The Night Way Home

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 106 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Night Way Home Game Cover
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"The Night Way Home" is a first-person exploration and puzzle game set in a surreal, dreamlike world. As the player, you'll navigate through a series of abstract environments, solving puzzles to uncover the story of a young girl who has lost her way. The game features a unique art style and immersive soundtrack that will transport you to a world of mystery and wonder.

  • PC
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 106 reviews
story11 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique third-person perspective, which adds a fresh experience compared to previous titles from Chilla's Art.
  • The atmosphere is well-crafted, with a creepy sound design that effectively induces fear during initial encounters with the monster.
  • The story touches on sensitive themes and has moments that resonate emotionally, making it a thought-provoking experience.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking issues that can prevent progress and require restarting the game.
  • The gameplay can become tedious due to the large environments and the need to collect numerous items, which can lead to frustration.
  • The monster's mechanics and the panic meter can feel unbalanced, making encounters more annoying than scary as the novelty wears off.
  • story32 mentions

    The story in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its emotional depth and themes related to sensitive issues like domestic abuse and self-harm, while others find it confusing and lacking in coherence. Many reviewers noted the engaging hand-drawn cutscenes and a satisfying ending, but expressed a desire for a more developed narrative and gameplay that enhances the story. Overall, while the story has its merits, it often feels underexplored and could benefit from further refinement.

    • “The story is good and touches some sensitive themes such as domestic abuse, self-harm, and suicide.”
    • “It's got a slightly more coherent story than most Chilla's games and has some cool hand-drawn cutscenes and a solid ending.”
    • “Now the story is a really 10/10 when you reach the ending; it makes it worth playing and seeing it.”
    • “Other than gameplay itself, I wish there was more focus on the story.”
    • “The levels in the game play out the same for the most part and don't really offer any new information or serve to enhance the game's story.”
    • “The story leaves a lot to be desired on this one, and the gameplay loop gets stale once you get through the first half of the game and realize that's all you're doing with very little danger.”
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay in "The Night Way Home" by Chilla's Art is a mixed bag, featuring familiar mechanics that can become repetitive and tedious, particularly due to the constant chasing by a single monster. While some players appreciate the panic meter and the overall atmosphere, many criticize the lack of engaging puzzles and the feeling that the chase mechanics are poorly executed compared to other horror titles. Overall, the game offers fun mechanics but suffers from a lack of variety and depth in its gameplay experience.

    • “I recommend it especially if you're a fan of Chilla's; it's something a little bit different but it's not overly difficult or overly long, and the mechanics end up being quite fun.”
    • “I love playing Chilla's Art games, and really enjoyed the mechanics and story introduced in this game!”
    • “The panic mechanic really makes you panic.”
    • “This game would be much better if it didn’t have the same monster with the same mechanics chasing you for the entire game.”
    • “I did not like the gameplay of this one; getting chased by the monster became tedious pretty fast.”
    • “There are no interesting puzzles and the whole gameplay is focused on running from a weird creature.”
  • graphics15 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting decent visuals and a unique aesthetic, while others criticize graphical bugs, such as disappearing buildings and a downgraded quality compared to previous titles. Although the artwork in certain sections is praised, the overall graphical execution is seen as needing improvement, particularly in mechanics and interface design.

    • “Decent graphics and visuals.”
    • “A good aspect of this game is just the graphics, nothing more.”
    • “When I think of games developed by Chilla's Art, I think of their unique aesthetic and genuinely terrifying scares.”
    • “The game is plagued with graphical bugs, with entire buildings disappearing depending on the angle of the camera, for example.”
    • “The graphics were okay, though I did notice that the train/subway station was from their ghost train game (though of course from a third person perspective).”
    • “- downgraded graphics from previous titles.”
  • atmosphere11 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its creepiness and tension, effectively contributing to the horror experience, particularly through audio and environmental design. However, some players note inconsistencies, with a few expressing frustration over a lack of build-up and gameplay issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the atmosphere is a highlight for many, it is accompanied by mixed feedback regarding gameplay execution.

    • “Creepy atmosphere without many jump scares.”
    • “The game’s beginning is fantastic; it’s atmospheric and has the same feeling of horror-induced tension provided in Chilla's Art's other games.”
    • “There's several different sections to explore (and get chased) this time around, and the main scare factors are the atmosphere and audio.”
    • “This game takes a more traditional approach to the horror genre than the other Chilla's Art games do, implementing a simple but effective hostile AI rather than relying on atmosphere and a series of scripted jump scares.”
    • “Here there is no atmosphere, no build up; instead, we get infuriating gameplay.”
    • “Pretty straightforward premise with some just okay atmosphere and horror, but a couple of game-breaking bugs left me unable to finish this game.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, primarily due to the extensive time required to collect numerous items, such as stickers and yen, across large environments. The necessity to replay levels or manually edit save files if collectibles are missed adds to the annoyance, making encounters feel less engaging and more like a chore. Overall, the combination of vast areas, frequent enemy encounters, and unclear progression leads to a repetitive and laborious experience.

    • “I attribute this mostly to the collectables system; having to spend an exorbitant amount of time on each level looking for stickers makes these hostile encounters more and more frequent, which in turn makes them less and less scary, and after a certain point, annoying and tedious.”
    • “The devs also decided it would be a good idea to tie collectables to saves, so if you missed out on any one of the forty-three patron stickers spread throughout the game, you either have to replay the entire thing or manually edit each individual sticker back into the save file, which is astonishingly the less tedious option of the two.”
    • “There is a lot of ground to cover, and the size of the environment seems rather large compared to other games from them, so when you couple that with specific things you have to find or do in a specific order, and then add an enemy that can and does appear randomly and constantly, it can be tedious.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game is criticized for its significant stability issues, described as clunky and buggy, leading to frustrating experiences such as softlocks and repetitive gameplay. Reviewers express that it requires substantial improvements to address these stability concerns.

    • “This game is a clunky, repetitive bore within just the first 5 minutes. Once the shock of the initial jump scares gets old, all you're left with is little more than a buggy run-around-in-circles simulator. I love Chilla's Art, but this one really needs work.”
    • “Alas, very buggy.”
    • “In its current state, however, it is a clunky and buggy mess.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its lighthearted and quirky elements, such as the character's rapid movement and the amusing sounds made by the ghost, which often come off as more annoying than frightening. Players find the interactions with the ghost, including its comical attacks and bugged noises, to be entertaining, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.

    • “Your character also moves at the speed of light, which is honestly pretty funny.”
    • “The first ghost encounter could be a bit shocking or scary to some people who scare easily, but the ghost comes across as more annoying, especially with the noises it makes (a creaking door when it's moving and sometimes a funny bugged noise when it runs away).”
    • “Pretty funny to watch; it did sometimes attack me on the ground when I waited too long looking at it, lol.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking unless pursuing completion, others appreciate the numerous collectibles and diverse routes that encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “Definitely replayable because of the amount of collectibles and many routes to take when flipping your doodle!”
    • “The game offers a variety of choices and paths, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
    • “With multiple endings and hidden secrets, you'll find yourself coming back for more!”
    • “The game does not really have any replay value unless you really want to put in the effort for completion.”
    • “The game lacks replayability, as once you've completed it, there's little incentive to return.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization is comparable to other titles from Chilla's Art, suggesting a consistent performance level that meets player expectations but does not stand out significantly.

    • “Performance-wise, this game plays the same as most other Chilla's Art games.”
    • “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “I experienced significant lag and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is positively highlighted through the inclusion of detailed advertising posters, which enhance the immersive experience, particularly in the train station setting.

  • music1 mentions

    Reviewers feel that the game lacks an engaging or atmospheric soundtrack, suggesting that the inclusion of eerie background music would enhance the overall experience and add tension.

    • “This game should have at least a piece of scary background music to add some spice.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted as being strong and wholesome, with a compelling story that resonates positively with players.

    • “The story is incredibly moving and leaves a lasting impact on your heart.”
    • “I felt a deep connection to the characters, and their struggles resonated with my own experiences.”
    • “The emotional depth of the narrative truly sets this game apart; it made me laugh and cry.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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