Subway Midnight

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 765 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • gameplay
Subway Midnight Game Cover
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"Subway Midnight" is a surreal, atmospheric first-person exploration game. Players navigate a mysterious and constantly shifting subway system while uncovering cryptic messages and avoiding otherworldly creatures. The game features a haunting soundtrack and a striking, monochromatic art style.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 765 reviews
graphics122 positive mentions
grinding38 negative mentions
  • The art style and visuals are stunning, creating a unique and immersive experience.
  • The game effectively combines cute and creepy elements, providing a charming yet unsettling atmosphere.
  • The storytelling is engaging, relying on environmental cues and character interactions without the use of dialogue.
  • The gameplay can feel tedious, with a lot of slow walking and trial-and-error puzzles that may frustrate players.
  • Some puzzles lack clear instructions or hints, leading to confusion and repetitive gameplay.
  • The fixed camera angles can obstruct the player's view, making navigation and puzzle-solving more difficult.
  • graphics258 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, blending 2D character designs with 3D environments, creating an immersive and visually appealing experience. Many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and atmospheric storytelling, which effectively convey emotions and enhance the overall gameplay, despite some criticism regarding the gameplay mechanics and pacing. Overall, the art style is considered the game's strongest aspect, captivating players with its creativity and aesthetic appeal.

    • “The art style is blended perfectly into the 3D environments, and you can just tell it was fun to make.”
    • “The art style, character design, and expressions are so good.”
    • “The visuals in this game are its main quality; the game looks stunning (most of the time) and the art style is very charming.”
    • “Still, I did not have a good time with Subway Midnight and I encourage anyone that is considering purchasing this game on the basis of its aesthetic to strongly reconsider.”
    • “The graphics are charming but become such an eyesore after a while and no save features, really had high hopes for this game as I paid full price for this but ended up with an unremarkable experience.”
    • “The game uses elaborate visuals as a shallow substitute for actual gameplay, and the only gameplay it does provide is basic and unintuitive guessing puzzles; meanwhile the story is almost entirely locked behind frustrating and unintuitive side puzzles that can easily go unnoticed.”
  • story188 mentions

    The game's story is primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling and visual cues, with no dialogue, leading to mixed reviews on its clarity and depth. While some players appreciate the unique art style and the challenge of piecing together the narrative, others find the plot confusing, shallow, or lacking substance, often feeling like a fetch quest. Overall, the storytelling approach is seen as innovative but polarizing, with many players either loving the atmospheric experience or feeling frustrated by the vague and convoluted narrative.

    • “The storytelling is phenomenal and really straightforward even without any dialogue.”
    • “Incredible story, perfectly presented through visuals and ambience, a masterclass in environmental storytelling.”
    • “The art direction is wonderful, the gameplay passable though arguably irrelevant and the story utterly incomprehensible.”
    • “The story is borderline incoherent without going out of your way to Google context, and the context is limited.”
    • “It's really frustrating that the story is just so nonexistent and needs background supply to make any sense, because it really damages the rest of the game.”
    • “The story doesn't make much sense, and the way you unfold the story is convoluted; without a guide, I don't think I could have done it and got all the endings.”
  • gameplay160 mentions

    The gameplay of "Subway Midnight" is largely characterized as simplistic and tedious, often reduced to walking and solving basic puzzles, which some players found frustrating and lacking depth. While the art style and atmosphere received high praise, many reviewers noted that the gameplay mechanics felt clunky and repetitive, with trial-and-error elements that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game is recommended for those who prioritize visual storytelling over engaging gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is actually perfect for these kinds of puzzles, as it allows you to explore without too much risk.”
    • “The gameplay and puzzles were mostly challenging but also really fun!”
    • “The art is extraordinary, the environments are captivating and interesting, and the gameplay, while simple, never bored me.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely bare bones and the puzzles are nonsensical at multiple points, particularly for the good ending.”
    • “Unfortunately, its charming art style and creativity were not enough for its incredibly boring and tedious gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay consists of walking forward and sometimes pressing a button, with very little else to engage the player.”
  • atmosphere61 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, driven by unique art styles, effective sound design, and a strong sense of mood. Many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of unease and curiosity, although some note that slow movement and repetitive gameplay can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's atmospheric elements are considered its strongest features, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror and walking simulators.

    • “The atmosphere in this game is top notch the whole way through!”
    • “A great showcase of art and atmosphere, such a creative way of telling a story like this.”
    • “The unique art style, innovative direction, and atmospheric storytelling create an immersive experience.”
    • “The horror-focused sections are very broken up, so the game never builds the atmosphere required for a true horror game.”
    • “Rather than enhancing my immersion into the game's atmosphere, it just felt repetitive, tedious, and frustrating.”
    • “Movement is slow and awkward, basically all of the gameplay has been holding W, and the lack of possible other paths really undercuts any tense atmosphere they're trying to build.”
  • grinding38 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being boring and tedious, with many players noting that the gameplay often feels like a chore due to slow movement and repetitive puzzles. While the art style is praised, the overall experience is marred by a lack of engaging mechanics and frustrating trial-and-error gameplay, leading to a consensus that the game could benefit from a faster pace and clearer guidance. Despite some enjoyment derived from the visuals, the tedious nature of the gameplay significantly detracts from the overall experience.

    • “The gameplay is fairly straightforward and sometimes tedious, but you want to keep going to see what comes next.”
    • “Unfortunately, its charming art style and creativity were not enough for its incredibly boring and tedious gameplay.”
    • “This game's puzzles are boring, tedious, and straight up not fun.”
  • music36 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack for its atmospheric and eerie qualities that enhance the overall experience, while others criticize the lack of memorable tracks and the absence of music during key moments. Many appreciate the ambient sound design, which complements the visuals, but some feel that the music could have been more prominent or engaging. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point for some, but a missed opportunity for others.

    • “I love this game, great story, animation, and music 10/10!”
    • “Both the music and sound effects fit beautifully.”
    • “The visuals, soundtrack, and atmosphere kept me going.”
    • “There's three main things I really didn't like about this game though, the first being the unnecessarily loud sound effects and music at certain points in the game.”
    • “The music from the trailer is not present within the game, nor is any music at all present, and you'll spend more time on unfun grindy puzzle sections dying over and over than you will be exploring the mystery behind this subway and all its ghostly inhabitants.”
    • “I never got any of the really jamming music from the trailer, as there was almost no actual music at all up until the point I stopped playing.”
  • humor24 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its refreshing blend with horror, providing moments that are both funny and unsettling. Players appreciate the quirky, charming characters and scenarios that elicit genuine laughter amidst the scares, making for a unique and enjoyable experience. Overall, the game successfully balances comedic elements with its horror themes, resulting in a surreal and entertaining atmosphere.

    • “The comedy horror slant to the whole thing was really refreshing and actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times.”
    • “Manages to be creepy, cute, funny, and scary all at the same time.”
    • “A visually beautiful game that made me feel uneasy and made me laugh!”
  • character development24 mentions

    Overall, the character development in the game is highlighted by its stunning and memorable designs, which are often described as cute and charming. While the visuals and cutscenes are praised for their creativity and appeal, some reviews note that the depth of the characters' stories is lacking, suggesting that the focus is more on aesthetics than substantive character arcs. The combination of 2D character designs with 3D environments enhances the overall experience, making the characters visually engaging despite a less robust narrative.

    • “Its charming, eclectic style paired with the fabulous character designs, gorgeously simple environments and fun little ditties make for an iconic and memorable experience.”
    • “Game was beautiful, even without dialogue, it manages to tell a story of a billion words, the art style is so unique and memorable, the jumpscares are perfectly spaced to make them actually scary, and the character design is great!”
    • “The cute character design really suckered me into a game with no substance at all.”
    • “The character designs and their interactions are simple but adorable, and the real reward in this game is seeing all the cutscenes.”
    • “The character designs are cute, and once you get into it, you do really want to save each one.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to blend heartfelt moments with dark, unsettling themes, creating a unique and engaging experience. Players appreciate the game's personality and emotional depth, particularly those who connect with the characters, though some feel that the repetitive gameplay detracts from the overall emotional investment. Overall, it offers a mix of wholesome fun and emotional complexity, appealing to a wide range of players.

    • “This game oozes with personality and has an incredible ability to have a nice heartfelt scene transition right into a dark, grim and twisted nightmare, and it never feels jarring.”
    • “Players who do tend to project onto blank slate characters, though, will likely find 'Subway Midnight' a more profound, more emotional experience, so I'd recommend the title to that crowd.”
    • “Help, I'm emotionally attached to everyone in the cast!”
    • “This game will force you to play it multiple times and endure its frustrating gameplay over and over to even begin to understand its dull story.”
    • “The emotional moments feel forced and lack genuine impact, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I found the attempts at emotional depth to be shallow and unconvincing, leaving me feeling disconnected from the narrative.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable and appreciate the different endings, others criticize the lack of achievements and shallow gameplay, which detracts from the incentive to replay. The engaging story and visual design are noted, but frustrations with gameplay mechanics may limit the overall replay value for some users.

    • “It's an entirely different experience that has a bit of replay value to it.”
    • “The story is easy to digest, fun to unwrap, and encourages replay value for the other endings.”
    • “You're better off paying $9.99 for a way better game with genuine replayability.”
    • “And the last being that there's no achievement, so there isn't that much replay value.”
    • “This game is like if an artist wanted to make a video game; it's visually amazing and the art design is polished and cool, but the gameplay is shallow and frustrating, especially when you have to replay the game to get the other endings - it is not suited for replayability.”
  • stability6 mentions

    Overall, players report that the game suffers from multiple bugs and glitches, which detracts from the experience. While some appreciate the game's style and atmosphere, the stability issues are a common concern, leading to a perception of a lack of polish in gameplay.

    • “I did also experience 2 glitches as well.”
    • “As a game, though, slow, monotonous, not well thought out, and really buggy.”
    • “The cons show up in the buggy, soulless gameplay that you're subjected to.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, users feel that the game's optimization is commendable, particularly for its design that supports multiple playthroughs. However, there is a desire for a performance update, which many believe would enhance the experience even further.

    • “As it turned out, though, the gameplay design is well-optimized for a game requiring multiple playthroughs.”
    • “If they ever did a performance update, it would be, in my opinion, well worth the 10 bucks.”
    • “The game suffers from significant optimization issues that hinder the overall experience.”
    • “Despite its potential, the lack of optimization makes it frustrating to play.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game appears to heavily incorporate merchandising, potentially serving as a subtle advertisement for Aggro Crab, the small fashion and sticker merchant that published it.

    • “It feels like the game is more focused on pushing microtransactions than providing a balanced experience.”
    • “The constant barrage of ads and in-game purchases really detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
    • “I can't shake the feeling that the developers are prioritizing profit over player experience with all the monetization tactics.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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