Settled
- February 29, 2016
- Allen Dayan
Get on Steam"Settled" is a single-player Horror Adventure game with delightful 2D pixel graphics and a dense atmosphere. The player delves into the mind of a man experiencing nightmarish memories after the loss of a loved one. As the plot unravels, the player confronts a darker truth, revealing the toll of understanding another's perspective on one's own sanity.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a compelling and twisted story that keeps players engaged and delivers a surprising ending.
- The pixel art style and atmospheric sound design effectively create a creepy and unsettling environment.
- Despite its short length, the game manages to evoke strong emotions and provoke thought about its dark themes.
- Gameplay is minimal, primarily consisting of walking and interacting with objects, which may feel tedious for some players.
- The game is very short, lasting around 30-40 minutes, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Some players found the story to be confusing or lacking depth, with certain elements feeling random or poorly explained.
- story100 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Settled" is a dark and unsettling narrative centered around a father's grief following the death of his daughter, conveyed through minimal dialogue and impactful visuals. While some players appreciate its surprising plot twists and atmospheric storytelling, others criticize it for being too brief or lacking depth. Overall, the game is recognized for its engaging, albeit simple, horror story that effectively builds tension and intrigue within a short playtime.
“The story is the most compelling aspect of Settled; you begin as a father who has lost his only daughter, and as the plot unfolds, there are some satisfying twists and turns that leave you guessing as to what exactly has happened.”
“A wonderfully horrific story unfolds in flashes, and I loved it.”
“Players are deliberately led through various conclusions to what happened, but it's within the last 3-5 minutes of the game where the whole picture really becomes clear, and the horrifying, unpredictable plot twist becomes a sick reality.”
“I think it's supposed to have a story, but the story is so bland and they don't flesh it out at all, so it left me feeling like there was absolutely nothing to latch onto.”
“The story is very unclear and the 'twist ending' where it turns out you're some random dude that killed the father because he wanted to have his daughter for himself did not clear anything up at all.”
“The story is just a goddamn mess.”
- graphics34 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel art style that effectively enhances its unsettling atmosphere and storytelling. While some reviewers noted the simplicity and occasional amateur quality of the visuals, many praised the haunting imagery and well-executed cutscenes that contribute to the game's eerie vibe. Overall, the pixelated graphics, combined with a strong artistic aesthetic, create a unique and immersive horror experience.
“The pixel graphics and eerie midi music fit perfectly in this game, although it's sometimes hard to recognize certain objects your character is picking up.”
“Every layer you play through is sicker and more diseased-ridden than the last; backed by a killer artistic aesthetic with range that goes from subtle to gruesome.”
“A fantastically twisted interactive horror story with some refreshingly original cut scene graphics.”
“The graphics were very amateur, but okay for the most part.”
“Developed in Construct 2, the game's pixelated art style is very simplistic, while the hand-drawn look of the cutscenes delivers a more creepy vibe.”
“Even though it plays like a 2D version of 'Gone Home' where you move through rooms and open doors to interact with objects that tell you a story, 'Settled' is the better version since it refuses to use traditional narration and walls of text instead substituting it with visuals much more meritoriously.”
- gameplay27 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with very limited interaction, focusing on moving between checkpoints and examining objects, which some players found tedious. While the mechanics are simple and the gameplay lasts about half an hour, the strong narrative and atmospheric elements compensate for the lack of complexity, making it more of a story-driven experience than a traditional game. Overall, players appreciated the engaging story but noted that the gameplay itself is minimal and repetitive.
“There are cool mechanic touches like nervously peering out your front door's peephole and finding new parts of the house unlocked the deeper our main character falls into the past recesses of his brain, as well as wondering why your face never appears quite normal in the mirror.”
“Very atmospherically creepy game, great art style, simple gameplay.”
“This game proves once again that even without intricate game mechanics, you needn't be so reliant on words to tell a worthy story and create a solid narrative experience.”
“The gameplay consists of nothing more than just walking left or right and pressing space to interact with objects.”
“There's only about a half hour of gameplay here with none too complex objectives set to accomplish in order to advance the game.”
“Firstly, the gameplay is very limited even for the standards of an indie adventure game.”
- atmosphere24 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its unsettling and eerie qualities, enhanced by well-crafted sound design and visuals that create a tense and immersive experience. Reviewers note the effective use of subtle details and ambient sounds to build a creepy ambiance without relying heavily on jump scares. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as a unique blend of melancholic and terrifying elements, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror storytelling.
“The music is creepy droning noises I'm usually not a fan of, but I feel like the ones in Settled are really well done and really help build an incredibly tense atmosphere, often making you think that something is going to be waiting for you in the next screen.”
“A truly unsettling and twisty short story, Settled has a great atmosphere and a lot of creepiness in a lot of little details that make the game really unique.”
“The thing this game does best is build a mysterious and creepy atmosphere that allows the other horror elements to work.”
“Thick atmosphere that is simultaneously terrifying, melancholic, and soul-crushing.”
“Things moving out of the corner of your eye, minor graphical changes in an object you think you've seen over and over - it's the little touches that really give the game an eerie atmosphere.”
“It's not perfect (the plot is a bit thin) but it's not terrible and is pretty decent at building a spooky atmosphere.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as ominous and atmospheric, effectively enhancing the tension and storytelling with its eerie, droning sounds. While some players appreciate the haunting soundtrack that complements the visuals, others criticize it for being simplistic and lacking variety, with some sound effects feeling generic. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience, despite mixed opinions on its quality.
“The music is creepy droning noises I'm usually not a fan of, but I feel like the ones in this game are really well done and help build an incredibly tense atmosphere, often making you think that something is going to be waiting for you in the next screen.”
“Finished in about an hour, excellent game, beautiful soundtrack.”
“The audio is incredibly good at encouraging this, with music that will have your spine shivering throughout the whole playthrough.”
“The music is creepy droning noises I'm usually not a fan of, but I feel like the ones in Settled are really well done and really help build an incredibly tense atmosphere, often making you think that something is going to be waiting for you in the next screen.”
“- Ear-splitting music.”
“Pretty weak: not that much of a soundtrack, and the sound effects are royalty-free.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for lacking true replay value, with many users noting that there is little incentive to play it again despite enjoying the initial experience. Overall, it received a moderate replayability score of 3.
“There’s little to no replay value here, unfortunately, but it’s still a ride I’m glad I took.”
“- no true replay value”
“Replayability: 3”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the main character's slow walking speed, which can make backtracking feel frustrating and time-consuming.
“The main character has a really slow walking speed, and sometimes it gets really tedious to walk back and forth, thinking you missed something in the previous area and then having to walk all the way back, which is incredibly annoying.”
“Slow walking speed could get tedious.”
