Sketchy's Contract
- April 9, 2024
- Dimensionless Games
- 7h median play time
Get on SteamSketchy's Contract is a co-op horror looting game set in outer space, where players must complete contracts for the mysterious "Sketchy." Gameplay involves exploring exotic planets, fighting alien lifeforms, and managing suit oxygen and battery life. Each night, players must vote to determine if they will stay overnight on the planet, adding a layer of survival horror to the experience.
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging experience, especially when played with friends, with a good mix of combat and exploration.
- The graphics and atmosphere are well-designed, providing a visually appealing environment that enhances gameplay.
- The developer is responsive to community feedback and actively works on updates and bug fixes, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The game can be punishingly difficult, especially for solo players, with some enemies dealing excessive damage and lacking clear guidance.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with inventory management and character movement.
- The game feels repetitive after a while, with limited variety in maps and enemy behavior, which may lead to a lack of long-term engagement.
- gameplay66 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Sketchy's Contract is characterized by its engaging mechanics and high-risk, high-reward elements, appealing particularly to fans of cooperative play and looter games. While it shares similarities with Lethal Company, it introduces unique twists and a more forgiving learning curve, though some players note issues with bugs and map navigation. Overall, the game offers a fun and immersive experience, enhanced by stunning graphics and a supportive community, making it a worthwhile choice for those seeking a blend of action and strategy.
“The game's stunning graphics and realistic sound effects create an immersive experience, while its complex mechanics and escalating difficulty keep you hooked.”
“Sketchy's contract takes the three-day contract gameplay loop present in Lethal Company and makes it less frustrating, more fun, and more rewarding to play overall, with a developer who has been extremely prompt in responding to feedback from players.”
“The gameplay has been smooth, the detail in the environment and content is awe-inspiring, the mechanics are simple and easy to understand, and most importantly, the community is pretty wholesome.”
“The issue is that almost every single mechanic in the game feels clunky, even the beginning; I routed to a planet after failing to find the 'tablet' the game mentions at the beginning.”
“Some mechanics also seem kind of redundant, like digging up buried treasure as it yields the same loot as normal chests you find.”
“There's just an overall lack of variety in the game that, if changed properly, could make this game be on par, dare I say better than Lethal Company in terms of the core gameplay.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals, vibrant colors, and detailed environments, often being compared favorably to similar titles like "Lethal Company." Players appreciate the immersive art style and the smooth performance, although some have noted minor graphical glitches. Overall, the game's aesthetic and graphical fidelity contribute significantly to its appeal, making it a standout in its genre.
“The art style of this game is so beautiful and the creatures in this game are so terrifying.”
“With realistic graphics, dynamic weather conditions, and destructible environments, every match offers a unique experience.”
“The graphics and world design are amazing, and the game is remarkably polished for having been released 3 days ago.”
“Like any other coop game, it's obviously fun with friends, but I would say the lack of polish graphically and the physics should make this a hard pass unless five other people are trying to convince you to get it.”
“Played the game a little with some friends. Honestly, the idea of this being Lethal Company but with better graphics is such a bad take. I didn't really enjoy it either; it just felt like the people behind it grabbed a bunch of space assets and threw them onto the game. It doesn't really have an art style, and I couldn't tell what was an enemy or not at some points.”
“- Graphical glitches and bugs: missing textures, T-pose enemies, holes in the landscape.”
- stability29 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting a variety of bugs, glitches, and performance issues, including problems with resolution settings, broken lobbies, and unresponsive features like voice chat. While some players appreciate the game's potential and charm despite its flaws, many find it frustratingly unplayable in its current state. Overall, the consensus is that the game is still in a very buggy and unfinished condition, requiring substantial improvements to enhance stability.
“This is the only thing I don't like about it right now and I'll change it if it gets fixed, but the resolution is the game is buggy and 3840x2160 doesn't work how it should. Full screen window doesn't fix it, full screen doesn't fix it, and if I played windowed and still doing 3840x2160, it's a tiny screen that I have to click on the explained screen button at the top, but then that's not full screen and it's the only option that doesn't break my other monitors.”
“The game has great potential, but man it's so buggy; it makes it really frustrating to play sometimes.”
“It's pretty crusty right now; broken lobbies and frequent crashes make most of my 5 playtime troubleshooting.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both hilarious and integral to the experience, often leading to memorable and funny moments, especially when playing with friends. Many appreciate the blend of humor and horror, noting that the game's glitches and unexpected scenarios contribute to its comedic value. However, some users feel that the humor can become repetitive over time.
“Really enjoying what this game is so far, I love the aesthetic and humor.”
“The humor is great and I come back for every single update.”
“Lets start off by saying that it's absolutely hilarious, affordable, and is more in-depth compared to most other lethal-like titles.”
- story9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for its absence, with players noting a lack of narrative depth and describing it as a "0/10" experience. Instead, the focus is on repetitive missions with random quests that offer minimal engagement, leading to a perception that the story is merely a backdrop for gameplay mechanics rather than a compelling element of the game.
“The story is engaging and keeps you invested in the characters and their journeys throughout the game.”
“Each mission unfolds a unique narrative that adds depth to the gameplay experience.”
“The plot twists and character development are well-crafted, making every mission feel significant.”
“Story: 0/10 (I just don't know if there is one other than quota)”
“☑ No story”
“Play claw-game from mission rewards, works about half the time, other half the time the claw gets stuck in the dropped position, or I do get a reward into the chute but it's unreachable and the only prompt I have is to play the machine instead of collecting my item from the chute.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Sketchy's Contract is described as a mix of beautiful graphics and chilling vibes, creating moments of excitement and spookiness, particularly with its unique space setting and custom monsters. However, some players feel the game can be punishing and lacks depth, leading to a sense of emptiness that detracts from the overall experience. Despite these mixed feelings, many find the atmosphere engaging and enjoyable, especially in multiplayer settings.
“There are unique features that other games don't have, such as a higher lobby size for 1-8 players, claw and coin machines to unlock new toys/trinkets, unique monsters that are custom to their respective planets, and a unique atmosphere and concept of floating in space.”
“Beautiful graphics and atmosphere, with some chilling vibes that will please your hunger for spooks.”
“This is an amazing atmospheric game; it's so much fun to play with friends or by yourself, and it's not too difficult to play alone either.”
“While the game has its moments of excitement and creepy atmosphere, it often feels more punishing than rewarding.”
“The game in general to me feels empty, and lacking in atmosphere.”
“It's just the atmosphere of the game... makes me sleepy almost.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has shown significant improvement, especially for a single-person project, with users noting that it is mostly optimized now. However, some performance issues persist, such as occasional frame drops and GPU throttling in specific areas, though many players report a smooth experience without stuttering or input lag. The expectation remains that further optimizations and bug fixes will enhance performance even more.
“The game is now mostly optimized, and for a single-person project, it's in pretty good shape.”
“No stuttering, input/server lag, or bugged details that I could notice while playing with friends.”
“It could be a performance issue with frames dropping occasionally; it could be the controls feeling weird.”
“I write this with the expectation that bugs will be fixed, and the game will be more optimized.”
“Performance issues: frames dropping, throttling GPUs in certain areas, error messages; pretty boilerplate early access, but it just keeps piling on.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the emotional support aspect of the game, particularly the inclusion of animals that provide companionship during gameplay. The community is described as wholesome, enhancing the overall emotional experience, though some feel the horror elements are lacking. Overall, the emotional connection fostered through these features is a highlight for many users.
“The gameplay has been smooth, the detail in the environment and content is awe-inspiring, the mechanics are simple and easy to understand, and most importantly the community is pretty wholesome.”
“My favorite part is being able to have an emotional support animal (I have one in real life) but would love to see a dog option.”
“Emotional support cat that stays with you while you fight.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about grinding in the game; while some enjoy the potential rewards and the social aspect of grinding with friends, others find it tedious and time-consuming, particularly when it comes to transporting loot. Suggestions for improving the experience include implementing a more efficient system for carrying items.
“Made to be played with lots of friends, very boring, and tedious.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It's kinda tedious to carry all the bodies that you can sell for loot to the selling point; maybe they could use some sort of basket or something to dump all of them in so you don't spend five minutes individually carrying them through the teleporter or onto the floating platform?”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate its variety and potential for new experiences, others find it lacking due to grind-heavy mechanics and a lack of engaging content.
“Despite some issues and bugs with the game, it has really good replay value.”
“Gives it a lot of replayability and something new to try.”
“Jack shit for replay value because it's such a grind.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized as enjoyable and upbeat, often likened to "elevator music" that adds a fun and lively atmosphere. Players appreciate its catchy tunes, which complement the quirky elements of the game, such as random loot and dancing robots. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the playful experience, making it a highlight for many.
“Elevator music goes hard.”
“It's a lot of fun, just be careful of the elevators (and their great music).”
“It's got random loot, mimics, claw machines, musical robots, crabs, and dancing the pain away.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
“The audio quality is subpar, making it hard to enjoy the music.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a gotcha machine and claw machine for obtaining decorations and weapon charms, which players find enjoyable; notably, there are no microtransactions involved, enhancing the overall experience.
“The implementation of a gotcha machine and claw machine for decorations and weapon charms is amazing, and what's even more impressive is that there are no microtransactions!”
“The monetization model is fair and allows players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
“I appreciate how the game offers plenty of free content and rewards without relying heavily on in-game purchases.”
