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Shift 87

A robust walking sim mixed with some scares should have made a great indie game, but Shift 87 flunks the landing, making it hard to recommend.
Shift 87 Game Cover
82%Game Brain Score
gameplay, atmosphere
story, music
88% User Score Based on 66 reviews
Critic Score 63%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSSteam DeckWindows
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Shift 87 Game Cover

About

Shift 87 is a single player casual simulation game with horror, mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by Pixelsplit and was released on July 23, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

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.

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Shift 87 screenshot
Shift 87 screenshot
Shift 87 screenshot
Shift 87 screenshot
Shift 87 screenshot
Shift 87 screenshot
Shift 87 screenshot
Shift 87 screenshot
Shift 87 screenshot
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88%
Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews
gameplay4 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Shift 87 excels in creating an immersive and eerie atmosphere, with well-designed environments that enhance the tension.
  • The gameplay mechanics of spotting anomalies provide a unique and engaging experience, with a mix of obvious and subtle changes that keep players on their toes.
  • The game offers good replay value with randomized anomalies across three distinct levels, making each playthrough feel fresh.
  • The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-3 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
  • Many anomalies are too obvious, reducing the challenge and making the gameplay feel repetitive after multiple runs.
  • The lack of a deeper narrative or emotional context can make the experience feel hollow and mechanical for some players.
  • gameplay
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet psychologically engaging mechanics, focusing on tension and cognitive unease rather than traditional horror elements. While the randomized anomalies enhance replayability, the core loop can become repetitive, and the lack of narrative depth may leave some players feeling disconnected. Overall, it offers an intense experience with easy-to-learn controls, though some find the ambient music mismatched and the gameplay somewhat clunky.

    • “The gameplay loop is deceptively simple yet psychologically taxing.”
    • “It’s a gameplay mechanic that trades traditional horror for cognitive unease, relying on tension that builds slowly but steadily.”
    • “Pixelsplit has crafted an intense anomaly-spotting experience that blends psychological horror with engaging observation mechanics.”
    • “The lack of narrative context, while intentional to preserve mystery, means the experience is more mechanical than emotional.”
    • “The core gameplay loop can become monotonous over time, as it primarily revolves around identifying environmental changes.”
    • “In my opinion, the ambient music ruins the game experience because its highs and lows do not match the gameplay.”
  • atmosphere
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "shift 87" is widely praised for its oppressive and immersive qualities, effectively creating a tense and eerie environment that enhances the psychological horror experience. While some players note its minimalist approach and limited narrative depth, the game excels in atmospheric design, offering a unique blend of subtle tension and engaging anomaly spotting. Overall, it stands out as a must-play for fans of atmospheric horror, delivering both creepy settings and well-executed scares.

    • “From the very beginning, Shift 87 excels at creating an oppressive atmosphere.”
    • “Absolutely stellar atmosphere, with some very well done scares.”
    • “Shift 87 has a nice art style and the atmosphere is perfect; it’s sinister and full of horrific surprises.”
    • “It's a minimalist setup that relies entirely on atmosphere and the player's sense of observation rather than scripted scares.”
    • “The atmosphere in Shift 87 is wild!”
    • “I definitely give points for atmosphere and setting.”
  • story
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is criticized for its minimal depth and lack of engaging narrative, leaving players seeking a more traditional horror experience feeling unsatisfied. While some appreciate the subtle psychological tension and atmospheric design, many reviewers note that the story is either non-existent or poorly developed, with little to no mystery or resolution. Overall, the limited storytelling detracts from the game's appeal, despite some players still finding value in its unique atmosphere.

    • “There's the tiniest bit of a story, but no depth to it.”
    • “I didn’t notice a fleshed-out storyline, and don’t expect an in-depth narrative.”
    • “Maybe if there was a lot more content or a story, I could recommend it, but even on sale I didn't feel this provided much of anything.”
    • “- Limited narrative depth: the game offers minimal storytelling, which may leave players seeking a more engaging plot unsatisfied.”
    • “There's no mystery to solve, there's no deeper story, there's no ending that explains anything.”
  • graphics
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their crisp visuals, attention to detail, and effective use of lighting and texture, which contribute to a distinct atmosphere across different locations. While some users describe the graphics as merely "okay," others highlight the game's impressive art style and smooth performance, particularly in creating a sinister ambiance. Overall, the visuals are a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience of the game.

    • “The visuals are crisp, and the use of lighting and texture gives each location a distinct mood.”
    • “Graphically the game looks quite good, there's some pretty nice attention to detail put into the levels.”
    • “A phenomenal anomaly horror game with great ghosts, spooks and jump scares with superb graphics.”
  • music
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the varied soundtrack that keeps the experience fresh, others criticize the inability to mute the ambient music without also silencing all sound, which detracts from the gameplay. Additionally, the ambient music's highs and lows are said to clash with the game's action, negatively impacting the overall experience.

    • “The controls and mechanics are easy to learn and use, considering there isn't much to them. Some of the anomalies are easy to spot, and others give a really good jump scare. There is a varied soundtrack, so the music does not get tedious when playing through multiple loops.”
    • “The sound also has issues; the game includes ambient music that cannot be muted without also losing all ambient sound, and this could have been avoided with a separate volume bar for music.”
    • “In my opinion, the ambient music ruins the game experience because its highs and lows do not match the gameplay.”
    • “No music, no action, no consequences, no real ending, no real anything.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a degree of replayability through randomized gameplay elements, which create unique experiences in each run. However, some players feel that the overall replay value is limited, primarily revolving around the discovery of various anomalies rather than a compelling reason to replay.

    • “Randomized gameplay: each playthrough features randomly generated anomalies, enhancing replayability and ensuring a unique experience every time.”
    • “There's replayability in the form of discovering all of the anomalies.”
    • “This randomization adds replayability, ensuring that each new run feels unpredictable, but it also contributes to the feeling of disorientation.”
    • “- 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.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is well-optimized, delivering smooth performance even on lower-end machines, which enhances its accessibility for a wider audience.

    • “The performance is smooth and optimized for lower-end machines, making it accessible to a broad audience.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on the Steam Deck while delivering impressive visuals and an effective horror experience.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “Runs great, looks great, and it's horror done right.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users note that the intentional absence of narrative context leads to a more mechanical experience, diminishing the emotional impact of the game.

  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game manageable due to its simple controls and mechanics, which enhance the experience rather than detract from it. The presence of varied anomalies keeps the gameplay engaging, with some providing unexpected jump scares, while a diverse soundtrack prevents monotony during repeated playthroughs.

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63%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Shift 87 is a casual simulation game with horror, mystery and thriller themes.

Shift 87 is available on PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and Windows.

Shift 87 was released on July 23, 2024.

Shift 87 was developed by Pixelsplit.

Shift 87 has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Shift 87 is a single player game.

Similar games include The Cabin Factory, Welcome to Kowloon, Anomaly Exit, Dollmare, Who's at the door? and others.