The Call of Karen

About

The Call of Karen is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by Trumbus and was released on July 16, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

The Call of Karen is a PC simulation comedy game about a 1950s suburban housewife whose home is being invaded by Cthulhu. Keep up appearances in the face of an unhappy marriage, ungrateful child, and eldritch madness!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 942 reviews

story49 positive mentions

stability22 negative mentions

Humorous and unique concept blending 1950s housewife life with Lovecraftian horror.
Enjoyable voice acting and soundtrack that add charm and amusement to the game.
Free, short, and funny, making it a good casual time-killer with a quirky story.

Gameplay is repetitive with few distinct tasks, becoming tedious over time.
Controls and physics are clunky and frustrating, especially with floating objects and item interactions.
Bugs and glitches, including save issues and collision problems, hinder the overall experience.

story
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
38%
9%
The story is generally described as charming, funny, and engaging, with a unique 1950s housewife theme that resonates well despite its simplicity and short length. However, many find the narrative repetitive and lacking depth or variety in gameplay tasks, causing some players to lose interest before completion. Overall, while not complex, the story effectively blends humor and atmosphere, making the game enjoyable for a brief playthrough.
- “The story is unique and very funny, and it's always fun to introduce this game to my friends and witness their utter confusion at it. Personally, I also really love the music of the game and how background music in different scenes really fits the vibe, including the funny, goofy songs on the radio.”
- “Honestly, a short and very endearing game that tells a fun story, 10/10 would recommend.”
- “Amazing game, great story, beautiful graphics, really encapsulates the feeling of a 1950s housewife, and the struggles of being one.”
- “Honestly, there just isn't really any game here. There are three repeatable tasks to do each day with a bit of difference in the story as the days progress, but it's not really enough. There's no way to fail and the main tasks are the same each day. I feel swapping it up to harder things to cook or a different task like laundry could have helped prevent the game from being boring, even for the 30-40 minutes of gameplay. It lost appeal once the gameplay loop was clear. There's a day where you need to chase the meat, which made the game feel whimsical and fun for a moment, but the creativity just wasn't utilized enough throughout.”
- “This is a very repetitive game, and even though it's based around a story and holds a deep meaning, each day seemed like a chore to play.”
- “Second, the story was very basic and they didn't take it in any kind of creative direction like they could have.”
humor
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The game's humor is widely praised for being funny, creative, and relatable, with many players enjoying its satire, dialogue, and quirky characters. While some find the humor clever and entertaining, a few note the writing can be heavy-handed or repetitive, yet it generally delivers consistent laughs, especially given its short, free-to-play nature. Overall, it provides a lighthearted, amusing experience that resonates well with most players.
- “Played this on a whim with my cousin; both of us taking turns to tackle the different days of chores, and through all the chaos and slow descent into literal madness, we were laughing through tears by the end.”
- “The story is unique and very funny, and it's always fun to introduce this game to my friends and witness their utter confusion at it. Personally, I also really love the music of the game and how background music in different scenes really fits the vibe, but also the funny, goofy songs on the radio.”
- “Hilarious, topical, great story and fun mechanics.”
- “It's not scary, it's not funny, yet it tries to do both.”
- “This was one of the most annoyingly unfunny experiences in recent time and I don't know why people seem to enjoy this highly repetitive, partly broken loop of frustratingly mundane tasks with insufferably written, on-the-nose satire and overly long, boring dialogue.”
gameplay
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The gameplay is generally simple and repetitive, centered around a few daily tasks with some quirky, janky mechanics that add humor but can also cause frustration. While some players found the loop entertaining and fitting to the story's theme, many criticized the lack of variety, challenge, polish, and progression, which made the experience feel tedious and limited in scope. Overall, the gameplay supports the narrative but falls short of delivering engaging or lasting fun.
- “It had a lot of fun mechanics, especially with all the different versions of floating, even if it got a bit annoying doing it over and over sometimes.”
- “The dialogue was witty and the gameplay was just challenging enough to keep you hooked.”
- “The concept of the game itself is very different and unique, the game also has a nice, polished, refreshing look to it; the ideas, story, mechanics as well as many other things are very cool.”
- “Honestly there just isn't really any game here, there's 3 repeatable tasks to do each day with a bit of difference in the story as the days progress but it's not really enough. There's no way to fail and the main tasks are the same each day. I feel just swapping it up to harder things to cook or a different task like laundry could've helped prevent the game from being a tad boring. Even for the 30-40 minutes of gameplay it lost appeal once the gameplay loop was made apparent. There's a day where you need to chase the meat which made the game feel whimsical and fun for a moment, but the creativity just wasn't utilized enough throughout.”
- “I sadly can't recommend this game, given the gameplay loop's blandness, lack of any kind of challenge, and no achievements. Even for a free title at 30-40 minutes game length, there is just no wow factor to suggest you try it out. I think the devs just scratched the surface of what this could've been, with other rooms and tasks opening up as the days progress and a timer or something for a bit of challenge. I think this would've been an awesome experience, but in its current state it's not for me.”
- “Tedious gameplay choices, poor visuals, and some issues make this feel like an actual chore instead of an entertaining experience. So even with the free price tag, I don't really recommend this one.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
43%
17%
The graphics receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style, vintage 1950s aesthetic, and impressive cutscenes, particularly during the Cthulhu fight, while others criticize poor visuals, occasional bugs, and lack of visual polish. Many find the graphics acceptable or good for a free game, noting smooth performance and fitting style, but repetitive gameplay and technical issues sometimes detract from the overall experience.
- “At the end when you have to fight Cthulhu, the graphics for the cutscene are absolutely mind-blowing.”
- “Amazing game, great story, beautiful graphics, really encapsulates the feeling of a 1950s housewife, and the struggles of being one.”
- “10/10 story, lovable characters, amazing gameplay loop, great graphics.”
- “And now we have the worst aspect of the game, which is the visuals.”
- “The best way I can describe it is if a doll house was translated into poor 3D visuals.”
- “Tedious gameplay choices, poor visuals and some issues make this feel like an actual chore instead of an entertaining experience, so even with the free price tag, I don't really recommend this one.”
music
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
39%
8%
The game's music and radio commentary are widely praised for fitting the vibe, being catchy, and adding charm, with many calling the soundtrack a standout feature. However, a common criticism is the lack of an in-game audio slider, making the music uncomfortably loud and sometimes interfering with dialogue clarity. Overall, while the music enhances the experience, its repetitive and overpowering volume leaves some players frustrated.
- “The story is unique and very funny, and it's always fun to introduce this game to my friends and witness their utter confusion at it. Personally, I really love the music of the game and how background music in different scenes really fits the vibe, along with the funny, goofy songs on the radio.”
- “Slightly boring due to the repetitive nature of the game and objectives, but I really enjoyed the soundtrack and radio commentary the most from this game.”
- “The story was great, the game ran smooth, the music was amazing.”
- “There was no way to turn down the in-game music volume at all.”
- “The music is ear-splittingly loud, while the voices and sound effects are just right.”
- “It's just a bunch of stock free songs that constantly loop, and I don't know if this was done to really drive the mundane lifestyle point home or what, but I genuinely could not take it at times.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is consistently described as buggy with frequent glitches and occasional physics issues, though these rarely make it unplayable. Despite its instability and repetitive nature, many players find it fun and worth trying, especially given its short length. Stability improvements could enhance the overall experience significantly.
- “Repetitive, buggy mess created by someone who apparently lacks skill.”
- “Would rate it five if not for all the annoying physics glitches that made me have to restart.”
- “As it is I cannot recommend it at this current time but it's left enough of a light-hearted impression that I would enjoy trying it again at a later time to see if the devs have fixed some of the issues, bugs and glitches.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
Grinding in the game is generally described as tedious and repetitive, with frustrating mechanics like floating items and poor object interaction that worsen as the game progresses. While some find aspects cute or mildly fun, many consider the chores and tasks a chore rather than enjoyable, detracting from the overall experience.
- “It's not fun trying to fish items out of the air and placing them down to complete objectives as they float away, and it gets even more annoying as the game progresses. Since you do the same thing over and over again, it becomes incredibly tedious, not to mention there being quite a few bugs too.”
- “Tedious gameplay choices, poor visuals, and some issues make this feel like an actual chore instead of an entertaining experience. Even with the free price tag, I don't really recommend this one.”
- “The gameplay is super repetitive and tedious.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report a powerful and deep emotional connection with the game, describing it as both heart-wrenching and thrilling. The game evokes a wide range of intense feelings—from fear and sadness to anger and joy—making for a uniquely immersive and affecting experience.
- “I feel her feelings; I feel a very deep emotional connection with her, and it's just an overall great game.”
- “Emotional, heartbreaking, and very scary!”
- “Emotional and exciting dialogue, which is a harmonious pleasure for the auditory senses.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game generally runs smoothly with great graphics and valid gameplay, though some users experienced minor performance issues like occasional overheating and minor control difficulties. Overall, the optimization is solid but not flawless, providing an enjoyable experience without major technical drawbacks.
- “Runs smoothly and graphics aren't horrible.”
- “The concept is hilarious, graphics are great, gameplay runs smoothly for the most part (I had a few difficulties with the 'use' option, but nothing game-breaking).”
- “I beat the game... intense story, valid gameplay, amazing graphics and awesome optimization.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently suffers from low replayability due to limited features like no save or auto-continue options and a lack of alternate endings. While the plot is engaging and humorous, these shortcomings make it difficult to enjoy multiple playthroughs.
- “My only issue is that there is not a lot of replay value, so perhaps if at some point you did an update that adds maybe some alternate endings?”
- “Hilarious and really fun, albeit somewhat lacking in replayability and ease of controls, it more than makes up for it with the well-written craziness of the plot.”
- “Right now, no loading feature, no auto-continuing from where you left off, so unless you are completely free to do it in one sitting, you are gonna hate it. It doesn't have replay value either... I'm sorry, I can't recommend this even for free; they messed up something basic.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, contributing significantly to the overall experience. While some minor interaction issues slightly detract from the gameplay, the compelling story and well-crafted ambiance make the atmosphere a standout aspect.
- “Love the atmosphere the game created.”
- “A bit clunky with some of the interactions, and the crosshair isn't on point with the vacuum, but the story and atmosphere are worth it.”
- “The idea and atmosphere are nice, but that's about it.”