Shift 87

About

Shift 87 is a first-person observation horror game where players must check special environments for anomalies in three handcrafted levels. With randomly generated runs and a total of 66 anomalies to find, players can expect a unique and exciting experience every time. Remaining calm and accurate in reporting anomalies is paramount to avoid sequence resets and permanent damage from excessive adrenaline or cortisol.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

atmosphere11 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Immersive atmosphere with well-designed environments that enhance the horror experience.
Offers a unique gameplay mechanic of spotting anomalies, providing a satisfying challenge for keen observers.
Good graphics and sound design, creating a haunting and engaging experience.

Very short playtime, with most players completing the game in under an hour, leading to a lack of content.
Anomalies are often too obvious, reducing the challenge and excitement of gameplay.
Limited narrative depth and repetitive mechanics can make the experience feel monotonous over time.

atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
85%
15%
The atmosphere in "Shift 87" is widely praised for its immersive and sinister qualities, effectively creating a tense and eerie environment that enhances the horror experience. Players appreciate the game's unique blend of atmospheric tension and puzzle-solving, along with its detailed settings that contribute to a sense of unease and surprise. Overall, it stands out as a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror games.
- “The game offers a unique blend of atmospheric tension and puzzle-solving.”
- “The game excels in creating a tense and eerie environment, with detailed settings that keep players on edge.”
- “Shift 87 has a nice art style and the atmosphere is perfect; it’s sinister and full of horrific surprises.”
- “I definitely give points for atmosphere and setting.”
- “Sinister atmosphere.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay features randomized elements that enhance replayability, providing a unique experience with each playthrough. However, players note that the core mechanics can become repetitive, focusing mainly on identifying environmental changes, which may lead to monotony over time. Despite these drawbacks, the immersive environments and challenging aspects contribute to its appeal within the genre.
- “Randomized gameplay: each playthrough features randomly generated anomalies, enhancing replayability and ensuring a unique experience every time.”
- “While it may not offer extensive narrative depth or varied mechanics, its immersive environments and challenging gameplay make it a noteworthy addition to the genre.”
- “It does have a mechanic where you have to report the specific anomaly by looking at it via the reporting device you have.”
- “The core gameplay loop can become monotonous over time, as it primarily revolves around identifying environmental changes.”
- “If you incorrectly mark an anomaly, the gameplay resets you to the first level.”
- “The game is played from a first-person point of view, and the gameplay is extremely simple.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
The game's story is criticized for its minimal narrative depth, leaving players unsatisfied with a lack of engaging plot and character development. Many reviewers noted that the storyline is underdeveloped, offering little to no mystery or resolution, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, some players still find value in the game, hoping for future improvements in storytelling.
- “I didn’t notice a fleshed-out storyline, and don’t expect an in-depth narrative.”
- “The game offers minimal storytelling, which may leave players seeking a more engaging plot unsatisfied.”
- “There's the tiniest bit of a story, but no depth to it.”
- “There's no mystery to solve, there's no deeper story, there's no ending that explains anything.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the graphics in the game are generally well-received, with players noting good attention to detail and a pleasing art style that enhances the atmosphere. Many reviews highlight the game's smooth performance and visually appealing design, contributing to an immersive experience.
- “Graphically the game looks quite good, there's some pretty nice attention to detail put into the levels.”
- “Game runs smooth and has great graphics.”
- “A phenomenal anomaly horror game with great ghosts, spooks and jump scares with superb graphics.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game offers a degree of replayability through randomized gameplay elements, providing unique experiences with each playthrough. However, some players feel that the overall replay value is limited, primarily revolving around the discovery of all anomalies rather than varied gameplay.
- “Randomized gameplay: each playthrough features randomly generated anomalies, enhancing replayability and ensuring a unique experience every time.”
- “So, yeah... replay value for me isn't quite there.”
- “There's replayability in the form of discovering all of the anomalies.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on the Steam Deck while delivering impressive visuals and a well-executed horror experience.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “Runs great, looks great, and it's horror done right.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music aspect of the game is criticized for its absence, leading to a lack of engagement and emotional impact, which detracts from the overall experience and narrative depth.
- “The music is repetitive and lacks any real depth, making the gameplay feel monotonous.”
- “There is a complete absence of engaging music, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack is forgettable and fails to enhance the atmosphere of the game.”