The Blackout Club

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,581 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
The Blackout Club Game Cover
The Blackout Club is a solid cooperative stealth game with a splash of horror.
Starting at €24.99Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Xbox Games Store

"The Blackout Club" is a first-person, cooperative horror game where players uncover a dark conspiracy in a small town. As a member of the club, you'll explore near-empty streets, sneak into houses, and investigate strange happenings. Working together, you'll use advanced stealth techniques, customizable tools, and collective luminosity to overcome the simulated "Blackouts" and expose the truth. Your choices and actions will affect the club's efforts and the outcome of the game's ongoing story.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,581 reviews
story141 positive mentions
grinding31 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and immersive co-op horror experience, especially when played with friends.
  • The atmosphere and graphics are well-designed, creating a creepy and engaging environment.
  • The Enhanced Horror feature allows for real-time interactions with the developers, adding depth to the gameplay and story.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with limited mission types and a single map.
  • The game has been largely abandoned by the developers, with no significant updates or new content in years.
  • The community can be toxic, with some players gatekeeping lore and experiences, making it less welcoming for newcomers.
  • story904 mentions

    The story of "The Blackout Club" is intriguing and atmospheric, centering on a group of teenagers uncovering the sinister activities of a cult in their small town. While the prologue sets up a compelling narrative, many players feel that the main game lacks substantial story progression, relying heavily on repetitive missions and community-driven lore that can be difficult to access without active participation. Overall, while the game has a rich backstory and potential for deeper storytelling, it often leaves players wanting more in terms of narrative fulfillment and variety in gameplay.

    • “In The Blackout Club, you're a teenager going on short missions to uncover information or otherwise counter the activity of the cult that's taken over all of the adults in your small town in rural Virginia.”
    • “The story and upkeep were so good and perfect, and just once my friends and I got really into the lore, they let everyone down.”
    • “The game's budget was put primarily to wrapping up the story via the acting talent since the pandemic drew it out far longer than it had been intended, so there will be no more content updates as far as we know.”
    • “Game sets up a really interesting setting with the prologue, but actually has no story whatsoever besides running around the same map over and over again doing the same quests.”
    • “The introduction was really interesting but the game is a letdown after you realize there's no engagement whatsoever with the story they initially set up.”
    • “The story is actually still available to new players told in a different way now, through dream sequences so if the story ends up intriguing you, you will still be able to experience it.”
  • gameplay392 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Blackout Club" is characterized by its unique stealth mechanics and cooperative elements, drawing comparisons to classic titles like "Thief" and "Left 4 Dead." While many players appreciate the engaging atmosphere and innovative features, such as the "closing eyes" mechanic and developer interactions, the gameplay is often criticized for being repetitive and lacking in content variety, leading to a grindy experience over time. Overall, it is best enjoyed with friends, as solo play tends to diminish the excitement and engagement.

    • “The gameplay feels sort of like Thief: The Dark Project from back in the day, with combat as a possible and semi-viable option in the short-term if you're careful, but you really want to be stealthy.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth as ice, the graphics are wonderful and the new enemies as you level up keep you on your toes while still allowing for minor mistakes to be corrected or just avoided.”
    • “The mechanics of the game are shown in a way that makes them easy to understand.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely repetitive and boring, and not in a good way; it's an utter waste of time and money. Don't even get it on sale.”
    • “Gameplay gets very repetitive and stale very quickly.”
    • “The gameplay becomes repetitive and boring very quickly.”
  • atmosphere84 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, effectively blending tension with a sense of mystery and nostalgia reminiscent of 80s horror. Players appreciate the game's visual design, soundscapes, and the unique setting that enhances the overall experience, although some note that gameplay mechanics can detract from the atmospheric tension. Overall, the game is recognized as a standout in the co-op horror genre, offering a rich and engaging environment that keeps players on edge.

    • “The atmosphere and art direction of the game was incredible and the story intriguing.”
    • “The game has a great atmosphere and could be really excellent but really suffers from lack of any further development.”
    • “The atmosphere is certainly there and mixes tension with a sense of wonder and small town mystery nostalgia.”
    • “Which is a shame because I adore its atmosphere and initial premise, but you’d be better off playing for two hours, refunding the game, and then just looking up the story on the wiki.”
    • “The atmosphere during the missions was not scary; it was more annoying and got boring really fast - nothing like the spooky feeling during the prologue.”
    • “Right now the map is infested with NPCs and it adds very little tension to the game and feeling of its atmosphere.”
  • graphics80 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the unique art style and immersive atmosphere, while others criticize outdated visuals and occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the game is noted for its solid visuals and smooth performance, particularly on lower-end systems, but some feel it lacks polish in character models and animations. Despite these criticisms, the aesthetic and environmental design are often highlighted as standout features that enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “A beautifully made game, amazing graphics, and fun gameplay.”
    • “The graphics, while rough, are pretty good.”
    • “This game outstands with its beautiful graphics, its unique and fun gaming mechanism, and its story.”
    • “The visual of the game is outdated for 2019; the graphics and crooked animations will scare many players away.”
    • “Graphics leave much to be desired when it comes to the actual player characters.”
    • “The game's graphics aren't the best; although it is pretty at certain points, the game suffers from ugly textures and weird graphical glitches.”
  • grinding33 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious, repetitive, and lacking in meaningful rewards. While some appreciate the co-op gameplay and the lore that unfolds through grinding, others criticize the slow leveling system and monotonous missions, leading to a sense of frustration and boredom. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “This game is really grindy for little to no payoff.”
    • “But, with the lack of a main story path, painfully repetitive levels, and a torturously grindy progression system, the game feels unbalanced, unpolished, and immensely unrewarding.”
    • “Its extremely repetitive and feels completely uninspired, which results in tedious and monotonous gameplay.”
  • stability25 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting it as a "buggy mess" prone to crashes and frustrating glitches that disrupt gameplay. While some enjoy the unique mechanics and find it playable despite the issues, many express that the game feels incomplete and recommend waiting for fixes before diving in. Overall, the active developer engagement in addressing bugs is noted, but the current state of the game may deter potential players.

    • “The graphics look good, it runs smoothly and is pretty bug-free.”
    • “The gameplay is unique, the enemies are challenging, and I've noticed little to no glitches or bugs so far.”
    • “After all, the game is a buggy mess.”
    • “A buggy mess that is prone to crashing.”
    • “This game still feels so incomplete and buggy.”
  • humor24 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its blend of cheeky, situational comedy and absurd moments, often arising from gameplay mechanics and character interactions. Players enjoy the mix of tension and laughter, with funny glitches and unexpected scenarios adding to the overall experience. While some moments can be genuinely scary, the lighthearted elements, such as humorous character designs and playful banter among teammates, contribute to a fun and engaging atmosphere.

    • “Without sharing too many spoilers, it uniquely combines video gaming with live theater to flesh out the world in ways that range from hilarious to heartbreaking and horrifying.”
    • “There's plenty of cheeky humor, no blood or brutal violence and while there is death, it's pretty infrequent.”
    • “Some parts of the game are humorous though, such as grappling a sleeper off a roof onto the ground by accident, teammate running too far and falling off a cliff, little things that among the chaos are actually enjoyable and add to the game.”
  • replayability22 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the variety of missions and randomized elements that enhance replay value, others find it can become repetitive over time without new content. Some users express a desire for additional features, such as more perk decks and hero items, to further enrich the experience. Despite these concerns, several reviews highlight the game's engaging mechanics and consistent enjoyment, suggesting that replayability largely depends on individual player enjoyment and engagement.

    • “Fantastic in my opinion, stealthy horror with parkour and so much mission variety, it's highly replayable.”
    • “A lot of clever surprises and a great amount of replayability.”
    • “The missions and stuff going on are randomized, so there's a lot of replayability due to the variations, on top of a lot of content slowly introduced to you as you level up.”
    • “I enjoyed it for what it was on its decent replayability, but it will eventually get pretty repetitive without new updates and content.”
    • “I wish there were more perk decks and hero items to make use of to add more replayability.”
    • “The price is way too high for the lack of content and replay value.”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game is praised for its ability to create a spooky and immersive atmosphere, with an incredible soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some ambient sounds are noted as unremarkable, the voice acting and thematic music effectively build suspense and keep players engaged. Additionally, unique missions involving music, such as making sleepwalkers dance, add a creative twist to gameplay.

    • “The voice acting and music are incredible for establishing the appropriate ambiance, and the voice lines and slow revelations of nefarious ongoing that certain missions uncover keep me consistently interested.”
    • “The game has grind, progression, items, clothing, and an amazing soundtrack and level design, atmosphere using Unreal Engine 4.”
    • “It also has the coolest underground DJ station a musician could ask for.”
    • “All the cake has been eaten, the songs have been sung, and I'm on the dance floor by myself, bitter because I missed out on something truly special.”
    • “It is your job with the help of the club and the god-like voices to expose what's going on to the wider world and put a stop to the music-obsessed beings running things at night.”
    • “Yes, the game sets up the atmosphere, the background music, etc. to be spooky and build suspense.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues and bugs that detract from the experience. While some find it playable, the lack of polish and clunky mechanics have led to recommendations against purchasing until improvements are made. Players express hope for better optimization in future updates.

    • “Though, of course, there are still bugs here and there, but that's part of getting a game done. There's a bit of performance issues after the cipher update for some of my friends, but I don't seem to be experiencing it.”
    • “Don't mind the beta, optimization is really good.”
    • “I look forward to buying the full version when it's optimized and everything.”
    • “Unfortunately, in my opinion the game was ruined by 3 things - the price of $30, lack of advertising, and not very good performance, both in terms of technical quality and game design. The amount of grind to get some cosmetics is as depressing as the fact that to try out another build you need to reset the whole experience of your character and level him again from scratch.”
    • “Game also seems to have almost no work in optimization at all too, feels clunky and terrible overall.”
    • “I currently don't recommend this game, purely because it is not optimized well enough, there are quite a few bugs, and there are some mechanics I don't like, and some mechanics I would like to see.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The game's monetization model is primarily focused on cosmetic in-game purchases, with no microtransactions or additional currency sales. However, the $30 price tag has been criticized as steep for an indie title, especially given the limited content available without joining their Discord. Overall, some players feel the monetization strategy detracts from the experience, labeling it as a potential cash grab despite the absence of aggressive upselling tactics.

    • “In-game purchases are strictly cosmetic.”
    • “There are no in-game purchases of this currency.”
    • “Also, no microtransactions!”
    • “Unfortunately, in my opinion, the game was ruined by three things - the price of $30 (not everyone will agree to buy a questionable indie product for half the price of a AAA game), lack of advertising (seriously, even on release, online presence was extremely small), and not very good performance, both in terms of technical quality and game design. The amount of grind to get some cosmetics is as depressing as the fact that to try out another build, you need to reset the whole experience of your character and level him again from scratch. The game is clearly focused on having 2-4 players, and playing solo brings less rewards despite being a little harder due to the high price of error - you only have one life? In multiplayer, there are four players with three lives each.”
    • “[h1] TL;DR: Don't buy the game; it's pretty much a quick cash grab. [/h1]”
    • “And this isn’t a cash grab by some AAA studio, upselling you for $100+ collectors edition pre-orders only to be disappointed in receiving some half-ass manufactured helmet shipped in a cheap nylon bag.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a unique blend of humor and deep, often disturbing themes, evoking a wide range of feelings from joy to trauma. Players report experiencing significant emotional responses, including unease and heartbreak, particularly in relation to character deaths and the immersive storytelling that combines gaming with theatrical elements. Overall, the game effectively engages players on an emotional level, leaving a lasting impact.

    • “Without sharing too many spoilers, it uniquely combines video gaming with live theater to flesh out the world in ways that range from hilarious to heartbreaking and horrifying.”
    • “It made me feel genuinely uneasy and disturbed.”
    • “10/10 would become emotionally traumatized again by the death of the voice I followed.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for its poor design and lack of customization options, which many attribute to the developers' neglect stemming from low player engagement and public interest.

    • “The character designs need some work, but that's likely because the developers didn't bother to update them due to a lack of players and public attention.”
    • “Character designs are really bad, and the customization options are not good.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

72% average critic score

Buy The Blackout Club

Play time

9hMedian play time
29hAverage play time
6-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 19 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News