Stormhill Mystery: Family Shadows

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 166 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Stormhill Mystery: Family Shadows Game Cover
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"Stormhill Mystery: Family Shadows" is a story-driven, atmospheric adventure game. As the player, you will uncover the dark secrets of a cursed family while exploring the atmospheric and hand-painted environments of Stormhill. The game features intuitive puzzle mechanics and a rich, immersive narrative.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 166 reviews
story42 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful artwork and a captivating atmosphere, making it visually appealing.
  • It offers a decent story with Lovecraftian elements, providing a unique twist to the gameplay.
  • The game is easy to complete, allowing players to achieve 100% in a short amount of time, making it accessible for casual gamers.
  • The gameplay is often criticized for being too simplistic, with easy puzzles and a lack of hidden object scenes, which some players expected.
  • Many players found the story to be weak and disjointed, lacking depth and logical coherence in its tasks.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including glitches and freezing, which can disrupt the gaming experience.
  • story122 mentions

    The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its captivating elements and bonus chapters that enhance the narrative, while others criticize it as weak, clichéd, or nonsensical. Many appreciate the intriguing puzzles and the overall atmosphere, but feel that the plot lacks depth and coherence, often failing to engage or resonate. Overall, while the story has its enjoyable moments, it does not consistently meet the expectations of players seeking a compelling narrative.

    • “I liked how there was a bonus chapter that acted as a prequel to the story.”
    • “The story was very interesting and the puzzles were good; I play a lot of these types of games and this one is top quality.”
    • “The story is very well told and tied everything together at the end.”
    • “The story is plain boring, no horror whatsoever.”
    • “The characters were not sympathetic, the plot was rushed and didn't make much sense, and the voiceovers were terrible.”
    • “Stormhill Mystery has some really nice upgrades compared to older titles, but the story, earnestly terrible as it is, just isn't terrible enough to graduate to camp, nor good enough to compel on its own.”
  • graphics52 mentions

    The graphics in the game received mixed reviews, with some players praising the artwork and visual style, particularly in cut scenes, while others found them uninspired or in need of polish. Overall, many noted that the graphics were decent but not exceptional, with some describing them as "good" or "lovely," yet others felt they fell short of expectations. The visuals contributed positively to the atmosphere, but there were comments about limited interactivity and a desire for improvements in future installments.

    • “What draws me to this game (besides my sudden wanting for casual games) is the artwork.”
    • “I want to mention that the visuals in the game are nicely done.”
    • “The graphics were lovely, but there was very little with which to interact in each scene.”
    • “Graphics and sound quality are meh.”
    • “Uninspired graphics, uneventful storyline, and trivial puzzles.”
    • “Could use some update to graphics, which makes the HOG games a bit challenging at times, but plays smoothly.”
  • gameplay18 mentions

    Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players finding the mechanics inconsistent and illogical, leading to frustration. However, others enjoyed the puzzles and exploration, noting that they were generally fun and logical, contributing to an interesting story. Overall, while the game offers a pleasant distraction for a short playtime, its mechanics may not satisfy all players.

    • “The puzzles and exploration felt fun, and the story of the house having its own thing also was enjoyable since it allowed for some cool game mechanics.”
    • “The overall mechanics work well, and the puzzles are fairly logical for the most part.”
    • “The game mechanics are annoying: inconsistent, fussy, illogical.”
    • “The story and the artwork were okay, but the actual gameplay falls short.”
    • “Even $8 is a tall ask for about two hours of gameplay, but on sale, and in the right frame of mind, it's a pleasant enough distraction.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its ability to create an eerie atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. The combination of creepy soundtracks and background noises effectively contributes to the game's mysterious and slightly scary tone, although some find the overall plot to be somewhat generic.

    • “I loved the music throughout the game and the background noises to make it eerie and a little scary.”
    • “After that, it lets you do your thing: hidden object style, along with creepy music and OSTs, to unveil the mystery of the story.”
    • “Creepy visuals and music, interesting if a bit generic plot.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The game's atmosphere effectively blends mild horror with a spooky ambiance, featuring paranormal elements and ghostly encounters that enhance the experience without being overly frightening. While the story is basic, the atmospheric design and artwork contribute positively to the overall feel, making it engaging for fans of light horror themes.

    • “Loved the horror theme; it's not too scary, but there was a good atmosphere.”
    • “The game does mild horror with extra spookiness quite well, from the atmospherics to the ghosts.”
    • “The story is very basic, with paranormal shenanigans and a few Lovecraftian references here and there, but the atmosphere itself is not Lovecraftian at all; it's just paranormal, ghostly, and magical.”
    • “The story is very basic, paranormal shenanigans, a few Lovecraftian references here and there (although the atmosphere itself is not Lovecraftian at all, just paranormal, ghostly, magical), a couple of ghosts, not much else.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game is generally considered to have low replayability, with players expressing a lack of interest in revisiting it, particularly due to tedious tasks like finding "morphing" objects. While some players appreciated the discounted price, it did not significantly enhance their desire to replay the game.

    • “The replay value for the game is low.”
    • “Overall, I can't complain about the price as I purchased this randomly during a sale at a steep discount, but I don't think this game has a lot of replay value for me and I don't have the patience to find 'morphing' objects.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players frequently express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, citing long and tedious animations that disrupt gameplay, such as the slow removal of multiple bolts. This repetitiveness leads some to skip puzzles altogether due to their excessive tedium.

    • “Other times, a single click unleashes a long, tedious animation: watch as eight bolts are slowly removed, one at a time.”
    • “Also skipped a couple of the puzzles just because they were too tedious.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Players report a high level of stability, with no bugs or freezes encountered during gameplay.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

15hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
2-19hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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