The Man in the Park

About

The Man in the Park is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by Elliott Dahle and was released on July 29, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Man in the Park" is a horror game with a PSX-style aesthetic, in which you encounter a mysterious man in a park on your way home. The game features context-specific controls and was developed using the Godot engine. Notably, Mac users are advised to install the game via the Itch.io app to avoid an "app damaged" error.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 47 reviews

humor1 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game is very short, making it easy to complete quickly, which some players appreciate.
The concept of the game is intriguing, with a unique premise that could lead to interesting future installments.
Some players found the writing and character depth surprisingly engaging, leading to a memorable experience.

The game is extremely short, with most players able to finish it in just a couple of minutes, leading to a lack of content.
The graphics and overall presentation are considered poor, detracting from the gaming experience.
Many players feel that the game relies too heavily on cheap jump scares without building any real horror atmosphere.

graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some users criticizing them as odd, warped, and among the worst on Steam, while others appreciate the simplicity and find them visually appealing, especially for a smaller horror title. Overall, the visuals seem to evoke a polarized response, ranging from negative to positive.
- “The graphics are so cool.”
- “Really short horror game, pretty funny endings, good graphics, would recommend.”
- “The graphics here are particularly awful, so bad that it actually stands out as one of the worst looking games on Steam.”
- “And odd graphics that are hard to decipher, and sort of warp and bend (but not in a fun trippy way).”
- “The visuals are very simple, but that’s fine for a smaller horror game.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with users noting that it offers little more than a few minutes of superficial interaction and fails to provide a meaningful experience or engaging story. Overall, it appears to be more focused on attempting to create scares rather than delivering substantial gameplay.
- “There's YouTube videos with more gameplay than this.”
- “The man in the park has practically no gameplay.”
- “No meaningful gameplay, no real story, just an attempt at a scare.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The story is criticized for being minimal and lacking meaningful gameplay, with reviewers noting that it primarily relies on jump scares and an eerie atmosphere rather than a compelling narrative. There is hope for improvement in future installments, with expectations for a more developed story and multiple endings.
- “Experience a few small jumpscares, an uncomfortably eerie atmosphere and ambience, and hopefully a future series that'll go more in depth with development and story.”
- “I won’t spoil the story, but after talking to the old man, there is next to nothing to do.”
- “No meaningful gameplay, no real story, just the attempt of a scare.”
- “Hopefully, the sequel to 'The Man in the Park' will have a better story and more endings.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by a cool premise and an eerie ambiance that evokes a horror vibe, though some players feel it lacks depth due to its brevity. While there are a few effective jump scares, the overall experience leaves room for improvement in developing a more immersive horror atmosphere in potential future installments.
- “Experience a few small jumpscares, an uncomfortably eerie atmosphere, and ambience, and hopefully a future series that'll go more in depth with development and story.”
- “The premise is cool and you can create a rather short game with a nice horror vibe.”
- “The premise is cool, and you can create a rather short game with a nice horror vibe, but the man in the park is too short to actually establish a true horror atmosphere.”
- “Experience a few small jump scares, an uncomfortably eerie atmosphere, and ambience, but hopefully, a future series will delve deeper into development and story.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features humorous endings that add a lighthearted twist to its short horror experience, complemented by good graphics. Overall, players find it enjoyable and recommend it for its comedic elements.
- “Really short horror game, pretty funny endings, good graphics, would recommend.”