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 …
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game successfully evokes nostalgia for classic horror games from the 2000s, with its unique visual design and engaging atmosphere.
- It features interesting dialogue and social commentary, making it not only a horror experience but also a reflection on real-world issues.
- The developer is responsive to community feedback and actively works on fixing bugs, which enhances the overall player experience.
- The game suffers from clunky controls and camera issues, making navigation and interaction frustrating at times.
- There are several bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, such as inconsistent save mechanics and interaction problems with objects.
- The pacing can be slow, particularly in the beginning, which may deter players looking for a more immediate horror experience.
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game effectively establishes a tense and disturbing atmosphere, skillfully blending horror with realism, particularly in its first half. 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 shortcomings, the slow-burn approach and familiar themes contribute to a compelling, if flawed, ambiance.
“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 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 are 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.”
“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.”
- story3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story is praised for its unique and engaging plot, reminiscent of Puppet Combo games, which serves as an inspiration for its narrative style. While some technical issues and pacing concerns were noted, the overall experience and atmosphere of the story were well-received, indicating a solid foundation that could be further refined.
“That's why I am writing this review for it, in hopes that people may see it and play it because it is really special and unique with a pretty cool story too.”
“After I saw the photos, I of course read the synopsis and also quite enjoyed the basic plot description.”
“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 are like 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.”
“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. So I am like, ah, now it makes more sense. Honestly, 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 like 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.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally engaging and features well-executed sound design, creating unsettling moments; however, players have noted some janky mechanics, such as a flawed save system and issues with enemy interactions. While these problems are mostly manageable, they detract from the overall experience, though the developer is aware and plans to address them.
“The sound work is well done, and the gameplay is great, featuring unsettling moments.”
“The actual gameplay is a bit janky but still manageable.”
“The save mechanic isn't superb; the stalker can kill you through doors that aren't open. You cannot go back to the main menu if you have done it too many times, among other issues. These are obvious and mostly manageable, though the developer seems to be aware of them and plans to fix them.”
“The actual gameplay is kind of janky but still manageable.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are appreciated for their PS1 stylization and effective use of a survival-horror aesthetic, with cut scenes receiving particular praise. Overall, while the graphics are deemed "alright," they successfully contribute to the game's atmosphere and storytelling.
“Graphically, the game was alright, and the cutscenes were good.”
“Graphically, the game was alright, and the cut scenes were good.”
“I love the PS1 (PSX) stylized graphics.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report that the game has notable bugs, glitches, and errors that require attention, indicating stability issues that impact the overall experience.
“There are definitely some bugs, glitches, and errors that need addressing.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered several stability issues that disrupted my gaming experience.”
- 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 may deter engagement.
“The start of the game is very slow, tedious, and overwhelming.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it feel more like a job than a fun experience.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users note that the music in the game occasionally starts playing before specific events are triggered, which can create a disjointed experience.
“The music perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
“Each track is beautifully composed, making every moment in the game feel epic.”
“The soundtrack is so immersive that it draws you deeper into the game's world.”
“Sometimes the music triggers earlier than a triggered event.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The music doesn't match the game's atmosphere, making it feel disjointed.”
