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The motel

The motel Game Cover
85%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:atmosphere, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:story, grinding
85% User Score Based on 75 reviews

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The motel Game Cover

About The motel

The motel is a single player survival action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Aura Studios and was released on January 24, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Story: You're an employee on a late night shift at The Motel, an old, quiet roadside stop just before the big city in Oakhill Grove. Your job is simple enough: keep things in order and handle what needs doing until morning. At first, the night seems like any other, but a news broadcast crackling through the radio changes everything. There's someone dangerous roaming the outskirts of Oakhill Grove…

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Reviews

85%Audience ScoreBased on 75 reviews
atmosphere8 positive mentions
grinding1 negative mentions
  • The game has a strong and immersive atmosphere with good music and sound design that enhances the horror experience.
  • Multiple endings add replayability and versatility to the gameplay.
  • Charming elements such as the ability to pet the cat and detailed low-poly visuals received praise.
  • The game is very short, leading to limited story depth and a somewhat shallow experience.
  • Gameplay can feel slow and monotonous with repetitive and predictable jump scares.
  • Lack of checkpoints and inability to skip unskippable sequences make replaying for other endings tedious.

  • atmosphere

    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    53% positive mentions, 27% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions

    The game is widely praised for its strong and immersive atmosphere, with many users highlighting its charm, music, and effective use of horror elements like paranoia and jumpscares. Despite a shorter playtime and somewhat simple story, the atmosphere is consistently noted as a key strength that enhances the overall experience.

    • “Perfect atmosphere.”
    • “Such a fantastic night shift at the motel, love the atmosphere, the music, the motel, it was a fun experience to play.”
    • “The story and setting might be quite the usual with this genre but the atmosphere is really great, and the music helps a lot with that.”
    • “It has a solid atmosphere, but the story feels too shallow and wraps up quickly.”
    • “The sequences before and after the game are well done, the atmosphere was definitely there at the beginning and I personally really like the graphics.”
    • “The atmosphere is really well done especially for such a short runtime.”

  • story

    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    23% positive mentions, 54% neutral mentions, 23% negative mentions

    The story is generally straightforward and atmospheric but is often criticized for being shallow, short, and lacking depth or meaningful player choices. While it features multiple endings and a solid setting, many players wish for more engaging tasks, character development, and narrative complexity. Overall, the story provides a decent foundation but could benefit from additional content and more impactful storytelling elements.

    • “Great mechanics and storyline.”
    • “Short with a good story and multiple endings with great presentation.”
    • “The game has 4 endings where you have to play 95% of the story each time to get to a point where you decide the ending.”
    • “The story is alright, but it feels too shallow and wraps up quickly.”
    • “I wish there was more to the story and the characters, and maybe a way to resolve the situation by catching the perpetrator.”
    • “The game has 4 endings, but you have to play 95% of the story each time to reach the decision point for the ending.”

  • music

    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    67% positive mentions, 33% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the atmosphere, with many users highlighting its strong, immersive quality that complements the setting and mood. The soundtrack and background music contribute significantly to the overall experience, often noted as a standout element alongside the art style and ambiance.

    • “Music did not have to go that hard but I love that it did.”
    • “The story and setting might be quite the usual with this genre but the atmosphere is really great, and the music helps a lot with that.”
    • “As also the music felt good and the radio made the game sound nicer while waiting.”

  • gameplay

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 49% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The gameplay is praised for its great mechanics, engaging storyline, and multiple endings that enhance replay value. However, some users find it boring, indicating mixed opinions on the overall experience.

    • “Great mechanics and storyline.”
    • “The gameplay is simple yet effective and the multiple endings add a lot of replay value.”
    • “Another amazing nightshift horror... just wanted to share my gameplay that I uploaded 2 months ago.. thanks for standing by.”
    • “But unfortunately, the gameplay is really very boring.”

  • graphics

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    43% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The graphics effectively capture a nostalgic PS1/PSX style, creating a strong atmospheric and horror vibe. Users appreciate the art style, visuals, and accompanying effects, which contribute significantly to the game's overall character and mood.

    • “The sequences before and after the game are well done, the atmosphere was definitely there at the beginning and I personally really like the graphics.”
    • “I love the graphics and the character it gives the game, and the effects are great!”
    • “A nice simple horror game with PS1 style visuals.”

  • replayability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's replayability is enhanced by multiple different endings, offering versatile experiences. Its simple yet effective gameplay combined with varied outcomes encourages players to replay and explore alternative results.

    • “Having multiple different endings adds versatility and replayability nicely.”
    • “The gameplay is simple yet effective and the multiple endings add a lot of replay value.”

  • humor

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is generally subtle and occasional, with standout moments like the amusing cockroach party adding charm. However, some users expected more frequent or interactive comedic elements during gameplay.

  • grinding

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is straightforward and enjoyable, consisting of regular tasks that feel natural without becoming tedious or annoying.

  • optimization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game offers a good price-to-performance ratio, indicating efficient optimization that delivers solid performance without requiring high-end hardware.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The motel is a survival action adventure game with horror theme. Common tags for The motel include first-person, indie, linear, psychological, exploration and others.

The motel is available on PC, Windows and PlayStation.

The motel was released on January 24, 2025.

The motel was developed by Aura Studios.

The motel has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked The motel for its atmosphere but disliked it for its story.

The motel is a single player game.

Similar games include Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike, Suite 776, Bloodwash, Layers of Fear, Summer of '58 and others.