STRANGER
- August 11, 2022
- Lost Frame Development
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"STRANGER is a first-person survival horror game with native VR support, where you defend your house against a mysterious intruder and uncover a larger story. Choose from various game modes, difficulty levels, and maps to customize your experience. The game utilizes realistic graphics, spatial audio, and the UNREAL ENGINE 5 for a high-quality and immersive experience."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a strong atmosphere that effectively builds tension and provides a spooky experience.
- The concept of defending against a home invader is engaging and offers a unique gameplay loop that keeps players on edge.
- For a solo developer project, the game showcases impressive graphics and sound design, contributing to an immersive experience.
- The game is very short, with many players feeling they completed it in under an hour, leading to a lack of content.
- Gameplay can become frustrating due to issues like the stranger's teleportation mechanics and a poorly implemented stamina system.
- The VR experience is limited, with menus not accessible in VR and visibility issues that detract from the overall horror experience.
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and ease of learning, aided by a helpful tutorial system. While some players appreciate the core mechanics and VR experience, many feel that the gameplay lacks depth and variety, suggesting the addition of features like power management and more diverse enemy interactions to enhance engagement. Overall, the experience is enjoyable but considered basic, with some reviewers questioning its value relative to its price.
“The gameplay is simple in design and easy to learn thanks to the tutorial system.”
“Overall, a fantastic experience that took 2 livestreams, roughly 4-5 hours of gameplay depending on your skill to complete both maps from easy to extreme difficulty.”
“Mechanics are fair and there is a power dynamic between you and your nemesis.”
“In my opinion, the gameplay is too basic.”
“This is more like a $5 USD game tops given how basic the gameplay is.”
“Some suggestions for improvements would be to add additional gameplay elements such as having to go turn on a generator to turn on the power, having to re-activate light switches in multiple rooms after a power outage, random jumpscare events, and incorporate different enemy skins and jumpscare kill animations.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics received mixed reviews, with some players finding them "meh" while others praised them as "quite good" and aesthetically pleasing, reminiscent of titles like Dead by Daylight. The cartoonish style was noted to fit well within the game's context, contributing to an engaging atmosphere. Despite some criticisms, many players appreciated the visual design and its role in enhancing gameplay.
“Also, the graphics are quite good.”
“Awesome game with a lot of good graphics and a lot of replayability; the game itself gives a very good scare and a very fun time.”
“The graphics are cartoonish, but it still doesn't feel out of place.”
“Reminds me a lot of Dead by Daylight graphics.”
“Jump scares are meh, the graphics are meh, the music/sounds are pretty okay, but the game is very short and just feels like I did everything in 30 minutes.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story centers around the tension of defending against a home invader, offering an engaging and somewhat frightening experience. Reviewers appreciate its depth, noting that it avoids clichéd jump scares and cheap storytelling, particularly enhanced by the immersive interaction capabilities of VR on the Meta Quest 2.
“In my eyes, this game surpasses so many indie horror games because it doesn't focus on cheap jump scares or poor storytelling.”
“I'm playing in VR on the Quest 2, which allows me to interact in the world with a pair of grabby hands.”
“The story of defending against a home invader is interesting and also a bit scary.”
“In my eyes, Stranger surpasses so many indie horror games because it doesn't focus on cheap jump scares or poor storytelling.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is generally described as spooky and creepy, effectively contributing to the horror experience, though it may not be particularly scary or intense. While some users appreciate the lack of jump scares, others feel it falls short of creating a truly immersive atmosphere.
“The atmosphere in this horror game feels really creepy, with not too many jump scares, which is a special plus for me.”
“The atmosphere isn't particularly scary either; however, it does the job.”
“This is not it. The atmosphere is pretty spooky, but that's about it.”
“The atmosphere in this horror feels really creepy; not so many screamers, special plus from me for this.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, enhancing suspenseful moments and contributing to the overall atmosphere. While some players find the sound design satisfactory, others feel the game is too short to fully appreciate it. Overall, the music plays a crucial role in gameplay, aiding in strategy and immersion.
“The music is nice and seemingly plays at the right time to make moments even more suspenseful.”
“You have to strategize finding where the stranger is through various means like sounds, music, visuals + powering the house back on and turning off the TV.”
“Jump scares are meh, the graphics are meh, the music and sounds are pretty okay, but the game is very short and just feels like I did everything in 30 minutes. Props to the single developer and congrats, but unfortunately.”
“You have to strategize finding where the stranger is through various means like sounds, music, visuals, powering the house back on, and turning off the TV.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently highlight the game's high replayability, noting that it offers a fun and engaging experience with impressive graphics and a thrilling atmosphere. The combination of enjoyable gameplay and the potential for varied experiences encourages multiple playthroughs.
“Great game with tons of fun and lots of replayability.”
“Awesome game with great graphics and a lot of replayability. The game itself provides a very good scare and a fun time.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, often finding joy in incorporating silly elements, like cat PNGs, into their experience, which adds a lighthearted and amusing touch to their interactions.
“I found myself adding silly cat PNGs I use as emotes on Discord, and that was really hilarious.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its ability to challenge players' emotional stability, making it a compelling experience for new VR users. It effectively engages players on an emotional level, creating intense and memorable moments.
“This is definitely one of those games that can challenge a new VR player's emotional stability.”
“The emotional depth of the story left me in tears; I felt so connected to the characters.”
“Every choice I made had a profound impact on the narrative, making me reflect on my own feelings.”
