing story. Over 40 contributors from various indie companies have created a grim and detailed game that also serves as a love letter to the adventure game community. The game features amazing voice acting, a challenging intellect-provoking plot, and a haunting story that evokes fear and sadness.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,318 reviews

story1.1k positive mentions

replayability13 negative mentions

Engaging and haunting story that keeps players invested until the end.
Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that enhance the overall experience.
Surprising plot twist that adds depth to the narrative.

Repetitive gameplay that requires clicking on the same objects multiple times to progress.
No save feature, and pressing ESC exits the game without warning.
Voice acting can be inconsistent and detracts from the immersion.

story
3,064 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The story of "Serena" is a deeply emotional and atmospheric narrative that unfolds as players explore a cabin, revealing the protagonist's troubled memories of his wife, Serena. While some players found the plot predictable and the gameplay repetitive, many praised the game's ability to evoke strong feelings and its unexpected twists, making it a compelling experience for fans of story-driven games. Overall, it is regarded as a poignant exploration of love, loss, and regret, despite its simplicity and limited interactivity.
- “A must-play for fans of atmospheric storytelling and a touching tribute to adventure games of the past.”
- “The story is compelling and the atmosphere is spot on.”
- “The story is interesting enough to keep you playing for the hour.”
- “Dude talks so much without progressing the story or leaving that boring cabin where he just yaps about his basic relationship and he sounds like a depressed angsty teenager.”
- “Really meant to be more of a played story than a video game; the performance and written dialogue are so extremely stiff I had to check the release date page to see if it was released before AI became a thing.”
- “The story is incredibly disappointing; which isn't good for a story-driven game.”
atmosphere
492 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
43%
2%
The atmosphere of "Serena" is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively blending eerie visuals, subtle sound design, and emotional storytelling. Players appreciate the gradual shift from a cozy to a sinister ambiance as the narrative unfolds, creating a sense of tension and foreboding. Despite some critiques regarding voice acting and gameplay mechanics, the game's ability to evoke strong feelings and maintain a gripping atmosphere is consistently highlighted as its standout feature.
- “I felt completely absorbed in the comfortable yet creepy atmosphere found in the cabin.”
- “Through its atmospheric setting and haunting soundtrack, it immerses players in an emotionally charged story.”
- “The atmosphere, the story, the music; it all blends together perfectly.”
- “While the atmosphere could have helped, both the droning on and on as well as having no idea if anything is doing anything made this frustrating quick.”
- “The atmosphere is gloomy and oppressive; you can't see worth a damn, and after playing for an hour I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to be doing there.”
- “The atmosphere is ruined by things like the silly book titles and the narrator's dialogue going from a melodramatic plea to remember to him casually speaking when you run through dialogue options.”
graphics
377 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
31%
5%
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the beautiful and atmospheric visuals that effectively enhance the storytelling experience. While some noted minor issues such as low resolution or simplistic designs, the overall aesthetic is described as captivating, fitting well with the game's themes of isolation and emotional depth. For a free game, the graphics are considered impressive, contributing significantly to the immersive experience.
- “The graphics are beautiful, and the atmosphere really builds as you continue through the story!”
- “The graphics are very well done, and the atmosphere is there to keep you compelled.”
- “The graphics are awesome, and the setting is warming.”
- “Horrible graphics, terrible sound, awkward controls.”
- “The graphics seem a bit off on my computer, and I can't adjust them.”
- “This game has no purpose whatsoever, you sit in a room with poor graphics and you can't get out of it, you can only click furniture to hear a crappy story about some woman that nobody cares about.”
gameplay
348 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
75%
11%
The gameplay of "Serena" is primarily a simplistic point-and-click experience, heavily focused on narrative rather than interactive mechanics. Players spend about an hour clicking on various objects to trigger dialogue and explore the story, which can become repetitive and tedious due to the lack of puzzles or varied gameplay elements. While the atmosphere and storytelling are praised, many reviewers note that the gameplay is minimal and may not satisfy those seeking a more traditional gaming experience.
- “Serena is a short narrative walking simulator with light point & click elements; it is much more focused on storytelling than gameplay, where most of the game is spent exploring and listening to the thoughts of the person you play.”
- “The gameplay is simple, click on many objects to progress the story and repeat the process.”
- “The gameplay consists of exploring an old dusty cabin for memories of your wife and clues for what might have happened.”
- “There really isn't much gameplay here, you just wander around clicking on the same things over and over and listening to him drone on and on.”
- “The gameplay loop is repetitive.”
- “Gameplay is extremely simplistic - just clicking on objects until narration is exhausted.”
music
244 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the story. While some found the soundtrack haunting and beautifully integrated into the gameplay, others criticized it for being too loud, often drowning out dialogue and disrupting immersion. Overall, the music is seen as a strong point that contributes significantly to the game's eerie and immersive experience, despite some technical issues regarding volume balance.
- “Through its atmospheric setting and haunting soundtrack, it immerses players in an emotionally charged story.”
- “The music is also great, it makes the whole atmosphere even better, and also gives sort of a sense of development.”
- “The atmosphere, the story, the music; it all blends together perfectly.”
- “The background music is far too loud, and when it is playing, you can barely hear your character talking.”
- “There aren't any settings (at least if there are, they aren't easy to access); the music was too loud, and I couldn't hear the dialogue over it.”
- “To start, this is one of those games where the developer decided that the music should drown out the voice volume.”
emotional
216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
1%
The emotional aspect of the game "Serena" is widely praised for its ability to evoke deep feelings and create a powerful narrative experience, often described as an emotional rollercoaster. Players report being moved to tears by the story's exploration of love, loss, and heartbreak, with many noting the game's atmospheric setting and haunting soundtrack as key contributors to its emotional impact. Despite its brevity and minimal gameplay, the game effectively immerses players in the protagonist's emotional journey, leaving a lasting impression.
- “Through its atmospheric setting and haunting soundtrack, it immerses players in an emotionally charged story.”
- “The emotional side is highly nuanced, and despite the length, you will feel conflicted several times concerning the characters and the situation it presents.”
- “This game is an emotional rollercoaster with plenty of twists...and it all happens in one room.”
- “The dialogue drags on, making the story feel tedious and unengaging.”
- “I found the emotional moments to be forced and lacking depth.”
- “The attempts at emotional impact fell flat and left me feeling disconnected.”
replayability
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
48%
42%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that once completed, there is little incentive to play again. While some players mention minor reasons to revisit, such as missed discoveries or speedrunning, the consensus is that the game is short and linear, leading to a generally static experience. However, as a free title, the absence of replay value is often seen as less of a drawback.
- “The story is captivating and does have some replay value in my opinion.”
- “It even has a touch of replay value especially if you miss something the first time like I did.”
- “Good if you need to kill a bit of time, however not much replay value.”
- “Not much replay value, unless you realize that you missed finding something, or if you try to do a speedrun.”
- “Zero replayability.”
- “All in all, takes about 10-15 minutes to go through, no replayability, so once you're through this... it's just something to delete.”
grinding
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews consistently highlight the grinding nature of the game, describing it as tedious and repetitive, with players often required to click on the same objects multiple times to progress the story. Many found the lack of structure and guidance frustrating, leading to a monotonous experience that detracted from the overall enjoyment, despite some acknowledging the game's interesting concept and satisfying conclusion. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant drawback, overshadowing the narrative potential.
- “The concept of this game is interesting, but it proves to be extremely tedious - mindlessly clicking away at the same objects and places over and over again to get more of the story - and that's it.”
- “The biggest complaint I have for this game is that it would have been so much better if progressing in it wasn’t so tedious.”
- “It's a tedious structure that will essentially have you running small laps of the cabin from the start right until the very end and quickly extinguish any initial excitement you had for exploring this new world.”
stability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
88%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, while others experienced smooth performance without any issues. Common complaints include audio problems, clunky mechanics, and a lack of options, though some users noted that the game ran well on their systems. Overall, the game's stability appears to be inconsistent, with a notable divide between those who found it unplayable and those who had a seamless experience.
- “It played very nicely on this system with no glitches whatsoever.”
- “There were no glitches or crashes when I played through the game, so that is a plus without being said.”
- “Good game, good graphics, and runs great.”
- “Voice acting and glitches almost make this unplayable for me...”
- “Game is buggy and needs a bunch of work.”
- “Generally really clunky and buggy game that I can't even get to work properly and this mess doesn't even have an options menu that I am aware of.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The optimization of the game received mixed reviews, with some players noting smooth performance and good frame rates, while others experienced issues with resolution settings and repetitive character dialogue. While the voice acting was praised for its quality and emotional range, some felt that the overall performance lacked depth, suggesting that the game could benefit from further refinement. Overall, the game is seen as a decent narrative experience, but not without its optimization flaws.
- “Nice game and pretty well optimized, 25-56 fps (on my hardware)”
- “It did run smoothly and without any problems on my Linux Mint system.”
- “The visual presentation, while limited, is spot-on, and the voice performances are strong and charismatic.”
- “Really meant to be more of a played story than a video game; the performance and written dialogue are so extremely stiff I had to check the release date page to see if it was released before AI became a thing.”
- “Late 90s and early 00s games get a pass for this type of stuff because they were breaking through, but by 2014, game performances had turned to respectable art and not just some guy the dev knew.”
- “It's a perfect little narrative game, aside from the caveat that the game isn't optimized for some resolutions and screen sizes, so I had to go into the config file and set the game to fullscreen = false instead of true.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
14%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the witty narration and clever literary references, while others find the attempts at humor to be out of place or poorly executed. Many reviews highlight the comedic potential in the dialogue and character interactions, but also criticize the repetitive gameplay mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the humor can be hit-or-miss, often relying on the player's patience and willingness to engage with the narrative.
- “Cunning and imaginative, the literary references are handled with humor and diligence, especially in the way the narrator's thoughts and feelings influence the inanimate objects around him.”
- “A lot of the good in this game is in the narration - the random comments are interesting and/or funny, and the voice acting is pretty decent as well.”
- “The titles are hilarious and if you click a few times to get him to speak at one point he says, 'I didn't lend out my copy of the Necronomicon, did I?' If any of you have played the game Scratches, take note of the easter egg in the second shelf.”
- “The story is nothing to talk about; the first twist is predictable, the second twist is stupid, and the bookshelf content is unfunny, ruining the already flimsy atmosphere.”
- “The humor falls flat and feels forced, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “I expected some clever jokes, but instead, I was met with cringeworthy attempts at humor that missed the mark.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the realistic portrayal and sufficient depth for a short mystery narrative, while others criticize it as weak and reliant on stereotypes, lacking meaningful growth or justification for the story's twists. Overall, the writing and voice acting have been noted as significant drawbacks, detracting from the potential of the characters.
- “I would consider this the equivalent of a short mystery story put in video game format with just enough character development before delivering the ending.”
- “Realistic character development.”
- “Decent character development.”
- “Character development was really just boring; you play a stereotypical pretentious writer, the type of person that would fill a bookshelf with books that 'are just life-altering' in order to look smart, but has never actually read any of them.”
- “The writing and character development are weak, and the voice acting is laughably bad.”
- “The story it is trying to tell is one with no justification, with no character development past caricature models, with no real reason for the twist (singular) that it takes.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Players appreciate the game's monetization model, highlighting that it is free and does not include intrusive microtransactions or restrict access to content, which enhances the overall experience.
- “I can't knock a free game that doesn't shove microtransactions down your throat.”
- “But I can't knock a free game that doesn't shove microtransactions down your throat.”
- “No microtransactions, no inaccessible game content.”