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Silver Chains

PC players craving a bit of horror during the Summer can’t go wrong with Silver Chains, that is, as long as they’re okay with something that ultimately comes as feeling a little familiar.
Silver Chains Game Cover
60%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
gameplay, grinding
63% User Score Based on 338 reviews
Critic Score 58%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

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Silver Chains Game Cover

About

Silver Chains is a single player survival action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Cracked Heads Games and was released on August 6, 2019. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Silver Chains," you explore a foreboding mansion to uncover its dark history, while avoiding supernatural entities. Solve puzzles and uncover secrets as you try to escape the mansion's grasp. The game features a tense atmosphere and relies on psychological horror, rather than jump scares.

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Silver Chains screenshot
Silver Chains screenshot
Silver Chains screenshot
Silver Chains screenshot
Silver Chains screenshot
Silver Chains screenshot
Silver Chains screenshot
Silver Chains screenshot
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63%
Audience ScoreBased on 338 reviews
story72 positive mentions
gameplay6 negative mentions
  • The game features excellent sound design and a chilling atmosphere that effectively builds tension.
  • The story is engaging and has some interesting twists, making it worth exploring.
  • The graphics are impressive for an indie title, contributing to the overall immersive experience.
  • The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, which may not justify the price.
  • Puzzles can be frustratingly non-intuitive, often requiring players to look up solutions, detracting from immersion.
  • The reliance on scripted jump scares and a lack of real threat during chase sequences can make the horror feel cheap and predictable.
  • story
    171 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and filled with twists, while others criticize it as weak, confusing, or poorly written. Many appreciate the atmospheric setting and the exploration of clues, but some feel the narrative lacks depth and resolution, leading to a disappointing experience overall. Despite its flaws, the story's simplicity and accessibility have been noted as positive aspects, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate a straightforward horror mystery.

    • “While it did have some horror aspects, I see it more as experiencing a story in a wonderfully designed lost place that's definitely worth exploring.”
    • “I definitely really enjoyed this game; the storyline was really well done. There were so many twists and turns I didn't expect; it was super engaging.”
    • “Silver Chains may not have a standout story, but it makes up for this with its excellent performance and almost perfect moderation of horror elements, steering away from overusing chase scenes, jump scares, puzzles, and narration to create a variable and engrossing experience that all horror fans can enjoy.”
    • “While the atmosphere and ambiance of the game are decent, the story is weak, confused, and disappointing.”
    • “The story seems badly written and rushed, almost as an afterthought.”
    • “The plot is trite and boring.”
  • graphics
    79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received largely positive feedback, with many users praising their quality, detail, and atmospheric contribution to the horror experience. While some noted issues like a capped frame rate and limited interactivity, the overall aesthetic and visual execution, particularly in creating a sense of dread, were highlighted as strong points. However, a few reviews mentioned that the graphics, while impressive for an indie title, do not reach photorealistic standards and could benefit from more engaging gameplay elements.

    • “The graphics were beautiful, especially the forest part and the fire.”
    • “Graphics for this game were much greater than I had expected and brilliantly brought the manor to life.”
    • “Silver Chains excels in graphic quality, and the lighting system is executed very well.”
    • “The graphics are okay, but not 'photorealistic' as the developer claims.”
    • “That doesn't even go into the fact that the marker graphic is white and often appears over areas that are bathed in light, making it way too easy to miss.”
    • “The graphics, while not amazing, do a decent job of conveying a sense of dread, but the story could use some polish.”
  • atmosphere
    78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is frequently praised for its chilling and immersive qualities, enhanced by excellent sound design and a haunting soundtrack that effectively contributes to the horror experience. While many players appreciate the spooky ambiance and occasional jump scares, some criticize the game for being overly generic or lacking depth in its narrative, which can detract from the overall atmospheric impact. Overall, the game is noted for its strong visual and auditory elements, though opinions vary on its ability to maintain tension throughout.

    • “The atmosphere throughout the game was chilling.”
    • “The music is fantastic, the atmosphere is spooky, it really brings you into the horror of it.”
    • “This game has a great atmosphere that kept me on edge the whole time.”
    • “While the atmosphere and ambiance of the game are decent, the story is weak, confused, and disappointing.”
    • “There is no real horror in this game at all, and when it fails to build a horror atmosphere it resorts to jumpscares in the second half of the game.”
    • “Completely runs its scary atmosphere as you run back through old areas constantly more annoyed than anything.”
  • gameplay
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Silver Chains" lasts about 2-3 hours and features a mix of exploration, item collection, and puzzle-solving, but is marred by frustrating mechanics and predictable jump scares. Players often find themselves stuck due to unintuitive controls and poorly designed chase sequences, particularly a final maze that can lead to instant deaths and repetitive gameplay. While the atmosphere and graphics are praised, the overall experience suffers from a lack of depth and polish, making it feel like a typical indie horror game without significant innovation.

    • “As a new horror game player, even though I jump at everything, this game has the perfect balance of difficulty and scares plus the chase mechanic.”
    • “The gameplay more or less has you exploring the mansion and uncovering diary pages of exposition as you piece together the story.”
    • “Featuring some decent scares, character models, and smooth gameplay, it has all the groundwork for an excellent horror.”
    • “Game gets frustrating so quickly; sometimes you don't know what to do and you need to search, but you walk slow and there's no clue. Those cheap jump scares give you a hug again and make the whole gameplay more tedious.”
    • “What little actual gameplay there is ultimately amounts to picking up random notes and objects, one frankly absurd quicktime event, and the occasional chase sequence that usually ends in about ten seconds or less. The one big exception is an extremely frustrating chase sequence through a maze right at the end of the game where any mistake results in an instant kill and forces you to do the entire thing - did none of the developers playtest this?”
    • “All of the scares and the direction of the game are hilariously predictable. It includes awful, uninteresting writing coupled with uninspired gameplay design of 'run here, grab x, use at y' that every horror game has been using since 2010.”
  • music
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to create a spooky atmosphere and enhance the horror experience, with many players noting its above-average quality and memorable moments. However, some critiques highlight that the game lacks consistent musical scoring, particularly during key encounters, which diminishes the overall impact. While the soundtrack is appreciated, the absence of music in certain sections is seen as a missed opportunity to elevate the gameplay further.

    • “The music is fantastic, the atmosphere is spooky, it really brings you into the horror of it.”
    • “The music is above average and added a lot of atmosphere; many times I've played indie horror games and barely noticed the music, but there are some memorable moments.”
    • “It's fairly jumpscare heavy, but the ambience is comforting as someone who grew up on the soundtrack to PS1 horror games.”
    • “The game's final encounter should be intense, but falls flat, thanks to a lack of chase music.”
    • “In fact, much of Silver Chains is played without a musical score.”
    • “There are times when silence is very effective, but when most of the game lacks music, anything otherwise going for it loses its punch.”
  • optimization
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as lag, screen tearing, and bugs, which detract from the overall experience. However, some users noted that they encountered no performance problems during their playthrough, highlighting a disparity in experiences. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be a major concern for a substantial portion of the player base.

    • “10 / 10 optimization.”
    • “Thankfully, I never had any performance issues or encountered any bugs during my playthrough.”
    • “Silver Chains may not have a standout story, but it makes up for this with its excellent performance and almost perfect moderation of horror elements, steering away from overusing chase scenes, jumpscares, puzzles, and narration to create a variable and engrossing experience that all horror fans can enjoy.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized and constantly lags for no apparent reason.”
    • “Horrible screen tearing thanks to the bad performance.”
    • “But its horrifying performance issues and the completely horrible final sequence put a pretty big damper on the game as a whole.”
  • humor
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its jump scares, which many players found more amusing than frightening, particularly when involving children. The predictability of the scares and the repetitive use of laughter and giggling detracted from the overall experience, leading to a sense of boredom rather than genuine fear. Overall, the writing and gameplay design were criticized for being uninspired, contributing to a comedic rather than terrifying atmosphere.

    • “It had a semi-interesting story, and most of the jump scares were more hilarious than scary.”
    • “(mostly because they were happening to children, and no one can deny that a kid accidentally falling flat on their face isn't funny).”
    • “Pretty much like the first time I had sex, lots of average jump scares, way too short, fumbling around to click the 'E' in the right place and a dwarf laughing at me and telling me he could do a better job and do I want help.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating, citing slow movement, confusing mechanics, and tedious gameplay elements such as poorly designed puzzles and cheap jump scares. The overall level design and weak story contribute to a sense of tedium, making the experience feel more laborious than enjoyable. Many reviewers suggest that improvements in these areas could enhance the game's potential.

    • “My only real complaints lie with the monocle system initially being pretty confusing and the final section of the game in the attic (no spoilers here!) is quite tedious.”
    • “Puzzles with wrong hints, tedious chase system, weak story... overall horrible level design.”
    • “Honestly, what was truly grinding my gears from beginning to end, was the title.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with no major glitches reported. However, players have noted some frustrating bugs, particularly with the final boss, which can get stuck or behave erratically, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the lack of clear interaction cues and hints for puzzles can lead to confusion, impacting gameplay flow.

    • “The game runs smoothly with no glitches or issues.”
    • “I haven't encountered any glitches or problems while playing.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive; everything runs perfectly.”
    • “You don't know what items you can interact with unless you are right on top of them, the main enemy only shows up in scripted events, many puzzles give zero hints, and the final boss was so buggy that it would constantly get stuck on walls or kept walking in circles directly around the objectives.”
    • “A few glitches remove the perfect 5 stars note.”
    • “A few glitches remove the perfect 5 stars note.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally considered solid for players aiming to complete achievements or improve their previous play times. However, some users noted issues such as bugs that diminish enemy threats and visual glitches, which negatively impact the overall replay experience.

    • “Replay value is solid if you're missing achievements or looking to beat your last play time.”
    • “The short story, combined with bugs that make the enemies unthreatening and visual glitches that render some objects invisible, significantly reduces replayability.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers praise the character design for its ability to create uniquely terrifying characters, highlighting the effectiveness of the visual representation in enhancing the overall experience.

  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game fails to evoke any emotional response, with users noting its lack of scare factor, atmosphere, and an unengaging plot. Overall, it is perceived as emotionally flat and uninspiring.

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58%Critics’ scoreBased on 11 critic reviews
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
3-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Silver Chains is a survival action adventure game with horror theme.

Silver Chains is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Silver Chains.

Silver Chains was released on August 6, 2019.

Silver Chains was developed by Cracked Heads Games.

Silver Chains has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Silver Chains is a single player game.

Similar games include The Beast Inside, Hektor, Blair Witch, Left Alone, God's Basement and others.