Suffer The Night

About

Suffer The Night is a single player survival action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Assemble Entertainment and was released on April 17, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Suffer the Night" is a horror game set in 1989 where you uncover nightmarish secrets through a text-based dungeon crawler. With old-school gaming mechanics, you'll face a chilling storm and a mysterious envelope containing a game that leads to a terrifying realm. The game features a free Chapter One, where you must escape the grasp of a horrifying figure. Brace yourself for a harrowing blend of nostalgia and fear.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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75%

Audience ScoreBased on 162 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

The game starts with a strong, suspenseful atmosphere that effectively sets the tone for horror.
The voice acting, particularly for the character Mr. Tops, is well done and adds depth to the experience.
The game features a unique blend of gameplay mechanics, including puzzles and combat, which keeps the experience engaging.

The gameplay becomes repetitive after the initial chapters, with puzzles and boss fights lacking variety.
Technical issues, such as bugs and save problems, can disrupt the gaming experience.
The horror elements diminish significantly after the first act, leading to a less tense atmosphere in later sections.

gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
66%
10%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its blend of mechanics, exploration, and unique features like the scanner, while others criticize it for being repetitive, lacking polish, and failing to deliver on its horror premise. The game shifts between various styles, including survival horror and puzzle-solving, but this transition can alienate players who prefer a more consistent experience. Overall, while there are intriguing elements and a strong narrative, technical issues and uneven gameplay detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “Creepy and addicting, it has an amazing blend of mechanics and the gameplay never gets old.”
- “It’s a game that deliberately toys with expectations, merging text-based horror, first-person exploration, and survival-action mechanics into a single narrative that feels both nostalgic and innovative.”
- “Overall, 'Suffer the Night' is a lot of fun, with a great story, great scares, a strong mix of combat, survival, and unique gameplay ideas all blending together and a story that really hooks you in.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive, the story lacks depth, and technical issues further detract from the overall experience.”
- “Instead of what could have been a really intense horror experience, we got random gameplay that had little to no tension and gave the player means of fighting back.”
- “The rest of the gameplay is mostly a walking simulator with budget platformer elements which are buggy as hell, and traps can sometimes instantly kill you.”
story
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
52%
8%
The story of "Suffer the Night" is a captivating blend of horror and psychological tension, following Stacey Linden, a horror illustrator, as she navigates a terrifying journey influenced by her own imagination and the game world. While the narrative is praised for its creativity, voice acting, and atmospheric depth, some players find the execution uneven, with repetitive gameplay and technical issues detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers an intriguing story that rewards exploration and curiosity, making it a memorable horror experience despite its flaws.
- “The interplay between typing commands in the fictional game and witnessing their consequences in Stacey’s reality creates a tangible tension that builds steadily until the story takes a dramatic and terrifying turn.”
- “Taking inspiration from a variety of different horror sources ranging from the likes of 'Hush' to 'Terrifier', the narrative follows the story of Stacy - an illustrator who, when at home alone one night during a storm, finds herself accosted by Mr. Tops: a Babadook lookalike who seems hell-bent on taking Stacy on a horrific journey into the darkest reaches of her own imagination.”
- “Overall, 'Suffer the Night' is a lot of fun, with a great story, great scares, a strong mix of combat, survival, and unique gameplay ideas all blending together and a story that really hooks you in.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive, the story lacks depth, and technical issues further detract from the overall experience.”
- “Suffer the night has an interesting story and some fun ideas but is let down by being overly repetitive.”
- “Yes, Stacy can take the odd break from the narrative to explore the house and listen to music, but that doesn't really yield much benefit to the story as a whole.”
atmosphere
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
38%
14%
The atmosphere in "Suffer the Night" is widely praised for its immersive world-building, effectively creating a sense of dread and tension through elements like flickering lights and oppressive silence. Players appreciate the game's ability to blend horror with adventure, though some note inconsistencies in level design and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the atmospheric experience is considered a standout feature, making it a compelling journey for fans of experimental horror.
- “Suffer the night, developed by Tainted Pact and published by Assemble Entertainment, is an atmospheric and experimental horror experience that takes familiar tropes of isolation, dread, and curiosity and twists them into something unpredictable.”
- “The environment is thick with atmosphere: flickering lights, creaking floorboards, and an oppressive silence punctuated by the distant rumble of thunder.”
- “For players who appreciate atmosphere, experimentation, and a touch of retro dread, Suffer the Night is a haunting journey well worth taking.”
- “While the game succeeds in crafting an atmosphere of dread and variety, it is not without its flaws.”
- “The level design is basic and feels really amateur; I don't know how the opening has so much suspense and atmosphere, yet it feels fresh—it's like two different developers worked on this.”
- “The puzzles are very straightforward, though this is fine as the game is more focused on building its story and atmosphere.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
50%
15%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the retro aesthetic and detailed environments that enhance the creepy atmosphere, while others criticize the overall quality as mediocre and reminiscent of low-budget Unity assets. Although certain sections, like the fun house, showcase varied styles and effective visuals, many users find the graphics underwhelming and not particularly scary, with issues such as poor readability and misleading promotional materials. Overall, while there are moments of visual appeal, the graphics do not consistently impress.
- “The retro aesthetic extends beyond simple nostalgia—it’s integral to the story’s themes, reflecting both the era’s fascination with emerging technology and the fear of what might lurk behind it.”
- “A lot of presentation, creepiness and well put out graphics make this an easy recommendation.”
- “The graphics were beautiful and detailed.”
- “The graphics are not good, the animations are not good, and the gameplay is decent. It feels like playing a Fortnite horror map; that is exactly how it feels and looks.”
- “Visuals: the game has the usual appearance of 'Unity asset flip' slop.”
- “I spent almost an hour running around a house playing a boring graphic adventure with text that was almost impossible to read.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
63%
16%
The music in the game is generally praised for its eerie and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the sense of unease and fitting the 80s vibe. However, many players noted issues with repetitiveness, particularly in longer sections where certain tracks loop excessively, detracting from the overall experience. While the soundtrack and voice acting received positive remarks, some specific tracks, like the clown music, were criticized for being particularly grating.
- “Good soundtrack, good voice acting, interesting setting.”
- “The soundtrack was eerie and definitely added to the mystery/horror.”
- “The distant echoes of the storm, the haunting hum of the computer, and the dissonant musical cues all work together to create a sense of escalating unease.”
- “This is the longest section of the entire game, and this one song plays over almost all of it, being interrupted occasionally by boss music.”
- “If I have any complaints, it is this: the music does get a bit repetitive, especially if you are thorough and spend a lot of time in each area.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overwhelmingly tedious, with repetitive and uninspired puzzles that lack challenge and creativity. Many reviews highlight the frustration stemming from excessive backtracking, slow movement, and the need to constantly engage with mechanics that become monotonous over time. While some moments are enjoyable, the general consensus is that the game devolves into a tedious experience that detracts from its initial appeal.
- “That's the whole game, tedious.”
- “The intro sequence was suspenseful and interesting but what follows is a really annoying game of 'puzzle' solving where all the puzzles are copy-pastes of one another and don't require much thought or effort to complete; they become tedious and are plainly mediocre.”
- “Outside of that, the rest of the game is a tedious, mediocre nightmare with uninspired boss fights, slow movement, and a ridiculous amount of backtracking to lackluster areas to try to get everything.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
80%
The stability of the game is largely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs that can disrupt gameplay, including game-breaking issues and frustrating glitches. While some players experienced a relatively bug-free experience, the overall consensus highlights significant stability concerns that detract from enjoyment.
- “The game offers a relatively bug-free gameplay experience.”
- “I appreciate the stability of the game; it runs smoothly without crashes.”
- “The consistent performance and lack of glitches make for an enjoyable experience.”
- “After saying my good graces, I recommend you do not play this game. It is quite buggy to the extent of having bugs that break or make sections almost impossible or annoying.”
- “The rest of the gameplay is mostly a walking simulator with budget platformer elements, which are buggy as hell. Traps can sometimes instantly kill you (I'm looking at you, spiky floor puzzle).”
- “A few minor glitches with the scanner made me have to die to fix or reload.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game's optimization has been criticized for significant performance issues, particularly during the prologue, leading to a frustrating experience for some players. Users reported janky movement and hitbox inaccuracies, which contributed to discomfort and motion sickness. While the voice acting received praise, the overall technical performance detracted from the enjoyment of the game.
- “I'm not exactly working with the most optimized equipment, but I do notice that the hitboxes for the buttons on the pause menu are a tad off, and sometimes Stacey suddenly pauses in her walk cycles at weird frequencies.”
- “I nearly quit playing during the first segment due to performance issues.”
- “Performance was very janky in the prologue to the game, which I was willing to tolerate once I managed to find a good enough solution.”
- “Performance is so wonky I got motion sick just trying to walk around for the first 5 minutes.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurdity, featuring comical boss battles against weapon-wielding bunnies in colorful playrooms, which often leads to more laughter than fear. The repetitive nature of these encounters, where players attack batteries to defeat the bosses, adds to the game's quirky charm.
- “There are bosses in this horror game for some reason, but I was laughing more than I was scared or tense. A few of them are simply bunnies with weapons in bright playrooms that you need to defeat by attacking batteries. You do this multiple times in a row as there are multiple bunny bosses.”
- “The humor in this game is unexpected and delightful, turning what could be a terrifying experience into a hilarious adventure.”
- “I never thought I'd be laughing while playing a horror game, but the absurdity of the situations and characters had me in stitches!”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Users highlight that the game offers high replayability, with many considering it infinitely replayable or nearly so, suggesting a strong incentive to revisit the game multiple times.
- “Infinitely replayable, with new experiences every time.”
- “The game offers so many choices that each playthrough feels unique.”
- “I keep coming back for more; there's always something new to discover.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The game offers minimal variation in gameplay, which severely limits its replay value.”