The Call of Karen

About

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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 935 reviews

story47 positive mentions

stability21 negative mentions

The game has a fun and quirky concept that combines 1950s housewife duties with eldritch horror elements.
The humor and voice acting are well done, providing a lighthearted experience that keeps players entertained.
It's a short game that can be completed in under an hour, making it a quick and enjoyable time killer.

The gameplay can become repetitive, with similar tasks being repeated throughout the game.
There are several bugs and glitches that can hinder the experience, such as items disappearing or difficult controls.
The lack of options for adjusting audio and sensitivity can lead to frustration during gameplay.

story
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
39%
9%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it charming, funny, and engaging, while others criticize it for being simplistic and repetitive. Many appreciate the unique premise and humor, particularly in the context of a 1950s housewife, but some feel the execution falls short, leading to a lack of depth and excitement. Overall, while the story has its merits, it often struggles to maintain player interest throughout the gameplay.
- “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 the background music in different scenes really fits the vibe, but also 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.”
- “The story wasn't interesting either since there was nothing mysterious about it or anything really scary.”
- “My biggest issue is just there's not a lot to do in the game gameplay-wise and story-wise.”
- “Second, the story was very basic and they didn't take it in any kind of creative direction like they could have.”
humor
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many players finding it hilarious and enjoyable, often leading to laughter throughout the experience. While some critiques mention that the writing can be heavy-handed or repetitive, the overall comedic concept and execution resonate well with players, making it a fun and memorable short game. The quirky dialogue and amusing scenarios contribute to its charm, despite some technical issues.
- “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 the background music in different scenes really fits the vibe, but also the funny, goofy songs on the radio.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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 times, 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
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
22%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive and tedious nature, often leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. While some appreciated the unique mechanics and humor tied to the story, others criticized the numerous bugs and lack of variety in tasks, making the experience feel like a chore. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a double-edged sword, with potential for fun overshadowed by execution issues and monotony.
- “It's an awesome extra level of detail that I just really noticed and appreciated throughout the gameplay.”
- “The dialogue was witty and the gameplay was just challenging enough to keep you hooked.”
- “10/10 story, lovable characters, amazing gameplay loop, great graphics.”
- “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.”
- “Usually I don't mind repetitive gameplay of this fashion, but the core gameplay is incredibly boring and the way in which the difficulty ramps up over time only serves to frustrate rather than add challenge or interest to that gameplay.”
- “Somewhere in the last 10 minutes of this endless chore of a game there is a neat idea hidden, a concept about a seemingly 'normal' game that twists and turns while not really changing at all, but the execution bored me to death because the main gameplay never really changes.”
graphics
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
43%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the art style and cutscenes as beautiful and well-executed, particularly in capturing the 1950s housewife aesthetic. However, others criticize the visuals as poor or inconsistent, describing them as reminiscent of a dollhouse and noting issues like bugs and lack of polish. Overall, while there are standout moments, the graphics seem to vary significantly in quality, leading to a divided opinion among players.
- “The graphics are fantastic and the voice acting is wonderful.”
- “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 dollhouse was translated into poor 3D visuals.”
- “Graphically it's not impressive and the repetitive tasks do not vary enough to keep things interesting for very long.”
music
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
35%
8%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchy and fitting background tracks, as well as the amusing radio commentary, while others criticize it for being repetitive and overly loud. Many appreciate the unique vibe it adds to the gameplay, but some express frustration over the lack of audio controls and the use of stock music that can become grating over time. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight for many, despite its potential to overwhelm.
- “Personally, I really love the music of the game and how the background music in different scenes fits the vibe, along with the funny, goofy songs on the radio.”
- “Loved the story and the music was a bop!”
- “The music was great, and the voice acting was amazing for an indie game!”
- “Please add the option to turn down or turn off the music.”
- “As far as the music is concerned, I genuinely hated the soundtrack.”
- “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
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally described as fun but plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that can detract from the experience. While some players find the issues manageable and still enjoyable, others express frustration with the frequency and impact of these technical problems. Overall, stability is a significant concern, with many reviewers hoping for future updates to address these issues.
- “I really wanted to like this game, but when the game itself is buggy, it makes the bits where it purposefully freaks more annoying than fun.”
- “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%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players finding the gameplay to feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. While some appreciate the game's charm and story, the frustrating mechanics and bugs detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a consensus that the grinding can be more of a burden than a fun challenge.
- “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. So even with the free price tag, I don't really recommend this one.”
- “The gameplay is super repetitive and tedious.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players describe the emotional experience of the game as intense and multifaceted, evoking a wide range of feelings from heartbreak to fear, and even physical reactions like headaches. The dialogue is noted for its emotional depth, enhancing the overall experience and creating a powerful connection to the narrative.
- “Emotional, heartbreaking, and very scary!”
- “I laughed, I cried, I was silent, I yelled, I was mad, I was calm, I was sweating, I was cold, it was hard, it was fun, it's a puzzle, a simple puzzle, I screamed at Timmy's mom or something.”
- “Emotional and exciting dialogue, which is a harmonious pleasure for the auditory senses.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
Overall, the game runs smoothly with decent graphics, though some users noted minor optimization issues that caused their systems to heat up, particularly on higher settings. While the gameplay experience is generally positive, a few players encountered difficulties with specific controls.
- “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.”
- “Runs smoothly and graphics aren't horrible.”
- “And it's not just the performance; the script is unbelievably terrible.”
- “The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
- “Optimization seems to have been an afterthought, leading to frequent crashes and long loading times.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Overall, the game is criticized for its low replayability, with users noting a lack of alternate endings and features like loading or auto-continue, which detracts from the experience. While the plot is entertaining, the absence of replay value and user-friendly controls limits the incentive to revisit the game.
- “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.”
- “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 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, there is no loading feature and no auto-continuing from where you left off, so unless you are completely free to do it in one sitting, you are going to 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
33%
33%
33%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creativity and immersive qualities, contributing significantly to the overall experience. However, some players note that clunky interactions and imprecise controls can detract from the enjoyment. Despite these issues, the compelling story and unique atmosphere make it a worthwhile experience.
- “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.”