The Dark Inside Me

57%
Game Brain Score Based on 84 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
The Dark Inside Me Game Cover
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"The Dark Inside Me" is a psychological horror adventure game spanning three chapters, with a focus on dynamic, interactive scenarios. The game aims to reflect the player's character and decisions through its intense, disturbing narrative. Gameplay episodes include exploring Auschwitz death camp, delving into dark childhood memories, and confronting twisted desires.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

57%
Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews
story13 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating atmosphere and impressive visuals, especially for a one-man development effort.
  • It offers a unique blend of horror and puzzle elements, with some intriguing and challenging puzzles to solve.
  • The soundtrack is well-composed and enhances the overall experience of the game.
  • The controls and camera angles are frustrating, making it difficult to navigate and interact with key items.
  • The story is incoherent and leaves many questions unanswered, leading to confusion rather than intrigue.
  • Pixel hunting for interactable items is a major issue, as many crucial objects are hard to see or blend into the environment.
  • story75 mentions

    The story has been widely criticized for being incoherent and confusing, with many players feeling lost and unable to grasp its meaning. While some appreciate the dark atmosphere and creative ideas, the narrative is often described as disjointed and lacking resolution, leaving players frustrated rather than engaged. Overall, the game's plot seems to prioritize shock value over a cohesive storyline, resulting in a mixed reception.

    • “I loved the opening scene, and the idea of a grimdark horror story that didn't pull any punches is right up my alley.”
    • “But in all honesty, I didn’t feel bad when I had to use a guide because the story enticed me so much that I just wanted to see what happened next.”
    • “It's very scary, the plot is amazing, and the cut scenes are shocking.”
    • “The actual story here is incomprehensible.”
    • “Sometimes you read a story or play a game and think 'this part didn't make sense to me.' In this game, literally nothing at any point makes any sense whatsoever.”
    • “The appeal is that it's a psychological horror, but the story is so 'muddied' that you can barely call it a story.”
  • music27 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its epic quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many players expressing a desire to purchase the soundtrack. However, some users noted that the music can be overpowering during dialogue, making it difficult to hear character voices, and a few found it tiresome or distracting at times. Overall, while the soundtrack is a highlight for many, its integration into gameplay has drawn mixed feedback.

    • “The character designs, the idea of moral choices, the tone, and especially the epic soundtrack all foretell something great.”
    • “The developer also did all the music and it’s honestly pretty good.”
    • “Music is amazing and matches with the scene's atmosphere perfectly.”
    • “Can't even turn off the music.”
    • “Would really like to stop the music as it gets tiresome.”
    • “The integration and mechanics are clunky, and the background music really gets in the way of trying to concentrate on the game.”
  • graphics24 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and visual appeal, especially for a single developer or low-budget indie title. However, some players express disappointment in the quality of in-game graphics compared to cutscenes, and criticize the reliance on pixel hunting and frustrating controls. Overall, while the visuals create a captivating atmosphere, they are often overshadowed by gameplay issues and narrative shortcomings.

    • “The graphics I found to be pretty interesting.”
    • “Don't get me wrong, for a one-man operation this is quite an achievement, and the graphics are especially good.”
    • “The artwork is top notch, especially the lighting; the sound design complements the gameplay and increases the suspense.”
    • “Bad graphics and animations?”
    • “Don't bother with this game unless you are alright with navigating atrocious pixel hunting, horrible English, frustrating controls, a story arc choppier than gas station surveillance footage, all with graphics and scenery that look more suited to mobile gaming than PC, coming from a developer requesting more coin to make more of...this.”
    • “But, here, the graphic forced sex and gore scenes, coupled with see-through clothing on the female NPCs seem to be there for gratuity, rather than for an actual purpose.”
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized as a point-and-click adventure with a unique blend of stills and animations, but it suffers from clunky mechanics, awkward controls, and frustrating pixel hunting. While some players appreciate the developer's openness to feedback, many find the overall experience rough and underwhelming, with a generic story and distracting background music. Despite its potential, the gameplay often detracts from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “This is a one-man job, and if you can overlook some of the gameplay mechanics, what you have here is a solid adult-themed horror game.”
    • “Gameplay: unique style, mixture of stills and animation sequences.”
    • “In terms of gameplay, it is a point-and-click adventure game where you have to find items to use on other items in order to advance the story (which is totally fine).”
    • “The mechanics are even weirder; it's nearly impossible to tell where to go, and all of the pointing and clicking relies on irritating pixel hunting to find most items.”
    • “The gameplay is awkward since the main character does not move intuitively, as his walk cycle is a mix between tank controls and 3D. This is deceptive, as the game opens by telling you to use 'WASD' for control, but using a cursor leads to more accurate results.”
    • “The gameplay is terrible, pixel hunting in its glory, and the models look like they were made in Play-Doh.”
  • atmosphere14 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its immersive environments, strong sound design, and dark, dramatic elements that enhance the experience. However, some players find the atmosphere undermined by gameplay issues, such as poorly lit areas that obscure important items and distracting voice narration. Overall, while the atmosphere is a highlight, it is marred by certain design choices that detract from its potential impact.

    • “Good sound, nice looking environments to explore; it's actually quite atmospheric for most of the game.”
    • “It has a good atmosphere and a crazy plot that makes not a lot of sense.”
    • “Music is amazing and matches with the scenes' atmosphere perfectly.”
    • “The English subtitles were often misspelled, and the voice narration completely killed any eerie atmosphere the game was attempting to create.”
    • “Cliché shock, gore, and sex take away from what could be a truly terrifying atmosphere.”
    • “Yes, one can play the game without sound (just relying on captions), but then you miss a lot of what is good about the game, primarily the soundtrack and atmosphere.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by intentionally poor voice acting and exaggerated delivery, resulting in a mix of cringe-worthy and genuinely funny moments. While the comedic elements can be hit-or-miss, with various technical flaws adding to the absurdity, players who appreciate this style may find it enjoyable, especially if they can access it at a lower price.

    • “It's handled with the subtlety of a punch to the groin, making it come off as dumb at worst, and hilarious at best.”
    • “There are also a bunch of little things that shatter the immersion, like cutscenes hilariously sped up, sound effects abruptly cut off, random lag, and terrible posing for stationary characters that scream 'I'm in a video game!'”
    • “If you can get it on the cheap and enjoy the right kind of humor, then go for it.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with users reporting no significant glitches or bugs during their playthroughs. However, some players have experienced occasional freezing when using the WASD keys for movement, suggesting that clicking to walk is the more reliable option.

    • “There were no glitches or bugs during my playthrough.”
    • “The game ran smoothly without any interruptions.”
    • “I experienced a stable performance throughout my entire gaming session.”
    • “The simple point and click and space bar for inventory works well, but using the WASD keys to walk sometimes causes the game to freeze. It's better to just click the destination you want to walk to.”
    • “It is a little bit buggy.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the character development is enhanced by compelling designs, meaningful moral choices, and an engaging tone, all of which are complemented by an epic soundtrack, suggesting a rich and immersive narrative experience.

    • “The character designs, the idea of moral choices, the tone, and especially the epic soundtrack all foretell something great.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    While the point-and-click mechanics may not resonate with all players, the emotional impact of the game is still notable, as the puzzles contribute to a deeper narrative experience. However, issues with click detection can detract from the overall immersion and emotional engagement.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of "The Dark Inside Me" to be tedious and frustrating, as locating clickable points in the game can be challenging and time-consuming.

    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I spent hours doing the same tasks over and over again, and it just became a chore.”
    • “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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