The Children of Clay

About

The Children of Clay is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Balazs Ronyai and was released on March 7, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

The Children of Clay is a stop-motion archaeology horror game where players investigate an ancient artifact to uncover its sinister secret. Combining point-and-click mechanics with eerie stop-motion animation, the game immerses you in a chilling atmosphere inspired by Hungarian mythology. Unearth dark lore through atmospheric exploration and unsettling discoveries.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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99%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,073 reviews

atmosphere274 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Incredible atmosphere and sound design that effectively builds tension without relying on jump scares.
Unique concept that combines archaeology and horror, making the player feel like a researcher uncovering dark secrets.
Short but engaging gameplay that leaves players wanting more, with a strong narrative and interesting lore.

The game is very short, taking only about 10-20 minutes to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
Some players found the last segment of the game, where you navigate in darkness, to be frustrating and less engaging.
A few minor typographical errors in the text and translations that could detract from the overall experience.

atmosphere
392 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
29%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively creating a sense of tension and dread without relying on jump scares. Reviewers highlight the exceptional art style, sound design, and storytelling that contribute to a captivating and unsettling experience, making it a standout example of atmospheric horror. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to evoke fear and intrigue within a short playtime, often expressing a desire for more content from the developers.
- “The atmosphere and art style are wonderful, mechanics feel unique and engaging :)”
- “It's scary in the best possible way, not with jump scares or cheap tricks but with atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is artistically cultivated, from the eerily realistic soundstage to the dimly gritty visuals, I truly felt like I was sitting in that cramped little office unable to save myself from my own rampant academic curiosity.”
- “The atmosphere is artistically cultivated, from the eerily realistic soundstage to the dimly gritty visuals; I truly felt like I was sitting in that cramped little office unable to save myself from my own rampant academic curiosity.”
- “The unsettling atmosphere was extremely well done, and fit really well with the spooky artifact.”
- “A great example of how, even with few gameplay elements, it is possible to create a completely terrifying atmosphere, without canned jump scares or deafening sounds.”
story
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
53%
2%
The game's story is a concise and engaging horror narrative that unfolds through the player's investigation of an artifact, effectively building tension and atmosphere in a short playtime of around 20 minutes. Reviewers appreciate its unique storytelling style, reminiscent of classic horror literature, and the immersive experience it provides, despite some wishing for a longer format or additional content. Overall, the story is praised for its ability to deliver chills and intrigue without unnecessary exposition, making it a compelling short horror experience.
- “The story is interesting, unique and evolves organically with tension rising slowly but rarely letting up.”
- “The point and click elements worked so well with the investigation aspects of the gameplay and unraveling the story along the way came with both a satisfaction and dread of what you were uncovering.”
- “It's a 20 minute experience, with no explanation, no backstory, no plot.”
- “The ending appeared to have absolutely nothing to do with the story or characters described until that point.”
- “Though the story unfolds over only a few scenes, each one is crafted to build tension and curiosity about the world and its characters.”
graphics
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their unique and captivating art style, particularly the use of stop-motion and handcrafted visuals that create an eerie atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and atmospheric design, which effectively enhance the horror experience without relying on jump scares. Overall, the game's graphics are described as beautiful, immersive, and integral to its unsettling narrative, making it a standout in the horror genre.
- “The atmosphere and art style are wonderful; mechanics feel unique and engaging :)”
- “The visuals are amazing, and the stop motion style works very well.”
- “The art style is absolutely gorgeous, and the atmosphere is chilling in the best way.”
- “The visuals are trash.”
- “I feel like just using sound rather than the visuals would have left more to the imagination.”
- “Not the usual free horror fare, goes to show what can be achieved with just a few mechanics and simple graphics.”
gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
3%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and engaging mechanics, primarily revolving around point-and-click interactions and a unique research element involving keyword searches in a book. Players appreciate the atmospheric design and the clever integration of investigation mechanics that enhance the horror experience, despite the game being relatively short. Many reviewers express a desire for a longer game that expands on these intriguing concepts and mechanics.
- “The atmosphere is great, the gameplay is intuitive, and everything works so well for something that was done by one person.”
- “The gameplay cleverly serves the horror effects, naturally creating numerous psychological horror scenarios.”
- “The research mechanic makes you feel like a real archaeologist and creates a tense atmosphere as you delve further into the mystery and into madness!”
- “The gameplay is somewhat tedious, the horror is incredibly mild and predictable, and the game ends very abruptly (and predictably as well).”
- “All the mechanics of investigating the statue thus feel wasted, there's no real puzzle to it other than matching some letters, and right away we have the answer to the statue's nature.”
- “It's extremely short and doesn't give you long with the main gameplay elements, but what's there is really sharp.”
music
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
38%
8%
The music in this horror game is widely praised for its ability to create an intense and immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience without being distracting. Reviewers highlight the haunting soundtrack and effective sound design as key elements that contribute to the game's eerie vibe, making it more memorable than many longer productions. The combination of thematic music and ambient sounds successfully sets a creepy tone, drawing players into the unsettling environment.
- “Incredibly polished short horror game, masterful ambience and soundtrack.”
- “The thematic music and overall sound design are absolutely on point, enhancing the immersion without overwhelming it.”
- “A fantastic game, with unsettling visuals and music which absolutely deliver the creepiest atmosphere and vibes in its short runtime.”
- “I downloaded this game because the premise seemed interesting (and it totally is!) but I had to delete it pretty quickly because it was too scary for me (I even tried playing it while listening to my own music instead, didn't help at all)”
- “The music and sound effects have played a big role in making the uneasiness set in.”
- “The soundtrack is terrifying!”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, describing feelings of discomfort, intelligence, and nostalgia. The atmosphere evokes a sense of creeping unease, reminiscent of classic horror stories, while engaging puzzles enhance the player's sense of accomplishment. Overall, the game leaves a lasting impression, making players crave more despite its brevity.
- “Made me feel like an ancient shadow was behind me all the time.”
- “Makes me want to cry!”
- “This is my favorite style of game; there is nothing terrifying, but there is a sense of discomfort with the details in the visuals. It's really hard to explain, but I loved this game and how it made me feel.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players consistently express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often feeling like a tedious chore that detracts from the overall experience. The lack of engaging content and abrupt ending further exacerbate the frustration with the grinding mechanics.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The gameplay is somewhat tedious, the horror is incredibly mild and predictable, and the game ends very abruptly (and predictably as well).”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users suggest that when a game is well-designed, the concepts of "duration" and "replayability" may lose significance, indicating that a compelling experience can transcend traditional metrics of how often a game is played.
- “When an author knows what they are doing, terms such as 'duration' or 'replayability' can become completely meaningless.”
- “The game lacks the depth needed to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy heavily relies on ads, which some users find excessive and liken to a condition they refer to as "archaeologist derangement syndrome." This suggests that the ad presence may detract from the overall gaming experience for those who are not fond of frequent interruptions.
- “If you have ads (archaeologist derangement syndrome), you'll love it.”
- “The monetization model feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many paywalls that limit gameplay unless you spend real money.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it funny, though some felt it was too brief and marred by excessive random clicking.
- “I found it funny, but I didn't expect it to be so short.”
- “Maybe I spent too much time clicking randomly while blind, but overall it was really funny.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game is stable, though there is a known issue with one of the achievements being buggy. To mitigate potential problems, players are advised to validate their game files before starting.
- “One of the achievements is buggy, but otherwise it's great.”
- “A tip though, one of the achievements seems to be buggy, but if you validate the game files before playing, it should be fine.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Children of Clay is a simulation game.

The Children of Clay is available on PC, Windows and Linux.

The Children of Clay was released on March 7, 2025.

The Children of Clay was developed by Balazs Ronyai.

The Children of Clay has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its atmosphere but disliked it for its grinding.

The Children of Clay is a single player game.

Similar games include DEAD LETTER DEPT., TELEFORUM, The Last Door: Complete Edition, Layers of Fear, Amanda the Adventurer and others.

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