The Emulator

About

The Emulator is a single player survival survival game with a horror theme. It was developed by Concluse_Dev and was released on December 20, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

In "The Emulator," players assume the role of Sean, who finds himself in a fight for survival when he visits his girlfriend Sarah's house. The Emulator, a horror from the deep web, is on the loose, and players must explore the house, find keys and items, and avoid being caught by the shapeshifting antagonist. This game offers a unique house with numerous rooms, a creative enemy, and five different endings to discover.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

48%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The Emulator offers a unique and humorous take on nostalgia for old games, with a creative concept that engages players in the process of emulation.
The game features multiple endings and a decent atmosphere, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate exploration and horror elements.
It's free to play, which makes it worth trying out, especially for fans of indie horror games.

The game suffers from poor graphics and clunky mechanics, with issues like unresponsive controls and a lack of clear objectives that can frustrate players.
The enemy AI is often unfair, leading to frequent and unexpected deaths, which can detract from the overall experience.
There are significant bugs and glitches, such as problems with stairs and interactable objects, which can hinder gameplay and immersion.

graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their outdated quality, reminiscent of early 2000s titles, which can hinder readability and immersion. While some players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and the option for sharper visuals, others find the overall presentation lacking and in need of improvement. Despite these shortcomings, the game's atmosphere and thematic elements have garnered some praise, suggesting that the graphics may not detract significantly from the overall experience for all players.
- “Loved the aesthetic, loved learning the mechanics, loved the lore and world creation.”
- “The gameplay is in first person aspect, and while the graphics may not be the best, they're pretty serviceable and not too bad.”
- “The graphics are literally from 2004 (reminded me a lot of GMod).”
- “I can get past bad graphics for the most part, except when I'm being expected to read things that are pixelated and unreadable.”
- “The emulator nails the PS1 graphics... shame it does hurt to look at after a while, but at least they were generous enough to provide an option to make the game sharper, so that little attention to detail is warmly welcomed.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The game's story features a dual narrative involving a mother-daughter dynamic and a son exploring the dark corners of the internet, which some players found intriguing despite its execution. While the concept of multiple endings adds depth, the overall experience is marred by gameplay issues, leaving players wanting more from the storyline. Overall, it presents a short horror tale that combines elements of suspense and exploration.
- “I like the vent mechanic, the storyline, and the general gameplay of it.”
- “It's almost like there's some sort of a plot and a subplot, with the daughter and mother concerned for the father's cult interests, while the son explores the terrors of the deep web.”
- “I think if you interpret the story as two separate plots that meet together during the game, then it kind of makes sense.”
- “This game would be fixed if the story was changed, along with a few other things that I mentioned, but I don't really even bother rewriting it; I'm that pissed off.”
- “It's almost like there's some sort of a plot and a subplot, with the daughter and mother being concerned for the father's cult interests, while the son is exploring the terrors of the deep web.”
- “The whole 'multiple endings' and story does intrigue me, so it is disappointing that my experience was hindered by the aforementioned aspects of the game.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of enjoyment and frustration, with players appreciating unique mechanics and the storyline, but also noting issues like broken elements and limited interactivity. The first-person perspective and aesthetic are praised, though some feel the gameplay could benefit from more interactive options and clearer objectives. Overall, while the mechanics are seen as creative, they can be hindered by design choices that affect player experience.
- “I like the vent mechanic, the storyline, and the general gameplay of it.”
- “Loved the aesthetic, loved learning the mechanics, loved the lore and world creation.”
- “The music was overwhelming, and the thundering sounds made it difficult to find time to run and hide before getting hit. After obtaining the lock of hair, the game prompts you to find a way to survive, but I couldn't figure out what to do next. I couldn't find the key lying next to the girl, and while the gameplay was okay, I would have liked to interact with more items in the drawers, as there were only a few to collect.”
- “Honestly, the mechanics are just fine, if not pretty creative for a game made around this time of jumpscares and restrictions on movement galore.”
- “The gameplay is in first-person perspective, and while the graphics may not be the best, they're pretty serviceable and not too bad.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its immersive terror and decent level design, though some users note that the sound design can be monotonous and the graphics could be improved. While the atmosphere effectively contributes to the horror experience, clearer objectives and enhanced audio options could further elevate the gameplay. Overall, it appeals to fans of atmospheric horror games despite some technical glitches.
- “I was really enjoying the game; great atmosphere, the level design is decent, and there's a lot to explore. The sound design is okay but might be too monotonous at times.”
- “I would prefer this game to keep the scare value exclusively on atmosphere, but it is still a cool game to experience!”
- “The emulator is an interesting horror game that has some glitches in certain places, such as stairs or ventilation ducts. It has a good atmosphere of terror, although the graphics are improvable. Even so, I recommend playing it; it is short and free.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The music in the game has been criticized for being overly intense and not fitting the eerie atmosphere, detracting from the overall experience. Players expressed a desire for a more atmospheric soundtrack and the inclusion of a volume slider to adjust the music and sound effects. Overall, the current music does not enhance gameplay and may hinder player immersion.
- “If you were going for an eerie vibe, I recommend a different soundtrack.”
- “If objectives were clearer, different atmospheric music was used, and even a simple 'music and sound' volume slider was added into the game's settings, maybe I would attempt to try it again.”
- “The music was too much; the thundering was enough. I didn't get much time to run and hide before getting hit.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its high replayability, with players enjoying its dark humor and the added patches that enhance gameplay, particularly in evading the shapeshifter, which adds to the overall rewarding experience.
- “I found the emulator to be a brilliant, darkly humorous, and highly replayable horror short.”
- “These patches made the game much more enjoyable for the patient and attentive, making evasions from the shapeshifter all the more rewarding.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emulator is noted for its intriguing horror atmosphere but suffers from glitches, particularly in areas like stairs and ventilation ducts. While the graphics could be improved, the game is still recommended for its short, free experience despite these stability issues.
- “The emulator is an interesting horror game that has some glitches in certain places, such as stairs or ventilation ducts. It has a good atmosphere of terror, although the graphics are improvable. Even so, I recommend playing it; it is short and free.”
- “Bugs, glitches, and other issues.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as darkly comedic, contributing to its replayability and enhancing the overall horror experience.
- “I found the emulator to be a brilliant, darkly humorous, highly replayable horror short.”