The Designer's Curse

About

The Designer's Curse is a single player survival survival game with a horror theme. It was developed by CB_Games and was released on July 29, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"The Designer's Curse" is a first-person puzzle adventure game. Players must navigate through a series of increasingly difficult levels, using their wits and problem-solving skills to uncover the mystery behind a curse that has befallen them. With a focus on exploration and discovery, the game offers a unique and engaging experience for players who enjoy a challenge.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 417 reviews

music25 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game offers a genuinely scary atmosphere with effective sound design and monster designs that evoke fear.
For a free game, it provides a captivating experience with engaging puzzles and a storyline that leaves players wanting more.
The developer, being only 15 years old, shows impressive talent and potential, especially with the game's nostalgic homage to classic horror titles like Amnesia.

The game suffers from clunky controls, particularly with door and object interactions, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
Many players found the game to be too short, with only about 30 minutes of content, leaving them wanting more depth and exploration.
There are concerns about the game's heavy reliance on Amnesia's mechanics and aesthetics, leading some to view it as lacking originality.

music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
50%
5%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and tension, with many praising the work of composer Mikko Tarmia, known for his contributions to the Amnesia and Soma series. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack effectively complements the gameplay, creating a haunting ambiance that intensifies the horror experience, although some players expressed frustration over the inability to adjust music volume mid-game. Overall, the music is described as a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's eerie and immersive environment.
- “The music design from Mikko Tarmia is great, regardless of the game quality!”
- “The soundtrack and sound design are very good.”
- “The sound design and ambient music are on point, and the creature designs are unsettling to stare at but hard to look away.”
- “I can't change the music audio mid-game, and it throws me off when trying to hear for footsteps.”
- “One thing I don't enjoy, however, is the fact that the music is far too loud and there is no option to change it. This kind of reduces the noises the monsters make and the ambient ones as well.”
- “Moreover, here the music creators worked with Mikko Tarmia, the original score producer for Amnesia and Penumbra.”
gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
70%
7%
The gameplay is heavily inspired by the Amnesia and Penumbra series, featuring a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and stealth mechanics that create a tense atmosphere. While many players appreciate the nostalgic feel and immersive environment, some criticize the door opening mechanics and overall choppiness in movement. Despite these issues, the game is praised for its sound design and engaging horror elements, making it a solid free title for fans of the genre.
- “Great graphics with haunting audio, spooky soundtrack made by the same composer from the Amnesia/Soma games, and gameplay that's similar to the Amnesia/Penumbra series of horror that's much less about combat but more about hide-and-seek stealth tension, manual manipulation of objects, oil for your lamps, and environmental storytelling with the help of the occasional notes laying around or medkits for injuries.”
- “Creepy atmosphere and fun gameplay with simple puzzles.”
- “The gameplay is mainly that of a walking simulator, with elements of exploration, item and note collection, hide-and-seek sequences, and chase mechanics similar to the Amnesia and Penumbra.”
- “My gripes are the puzzles and just the gameplay aspect.”
- “The only complaint I would have is the door opening and lever switching mechanic; it's a little wonky, and it sometimes takes 5-6 clicks to actually use a lever or door.”
- “Overall, if the gameplay was a little less choppy, I would say this is definitely one of my top picks for free-to-play horror!”
atmosphere
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
The atmosphere of "The Designer's Curse" is widely praised for its impressive tension and immersive qualities, especially considering it was created by a 15-year-old developer. Reviewers highlight the game's dark ambiance, effective music, and well-designed monsters, which collectively evoke a sense of dread reminiscent of classic horror titles like Amnesia. While some players felt less engaged at times, the overall consensus is that the game successfully creates a haunting and suspenseful environment that enhances the horror experience.
- “The designer's curse is a free to play psychological horror game, when you start you are in a room by yourself, with no clues as to why you're there, you can immediately feel the thick atmosphere, you must solve the dungeon and use stealth and caution to avoid the creatures there with you.”
- “A short but genuinely atmospheric indie horror experience—impressive on its own, but even more so considering it was made by a 15-year-old developer.”
- “You did an amazing job nailing the atmosphere, the ambiance, and the music.”
- “I didn't really feel engaged with the atmosphere.”
- “The second is that the player is able to clip through the walls while leaning, which does dampen the atmosphere.”
- “It really gives you the sensation of having to hide from a killer while solving puzzles, and the atmosphere really emphasizes the horror in this game.”
story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
56%
9%
The story of the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its intriguing narrative and effective use of environmental storytelling through captors' notes. While some found the pacing and atmosphere engaging, others noted that the backstory could be clearer and that certain elements felt weak or confusing. Overall, the game sets a solid foundation for a horror series, leaving players eager for the next chapter.
- “With telling the story through the captor's notes, it brought the story all together.”
- “The story is engaging, and I was left craving for the next chapter.”
- “It features a mysterious narrative that gives the player enough to work on, but as a first chapter of a potential horror series, retains key pieces of the story to keep the player engaged in the narrative and wanting to know more.”
- “It's okay though the story doesn't lead anywhere.”
- “Cons so far: the notes (story) are very unclear.”
- “The story was decent until it started explaining the way the game worked, which defeated the purpose and I lost interest at that point.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the decent visuals and atmospheric lighting that enhance the horror experience, while others criticize the optimization and texture quality, particularly for certain objects. Many agree that the graphics are impressive for a free indie game, though some noted issues with performance on lower-end systems. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's eerie ambiance, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “Great graphics with haunting audio, spooky soundtrack made by the same composer from the Amnesia/Soma games and gameplay that's similar to the Amnesia/Penumbra series of horror that's much less about combat but more about hide and seek stealth tension, manual manipulation of objects, oil for your lamps, and environmental storytelling with the help of the occasional notes laying around or medkit for injuries.”
- “The graphics are good and the lighting is terrific; it all blends together to give the player a sense of dread.”
- “Overall, nice graphics, sound, and atmosphere.”
- “For a little bit, I thought it was mining crypto on my computer, but its graphics are just poorly optimized.”
- “They lack the detail and quality of the environment graphics.”
- “The graphics are alright, but honestly, the textured monsters looked rather goofy, and in the end, I wasn't even scared of them, just running straight past their faces while laughing.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
Players find the grinding aspects of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly regarding the door opening mechanics and the pressure of interacting with objects while being pursued by enemies. While the puzzles and atmosphere are praised, the repetitive nature of certain actions detracts from the overall experience, especially when interruptions require restarting the game.
- “Something may come up and I have to quit, and then I have to restart the game to finish it, which is often tedious and kind of kills the experience.”
- “The way you open chests and such creates an extra level of tediousness under the pressure of an approaching monster, adding to the stress and making it easy to mess up.”
- “The doors opening and closing mechanism is tedious and should be revised.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of this game has been criticized as a deceptive advertisement for a paid "chapter 2," effectively making the free version feel like a mere promotional tool rather than a standalone experience. This approach is seen as exploitative, as it circumvents traditional marketing costs while providing little value to players, leading to a negative reception.
- “The difference here is that this is just a blatant advertisement for the full game, which you have to unlock for $5 as 'Chapter 2'.”
- “As an advertisement, this is only free in the same way that adverts on YouTube and banner ads in your browser are.”
- “Often developers may choose to incorrectly publish demo/advertisements as separate games as a cheap way to bypass paying Valve for marketing presence on the Steam front page, which may seem clever to them, but it's harmful behavior and it's not good for gamers.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players find it poorly optimized, leading to performance issues, others describe it as well-optimized despite its similarities to other titles. Overall, the optimization aspect appears to be a significant concern for some users, impacting their experience.
- “Well optimized, blatant Amnesia clone where you find keys and flip levers.”
- “For a little bit, I thought it was mining crypto on my computer, but its graphics are just poorly optimized.”
- “The game is very scary, and I still recommend it to others, but it is very unoptimized.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally well-received, with users noting a few bugs and glitches, but these do not significantly detract from the overall experience. While some players mention it feels a bit short, the game's frightening atmosphere and strong audio design are highlighted positively.
- “This game has a few bugs and glitches here and there, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's a little buggy and definitely too short, which affects the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The game suffers from stability issues that can interrupt the immersion and gameplay.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have expressed strong emotional reactions to the game, with one reviewer noting it made them cry twice, indicating a powerful narrative or character connection. While there are some concerns about gameplay mechanics, the overall sentiment is positive, with anticipation for the game's potential in its final form.
- “Made me cry twice.”
- “I do agree that it needs some touching up, but this was just a preview and I can't wait to see this as a finished game. It has great potential!”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as a key feature, with players finding it amusing despite its amnesia-style gameplay. The quirky graphics and goofy monster designs contribute to the comedic experience, making it more entertaining than frightening. Overall, the game is described as a short, weird, and funny free experience.
- “This was a funny game in the style of Amnesia, with engaging gameplay.”
- “Good free game, short and weird but still funny.”
- “The graphics are alright, but honestly, the textured monsters looked rather goofy. By the end, I wasn't even scared of them, just running straight past their faces while laughing.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has limited replayability, with users noting that it lacks features or content that would encourage them to play it multiple times.
- “It doesn't have much of a replay value.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel tedious.”