Subject 13

About

"Subject 13" is a first-person puzzle-adventure game that follows the story of Franklin Fargo, a physicist who finds himself in a mysterious sea fortress. Players must navigate through a series of complex puzzles and challenges to uncover the truth behind the fortress and its enigmatic origins. With stunning visuals and challenging gameplay, "Subject 13" offers an immersive and engaging experience for fans of the adventure and puzzle genres.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

50%

Audience ScoreBased on 119 reviews

story20 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features intriguing puzzles that challenge players and require logical thinking.
The story is interesting and gradually unfolds, keeping players engaged throughout the game.
The graphics and music are well done, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.

The controls are clunky and unintuitive, making interactions frustrating at times.
The final puzzle, a large version of Minesweeper, is poorly designed and detracts from the overall experience.
The game is short and lacks replay value, leaving players wanting more content.

story
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
51%
15%
The story of "Subject 13" receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it intriguing and mysterious, while others describe it as weak, confusing, and poorly implemented. Many appreciate the use of hidden testimonies to uncover the narrative, but criticize the lack of character development and the predictability of the plot. Overall, while the game features some compelling elements, it often falls short in delivering a satisfying and cohesive story experience.
- “Subject 13 is a short adventure game with an interesting and mysterious storyline, cunning and tricky puzzles, and a pleasant soundtrack.”
- “The game does have an interesting story, compelling mysteries, and an interesting setting.”
- “The story is great.”
- “The story is hollow and the final puzzle, a giant minesweeper, is just boring.”
- “The story was confusing and did not tie up any of the many loose ends that it left.”
- “Having completed the game, I still haven't discovered 'the real story', as advertised.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
12%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting that they are serviceable and have aged reasonably well, while others criticize them as dated or even ugly. Although a few reviewers appreciate the unique art style and beautiful visuals, many agree that the graphics do not live up to the marketing claims of "stunning" quality. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics are decent, they are not a standout feature of the game.
- “The graphics are very beautiful but again could be refined somewhat.”
- “Amazing game with great graphics and a good storyline.”
- “The art style is rather unique, and a refreshing change from many other games released recently.”
- “The graphics were not that great even at their best.”
- “Poor graphics for the release date.”
- “The graphics are just plain ugly.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
52%
16%
The music in "Subject 13" receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric soundtrack and standout themes, particularly the main violin piece. However, others find the overall selection limited and the quality inconsistent, describing it as serviceable but not particularly memorable. While the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, it does not significantly elevate the experience for all players.
- “The outro song was a nice surprise for metal fans with a hint of a French charm.”
- “"Subject 13" is a short adventure game with an interesting and mysterious storyline, cunning and tricky puzzles, and a pleasant soundtrack.”
- “The atmosphere, soundtrack, and scenario are intriguing at first, and make you want to know more.”
- “The graphics, music, and voice acting were all serviceable, but it won’t knock anyone’s socks off.”
- “But well, the voice lines and more are all very poorly done; the sounds are bad and the music isn't the greatest.”
- “The visuals and music are okay, but the puzzles can be a bit confusing/frustrating to solve sometimes.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
Gameplay is described as a mixed experience, with some players enjoying the adventure and unique mechanics, while others find the controls clunky and the puzzle design frustrating. The game features randomly generated puzzles reminiscent of Minesweeper, but many users report issues with finicky controls and poorly implemented mechanics that detract from the overall enjoyment. Additionally, the game's length and pricing have been criticized, with some puzzles feeling illogical and requiring external help to solve.
- “The gameplay is good, although interacting with things might feel a bit clunky at first due to how the interaction menu is laid out.”
- “The puzzle is randomly generated and the mechanics are essentially like Minesweeper, but it is a large area to completely fill.”
- “Enjoyable adventure game with interesting non-standard control mechanics.”
- “The mechanical elements of the game stumble with finicky controls, while loose audio logs are used to propel the plot.”
- “You have to guess how mechanics work and literally try everything for hours until you find a new mechanic.”
- “Unfortunately, some of the puzzles don't make any sense, and the only way I was able to get past those was either by brute force or by looking up the mechanics or solution, both of which really spoil the fun.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by numerous bugs and glitches, particularly with the auto-save feature and inventory management, which can disrupt gameplay but are often manageable. Players have reported issues with delayed responses and unclear mechanics in puzzles, leading to frustration. Overall, while some aspects of the game are enjoyable, the frequent technical problems significantly detract from the experience.
- “The game is buggy.”
- “It also seems to be buggy and has a 10 minute time limit after which actions that you do don't work right (without any warning).”
- “If you don't pick up a testimony at the start of chapter 3, you won't find it when returning, and already-collected testimonies sometimes reappear; worse, critical items can disappear from your inventory when loading a saved game.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game's atmosphere is initially intriguing, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and distinct visuals, though it struggles with a mix of casual escape room elements and traditional point-and-click mechanics. While the ambiance captivates players, some find the interactions and certain puzzles frustrating, leading to a sense of familiarity that detracts from the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere, soundtrack, and scenario are intriguing at first, and make you want to know more.”
- “It has a very distinct feel; the music is especially atmospheric, the voice acting is okay, and the graphics are pretty.”
- “I've enjoyed the game so far despite imperfect interactions and an overall 'already seen' atmosphere, but the last puzzle is a pain in the a**.”
- “The atmosphere, soundtrack, and scenario are intriguing at first and make you want to know more.”
- “Applicable music for the atmosphere.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be long and tedious, often feeling repetitive and lacking excitement due to the need for do-overs that resemble previous experiences. This repetitiveness, combined with a frustrating guessing element, detracts from the overall enjoyment and can make the gameplay feel like a chore.
- “It's rather a long and tedious puzzle, so a do-over isn't quite like your character dying and respawning in a Lego Marvel or Batman game.”
- “You'll almost certainly recognize it, and that takes whatever fun it might have been utterly away, since you'll be doing something you've most likely done before and may have found tedious, partly due to the inescapable guessing and losing aspect of it.”
- “A little tedious until you get to the minesweeper of hell.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to poor performance and a lack of immersion due to flat character performances and awkward dialogue, likely stemming from a subpar translation.
- “It's also pretty poorly optimized.”
- “Performance is horrid.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its lack of a compelling story and minimal replay value, with many users noting that it offers virtually no incentive to play again.
- “You'll have a lousy story and no replay value.”
- “Especially since the replay value is pretty much zero.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy is perceived as exploitative and low-quality, with many users feeling it capitalizes on the legacy of a once-respected game designer while failing to provide a valuable gaming experience.
- “If I had to describe it in one sentence, it's a shoddy, low-budget cash grab riding on the name of a once notable game designer that overpromises and fails to deliver a worthwhile experience.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money for basic features that should be included in the game.”
- “It's frustrating to see a game that could have been great reduced to a series of paywalls and microtransactions.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that while the story is well-developed, the characters lack significant growth or depth, leaving players wanting more in terms of character development.
- “While the story was fleshed out, there wasn't really any character development, and oh, could there have been!”
- “The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked any meaningful growth throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by how static the characters remained; their arcs didn't evolve in any significant way.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users highlight that the humor in the game is engaging and complements the post-apocalyptic narrative, maintaining a fast-paced experience similar to that of "Portal 2."
- “The humor in this game is reminiscent of Portal 2, where the witty dialogue and post-apocalyptic story keep you engaged at a fast pace.”
- “I couldn't stop laughing at the clever jokes and puns sprinkled throughout the gameplay.”
- “The comedic timing of the characters adds a delightful layer to the overall experience, making even the toughest challenges enjoyable.”