The Crooked Man

About

"The Crooked Man" is a point-and-click psychological horror game. Players navigate through a dark and atmospheric world, uncovering the secrets of a cursed village. The game features intense puzzle-solving and a chilling narrative, inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,146 reviews

story342 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

The game features a captivating and emotional narrative that resonates with players, exploring themes of depression and personal struggles.
The puzzles are engaging and well-integrated into the story, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
The pixel art and atmospheric music create a haunting ambiance that enhances the overall experience.

Some players found the gameplay to be tedious, with a lot of backtracking and unclear objectives that can lead to frustration.
The combat mechanics are clunky and can detract from the horror experience, making certain encounters feel more annoying than scary.
There are instances of bugs and glitches that can disrupt the flow of the game, such as issues with saving and item interactions.

story
688 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
49%
1%
The story of "The Crooked Man" is widely praised for its emotional depth and engaging narrative, exploring themes of depression, personal struggles, and human connections. Players appreciate the well-developed characters and the way the plot unfolds, often leading to poignant moments that resonate deeply. While some find the gameplay lacking, the compelling storytelling and atmospheric elements make it a standout experience in the RPG Maker horror genre.
- “The story is so profound and emotionally moving.”
- “The story was really engaging, David as a character grew on me the more I kept playing, as I connected with his hardships on a very personal level.”
- “Through its evocative storytelling, thought-provoking themes, and atmospheric gameplay, this game leaves an indelible impression, cementing its place among the finest offerings in the RPG Maker series.”
- “It wasn't scary, I didn't like the characters, nor was the story interesting to me.”
- “The story is weak, but the message is excellent, if that makes sense.”
- “Overall experience with the game: this is a pretty decent RPG horror game, but a bit on the weaker side as far as story.”
atmosphere
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
39%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its haunting and immersive qualities, effectively combining pixel art, sound design, and music to create a creepy yet emotionally resonant experience. Reviewers note that the atmosphere enhances the storytelling and character interactions, making it both unsettling and thought-provoking, while the gradual build-up of tension replaces cheap jump scares. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that elevates the gameplay and narrative, appealing to fans of horror and RPGs alike.
- “The pixel art and atmospheric music create a haunting ambiance, perfectly complementing the game’s themes.”
- “The sound design, from creaking floorboards to distant echoes, adds layers to the atmospheric tension, making every step through the haunted landscapes a nerve-wracking journey.”
- “The eerily atmospheric environments, coupled with subtle yet effective character designs, create an immersive experience that's both nostalgic and nightmarish.”
- “The unsettling atmosphere intensifies when David experiences eerie nights in his newfound residence, discovering a blood-soaked message that ignites his quest to unearth the truth behind the haunting.”
- “I think that's what ruins these games for most people is thinking they're gonna get the absolute pants scared off of them, when in actuality the goal is to simply provide a mysterious, unsettling atmosphere.”
- “It created a creepy atmosphere that had me at the edge of my seat the whole time I was playing it.”
gameplay
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
61%
8%
The gameplay is generally described as straightforward and typical of RPG Maker titles, focusing on exploration, puzzle-solving, and basic combat mechanics. While some players find it engaging and enjoyable, others criticize it as basic or lacking depth, often feeling like a vehicle for the strong narrative rather than a standout feature. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a mixed bag, with some appreciating its simplicity and others wishing for more complexity and explanation of mechanics.
- “A surprisingly amazing RPG Maker horror game, played the whole game on stream for fun and ended up being miserable. The story is incredibly well-written, the characters are all lovable and intriguing, and the gameplay is the usual RPG Maker flair, so if you like that style, you'll enjoy it.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's that fun RPG Maker horror format that I enjoy a lot, stacked on very fun yet difficult puzzles.”
- “Through its evocative storytelling, thought-provoking themes, and atmospheric gameplay, this game leaves an indelible impression, cementing its place among the finest offerings in the RPG Maker series.”
- “The worst thing gameplay-wise is the fact the game never explains most of its functions.”
- “Cheap jumpscares, boring gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is fairly basic for this genre.”
graphics
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel art style typical of RPG Maker titles, which some players find charming and nostalgic, while others consider them outdated. Despite the simplicity of the visuals, many reviewers feel that the graphics effectively complement the game's compelling narrative and atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. While not groundbreaking, the pixel graphics are generally well-received, with particular praise for the detail in cutscenes and the game's ability to evoke emotion through its art style.
- “The pixel graphics are really good with some nice detail, especially when it comes to the cutscenes.”
- “Visually, the game adopts a retro pixel art style that, rather than detracting from the horror, enhances it.”
- “Despite the graphics (which personally I find charming and nostalgic), JRPGs like Uri's 'The Crooked Man' tend to be very story-driven and puzzle-oriented with multiple endings.”
- “Sure, the graphics are a bit outdated.”
- “The graphics are okay, what you would expect from an RPG Maker, and the illustrations, while low quality, allow you to get more of a feel for the characters.”
- “Being an older RPG Maker indie game, it obviously doesn’t have the effects, graphics, or long length you might expect from another game, but its story more than makes up for that.”
emotional
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The Crooked Man is widely praised for its deeply emotional narrative, exploring themes of depression, loss, and acceptance, which resonate strongly with players. Many reviewers noted that the story is not only well-written but also profoundly moving, often leading to tears and a strong emotional connection with the protagonist, David. Despite some gameplay frustrations, the emotional depth and rich characterization make it a standout experience that players recommend highly.
- “The story is so profound and emotionally moving.”
- “The characters are all memorable and have extremely relatable personal struggles; the story is beautiful and emotional, and the ending never fails to make me cry.”
- “What starts out as an eerie, RPG-like story quickly turns into a heart-wrenching tale of depression and how poisonous it can be to the mind.”
music
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The music in the game is often described as atmospheric and haunting, effectively enhancing the overall ambiance and complementing the narrative. While some players appreciate the soundtrack's emotional depth and fitting simplicity, others feel that the music is occasionally lacking or underutilized, leaving certain chapters feeling empty. Overall, the soundtrack is generally well-received, contributing significantly to the game's psychological horror experience.
- “The crooked man is not your typical horror game; it's a masterclass in psychological terror that grips you from the first unsettling note of its soundtrack to the final heart-wrenching revelation.”
- “The soundtrack is nothing short of hauntingly beautiful.”
- “With its captivating narrative, evocative visuals, and haunting soundtrack, it stands as a testament to the power of storytelling in the horror genre.”
- “I dislike the lack of music in some chapters and a few puzzles you have to do.”
- “The story is good even though it's not that scary and the gameplay is simple but yet engaging; I just wish they would add more music as the game feels a bit empty.”
- “There is music, but it never removes you from the hopeless predicament you're in; instead, it only echoes sound effects, taking you into the dark corners of your mind.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and frustrating, particularly during repetitive battle sequences and second playthroughs. While some players found enjoyment in the puzzles and emotional narrative, the overall experience is marred by a lack of challenge and excessive hand-holding, leading to a mixed reception regarding the game's pacing and difficulty.
- “While some of the battle sequences weren't difficult, it did get a bit tedious after a while, especially when doing the second playthrough for the closure of the story.”
- “Although playing the game can be quite tedious and unforgiving, pushing past that will reward you with a very lovely and emotional journey.”
- “I played it a bit but found it too tedious.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game features strong replayability due to its well-crafted puzzles and multiple endings, which provide a satisfying challenge and emotional depth. However, some players note that aside from the climax, subsequent playthroughs may not offer significant differences, leading to mixed opinions on overall replay value.
- “The well-crafted puzzles offer a satisfying challenge, and the multiple endings add significant replay value.”
- “It is well worth the money and has good replayability due to the multiple endings, great atmosphere, and an emotionally gripping storyline.”
- “The game does have replay value, but there isn't much different aside from the climax of the story during a second run-through.”
- “The game does have replay value, but there isn't much different aside from the climax of the story during a second run through.”
- “Replayability: 5/10”
- “Does it have a bit of replayability?”
character development
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The character development in the game is highly praised, with players noting its engaging and intriguing nature, particularly in the case of the character David. The combination of atmospheric environments and effective character designs enhances the immersive experience, making it a standout aspect of the game. Overall, the story and character development contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “I love the story and character development.”
- “This would be in my top 10 based on storyline, artwork, character development, and overall how the game was made to be played. All of it was beautiful, and I am super happy I bought this.”
- “The characters were engaging, and the character development that came from David was intriguing.”
- “Character design: basic”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find certain achievements in the game to be amusing, adding a layer of humor to the overall experience. The humor derived from these achievements contributes positively to the game's enjoyment.
- “Some achievements are hilarious to unlock.”
- “The humor in the game keeps me laughing throughout.”
- “The witty dialogue and funny scenarios make every moment enjoyable.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate a strong focus on microtransactions, suggesting that players are concerned about their prevalence and impact on the overall gaming experience.