Stay
- January 18, 2024
- Spectral Doe
Get on Steam"Stay" follows the experience of a motel maid, Cas, as she becomes entangled in a twisted tale of obsession, love, and terror. Unbeknownst to her, a deranged stalker harbors a dangerous infatuation with Cas, leading to a series of threatening letters and a deadly game of survival. Throughout the game, the player receives letters that reveal her stalker's twisted perception of affection …
Reviews
- The game creates an extremely unsettling atmosphere, making it a compelling horror experience.
- It features a nice plot and social commentary on women's experiences, adding depth to the narrative.
- The developers have been responsive in addressing bugs and suggestions, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The controls are clunky and difficult to manage, particularly with tank controls and static cameras.
- There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including problems with interaction and character model spawning.
- The game has a slow start with tedious tasks that can detract from the overall experience.
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its intense and disturbing qualities, effectively building tension and blurring the lines between horror and realism. While it draws inspiration from Puppet Combo games, some players feel that technical issues and clunky gameplay detract from the overall experience, making it challenging to fully immerse in the intended atmosphere. Despite these criticisms, the slow-burn approach is appreciated as a fitting element for the game's narrative.
“The first half does an excellent job of creating a very tense atmosphere that works perfectly as a build-up for what is going to happen.”
“This creates a sick and disturbing atmosphere that permeates every moment of the game, blurring the line between horror and realism, accentuated by the lines you see during loading times and when you die—lines that are depressingly familiar and all too common.”
“As I was playing, I constantly felt like it reminded me of Puppet Combo games, and then I realized it is actually listed as the inspiration. Even if you just did more testing to fix the technical issues and improve the slower parts of the game while building that atmosphere, I think it would not be that far from Puppet Combo; you're about 60% there.”
“This creates a sick and disturbing atmosphere that permeates every moment of the game, blurring the line between horror and realism, also accentuated by the lines you see during loading time and when you die, lines that are depressingly familiar and still too common.”
“As I was playing, I constantly felt like it reminded me of Puppet Combo games, and then I realized it is actually listed as the inspiration. Even if you just did more testing to fix the technical issues and improve the slower parts of the game when building that atmosphere, I think it would not be that far away from Puppet Combo. You're about 60% there, which may not sound like a compliment, but it's not that I didn't like the experience overall; I think you got a lot of smaller moments wrong, not the overall feel of the story.”
“I do think the slow burn with the boring tasks is a nice element for a game like this; I just think you made them a bit clunky, so it was hard to focus on the atmosphere.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are generally considered satisfactory, with notable praise for the quality of the cut scenes. The survival-horror aesthetic is appreciated, and the visual elements effectively support the game's narrative through foreshadowing.
“The game features a stunning survival-horror aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.”
“Graphically, the game is impressive, with high-quality cut scenes that elevate the storytelling.”
“Graphically, the game was alright, but it didn't stand out in any significant way.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, particularly at the beginning, which can feel overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.
“The start of the game is very slow, tedious, and overwhelming.”
“Grinding feels like an endless chore rather than an engaging experience.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay motivated.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users note that the music in the game can sometimes start playing before specific events are triggered, which may disrupt the intended timing and immersion.
“Sometimes the music triggers earlier than a triggered event.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
“Each track is meticulously crafted, making every moment feel immersive and engaging.”
“Sometimes the music triggers earlier than the event it's supposed to accompany.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The audio mixing is off, making it hard to hear the music over the sound effects.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as somewhat janky, but players find it manageable overall.
“The actual gameplay is a bit janky but still manageable.”
“The gameplay mechanics are engaging and keep you on your toes.”
“I love how the gameplay encourages creativity and experimentation.”
“The actual gameplay is kind of janky but still manageable.”
“The controls feel unresponsive and often lead to frustrating moments.”
“The gameplay mechanics are poorly designed, making it difficult to enjoy the experience.”
- story1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The story draws clear inspiration from Puppet Combo games, successfully capturing a similar atmosphere despite some technical issues and pacing problems. While the overall experience is enjoyable, there are minor moments that detract from the narrative's impact, suggesting room for improvement.
“The story is deeply immersive, drawing inspiration from Puppet Combo games, which enhances the overall atmosphere and experience.”
“Even with some technical issues, the narrative captures a unique essence that resonates with fans of horror storytelling.”
“The smaller moments in the story may need refinement, but the overall feel and atmosphere are compelling and engaging.”
“While playing, I constantly felt reminded of Puppet Combo games, and then I realized it is actually listed as an inspiration. This made me think that even if more testing was done to fix the technical issues and improve the slower parts of the game while building the atmosphere, it wouldn't be that far from Puppet Combo. You're about 60% there, which may not sound like a compliment, but it's not that I didn't like the experience overall. I think you got a lot of smaller moments wrong, not the overall feel of the story.”
“The story felt disjointed and lacked depth, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about their fates. It seemed like there were interesting ideas, but they were poorly executed and left me feeling unsatisfied.”
“I found the narrative to be predictable and clichéd, with no real twists or surprises. It felt like I had seen it all before, which made the experience dull and unengaging.”
