The Man in the Park

About

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

The viral horror classic from itch.io now on Steam! The Man in the Park is a multiple ending 5-minute horror game where you try to make it out of your neighborhood park . . . alive. Please note: this is a free, very short intro to the series. Game #2 is coming soon, and #3 is in development, both of which expand the story significantly. FEATURES Three possible endings Classic big-screen jum…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Very short and quick to complete, making it a low time investment.
Some players found the unexpected jump scares entertaining and funny.
Has multiple endings, encouraging replayability despite its brevity.

Extremely short gameplay with minimal content and story depth.
Jump scares are seen as cheap and lack suspense or buildup.
Poor graphics quality and some visual flickering strain the eyes.

story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The story is minimal and lacks meaningful gameplay, focusing mainly on creating a spooky atmosphere with a few jump scares. While some players found it amusing, many feel the narrative is underdeveloped and hope for more depth and multiple endings in future installments.
- “I absolutely mean that in the best way possible, I laughed, mission accomplished, game ;)”
- “Hopefully, the sequel to The Man in the Park will have a better story and more endings (this review was written before I played the sequel. Yes, more or less like that).”
- “Experience a few small jumpscares, uncomfortably eerie atmosphere & ambience and hopefully a future series that'll go more in depth with development and story.”
- “No meaningful gameplay, no real story, just the attempt of a scare.”
- “I won’t spoiler the 'story', but after talking to the old man there is next to nothing to do.”
- “Hopefully, the sequel to The Man in the Park will have a better story and more endings.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, with some users finding them oddly warped and among the worst on Steam, while others appreciate the simple yet fitting visuals for a small horror game, even describing them as cool and recommendable.
- “The graphics are so cool.”
- “Really short horror game, pretty funny endings, good graphics, would recommend.”
- “The visuals are very simple, but that’s fine for a smaller horror game.”
- “And odd graphics that are hard to decipher, and sort of warp and bend (but not in a fun trippy way).”
- “The graphics here are particularly awful, so bad that it actually stands out as one of the worst looking games on Steam.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay is minimal and uninspiring, offering little meaningful interaction or story, and mostly consists of brief scare attempts rather than engaging content.
- “No meaningful gameplay, no real story, just the attempt of a scare.”
- “The man in the park has practically no gameplay.”
- “There are YouTube videos with more gameplay than this.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The atmosphere is noted for its cool premise and eerie ambience, successfully delivering some small jumpscares and a subtle horror vibe. However, the short length limits its ability to fully develop a compelling horror atmosphere. Players hope for future installments to deepen the story and enhance the overall mood.
- “Experience a few small jumpscares, an uncomfortably eerie atmosphere and ambience, and hopefully a future series that will go more in depth with development and story.”
- “The premise is cool and you can also make a rather short game with a nice horror vibe, but the man in the park is too short to actually create something like a horror atmosphere.”
- “Experience a few small jumpscares, uncomfortably eerie atmosphere and ambience, and hopefully a future series that'll go more in depth with development and story.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted by its amusing endings, adding a lighthearted touch to the short horror experience.