The Next Door

About

The Next Door is a single player action game. It was developed by Labory and was released on March 22, 2016. It received neutral reviews from players.

The Next Door is a first person puzzle adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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47%

Audience ScoreBased on 344 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

Unique surreal and avant-garde atmosphere with interesting and mind-bending environments.
Contains puzzles that offer a fair but sometimes challenging experience.
Provides trading cards that are valued by the community.

Poor optimization causing low and unstable frame rates, making the game feel laggy and uncomfortable.
Lack of basic features such as save system, settings menu, graphical/audio options, and clear instructions.
Short length with some puzzles being unintuitive, requiring trial and error or external help to solve.

graphics
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
67%
15%
The graphics receive mixed reviews, with some praising the unique, avant-garde 3D visuals and interesting design, while others criticize poor optimization, lack of customization options, glitchiness, and overall low quality. Though the graphics suit the game's price point and concept for some, many find the visuals floaty, laggy, and lacking polish, which detracts from the experience.
- “Very good graphics; it's a chill game.”
- “Though the next door did not create much of a fulfilling story or a conclusion, upon the game’s completion, the art and graphics were definitely an eye-catcher for me and any other player(s).”
- “Entire game is made with interesting 3D graphics.”
- “No graphics options, it's badly optimized and lacks overall polish.”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customise the graphics settings.”
- “Then there's the awful, poorly optimized and ugly graphics & ear-shattering sounds.”
story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
70%
17%
The game lacks a cohesive or meaningful story, with many reviewers describing it as surreal, abstract, and nearly nonexistent. While it touches on themes like identity, religion, and self-development, the narrative is confusing and unfulfilling, detracting from the overall experience. This title is better approached as an experimental or atmospheric puzzle game rather than for its storytelling.
- “From the intro itself, the game’s entire plot seems to revolve around self-development and identity, though we do not know who our character is or what they look like.”
- “The next door is a surreal narrative puzzle story developed and published by Labory.”
- “Though The Next Door did not create much of a fulfilling story or a conclusion, upon the game’s completion, the art and graphics were definitely an eye-catcher for me and any other player.”
- “There is almost zero story and the game never saves.”
- “Honestly, a very unpolished game, it has no real game mechanics that create any sense of fun or repeatability; even the story is lackluster.”
- “The lack of plot really destroys the experience, as the entire gameplay itself was short even if you were to do zilch.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The music in the game is generally described as smooth and occasionally pleasant, with some jazzy elements, but often repetitive and annoying. A significant drawback is the lack of in-game audio controls, forcing players to use external methods to mute or adjust the sound. Overall, while some find the soundtrack enjoyable at times, many are frustrated by the persistent and repetitive nature of the music.
- “I relaxed for 5 heartwarming minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “The music and the background is wonderful.”
- “The music is smooth and jazzy.”
- “Bewilderingly, the game doesn't include proper audio controls, so you can't turn off the annoying audio tracks; you'll need to alt+tab out and stop the music using the Windows sound mixer.”
- “The music is repetitive and annoying at points but okay at others.”
- “Listing the flaws of the next door could indeed be a game in and of itself; incredibly uncomplicated puzzles, nauseating music that resounds in cursory loops, terribly designed and piercingly bright areas that burn out your retinae, awful player movement and interaction, the worst optimization imaginable and it takes thirty minutes to complete.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay is generally criticized for being unpolished, dull, and lacking meaningful mechanics or replay value, with many reviewers finding it short and unenjoyable. While some mention a unique puzzle mechanic as a positive, the overall experience is overshadowed by poor execution and a weak story.
- “Gameplay 5/10 - nice concept, somehow poorly executed and a little short but nice.”
- “Floor flip, where the other part or the whole puzzle is located on the ceiling, is an interesting mechanic.”
- “Honestly a very unpolished game, it has no real game mechanics that create any sense of fun or repeatability, even the story is lackluster.”
- “Awful game, not worth it if you’re looking for real gameplay.”
- “But the difference is they put a thin veneer of 'art' in the presentation... and suddenly it doesn't matter that all the assets are comically mismatched with utter garbage gameplay and quality, because now it's 'art'.”
- “Dull and senseless gameplay.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frequent performance issues such as lag, harsh visuals, and eye strain. Lack of graphics options and unpolished design further detract from the experience, although some players find it runs adequately on mid-range systems despite these flaws.
- “No graphics options, it's badly optimized and lacks overall polish.”
- “Short, strange puzzle game with horrible performance.”
- “Listing the flaws of the next door could indeed be a game in and of itself; incredibly uncomplicated puzzles, nauseating music that resounds in cursory loops, terribly designed and piercingly bright areas that burn out your retinae, awful player movement and interaction, the worst optimization imaginable and it takes thirty minutes to complete, due to the harsh content however, this is a blessing.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay and progression. Its instability, combined with a lack of clear direction, detracts from what could be a unique experience.
- “It tries to provide a unique experience which is held back by average visuals, no sense of direction or progress, and a plethora of bugs and glitches.”
- “I guess this is a more metaphorical game but it was really buggy and couldn't even get past the first part (you know, the part where you're a sperm cell).”
- “Glitches everywhere.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in this game is brief but repetitive, often used for farming purposes. While it provides short pauses from intense and jarring audio, many players find the experience tedious and unengaging.
- “(Gives your ears and brain a few seconds to recover from the high-pitched jarring noises and screeching, grinding pain...)”
- “Recommended for game farming”
- “Okay, let's see how my 10 minutes with this game went (now farming cards before uninstalling this crap):”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere is praised for its beauty and serene, changing environments, creating an immersive experience. However, some feel it lacks depth and dynamic engagement, with overly subdued background music and a somewhat simplistic, less interactive vibe compared to similar games.
- “It changes with each new environment you approach, creating a serene atmosphere for the player.”
- “Atmosphere was beautiful, providing a unique and immersive feeling throughout the game.”
- “The background music complements the atmospheric experience perfectly.”
- “The game is clearly modeled after 'The Beginner's Guide'; it has the trippy elements and Stanley Parable-like atmosphere but lacks that playable feel.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The humor in the game is mixed, with some users finding unintended bugs amusing and entertaining, while others feel aspects like the pricing joke fall flat. Additionally, language inconsistencies add an unintentional humorous touch.
- “However, all the game-breaking bugs were pretty funny, and just about the only enjoyable part of the game, so please don't fix them :d”
- “Funny, the store page says the only language is English, but the developer's description is in Portuguese...”
- “The price is some kind of unfunny joke.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging due to its intriguing mystery and impactful moments, though some report discomfort from bright colors and performance issues that can cause eye strain and dizziness. Despite these drawbacks, the emotional depth keeps players invested throughout the experience.
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
- “This game had a mystery factor, which kept me intrigued even throughout the entire playtime.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is widely criticized for being unethical, with accusations of repeatedly dumping low-quality, copied content onto Steam as cheap cash grabs.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is relatively short and offers limited replayability, which may reduce its long-term appeal for players seeking extended or repeated gameplay.
- “The game is fairly short and does not offer much replayability.”