STRANGER
- August 11, 2022
- Lost Frame Development
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 creates a tense atmosphere that effectively builds suspense without relying on cheap jump scares.
- For a solo developer project, the game showcases impressive quality and has a strong concept that keeps players engaged.
- The gameplay loop is simple yet challenging, providing a unique horror experience that encourages replayability.
- The game suffers from optimization issues, leading to frustrating gameplay, especially at higher difficulty levels.
- Movement mechanics, including a restrictive stamina system, hinder the player's ability to react quickly to threats.
- The content feels limited, with many players reporting they can exhaust the game's offerings in just a few hours.
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics are described as cartoonish yet fitting for the game's atmosphere, reminiscent of "Dead by Daylight." Users appreciate the visual design, which complements the audio cues and enhances the overall experience, particularly in strategizing gameplay.
“Nice graphics, nice audio. You have to listen carefully for some audio cues, especially that wonderful TV, and I personally got interested in the lore as well.”
“Reminds me a lot of the graphics in Dead by Daylight.”
“The graphics are cartoonish, but they still don't feel out of place.”
“Reminds me a lot of Dead by Daylight graphics.”
- story3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The story revolves around the tense and engaging theme of defending against a home invader, offering a more sophisticated narrative than many indie horror games by avoiding clichéd jump scares. The immersive VR experience enhances the storytelling, allowing players to interact meaningfully with the environment.
“The story of defending against a home invader is interesting and also a bit scary.”
“In my eyes, this game surpasses so many indie horror games because it doesn't focus on cheap jump scares or poor storytelling.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its fair mechanics and engaging power dynamics between players and their nemesis, offering a solid experience in VR despite some menu navigation limitations. The core gameplay loop is simple and easy to learn, making it accessible for players.
“Mechanics are fair and there is a power dynamic between you and your nemesis.”
“While the game's menus are not in VR yet, meaning I have to click through the menus with the mouse then put on my headset to play, the core gameplay is great in VR.”
“In all seriousness, the gameplay loop is simple and easy to learn.”
“The gameplay loop is simple and easy to learn, but it quickly becomes repetitive.”
“The mechanics feel unbalanced, making it frustrating to progress.”
“There are too many bugs that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music is well-composed and effectively enhances the game's suspenseful moments, contributing to the overall atmosphere. Players must utilize auditory cues, including music, to strategize and locate the stranger, adding an engaging layer to the gameplay.
“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.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short while.”
“I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and not fitting for the game's atmosphere.”
“The audio mixing is poor, with the music often drowning out important sound cues.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game "About Stranger" is noted for its creepiness, effectively creating a tense environment without relying heavily on jump scares, which many players appreciate.
“The atmosphere in this horror game is incredibly creepy, with a focus on tension rather than cheap jump scares. That's a special plus from me.”
“The immersive atmosphere draws you in, making every moment feel intense and unsettling.”
“The game's environment is rich and detailed, creating a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after you put it down.”
“The atmosphere in this horror game feels really creepy, with not too many jump scares, which is a special plus for me.”
“The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it hard to immerse myself in the experience.”
“Despite the potential, the atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, failing to evoke any real sense of fear or tension.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's high replayability, noting that it offers a lot of fun and engaging content that encourages multiple playthroughs.
“Great game with tons of fun and lots of replayability.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes makes each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“I love how different strategies can lead to completely different experiences, encouraging me to play again.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its ability to challenge players' emotional stability, particularly for newcomers to VR, suggesting a strong impact on the emotional experience during gameplay.
“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 emotions.”
