The Butterfly Sign
- December 13, 2016
- Quantum Phoenix Studio
Get on Steam"The Butterfly Sign" is a narrative-driven psychological horror game. As a patient in a mysterious psychiatric hospital, you'll uncover the truth through solving puzzles and experiencing surreal visions. Your choices and observations will shape the outcome in this atmospheric and unsettling adventure.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning graphics and a beautifully designed environment that enhances the overall atmosphere.
- The intriguing story and unique concept involving memory recovery through medicine provide a fresh take on the detective genre.
- The gameplay encourages careful observation and critical thinking, making it engaging for players who enjoy solving puzzles.
- The game suffers from technical issues such as long loading times, sound glitches, and occasional freezing, which detracts from the experience.
- It is relatively short, with some players completing it in under two hours, leaving them wanting more content.
- The controls can be janky and unresponsive, and the game lacks sufficient interactable objects, limiting exploration and engagement.
- graphics38 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning quality and attention to detail, effectively creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. However, many players have reported significant technical issues, including poor optimization, long loading times, and choppy framerates, which detract from the visual experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game's artistic design and use of special effects are noted as standout features.
“Graphics performed so professionally and naturally, there is no doubt that we are really in a mental hospital, which was damaged by the attack.”
“Game's built on Unreal Engine 4 and the creators of it seem to have taken the maximum out of the graphics engine - I was just astonished by how amazingly beautiful it is.”
“The first thing I will say is that the graphics are fantastic.”
“Audio, visuals, and controls all had issues.”
“Movement is clumsy, and the graphics look like stock assets from a development program.”
“The optimization of the game is terrible - providing choppy movement and awful framerates, even on a very high-end machine with graphics settings reduced to the lowest possible.”
- story38 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing and built on a powerful premise, though it suffers from an unclear ending and familiar plot elements. While the storytelling is generally praised, technical issues like slow-loading cutscenes disrupt the narrative flow. Overall, the game offers a visually stunning experience with a mix of linear and non-linear storytelling, but it leaves players wanting more clarity and depth.
“The story is no less intriguing - you are playing a first-person detective game, exploring the depth of your mind by taking some experimental drug.”
“Another great thing is that the game promises a non-linear story, non-linear dialogues, and a non-linear timeline, where events take place both in the past and in the present - every component of a good game seems to be mixed thoroughly.”
“First of all, great story; the graphics are stunning.”
“The cut scenes are very slow to load and persistently tear the player from the game, interrupting the moment and convoluting the story.”
“And just as you feel like something of a story is taking shape... the chapter/game is over.”
“Another aspect that the game fails at, in my opinion, is storytelling.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay features unique detective mechanics and a mix of puzzles, including circuit board challenges and multiple-choice questions, but is criticized for its simplicity and short length. While the atmosphere and visuals are praised, many players find the gameplay tedious and lacking in depth, with some expressing disappointment over frame rate issues. Overall, the game offers an original structure but may not satisfy those seeking a more engaging experience.
“Nice detective mechanics, didn't see something like that before.”
“The puzzles are fun, not too difficult (I did have to look up the answer to one in a gameplay video, but the rest were doable on my own without feeling too easy) and it builds a great atmosphere through well-done sounds.”
“Difficult tasks, puzzles... it is the first game that I've seen with such gameplay structure.”
“But the first episode wasn't worth a penny for gameplay.”
“In terms of gameplay, aside from walking around and exploring, you have to piece together events from the past to determine what has happened. Most of this consists of multiple choice questions, which was pretty boring and tedious for the most part.”
“I wouldn’t go far to say as to 'not recommend' the game because I don’t see many things broken, but I would understand why gamers would be put off by frame rate issues, simple gameplay, and length of gameplay.”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully crafted environments, enhanced by precise object design and effective soundscapes. Players appreciate the blend of exploration, mystery, and well-executed graphics that contribute to a captivating experience, although some note that the music's disconnection from player movement can detract from the overall immersion. Overall, the game successfully creates a compelling atmosphere that engages players throughout their adventure.
“Every object in the room was made with such precision that helps to fully convey the atmosphere of the place where we are.”
“The atmosphere, the exploration, the mystery, it all made for a really great adventure.”
“Very well, that fear in the atmosphere is transmitted by the graphics and music, with the help of special effects and plot, but not by suddenly jumping monsters.”
- music14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, complementing the stunning graphics. However, some players feel that the music's disconnection from the player's actions detracts from the immersive experience, preventing it from fully realizing the game's atmospheric potential. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the ambiance, its execution has room for improvement.
“The scenery is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking, and the music is lovely.”
“Amazing graphics and music!”
“Very well, that fear in the atmosphere is transmitted by the graphics and music, with the help of special effects and plot.”
“- the music doesn't seem to follow the player, instead it emits from somewhere in the world, making it feel weird and makes it hard to get that really atmospheric feel that the game has a huge potential to do.”
“Very well, that fear in the atmosphere is transmitted by the graphics and music, with the help of special effects and plot, but not by suddenly jumping monsters.”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing frequent freezes, sound glitches, and unresponsive menu options, despite meeting system requirements. However, others noted that the game is largely functional and that previous delays were aimed at addressing various bugs and glitches. Overall, while some technical issues persist, many players found the game to be relatively stable.
“Game freezes constantly, can't even get into the game and my computer meets the requirements.”
“Also, I've experienced some sound glitches, not sure what that was, and the exit button in the menu doesn't work.”
“Not mentioning the fact that the game was delayed a few days to fix various bugs and glitches.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is widely criticized, with players reporting choppy movement and poor framerates even on high-end machines, often requiring them to lower graphics settings significantly. Many users experience performance issues, struggling to achieve playable frame rates compared to other titles. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be a major drawback for players.
“I’m not all that tech savvy like many PC gamers, so I didn’t really understand even some of the basic requirements needed to play the game; however, when the price was at a big discount and my PC runs smoothly with big games like Fallout 4 and Hard Reset, I thought I could still run Butterfly Sign.”
“The optimization of the game is terrible - providing choppy movement and awful framerates, even on a very high-end machine with graphics settings reduced to the lowest possible.”
“The optimization of the game is terrible - providing choppy movement and awful framerates, even on a very high-end machine with graphics settings reduced to the lowest possible.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the cleverly named build "human error," which resonates with players, though overall reception remains lukewarm, even among paid reviews.
“Apparently there's a slightly tweaked build on sale named under the hilariously fitting moniker of 'Human Error', and I don't think even the paid reviews gave it a thumbs-up.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unengaging, primarily due to the repetitive nature of piecing together past events through multiple choice questions, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of exploration and gameplay.
“In terms of gameplay, aside from walking around and exploring, you have to piece together events from the past to determine what has happened. Most of this consists of multiple choice questions, which was pretty boring and tedious for the most part.”
