Shiver

About

Shiver is a single player puzzle game with a horror theme. It was developed by Graham and was released on October 25, 2017. It received very positive reviews from players.

Welcome to Windy Oaks National Park. A beautiful and chilling point-and-click horror adventure. You take on the role of a son on his way to visit his father when everything goes wrong, leaving you trapped and isolated.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 323 reviews

story28 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

Excellent atmosphere that builds tension and suspense effectively throughout the game.
Simple, intuitive point-and-click mechanics with easy but well-designed puzzles suitable for beginners and casual players.
Free with an easy 100% achievement run that makes it worth trying for anyone interested in short horror point-and-click experiences.

Very short gameplay length, typically completed within 30-45 minutes, leaving many wishing for more content and story depth.
Limited story development and some narrative elements feel unresolved or underexplored, leading to a somewhat abrupt and unsatisfying ending.
Creature design and some animations considered awkward or goofy, which detracts from the overall horror atmosphere for some players.

story
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
61%
4%
The story is generally described as short, simple, and atmospheric, effectively creating a spooky and immersive experience despite its brevity. While many players enjoyed the eerie setting and suspense, most wished for more depth, lore, and explanation, particularly about the mysterious creature and connections to related titles. Overall, it serves well as a concise, engaging horror tale but feels like a "proof of concept" that invites further expansion.
- “You truly feel immersed in your situation as you slowly progress through the story, ever wondering just what is hiding out there stalking you.”
- “The story behind the mine and the weird creature is terrifying and makes you want to play more, plus, the puzzles are fun and easy, which makes crafting cool, also, the part with the flare makes the ending epic.”
- “The story was very well written and could be as entertaining as watching a movie in my opinion.”
- “The plot is practically absent and it's impossible to empathize with such an anonymous main character.”
- “The story is nonexistent.”
- “I have no idea how you managed to create a game with 4 lines of story and still have a stone which was thrown for reasons unknown at the window and not explain it.”
atmosphere
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
39%
The game excels at creating a strong, immersive atmosphere that is both spooky and suspenseful without relying heavily on jump scares or intense horror. Its ambient sounds, setting, and art style effectively build tension and unease, making the short gameplay feel engaging and memorable. Overall, the atmosphere is widely praised as the standout aspect, striking a perfect balance between subtle creepiness and genuine scares.
- “Some of the best atmosphere and spooks that I've found in this genre so far, perfectly striking the balance between suspense and scares.”
- “The atmosphere resembles Penumbra while the first-person point-and-click gameplay is similar to Scratches, which is a recipe for success and makes Shiver a great game.”
- “There are a few small jump scares hidden well enough as you almost expect every corner to hide something; you will both expect and not expect them to happen, adding more to the atmosphere.”
graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The graphics of the game receive consistent praise for their unique, artful style that blends digital painting, photo collage, and prerendered 3D, creating a creepy and atmospheric experience well-suited to its short point-and-click horror format. While not technically advanced or award-winning, the visuals effectively support the game's eerie tone and contribute significantly to its charm and immersion. Some reviewers note the simplicity and occasional crude or muddy elements, but overall the graphics are seen as charming, satisfying, and a strong asset for the game's intended mood.
- “Adored the art-style and the design of the creatures!”
- “Kind of generic, short (about 30-40 mins) point-and-click adventure with a creepy atmosphere, nice ambient sounds and fantastic graphics that run smoothly.”
- “'Shiver's graphics are quite beautiful for an indie game this short and simple.”
- “Graphics are crude, and the sections in the mine, even with the light, may be tough for some folks with low vision.”
- “Graphics are fine, a bit childish, crude and muddy, but fine.”
- “Visuals 4/10”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The gameplay features simple, straightforward point-and-click mechanics with effective sound design and a suspenseful atmosphere, offering an easy-to-understand experience that suits fans of short mystery adventures. While somewhat simplistic and brief—ranging from 15 to 60 minutes—the inclusion of a hint system, puzzles, and a flashlight mechanic adds enjoyable variety without being overly challenging. Overall, it's a neat, accessible game ideal as an introduction to the genre or a quick, atmospheric playthrough.
- “Simple mechanics, effective sound design, and a constant sense of dread.”
- “Gameplay is straightforward for the genre and easy to understand, points of interest aren't obscured so there will be no frustrations when looking for items.”
- “The atmosphere resembles Penumbra while the first-person point-and-click gameplay is similar to Scratches, which is a recipe for success and makes Shivers a great game.”
- “There's only about 10 minutes of gameplay and it's very middle-of-the-road.”
- “It feels like a demo to show people the basic gameplay of a typical point-and-click adventure game, so they can decide whether or not the genre is something they might like and then move on to full-fledged point-and-click adventure games.”
- “Edit: it's currently free, but it's still difficult to suggest people should download this... there's free mobile apps with more gameplay.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's music is minimal or absent, relying primarily on sound effects and ambient sounds like howling wind to build atmosphere, which many users find effective for setting mood and tension. While the music can be a bit loud, it generally conveys the tone well without being exceptional. Overall, the audio design is praised for enhancing the experience despite a simplistic soundtrack.
- “Shiver is a nice and quick point-and-click experience that does a great job building tension with its music and the environment.”
- “There's basically no music in Shiver, most of the game is sound effects, and let me tell you the audio design is amazing.”
- “There is no background music, but I didn't feel the game needed it: the ambient sound of the howling wind sufficed to set the atmosphere.”
- “There's basically no music in Shiver; most of the game is sound effects. The audio design is amazing, but the lack of music is notable.”
- “Turn the music down, it's a tad loud.”
- “There is no background music, but I didn't feel the game needed it; the ambient sound of the howling wind sufficed to set the atmosphere.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is clever and well-executed, contributing to an enjoyable and engaging atmosphere that users found genuinely funny.
- “Also, some achievements were very clever and funny, making me laugh.”
- “Great humor!”
- “Well done with great atmosphere and humor.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a powerful emotional impact, blending intense psychological tension with a heartfelt conclusion that resonates deeply with players. Its short horror experience is both mentally chilling and emotionally affecting.
- “10/10 short horror game with a heartfelt ending”
- “Struggle rating: ★★★☆☆ – mentally chilling, emotionally bruising.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Grinding in the game is generally manageable but can become tedious due to repetitive inventory item usage, such as repeatedly picking up a screwdriver for multiple tasks. Some players suggest needing an extra life to effectively handle the grinding aspect.
- “The puzzles were doable and varied, though my only complaint would be having to pick up an inventory item every time, making actions that needed it more than once (e.g., screwdriver for multiple screws) a little tedious, though this wasn't often an issue.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is thoughtfully integrated, with humorous ads that enhance the overall experience rather than detract from it.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features fantastic graphics and runs smoothly, indicating good optimization. Users appreciate its stable performance throughout the short gameplay experience.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is considered weak, with designs perceived as flat and lacking depth.
- “The character designs are flat.”