Snares of Ruin

About

Snares of Ruin is a single player role playing game with drama and mystery themes. It was developed by Astronomic Games and was released on January 17, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

You are detective Hank Anderson , and you’ve just been transferred to another city to help solve a series of unusual crimes. Upon arrival, you are greeted with a gory scene and a revelation of several instances of a deadly disease that turns people into savage zombie-like husks. Upon closer inspection, it appears there’s more to all this, and peculiar events do not stop. It is up to you now to sol…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

story23 positive mentions

stability1 negative mentions

Well-written and intriguing story with good pacing and compelling detective mystery elements.
Meaningful choices and stat-based gameplay affecting outcomes, with good replayability and multiple endings.
Effective integration of dating sim elements that enrich character interactions and narrative depth.

Limited and repetitive RPG Maker graphics and environments which may detract from immersion.
Some technical issues reported like glitches, crashes, and awkward character movement animations.
Linear progression with few gameplay mechanics beyond dialogue and walking, leading to potential monotony.

story
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
62%
4%
The story is widely praised as well-written, immersive, and compelling, featuring intriguing characters and choices that impact outcomes, including multiple romance paths. While some note the plot can feel straightforward or slightly rushed, especially in romance segments, the narrative offers strong replayability with varied endings and integrates RPG elements smoothly. Overall, it is appreciated by fans of story-driven, detective, and mystery RPGs for its engaging and suspenseful crime/mystery tale.
- “The story and characters are well written and believable.”
- “Overall the story is up there with Witcher, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age series; of course the story's romance is a bit rushed but it is expected with the length of the game being 5+ hours. If the game had a bigger budget, I am sure the story and the romance would not feel as rushed.”
- “The story is well written, the pace feels right and well balanced between investigation phases, emergencies, and hanging out with the ladies.”
- “Hardly a success story, gamers just weren't all that interested in the e-book.”
- “Even quite a ways in it did not feel like I was actively solving anything, but rather just opening more and more tiny sub-arcs to the main story with no real fulfilling developments or resolution for my effort.”
- “In conclusion, this is not quite up to par either on the plot hook front, gameplay front, or ease of use and game design front.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
47%
16%
The gameplay offers an engaging and balanced RPG experience focused on exploration, decision-making, and character customization, with mechanics that, while simple, provide meaningful immersion. While some criticize the graphics and find the gameplay somewhat basic or repetitive, many appreciate the solid, enjoyable mechanics that complement the strong narrative and writing. Overall, the gameplay is well-received for its depth and fun, especially for fans of story-driven role-playing games.
- “With these gameplay aspects you can easily tailor the character of Hank Anderson to your preference, be that a fighter, a negotiator, a computer geek, or an amalgam of the attributes.”
- “Don't think though that the game's story or gameplay elements won't stick with you, because I intend to go back and play again, choosing different options and also to see the various ways your character's stats can impact the story.”
- “Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
- “In conclusion, this is not quite up to par either on the plot hook front, gameplay front, or ease of use and game design front.”
- “Gameplay consists of walking from point to point, but also making critical decisions on how to approach problems and what to do with your spare time.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics in Snares of Ruin are modest and typical of RPG Maker games, lacking modern features like full HD support and graphic customization. However, the art style and character sprites are well-executed and complement the strong storytelling and gameplay, demonstrating that high-end visuals are not essential for an engaging experience.
- “Snares of Ruin is a crime mystery RPG game. I really enjoyed the story and loved the artwork.”
- “I like the style of the graphics, the characters, and the presentation as you speak and so forth.”
- “Does not contain a single RPG Maker battle which is a big plus, with gun battles with criminals instead being choice-based affairs based on your stats and the environment, which are then rendered using the in-game graphics.”
- “As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
- “The writing, visuals, gamefeel, and story won't win any originality awards, but all are executed with professional competence.”
- “Does not contain a single RPG Maker battle, which is a big plus, with gun battles with criminals instead being choice-based affairs based on your stats and the environment which are then rendered using the in-game graphics.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Replayability in the game is strong, driven by multiple romance paths, various endings, and diverse ways to develop stats and complete quests. Although somewhat linear in daily investigation, player choices and interactions significantly influence outcomes, enhancing replay value. Overall, the variety of achievements, story paths, and character interactions make for an enjoyable and engaging replay experience.
- “Replayability is high as there are quite a few achievements to get and some cannot be attained through merely a single playthrough.”
- “One of the better games in its style, it also has 6 separate romance paths for the detective which affect the outcome of the story, so it has decent replayability.”
- “Although the game is fairly short, replayability is considerable - you have four ways to develop your stats, several ways of completing every quest, as well as six ladies, all with their own personality, interactions and optional quests.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in Snares of Ruin is notably well-crafted, featuring catchy tunes and immersive sound effects that enhance the semi-dark atmosphere. A unique end credits song, specifically written to reference the game’s mechanics, showcases the developers’ impressive extra effort. However, some players wish the soundtrack were available as downloadable content.
- “It's an impressive amount of extra effort to write and record a song for an RPG Maker game, and I think it's genuinely cool the developers went the extra mile.”
- “I liked the aural quality in this game from cell phones ringing, knocks on a door to the sounds of combat. It all sounds wonderful, but I really enjoyed the soundtrack as it had some catchy tunes; however, it's a shame that the music isn't available as DLC.”
- “Wherever or whenever it is supposed to take place, I loved the semi-dark atmosphere and the soundtrack fits the whole ambiance adequately.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game's humor engaging, particularly enjoying the witty and sometimes rude dialogue from NPCs. The dating aspect adds a lighthearted, funny touch, though some sound effects, like the kissing noise, are humorously off-putting. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the experience.
- “While wandering about the city, I really enjoyed talking to various NPCs as some of them have funny or rude things to say.”
- “The dating aspect was somewhat funny :D”
- “The kiss sound was so funny, even though the rest of the sound is perfect.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a compelling emotional experience through well-written characters and impactful dialogue choices, creating moments of heartfelt tension and meaningful decision-making that influence the story's outcomes.
- “Watching the emotional tug-of-war was fascinating as I went along - there are a few intriguing spots in the game where decisions can really impact the overall conclusions of said parameters.”
- “Some heartbreaking dialogue options...”
- “The characters are mostly well written, and interaction with them is an emotional experience.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences frequent stability issues, including glitches, random crashes, freezing, and occasional lag, which is unexpected for an RPG Maker title known for low hardware demands.
- “I've played quite a few titles from Astronomic Games and haven't had issues with any of them whatsoever, but this game had some glitches, random crashes, and freezing which occurred to me on a regular basis, not to mention the occasional lagging, which is weird because this is an RPG Maker title and they aren't particularly taxing on your hardware.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is considered tedious and unenjoyable, particularly due to repetitive traveling without engaging elements like puzzles or combat to break the monotony.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is praised for its effective semi-dark setting, which creates an immersive ambiance complemented well by a fitting soundtrack.
- “Wherever or whenever it is supposed to take place, I loved the semi-dark atmosphere and the soundtrack fits the whole ambiance adequately.”