Strobophagia: Rave Horror
- December 22, 2020
- EmeraldPawn
- 3h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Strobophagia: Rave Horror," attend the Headless Rave Festival where freedom has a deadly price. Navigate a psychedelic landscape, evade a sinister presence, and solve twisted puzzles to escape. Utilize an in-game smartphone to aid in your survival as you try to maintain your sanity in this classic survival horror experience.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features an amazing soundtrack and vibrant visuals that create a unique and immersive atmosphere.
- The use of cellphone mechanics for puzzle-solving and communication adds a fun and innovative twist to the gameplay.
- Despite its short length, the game offers a creative and engaging experience that encourages replayability.
- The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
- Many players found the story to be vague and lacking depth, with some elements feeling rushed or underdeveloped.
- The game is relatively short for its price, leaving some players wanting more content and a more substantial experience.
- music49 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its unique blend of rave and horror elements, creating an engaging atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Many players praised the soundtrack as "top tier" and "killer," noting its ability to evoke nostalgia and adrenaline. However, some users expressed disappointment over the limited number of tracks and a perceived lack of focus on music, suggesting that while the audio and visuals are standout features, they may not fully align with the game's rave theme.
“The soundtrack is killer.”
“The aesthetic and the soundtrack to this game is simply fantastic, definitely very unique.”
“The music, the neon accents, and visuals make it one of the most interesting games I've played in years.”
“I'm not sure what I expected going in, but 'satanic music festival horror' wasn't it.”
“For a game that deals with 'raves', there is a distinct lack of music in this game.”
“Maybe 3 or 4 songs, but none of them really give you that rave feel.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their brilliant atmosphere, unique neon aesthetics, and creative art style that enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and fitting soundtrack, describing them as standout features that contribute to a festival-like ambiance, despite some noting minor glitches and gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the vivid and distinct visuals are considered a major draw, making the game a visually captivating experience.
“Brilliant atmosphere and visuals.”
“The visuals and music are outstanding, it fits and makes a great atmosphere.”
“This does leave me conflicted, because the art assets are gorgeous and should be worth the weight of its tag, but with everything else falling short in terms of gameplay, story, atmosphere, and even music -- because I spent a good amount of time mostly in silence in this game, the visuals aren’t enough to prop the game’s value up.”
“Neat visuals, gameplay hook was kinda meh but fine for a horror game.”
“While it may be brief and somewhat janky, Strobophagia won me over with its distinct neon occult aesthetic and delirious atmosphere.”
- story21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as unique and immersive, with a captivating setting and atmosphere, but it suffers from vagueness and a lack of depth, leaving some players confused about its plot and character motivations. While the narrative is engaging, it often feels disjointed and could benefit from more interactive elements and clearer lore integration. Overall, the storytelling approach is appreciated, but many reviewers feel it falls short in delivering a cohesive and satisfying narrative experience.
“While not quite a walking sim, it still kept gameplay to a minimum to focus on the story at hand.”
“A truly unique experience in terms of the game's setting, story, and atmosphere.”
“I love this game for its immersive, interesting, and unique story and ambience.”
“The story is very muddled and vague.”
“The plot has very little sustenance in an occult sense.”
“In its current state, it feels a little lacking in some of the plot elements, especially towards the end.”
- atmosphere18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its engaging and creepy elements, enhanced by outstanding visuals and music that create a unique and immersive experience. Many players appreciate the blend of fun exploration with a scary ambiance, although some critiques mention that the atmosphere can falter due to gameplay issues or lack of depth. Overall, the aesthetic and atmospheric design are highlighted as standout features, making it a memorable experience despite some shortcomings.
“Brilliant atmosphere and visuals.”
“The atmosphere and aesthetic of the game is great and I got the creeps so many times, with a few jump scares which I really appreciate!”
“Absolutely amazing in every aspect, the devs are hardworking and did a wonderful job creating a rave-like atmosphere while maintaining a scary and on-edge vibe.”
“In summary, I cannot recommend this game. While the game is easy on the eyes (unless you suffer from photosensitivity), it lacks in most other categories such as depth, plot progression, and even overall scare and atmosphere.”
“Even things that may have been intended to have been well-placed or deserved jumpscares didn’t get a response because I was either frustrated with other parts of the game or the atmosphere didn’t match to get the reaction it was aiming for.”
“This does leave me conflicted, because the art assets are gorgeous and should be worth the weight of its tag, but with everything else falling short in terms of gameplay, story, atmosphere, and even music -- because I spent a good amount of time mostly in silence in this game, the visuals aren’t enough to prop the game’s value up.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique blend of horror and exploration, enhanced by innovative mechanics like cellphone interactions and a rave festival atmosphere. However, many players found the gameplay to be minimal and somewhat underdeveloped, with simple puzzles and tasks that detracted from the overall experience. While the art style and atmosphere received praise, the lack of substantial gameplay content and occasional bugs left some players feeling that the game did not justify its price.
“The rave horror theme, music, and cellphone mechanics are incredible.”
“With the unique gameplay of signals and connection, this rave-style festival game is honestly a work of art to experience.”
“The game has a great atmosphere, and a cool gameplay with the in-game phone, has different endings and lots of puzzles!”
“The gameplay aspect was somewhat lacking; there weren't many puzzles and tasks to do, and they were always quite simple to figure out.”
“The amount of gameplay stored in the game seems pretty negligible for its heavy price tag of $20 USD.”
“This does leave me conflicted, because the art assets are gorgeous and should be worth the weight of its tag, but with everything else falling short in terms of gameplay, story, atmosphere, and even music -- because I spent a good amount of time mostly in silence in this game, the visuals aren’t enough to prop the game’s value up.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its significant stability issues, with multiple users reporting it as "buggy" and "unplayable" at launch. While the concept and music received praise, the overall experience is marred by technical problems that detract from gameplay.
“Too buggy to play.”
“The concept of a rave horror is cool and the music is great, but as the game currently stands, I cannot recommend it because it's a buggy mess to the point that it's unplayable.”
“It was a bit buggy on release and I wish there'd been a bit more content and more expansion on the plot.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be poorly optimized, struggling to run effectively even on high-end gaming rigs and at the lowest settings, with users noting performance issues and bugs.
“Poorly optimized; it didn't run well on my high-end gaming rig, even on the lowest settings.”
“There are some problems with performance optimization and bugs.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, with players finding it fun, intriguing, and enhanced by a spooky atmosphere. Overall, it has received high praise, with some reviewers rating it a perfect 10/10.
“This game has a lot of replay value; it's fun and intriguing with a spooky overtone. I give it 10 out of 10!”
“The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more. Each playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and hidden secrets, this game offers endless opportunities for exploration and discovery.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game features surreal character designs and environments, which contribute to a unique and immersive experience. However, there is a lack of depth in character development, leaving players wanting more substantial growth and backstory for the characters. Overall, while the visuals are striking, the emotional and narrative depth may not meet all players' expectations.
