The Cabin Factory
- December 13, 2024
- International Cat Studios
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"The Cabin Factory" is a short horror game where you work as a Cabin Inspector, tasked with determining if cabins are haunted. Examine each cabin carefully, and if you find evidence of haunting, hit the "danger" button; if it's safe, press "clear." This game draws inspiration from liminal spaces and psychological horror walking simulators, offering a chilling experience similar to 'The Exit 8', 'Pools', and 'P.T.'.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique twist on the anomaly genre, focusing on spotting movement rather than just differences, which keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.
- The atmosphere is incredibly well-crafted, with effective scares that build tension without relying heavily on cheap jump scares.
- For its low price, the game provides a satisfying experience with a compelling story that unfolds as players progress through the cabins.
- The game suffers from performance issues, with many players experiencing lag and crashes even on high-end systems.
- Some anomalies are difficult to identify, leading to frustration when players mark cabins incorrectly despite obvious signs of danger.
- The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in under two hours, leaving them wanting more content and variety.
- story178 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mix of engaging horror elements and intriguing backstory, often revealed through exploration and environmental storytelling. While some players found the narrative compelling and well-integrated with gameplay, others criticized it as underdeveloped or generic, with a few noting that the story felt disconnected from the gameplay loop. Overall, the narrative offers a chilling backdrop that enhances the horror experience, though many players expressed a desire for deeper storytelling and more substantial content.
“The story is fascinating and keeps me wanting to play more so that I can learn more.”
“I loved learning the story behind the cabin as I played!”
“The story was captivating, and it kept me hooked from start to finish.”
“The story does not fit the gameplay loop at all.”
“At just 2.5 hours of playtime, the story feels underdeveloped and unremarkable.”
“The underlying story feels like it's there for set dressing only.”
- gameplay89 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging and innovative mechanics, particularly in the context of anomaly detection and horror elements. However, some critiques highlight its brevity, with average playtime ranging from 30 minutes to 2-3 hours, and issues with clarity in gameplay mechanics and story integration. Overall, while the game offers a fun experience at a low price, it could benefit from improved optimization and deeper gameplay elements.
“I genuinely enjoyed the gameplay, even the hidden lore of the game.”
“The gameplay loop is engaging and, while it’s short, it feels just right for what the game offers and its price.”
“Genuinely spooky vibes, lots of great unexpected scares, and all packaged up in a fun spot-the-difference gameplay loop.”
“The gameplay is limited to slow walking and pressing two switches.”
“The difficulty doesn't lie in the mechanics, the difficulty lies in interpreting what the game considers 'haunted' or not - overall frustrating and inconsistent experience.”
“Not a bad concept but the gameplay is flawed and poorly explained.”
- graphics84 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, detailed textures, and atmospheric lighting, which effectively enhance the overall immersive experience. While many players noted that the graphics are impressive, especially for the game's low price, some experienced performance issues requiring them to adjust settings for smoother gameplay. Overall, the combination of high-quality graphics and eerie ambiance contributes significantly to the game's psychological horror elements.
“The detailed graphics are great: whether you're following your own character's gaze in a mirror or wondering if the painting is actually watching you this time, they really draw you in for a memorable psychological hit.”
“The visuals are stunning, with detailed textures and atmospheric lighting creating an immersive world.”
“Absolutely amazing graphics, gameplay was amazing and terrifying all at the same time.”
“The cabin factory dazzles with its graphics but falls short due to a weak story, minimal gameplay, and brief playtime.”
“Where to start really, it's janky, the graphics are all over the place, I must have crashed at least twice and it's not very good at fully explaining what you're meant to be looking for.”
“Performance could do with some optimization - my PC isn't great but I had to basically stick everything on lowest graphics to even play the game.”
- atmosphere83 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively building tension without relying heavily on jump scares. Players appreciate the stunning visuals, detailed environments, and subtle horror elements that create a gripping experience, though some note that the gameplay can become monotonous. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's psychological horror elements and keeping players on edge throughout their experience.
“The atmosphere keeps you on edge from start to finish, even without relying on typical jump scares, which is quite refreshing.”
“The atmosphere was gripping and immersive, pulling me deep into its eerie world.”
“The atmosphere is masterfully crafted, keeping me on edge the entire time.”
“While this builds an eerie atmosphere, it lacks the intensity some players may expect from horror games.”
“While it adds to the atmosphere, the lack of variety or challenge quickly becomes monotonous.”
“The atmosphere is creepy, the spooks are creepy, everything about this game is creepy.”
- optimization63 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, low frame rates, and various bugs, particularly on lower-end systems. While some users experienced no issues or found the game enjoyable despite its optimization flaws, the consensus indicates that improvements are necessary for a smoother experience. Many reviewers noted that the game's performance issues detracted from the overall enjoyment, especially for those looking to stream or play on less powerful hardware.
“Amazing visuals and 0 performance issues in my case, by the way.”
“Despite some performance issues, the suspenseful pacing and clever design make it a must-play for fans of indie horror games.”
“There are some definite places for optimization to improve, but overall the experience wasn't harmed in any way by performance!”
“Horrible bugs and performance woes pervade this game, which really do bring the entire experience down, but it's UE5 and this is an indie game and that's just what those things do together.”
“My only complaint is that the game is optimized like dog water.”
“It's painfully unoptimized, running slow even on a 4080/7800x3d system.”
- humor23 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game successfully blends humor with horror, creating a unique experience that elicits genuine laughter even during scary moments. Players appreciate the clever and unexpected comedic elements, particularly in the game's ending, which contrasts with the overall tone and enhances the enjoyment. Overall, the humor adds a charming layer to the gameplay, making it a memorable and entertaining experience.
“This game is a good example of how to add small humor into a horror game.”
“The ending deserves a shoutout, too—it’s both clever and funny, bringing the experience full circle in a way that felt satisfying and earned.”
“It’s an immersive, thrilling, and unexpectedly hilarious horror experience that managed to turn a quiet family night into a memorable event full of screams, jumps, and shared excitement.”
- music12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for enhancing the atmosphere and tension, effectively complementing the stunning graphics and creepy vibe. While it avoids distracting soundtracks, some users have reported issues with copyright claims related to ambient sounds, leading to muted audio on streaming platforms. Overall, the sound design contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience, despite some concerns about copyright and audio options.
“The graphics were stunning, creating a perfectly creepy vibe, and the music really added to the tension.”
“The game avoids cheap jumpscares, instead relying on subtle, recurring patterns and sparse sound or music effects to create unease.”
“Great atmosphere and I love that there wasn't a soundtrack to distract you from examining the cabins.”
“The fire-crackling and wind whistling sounds in the game were flagged for copyright; the claim was that it was from a song named 'Blaze of Narthex.'”
“My guess is the sounds must be from the same source (sound library maybe?) and thus got flagged as me using that song without permission.”
“Some audio in the game is getting VODs muted in spots, and there's no option to turn off the music or offending audio.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game elicits a profound emotional response, with players experiencing a range of feelings from fear and heartbreak to laughter and catharsis. Many reviewers note that it can be intensely traumatic, often leading to tears and moments of deep reflection, making it a uniquely impactful experience. Overall, it stands out for its ability to evoke strong emotions, sometimes surpassing even therapeutic experiences.
“There's something uniquely heartbreaking about the story in that way and I think it made for a wonderful backdrop to an otherwise chilling experience.”
“This game made me feel more things than therapy.”
“I laughed, I cried, I sat with my face in my hands for like 5 whole minutes at one point.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability, particularly for fans of the genre, but its finite number of cabins and predictable encounters limit long-term engagement. While it provides a strong experience for its short duration, players may find that once they've explored the content, there is little incentive to replay. Overall, it shows potential for future updates to enhance replay value.
“The game is short, but has replay value. I feel like if you enjoy these types of games, you'll find it worthwhile.”
“For a $3 game, I'm impressed. It is short, but I think the replayability is there. Quality-wise, it looks amazing, and I can't wait to see what else they add to the game later down the line.”
“Short game but replayable; overall, I enjoyed it greatly.”
“Only downside is once you've gone through the cabins, there's basically zero replay value as you can quickly spot what instance you're in and know if you should hit clear or danger.”
“It definitely doesn't have a huge amount of replay value, but for the hour and a half it keeps going strong.”
“The 'anomaly' subgenre of horror games is steadily growing and I'm excited to see more first-person games rather than the classic style where you watch camera feeds, but there isn't a lot here in terms of content and replay value.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, frame rate drops, and visual glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some players find the game engaging despite these issues, the persistent technical problems, including freezing and glitched endings, suggest a need for significant improvements in stability.
“The game is silly and buggy and doesn't run fantastically.”
“At its worst, it's a mostly boring, buggy, tonally inconsistent stew of regurgitated ideas.”
“My first game that freezes every few seconds.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively time-consuming and tedious, with some expressing that it feels like a second job due to the short and shallow story. The search for collectibles, particularly cabins, can be frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The story is very short and shallow, unfortunately, and it gets a bit tedious to find all the cabins. One in particular was especially infuriating for me.”
