The Mansion

About

The Mansion is a psychological horror game that takes you through the dark past of a tormented boy, Alvin, as you explore a mysterious and possibly imaginary mansion. The game features puzzles, eerie atmosphere, and unsettling narratives that unfold as you delve deeper into Alvin's troubled memories. This grim and fascinating adventure promises a unique and chilling experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 65 reviews

graphics22 positive mentions

stability20 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a captivating atmosphere that draws players in.
The puzzles are engaging and provide a good challenge, making exploration rewarding.
The game has potential for a compelling story, with intriguing elements that keep players curious.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
Development appears to have stalled, leaving the game in an unfinished state with no updates for a long time.
The mechanics can be cumbersome, such as having to put away the lantern to interact with objects, which detracts from the overall experience.

graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
10%
11%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, often described as stunning and cartoonish, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere. However, players have reported various glitches and performance issues, such as jerky movements and frame rate drops, which detract from the experience. Despite these technical problems, the visuals are considered a strong point, enhancing the game's appeal in the indie horror genre.
- “The graphics are stunning, movement can be a little jerky at times.”
- “Beautiful graphics, wonderful environments, lovely audio, challenging puzzles... it's not perfect though.”
- “The graphics are second to none, when compared to so many indie horror games here on Steam.”
- “Lots of weird graphic problems like suddenly being able to take the bolt cutters down the ladder at the tree which you're not meant to do... yep it crashed the game as well as you couldn't drop them or do anything.”
- “Very jerky when turning the mouse, and when I got killed, I fell through the graphics and the game was saved that way.”
- “Etc. I have no aesthetic complaints about it at all!”
story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it light and poorly integrated, often relying on scattered notes and storybook images for context. While there are hints of a compelling narrative that blends horror and fantasy, many feel it lacks depth and coherence, especially in its early access state. Overall, the potential for an intriguing story exists, but it is currently hampered by unfinished elements and a lack of clear exposition.
- “It's a good cross between horror and fantasy, and the story gets more interesting as you play.”
- “Beautiful graphics and a cool soundtrack together with a mysterious story create the atmosphere of a horror movie.”
- “I can't wait to see more story and beautiful design work by this amazing team!”
- “The story is ridiculous, and the letters scattered here and there are cringeworthy.”
- “The story itself had potential, but it was squandered by some of the frustrating puzzles or lack of clues on what to do.”
- “I have no storyline telling me why I'm in the mansion in the first place or what the goal is.”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay and puzzle-solving, leading to a frustrating experience for many players. While some appreciate the graphics and overall design, the abundance of game-breaking glitches has led to widespread criticism, suggesting that the game should not have been released in its current state. Overall, the stability concerns overshadow the positive aspects, making it difficult for players to fully enjoy the game.
- “I advise against wasting your time and money on this buggy game.”
- “I know the price point is low but to have this many game-breaking glitches in a 1-hour experience is really bad.”
- “Too many unresolved glitches that make it more frustrating than fun.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
8%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it beautiful and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience, others feel it can be overwhelming or mismatched with the game's themes. Overall, many appreciate the soundtrack for its ability to complement the visuals and contribute to the game's eerie ambiance, though a few note issues with volume and fit.
- “The graphics are wonderful, the music and the atmosphere fit very well, and the puzzles are not too easy but not too hard either!”
- “Game is pretty puzzle heavy, but the artwork and soundtrack are beautiful.”
- “Beautiful graphics and a cool soundtrack together with a mysterious story create the atmosphere of a horror movie.”
- “Another gripe would have to be the sound; I turned the music off as it was overbearing and didn't really seem to fit with the game.”
- “Often shifting between whimsical ghosts, painting, and music to maggot-infested basements and cannibalism.”
- “The music is just enough to hang around in the background without being overpowering, and there are no weird silent areas, except when you read some documents.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
11%
22%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by beautiful graphics, a fitting soundtrack, and a chilling, mysterious ambiance that effectively evokes a horror movie feel. Reviewers note that the combination of visuals, sound, and engaging puzzles creates a captivating and immersive experience. Overall, the game successfully establishes a dark and eerie atmosphere that enhances the storytelling.
- “The graphics, sound, and the whole atmosphere are very good.”
- “It has a wonderfully chilling atmosphere and makes you wonder exactly what is going on.”
- “Beautiful graphics and a cool soundtrack together with a mysterious story create the atmosphere of a horror movie.”
- “- dark atmosphere”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Gameplay is described as having tedious mechanics that are somewhat balanced with the protagonist's actions, but it suffers from a lack of clarity regarding the story and character motivations. While the puzzles are enjoyable, the mechanics are criticized for being illogical, such as the impracticality of holding a lantern and an item simultaneously. Overall, the game features great graphics and ideas, but the execution of its mechanics leaves much to be desired.
- “I really enjoyed the puzzles and the gameplay, although I didn't always understand what was happening.”
- “The mechanics of the game are a little tedious but balanced to the required actions of the protagonist.”
- “Another point is, since the game seems to be starting in the middle, it is not really explained what the character is doing in this place, why the dark is a near-instant death mechanic, and why the character is afraid of everything.”
- “As others have mentioned, the mechanics are lacking and the basic logic of holding a lantern in one hand while holding a key or another small item in the other is questionable.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious due to repetitive scripted animations for simple actions, such as opening doors or drawers. While the mechanics are balanced with the protagonist's actions, the frequent repetition can detract from the overall experience, especially when experimenting with various objects.
- “The mechanics of the game are a little tedious but balanced to the required actions of the protagonist.”
- “Something as simple as opening a door or a drawer is always accompanied by a scripted scene, making it more tedious than it should be.”
- “It seems like no big deal, but if you're just trying out objects to see what they do, it's really tedious to watch the same animations over and over again.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues that result in fluctuating frame rates ranging from 40 to 120, indicating a lack of stability and efficiency.
- “The optimization is terrible; your frames can be anywhere between 120 and 40.”
- “Absolute performance garbage fire.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game has been criticized as unappealing and offensive, with some users expressing that it may only resonate with those lacking discernment. Overall, the comedic elements seem to alienate a portion of the audience rather than entertain.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the character designs are praised for their quality, the reviews do not provide significant insights into character development, focusing instead on the visual aspects and puzzle mechanics.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the game's monetization strategy could be improved by increasing advertising and media presence, as well as raising the price to enhance perceived value.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the emotional depth of the game, noting that certain character behaviors, such as avoiding physical contact, lack clear communication or context, which diminishes the emotional impact and connection to the narrative.