SHADOW MANSION

About

SHADOW MANSION is a single player action game. It was developed by NEBULA NOVA GAMES and was released on August 6, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Uncover the Truth The Shadows of the Past Demand an InvestigatorShadow Mansion is a narrative-driven, first-person horror and investigation game that prioritizes psychological dread and active deduction over simple jump scares. You don’t merely survive the mansion you must uncover the dark truth it has buried for decades. Your journey begins with a mysterious letter that summons you to an abando…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 67 reviews

story10 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The game features well-placed jump scares that effectively catch players off guard, enhancing the horror experience.
The atmosphere is immersive, with a chilling ambiance created through sound design and environmental storytelling.
The game offers a concise playtime that keeps the tension high without overstaying its welcome.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including soft locks and performance issues that hinder gameplay.
The voice acting and some narrative elements feel lackluster, detracting from the overall immersion.
The mansion's layout is confusing and poorly designed, leading to frustration during exploration.

story
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
60%
9%
The story of Shadow Mansion is characterized by a mix of atmospheric horror and environmental storytelling, creating a slow-burn tension that some players found engaging. However, many reviews noted significant plot holes and a lack of clarity, leading to confusion and disengagement for some players. While the premise and jump scares were appreciated, the overall narrative was often described as basic or cliché, with calls for further development and expansion in future iterations.
- “Shadow Mansion is a compact, atmosphere-first horror experience that leans into slow-burn tension and environmental storytelling rather than spectacle or combat.”
- “The game really knows how to time its frights; there are plenty of moments that caught me off guard in the best way possible, and the overall story is engaging enough to keep you invested.”
- “✔️ Engaging storyline: the game delivered the story in a way that did make me want to play until the end.”
- “The story has a lot of plot holes; it gets very confusing to the point that I stopped paying attention to it in the middle of the game.”
- “The story itself is very basic and just the generic family selling their souls to the devil, etc.”
- “Now go to this room. You don't really have a storyline until the very end, and I'm talking the end of the game.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
52%
12%
The atmosphere in Shadow Mansion is widely praised for its immersive and chilling qualities, effectively utilizing environmental storytelling and sound design to create a tense, slow-burn horror experience. While some players noted a decline in suspense and mechanical variety as the game progressed, the overall ambiance—particularly in outdoor and basement areas—remains a highlight, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror. However, technical issues and bugs detract from the experience, suggesting that improvements could elevate the game's atmospheric potential even further.
- “Shadow mansion is a compact, atmosphere-first horror experience that leans into slow-burn tension and environmental storytelling rather than spectacle or combat.”
- “Sound design complements the visuals effectively, with ambient audio and subtle musical cues reinforcing the mansion’s oppressive atmosphere.”
- “This was genuinely fun for those who enjoy a nice walking sim type horror experience; the atmosphere was very creepy and very suspenseful.”
- “They know atmosphere, that much is clear, but if they could fix their issues with the myriad bugs the game has, they could be so much more.”
- “But as the game goes on, there are less and less jumpscares, the atmosphere is less and less suspenseful and getting at the end of the game, there is a major bug that stops you from finishing the game (after trying to verify files, starting from an earlier save point, ...).”
- “Extremely low budget and janky horror game that is serviceable only to people who like the atmosphere of these types of low budget horror games.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the effective visual and audio cohesion that enhances the atmosphere, while others criticize the indie-scale production values and occasional performance issues. Despite some glitches and a lack of polish, many players find the visuals to be good overall, contributing positively to the horror experience.
- “Great horror game, truly terrifying, graphics were amazing. The chill POV of the main character was at first confusing, but I ended up liking the calm vibe he gave while he narrated.”
- “Nice graphics, great atmosphere, and good jumpscares!”
- “Graphics were pretty good, slight glitches here and there with light seeping through the floor, but overall looked good.”
- “The cosmetics and graphics are dumb; nothing makes sense.”
- “The graphics feel a bit lacklustre, and the voice acting (AI?) misses the mark more often than it hits it.”
- “I lowered the sensitivity all the way down, but that changed nothing. I changed V-Sync, but that also changed nothing. I changed graphic settings both to low and to high, but even that changed nothing, and I do literally mean nothing.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, glitches, and even memory leaks. While some users noted that the story was engaging enough to overlook these problems, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial polish and optimization improvements to enhance the player experience.
- “Alright, so listen, the fact it's a small team shows tremendously here; the optimization can be pretty rough in spots and it's not going to blow your mind. If you get it on sale or if they do a lot of work before finishing it, it may eventually be worth it.”
- “Optimization was fine and the story kept me hooked.”
- “With a bit more polish, optimization, and some personal touches by the game developers, this could be a much better experience.”
- “The optimization can be pretty rough in spots and it's not gonna blow your mind; if you get it on sale or if they do a lot of work before finishing, it may eventually be worth it.”
- “I did notice the game caused a memory leak with my GPU, so some optimization may be required for future games by this company.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The gameplay is characterized by simple exploration and puzzle-solving, with familiar objectives that are enhanced by a strong atmosphere, making discoveries feel significant. While some players desire more mechanical variety and complexity, the concise runtime maintains the game's engaging atmosphere, complemented by effective jump scares and a decent story.
- “While some objectives can feel familiar—find the clue, unlock the door they reference—the context and atmosphere elevate these moments, making discovery feel meaningful rather than mechanical.”
- “Some players may wish for greater mechanical variety or deeper puzzle complexity, but the concise runtime ensures the atmosphere remains potent throughout.”
- “Gameplay matches the price, simple exploration and puzzles.”
- “Gameplay matches the price; it's simple exploration and puzzles.”
- “Solid jump scares and a decent story for the short gameplay.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for poor optimization, leading to frustrating glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some players find charm in its imperfections, the presence of minor bugs can disrupt immersion, which is particularly important for a game that relies on atmospheric storytelling. Overall, the game is seen as a buggy experience that needs improvement, especially for a new indie developer.
- “Unfortunately, the game was not very well optimized and I hit a few glitches that were frustrating.”
- “Not just a walking sim, mind you - but a particularly buggy walking sim.”
- “Minor glitches: some minor glitches can ruin immersion a bit, which is the game's strength.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The music and sound design enhance the game's oppressive atmosphere, with ambient audio and subtle cues effectively complementing the visuals. However, players should be cautious of DMCA issues related to the radio music, which may lead to content being flagged or muted.
- “Sound design complements the visuals effectively, with ambient audio and subtle musical cues reinforcing the mansion’s oppressive atmosphere.”
- “I got caught by taking a wrong turn once or twice, but once you go down a set of stairs, the music lingers while the monster is nowhere to be seen, and eventually the audio cuts out.”
- “Fair warning to any content creators, the radio music is DMCA, and your content will be flagged and muted.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's ending is noted for its emotional impact, though some players feel that deeper character development could enhance this connection. However, technical issues like disorienting camera movements detracted from the experience for some, preventing them from fully engaging with the emotional narrative.
- “The end of the game was very emotional.”
- “Maybe a little more emotional attachment and background on the main character would have been beneficial to the game.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort, akin to needing a second life to manage it effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has limited replayability, with few incentives to revisit after completion due to minimal additional content and alternative paths.
- “Limited replayability: once completed, there is little incentive to revisit the game, as additional content or alternative paths are minimal.”
- “After finishing the game, I found no reason to play it again; the lack of new content makes it feel like a one-time experience.”
- “The game offers very few choices that impact the story, resulting in a lack of replay value.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is perceived as a cash grab, indicating a lack of genuine effort in the game's development and value.
- “Feels like a quick cash grab with zero actual effort put into it.”
- “The monetization system is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is subtle and appreciated by players, with moments like playful pranks adding a lighthearted touch. However, some found the pacing, particularly during the intro, to detract from the comedic elements. Overall, the developer's attempts at humor are noted, though they may not resonate with everyone.
- “The intro drive to the shadow mansion is a little long, and I tried to be funny and turn the car around and leave.”
- “There were tidbits I noticed where the developer tried to be funny, and I appreciated that (like the 'don't guess what's behind this door' note prank).”