SLACKJAW

About

SLACKJAW is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Nostromo Interactive and was released on August 8, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

The 2024 true-crime podcast "My Escape from the Slackjaw Killer" took America by storm—with its unflinching interview of his only known surviving victim. Painstakingly recreated from testimony, crime scene photos, and FBI reports, this game puts you in Slackjaw's world and asks: Will you survive? Average playtime: 1 hour Explore the world of a serial killer as his next victim. …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 99 reviews

atmosphere16 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features an incredibly immersive atmosphere with high-quality graphics and sound design, creating a genuinely creepy experience.
Puzzles are engaging and logical, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating, making the gameplay enjoyable.
The music is outstanding and enhances the overall experience, contributing to the tension and mood of the game.

The game is very short, with many players completing it in under an hour, leading to concerns about its value for the price.
Some players found the puzzles to be too simple and the gameplay lacking in depth, which diminished the overall experience.
There are technical issues, such as a lack of checkpoints and limited graphics options, which can detract from the gameplay experience.

atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
37%
10%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, enhanced by strong sound design and visuals that create a tense, horror-filled experience. Reviewers note that while the puzzles may not be particularly challenging, the game's ability to evoke fear and tension through its atmosphere is commendable. Overall, it is described as a captivating and unnerving experience that effectively draws players into its dark world.
- “Slackjaw, developed and published by Nostromo Interactive, is a short but unnerving horror experience that demonstrates how atmosphere, pacing, and sound design can achieve more fear than elaborate mechanics or jump scares.”
- “An incredibly immersive experience with a dark but realistic atmosphere and engaging escape room type puzzle solving.”
- “Fantastic atmosphere, world building, and sound design.”
- “The story, while effectively conveyed through atmosphere, doesn’t expand much beyond its initial setup, which could have been an opportunity for greater psychological exploration.”
- “It's not particularly inventive or challenging in a puzzle sense, but it makes up for it with atmosphere.”
- “Even though this was a shorter length game, I felt it was done right; the atmosphere and tension felt heavy the whole time.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with players praising its high production value and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. Many noted that the original soundtrack is not only captivating but also integral to the game's spooky vibe, making it a memorable part of the experience. The inclusion of a standout song by Taylor further adds to the game's appeal, leaving players eager to purchase the soundtrack.
- “The music is just f*ckin' awesome, it carried the whole game.”
- “Atmosphere and music are phenomenal.”
- “The graphics, sound, music, and atmosphere were incredible!”
- “Honestly, I wouldn’t even leave the basement with music that fire playing.”
- “Oh, also the creepy background music, omg - it sets the vibe even further!”
- “The look and soundtrack are legit spooky, of a high production value, and knowing a female solo dev made this is amazing knowing the amount of work that goes into the creation of a video game.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The story is praised for its atmospheric and personal horror experience, effectively conveyed through gameplay and minimalistic design, though some feel it lacks depth beyond its initial premise. Players appreciate the integration of puzzles that enhance the narrative, while the overall tone is described as tense and oppressive, with a compelling focus on a killer's twisted motivations. Despite being short, the story captivates with its dark themes and engaging gameplay, though some elements, like the claim of being based on true events, are met with skepticism.
- “Very atmospheric, decent enough puzzles, solid story, tense enough to be considered horror, but not so tense that it's unapproachable.”
- “This minimalist approach makes the horror feel personal—it’s not a story happening to someone else; it’s happening to you.”
- “Unraveling the story with the gameplay was also great!”
- “The story, while effectively conveyed through atmosphere, doesn’t expand much beyond its initial setup, which could have been an opportunity for greater psychological exploration.”
- “It's short but tells the story really well.”
- “Story is creepy, the overall aura is oppressive and intense.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
39%
23%
The gameplay of Slackjaw is centered around a simple escape-room format that emphasizes atmosphere, pacing, and sound design over complex mechanics. Players engage in exploration, observation, and interaction to unravel the story, which is generally well-received, though some reviewers express a desire for more depth and additional mechanics like inventory management. Overall, the game offers a brief yet enjoyable experience for fans of puzzle and horror genres.
- “The gameplay structure follows the escape-room format but with the tension of a horror thriller.”
- “The mechanics are deliberately simple: explore, observe, interact, and piece together your path out.”
- “While it’s definitely on the brief side (you can easily speedrun it in around 15-20 minutes once you know what to do), if you like simple puzzle games and escape room gameplay with a spooky vibe, you'll probably enjoy this game.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
Overall, the graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their high quality, immersive atmosphere, and photorealistic detail, contributing to a spooky experience. However, some users report issues such as screen tearing and a lack of customizable graphics settings, which detracts from the overall visual experience. Despite these criticisms, the combination of visuals and sound design is frequently highlighted as a standout feature.
- “The soundtrack, graphics, story, and assets are all stunning.”
- “Not only are the graphics top notch, but the sound design in the basement is absolutely immersive.”
- “The graphics, sound, music, and atmosphere were incredible!”
- “I expect vsync, resolution options, and graphics options other than low, medium, and high.”
- “The graphics were bad even on high; it had so much screen tear that it was unbearable to look at my screen with the graphics bad too.”
- “This game would be better with more graphics settings and a longer gaming experience.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has limited replayability, as the initial playthrough lasts around 30 minutes and the escape code remains unchanged, offering little incentive for players to revisit the experience.
- “In reality, the game only takes about 30 minutes for the first playthrough if you don't make any mistakes, and it has no replay value as the escape code does not change.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play again since the outcomes remain the same.”
- “The lack of different endings or choices means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”