The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me

53%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,227 reviews
  • story
  • stability
  • gameplay
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me Game Cover
With its creepy setting and constant threat, The Devil in Me provides a satisfying horror experience for fans of the series.
Starting at $13.31Buy now
Get on Steam

Step into the anthology's most bloodcurdling story yet, where each of your choices once again determines who lives and who dies. Watch in horror as your unfortunate crew falls prey to a twisted host who is observing their every move.We hope you enjoy your stay...

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

53%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,227 reviews
story251 positive mentions
stability255 negative mentions
  • The game presents a thrilling story about serial killers, making it a must for true crime fans.
  • The atmosphere and setting of the game are well-crafted, providing a creepy and immersive experience.
  • The introduction of new gameplay mechanics, such as character-specific tools and an inventory system, adds variety to the gameplay.
  • The game is riddled with bugs and glitches, making it frustrating to play, especially in co-op mode.
  • Character development is lacking, with many characters feeling unlikable and their decisions often being nonsensical.
  • The pacing of the game is uneven, with long stretches of exploration that can feel tedious and slow.
  • story677 mentions

    The story of "The Devil in Me" has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its thrilling premise based on real-life serial killer H.H. Holmes and its engaging character dynamics, while others criticize it for being predictable, poorly executed, and riddled with plot holes. Many players noted that the game's bugs and technical issues detracted from the overall experience, making it difficult to fully appreciate the narrative. Overall, while the story has potential and offers some interesting twists, its execution leaves much to be desired, particularly in cooperative play where players often miss key plot points.

    • “Amazing game, it captures everything that a story game needs: perfect story, perfect graphics, perfect endings, and perfect lessons to be taught.”
    • “The plot is interesting and the dynamics between characters work, making for an engaging experience.”
    • “The story is gripping with a great central mystery and tons of intense moments, keeping players on the edge of their seats.”
    • “The game's story is also disappointing and poorly written.”
    • “The plot is equal to being trapped in a Halloween haunted house where you are being stalked and (possibly) killed one by one in a gruesome manner by traps set up by the killer; your decisions matter and shape the game as the story unfolds.”
    • “The story is a mess and so are some of the choices.”
  • stability261 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting a plethora of bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay and immersion. Many users experienced game-breaking issues, particularly in co-op mode, leading to frustrating gameplay sessions. While some players noted minor glitches that did not detract from their enjoyment, the overall consensus is that the game is currently too unstable and poorly optimized, making it difficult to recommend without significant patches.

    • “The game runs great, and anyone who says otherwise most likely can't run the game because of their setup.”
    • “Other than that, I experienced no glitches in a 9-hour playthrough.”
    • “I played the entire game during a 3-player movie night with no glitches.”
    • “The game is full of bugs and glitches that ruin the immersion and enjoyment of the game.”
    • “Not only was the game extremely buggy to the point where we had to restart the game on multiple occasions because our characters would either get stuck or we couldn't interact with anything, but the story itself was just weak.”
    • “This game is a buggy, poorly made, rushed hunk of junk.”
  • gameplay247 mentions

    The gameplay in "The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the introduction of new mechanics like inventory systems and character-specific tools, while others criticize the execution as buggy and unpolished. Many noted that the gameplay often feels slow and repetitive, with pacing issues detracting from the overall experience, leading to a perception of it being a "walking simulator" at times. Overall, while there are interesting ideas present, the technical flaws and inconsistent mechanics have left many players disappointed.

    • “The devil in me brings in a couple of new game mechanics that I found interesting.”
    • “The gameplay is somewhat similar to previous games, except now you can jog and shimmy, and overall the movement felt more natural.”
    • “I found the new mechanics and puzzles they added to this title very engaging; they really added to the experience.”
    • “This game is so atrociously bugged that having a controller to connect when needed is the only thing that made it possible for me to get past 10 minutes of gameplay because some mechanics just don't work with mouse and keyboard.”
    • “The control mechanics are awful, which could be ignored if it weren't for the constant bugs.”
    • “The gameplay was also horrible.”
  • graphics103 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the visuals as beautiful and immersive, while others criticize them for being downgraded and plagued by bugs and glitches. Many players noted issues such as clipping, awkward animations, and performance drops, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, some still found the graphics to be impressive in certain scenes, highlighting a disparity in quality throughout the game.

    • “Amazing game, it captures everything that a story game needs: perfect story and perfect graphics, perfect endings and perfect lessons to be taught.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and the storyline thus far is good, as the past series have been.”
    • “The story is fantastic, the acting is wonderful, character development is great, and the visuals are stunning.”
    • “The graphics are mediocre at best, with poor lighting, and awkward animations.”
    • “I will say that graphically this one did look the worst and we did encounter some visual glitches as well.”
    • “This game needed months more of development to fix the graphic issues, and even more to fix story aspects.”
  • atmosphere52 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively creating tension and a sense of horror through sound design, lighting, and setting. While many players found the atmosphere captivating and reminiscent of classic horror, some noted that technical issues, such as poor voice acting and repetitive environments, detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully evokes a chilling ambiance that resonates with horror fans, despite some criticisms regarding its execution.

    • “Holmes’ notorious murder castle provides a rich and atmospheric backdrop.”
    • “The devil in me manages to build up an eerie atmosphere, and there were many times I was on edge and felt scared.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredible and is certainly up there with the second story, Little Hope.”
    • “The sound design is also bad with terrible facial animations and voice acting that ruin the immersion and the atmosphere.”
    • “The story was very weak and the atmosphere wasn't scary, dark, or anything.”
    • “The atmosphere was kind of meh, and none of the characters felt relatable or very developed.”
  • optimization46 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame rate drops, and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some users experienced minimal problems, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, especially for PC, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience for many. Overall, players recommend waiting for further optimization before purchasing.

    • “No performance issues as well.”
    • “Unlike many people, I never had any performance issues while playing.”
    • “I didn't encounter any bugs; performance-wise, it runs okay on Steam Deck with ultra textures and medium settings (30 fps lock).”
    • “Initially, it turned out to be buggy and unoptimized (compared to previous games of this studio), which provided it with a large number of negative reviews.”
    • “The game is Steam Deck verified, but at times performance is really bad, even with everything set to low there is a large percentage of time where the frame rate is around 20-25fps. It has a hard time staying at 40fps, generally more like 36-38fps most of the time, and there is a lot of stutter, especially when entering new areas.”
    • “I would not recommend this game if you care about the performance of the game and a seamless experience.”
  • humor44 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its numerous glitches and bugs, which often lead to absurd and hilarious moments, especially when played with friends. While some players found the quick time events frustrating, the unintended comedic outcomes of missed actions and character animations provided a source of laughter throughout the experience. Overall, the game's janky nature and the resulting chaos made it more of a comedic experience than a horror one, though many felt it was still unfinished and in need of significant improvements.

    • “It had its bad moments, but the bad moments are often funny because of how bad it is, which makes it good.”
    • “There were cut-scenes that made me burst out laughing because the character doesn't turn their flashlight/lighter off when they're hiding, so it's super obvious that you're hiding there.”
    • “Having said all of that, I had some hilarious moments on stream playing with a friend because of the amount of jank this game has and how much of a buggy mess it was.”
  • replayability16 mentions

    The reviews present a mixed perspective on replayability, with some players praising the Dark Pictures Anthology for its high replay value due to alternate endings and varied dialogue, while others criticize specific entries for being less engaging and too linear, resulting in lower replayability. The game's length and pacing also contribute to the perception that replaying may feel tedious for some, particularly in co-op mode. Overall, while some find significant replay potential, others feel it falls short, especially in certain installments.

    • “Whether it be new dialogue or a new ending, Dark Pictures games are very replayable, and I usually just spend hours on each game getting achievements. Almost none of the cut scenes feel the same; they are almost always different in some aspect.”
    • “Replayability is huge!”
    • “These games have replay value for sure.”
    • “I am a big fan of the Dark Pictures Anthology, but this one is not interesting or replayable.”
    • “Furthermore, this game is the shortest of the series, making these drawn-out sequences of linear interactivity feel less like improvements to gameplay and more like a waste of time for the player that detracts from replayability.”
    • “Also, it has little replay value because it takes around an hour just to get inside the main building to set down the equipment, and it's just a boring game in general after the first playthrough.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often describing it as boring filler that detracts from the experience. Many reviews highlight issues with clunky controls and frustrating mechanics, leading to a lack of engagement and enjoyment. While some appreciate the atmosphere and horror themes, the grinding elements are frequently criticized for being unnecessarily drawn out and uninteresting.

    • “The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worthwhile.”
    • “Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
    • “While there are moments of grinding, they are balanced by engaging gameplay and rewarding loot.”
    • “But the first hour was tedious and boring and didn't make me curious for more.”
    • “It's not suspenseful or scary - it's just tedious and annoying.”
    • “Tedious, repetitive and not very interesting.”
  • character development14 mentions

    Character development in this game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment due to its minimal focus on character arcs and emotional engagement compared to previous entries in the series. While some noted a few moments of development, the overall consensus is that the game lacks meaningful choices and depth, resulting in a less immersive experience. Despite the strong story and visuals, the character development feels underwhelming, leaving players with little attachment to the characters.

    • “And I felt like there are some actual character developments as well by the end.”
    • “The character development is good, the overall mechanics of the games have improved throughout the game's releases.”
    • “The story is fantastic, the acting is wonderful, character development is great, and the visuals are stunning.”
    • “As the last game of the first season of the Dark Pictures Anthology, this game was a letdown after being spoiled by the superbness of House of Ashes. Movement was janky, almost no character development, deaths were bland, especially Charlie's... and overall it was a very slow game to play.”
    • “Previous entries would have spent the early moments of the game in more meaningful ways - developing the story and characters, allowing the player to get a handle on relationships, motives, and temperaments, but throughout the entirety of this game, character development is kept to a bare minimum.”
    • “The theme was great, it had a Saw vibe to it, but one thing with this specific game is that there wasn't a lot of character development whether they all lived or not. I did another playthrough (lethal) where I let some die on purpose and still didn't feel any emotional attachment to any of them.”
  • music13 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its effectiveness in creating tension and complementing the game's horror elements. The soundtrack and audio design are highlighted as some of the best in the anthology, contributing significantly to the overall experience. However, some players felt that while the music was strong, it could not fully compensate for predictable gameplay and character interactions.

    • “The audio design is probably the best in the anthology yet, with the best acting, best music and just overall ambience.”
    • “The music was used to perfection, and the ambient background noise, like things falling over, tree limbs rubbing overhead, just added to the already oppressive atmosphere of the game.”
    • “By far the best game of 2022, the dialogue, storylines, mystery and soundtrack come together to form the masterpiece that is 'The Devil in Me'.”
    • “The music was just tense for no apparent reason while you scoured the empty rooms and hallways to try and read a bunch of useless information that was thrown at you while you tried your best to navigate with the awful controls.”
    • “This game makes you a part of this horrifying experience, is set in an absolutely perfect place, great scenery with traps you can't predict and music that fits the atmosphere...that gets destroyed due to the incredibly predictable jumpscares, you already know are going to come, and a relatively boring gameplay, achieved through interactions with characters who are part bland-part unpleasant.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the tension and immersive experience, while others criticized the lack of character development and emotional attachment. Many felt indifferent to the characters' fates, which diminished the overall impact of the game's narrative, despite moments of genuine fear and excitement. Overall, while the game can evoke strong feelings in certain scenarios, it often fails to create lasting emotional connections with its characters.

    • “Played this with my sister and it was actually so fun, it wasn't super scary but there were some tense scenes where neither of us knew what choice to make, which in my opinion some of the other games lacked a little. In general, it was a really good game.”
    • “That was amazing, it definitely made me feel like I was actually there.”
    • “The game itself is pretty frightening at times and that's coming from a guy that doesn't get scared easily, which is amazing when you make the right decisions but also heartbreaking when you don't.”
    • “The camera angles and poor choices made the story feel boring and unengaging.”
    • “The game is buggy with bad mechanics, and the story is incredibly dull, making it hard to connect emotionally.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a disappointing and overpriced cash grab, with users expressing frustration over its perceived exploitation of players.

    • “Disappointing cash grab.”
    • “Overpriced cash grab.”
    • “In this state, this is nothing more than a shamelessly overpriced cash grab.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

Buy The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me

Play time

5hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
3-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games